What's the story?

Today was my last day of chauffeuring the kids to and from camp this summer. Oliver and I dropped them off at 8:00 this morning, I came back and mowed the lawn for the first time in a month, and then Paul joined Oliver and I on the drive back to see their production. Considering opportunities to be a part of a drama or a choir during the coming school year will likely be slim to none due to COVID-19, I'm thankful Nadia and Ian were able to participate in this workshop this week. I'm also thankful that I didn't sign Oliver up this year because it meant he was available to spend time with Grandpa and Margie on Monday morning, and he wouldn't have been able to attend on Wednesday or Thursday because he was sick on Wednesday. All five of us had been healthy for six straight months. For the last five months I have felt like trying to avoid sneezing or using a tissue in public for fear people will think I have COVID-19 when it's just allergies. In a normal year Oliver's little bug on Wednesday wouldn't have phased me, but during a pandemic it was very nerve wracking. Thankfully he was back to normal yesterday morning. I kept him quarantined Wednesday and Thursday just to make sure he didn't pass any germs on to anyone else. I hadn't planned to sign Nadia up for two different theatre camps this summer. I had signed Nadia and Ian up for this one, it was cancelled, I signed Nadia up for another one, and then the rescheduled this one. 

With the Cinderstein camp they were very careful about keeping distance between the kids, took the kids' temperature every day, wore masks at all times aside from an outdoor snack break, and only allowed 6 adults to attend each of the two performances. With this camp put on by the FLN, they took the temperature of everyone in the vehicle every morning and required me to complete a health questionnaire every day, but the kids only had to wear masks when entering the building and they certainly didn't keep 6 feet between the kids. There were 13 kids in the camp this week - 4 boys and 9 girls. They split the group in half during the rehearsals. There were three adults running the camp. Their performance was at noon today. Everyone had to have their temperature taken and fill out a health questionnaire upon entry. This meant they took my temperature and Oliver's temperature twice today. Once seated, we were not required to wear masks whereas two weeks ago the parents attending the show had to wear masks for the entire 90 minute show. They didn't restrict how many attended today because they knew it would fall well below 25% of capacity of the sanctuary. Oliver, Paul, Pop Pop, and I attended the performance. What surprised me the most was the fact that there wasn't any attempt to implement social distancing in the sanctuary today. I was expecting every other pew to be used, for example. This was a musical which again is fairly surprising at the moment when choirs seem to all be cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. Ian had only one line "The quarantine is OVER." Nadia had 20+ lines in the play. Ian was very enthusiastic with the motions in the songs. 

Part of the reason Pop Pop came up today was to take Oliver shopping for a bike, which is his birthday present from them. After the performance was over, I took Ian and Nadia to the swimming pool. I had bathing suits for all five of us, but Paul and Oliver didn't end up swimming. They went with Pop Pop to various stores attempting to purchase a bike, but just like the freezers, bicycles are hard to come by in 2020. We shall see which is possible first - Oliver's new bike or my chest freezer? I am guessing the bike won't take as many months as the freezer probably will. We shall see if my new freezer arrives before I turn 49. I'm not holding my breath!

Although I'm grateful they were able to participate in this, I'm also looking forward to the end of driving 2 hours a day. I've been going through a lot of gas lately! We can go swimming the next two days, I need to drive Paul to and from his colonoscopy on Monday, and then the kids and I will pretty much be back in home sweet home mode almost all the time aside from church on Sundays.