Third Lockdown, April – May 2021

The out of season beautiful weather in March, with vaccines on the horizon, had given us a false sense that the end of Covid was near. April brought cold weather again, and a third lockdown even with most people we know getting their first shot. As predicted, schools shut down after the April break and this time daycare couldn’t pick up the slack so Isaac was stuck with online learning. Jon and Lindy devised a routine of switching off days at home with Isaac and going into work every other day.

This lockdown had its pros and cons compared to the others. We were grateful that the parks stayed open, even if we had to wear masks. School was shut down but at least daycare stayed open (thank goodness for that!) Gymnastics was cancelled half way through, but our money won’t go to waste once they can reopen. We miss our friends and families but are thankful that the weather has allowed some outdoor visits/walks/”by chance” playdates at the park.

Luckily Lindy celebrated her birthday just in time with driveway drinks with the neighbours the evening before outdoor gatherings were restricted. We squeezed in an Easter weekend outdoor Easter Egg hunt for the neighbourhood kids as well, but our long weekend hotel pool plan was kyboshed as pools were shut down. Instead we made a day trip to the cottage and discovered that the change of scenery went a long way for the kids. Of course along with car trips comes Cadence’s motion sickness which has resulted in road side clean ups on more than one occasion recently.

Covid seems to have played some tricks with nature as well – this year seems to be themed with ‘things in excess’. We were alerted to the infestation of Gypsy Moths in the cottage area posing a threat to wipe out our trees, and so we went on the hunt for caterpillar eggs (an activity that Isaac took enthusiastically as a mission to accomplish!) There was one weekend seriously taken over by millions of teensy weensy caterpillars that covered every surface near the beach – chairs, tables, raft, toys – with cob webs of caterpillars stringing from one tree to another or just hanging from branches. Unfortunately we weren’t aware of the allergic reaction that comes from the silk and hairs of these caterpillars, and Jon was busily adding play structure equipment to the treehouse within the caterpillar zone and was largely affected by an extremely itchy rash. Isaac of course got some too. The other things in excess have been snail shells that completely cover the beach at the edge of the water, many many more snakes than usual swimming back and forth through the swimming area, as well as the latest issue of never-before-seen-at-the-cottage-Canada-geese that have taken to pooping ALL over the beach and parking lot! (A wooden fox silhouette cut out will hopefully solve that problem).

Through the lockdown, we have been extremely lucky to have the cottage as an escape, giving the kids new areas to explore. Isaac discovered a deer jaw bone with teeth in the forest and has since been on a fossil hunting craze – constantly wanting to go look for rocks to smash open to find fossils and asks daily where we can go hunt for fossils with his hammer and safety glasses. The jaw bone was good for show and tell and gave him the inspiration to participate in his online school for that short minute.

Cadence and Asher have really taken to climbing, balancing and jumping – independently. They have mastered the climbing wall into the cottage treehouse, and love walking along the fallen logs. Everyone has been in swimming already even though the water is still very cold. The kids are still adjusting to all being in one room to sleep at the cottage, and it has made for some late nights and early wake ups. Part of the issue is their different needs when it comes to the darkness of the room. Overall, the cottage hasn’t presented itself to be as stressful a situation as anticipated with three small children – until they all want to be on the dock fishing.

Cadence and Asher are talking up a storm, and while it is great to have some communication starting, it can be a lot to take with all three kids trying to talk to us at the same time. They also are complete copy cats of Isaac, which includes his occasional bad attitudes and back talk. Asher has thank yous down pat though with the cutest little “Hanks”. Cadence’s thank yous sound a bit more like “Thankew”. They have both become snack monsters, pretty much saying “I’m hungy” anytime they see Lindy. 🙂

Mother’s Day was well celebrated with a big breakfast, flowers and cards from all, as well as big hugs and kisses which was all surprisingly heartwarming. Cadence and Asher have started saying I love you now which feels very rewarding during such a tough time. Lots of love around here amoungst the meltdowns. LOL.

Work is getting busier for both Jon and Lindy, making the limited work days frustrating. “Suns out, Guns out” was definitely true this year, as the summer weather hit just before the May long weekend, bringing 5 shootings in 5 days followed by 5 murders a week later. Numerous calls from executive demanding immediate action have been received while standing in parks watching boys swing sticks and smash rocks between school classes. Online learning has been enforced only so that our own work can get done, leaving Isaac to watch TV to cover off a few more hours on occasion. The virtual classes only comprise of two and a half hours of the day making it basically impossible to get more than half a days work done. On the up side – Lindy’s work has pushed for immunization, so Lindy has been fully vaccinated already!

Lindy attended a Covid funeral for a close friend’s father, adding another experience to the list of awful circumstances Covid has inflicted on us, seeing friends go through devastating loss without the usual social support and comforts normally taken for granted.

While these past two months have been another tough adjustment, we are cautiously optimistic that we only have a few more weeks until summer camps free up our work days, and outdoor gatherings can resume for our holidays.