Five!

 Yesterday Maren turned five years old. We were not quite sure how to celebrate given the current pandemic situation. We thought a lot about it and decided to invite her kindergarten class. We figured that she is already exposed to those kids so it doesn’t really add any risk. But in thinking about how to be safe we decided to specifically not invite parents, to wear masks the whole time, to purchase cupcakes from a bakery and have individual juice boxes, and to have the party outside.

Well. Things didn’t go exactly as we had hoped. First, Maren’s teacher didn’t get back to us right away regarding distributing invitations. Apparently she had to check with the principal to make sure it was all right. Then the invitations had to be brought to school and left for three days before being sent home with the kids. But Maren only goes to school twice a week so there was a long delay between getting the invitations to school and getting them back to parents. In the end invitations went home on Tuesday and the party was on Saturday, so people didn’t have much time to plan or RSVP. Only three kids were able to make it, but that was much better than the zero we worried would be able to come. 

Then there was the weather. It was predicted to be sunny and warm, then sunny and relatively warm, and by Thursday night it was predicted to rain. So our plans for an outdoor party did not come to fruition. We decided that since so few kids would be coming anyway it wouldn’t be too big a risk to have it indoors. In the end it didn’t actually rain during the party but it was chilly. The kids went outside to play for a little while but got too cold and came back in (one of the guests was wearing a tank top dress and no socks and did not have a jacket with her so even though it wasn’t that cold they couldn’t stay out for very long). We were able to keep them pretty well distanced while they were eating their individual cupcakes, and their games consisted mostly of running and screaming so they kept a decent distance from one another then too. I think we did all right. 

All in all the birthday party was kind of a normal five-year-old birthday party. Balloons, freeze dance, music, screaming, running, cake. Maren will probably just remember this as a birthday party, not a pandemic birthday party, which is good I think. Happy birthday Maren! We love you ❤️

Lucky

There are times when I really miss living in Oregon. When we have especially harsh prairie winter weather, when spring seems to take forever to show up, in August when I really miss blackberry pie, when it has been nine months since I have seen my family. 

There are other times when I feel extremely lucky to be where we are. We are not on fire, not flooding, we are relatively safe when it comes to Covid, and we are not in the same kind of political/social crisis that the US is dealing with. We are in it all, but have more distance from it. 

We get to enjoy fall. Yesterday morning we went for a little hike, on a trail we discovered this summer when google maps led us astray of our intended destination. It is called the “Dog walking trail,” and it is one of the nicest trails we have found nearby. Some beautiful fall scenery in beautiful fall weather.  

 

School!

 Maren started kindergarten this week. The first day we were confused. It was not totally clear to us what time she was supposed to show up, or what was supposed to happen. Jeff took a phone call from the teacher the Friday before Maren started, and when she called he was in the middle of changing Linden’s diaper. So some of the information was slightly confused. 

The morning didn’t go exactly how we hoped it would. No first day of school photo. No leisurely walking her to school. No helping her get to her classroom. Instead, we were late, saw the kids lining up to go inside, rushed Maren to the door, and didn’t even get to say goodbye as she was quickly ushered inside. However, when I came to pick her up she had had a great day and apparently didn’t even notice that we were stressed and rushing in the morning.

That was Tuesday. She goes to school Tuesdays, Thursdays, and some Fridays. On Thursday we were much better prepared. Jeff got a second day of school photo although he said it didn’t turn out very well and I haven’t seen it. But she got to school on time, and hung out with her class waiting for their turn to go inside. Jeff and Linden and I waited outside the school fence and watched until they went inside. There were lots of parents doing the same.

We won’t get to see the inside of her classroom or meet her teacher face to face this year. It’s a strange time to be starting school, but Maren is happy and that is all that matters :-)

Abrupt transition to fall

Environment Canada cautioned that we would experience an “abrupt transition to fall” this Labor Day weekend. They are right in so many ways, the weather being only a small part of the story. I started teaching on Friday, Jeff starts this week, and Maren starts kindergarten tomorrow. 

Things aren’t changing much for Linden, but she has definitely noticed that it is getting colder. Yesterday she wanted a hoodie, a blanket, and her mittens when it was a crisp 18 degrees Celsius/ 65 degrees Fahrenheit outside. Oh, my little baby, if only you knew what was coming...

In the meantime we will enjoy fall as much as we can.