Exactly one year after my first blog post, I received my first dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine.

Incredible to witness science at its best. But despite incredible work and speedy vaccine rollout, global vaccination rate doesn’t appear to be fast enough to prevent the third wave. Variants pose a new threat as well. The race is on to develop a safe vaccine for children.

Today, aside from New Zealand and Australia, the world seems to be worse off than year ago. Brazil has collapsed under defiant leadership which denies COVID pandemic altogether. Case numbers of the variant B117 are rising in Europe at an alarming rate. This variant is more infectious and more deadly than the original form. It seems to affect children more. Vaccine effectiveness remains to be seen. Warnings have been issued, even in Canada, where BC has a sudden surge of the P1 variant with at least 215 cases…twice the number in all of US.

We are still doing well but have seen a localized surge of cases. Rules are about to be relaxed for schools and children as teachers are receiving their vaccinations. Flights are scheduled to return in June. Public Health is keeping a close eye on the developing situation and will modify restrictions as needed.

We are lucky. Life has been fairly normal since May. Our COVID cases have been minimal and all outbreaks have been contained quickly. Children have been at school successfully.

Yesterday we were placed back in Orange phase from Yellow phase of recovery with a few modifications: stay in place order was issued allowing a single family bubble only. Masks must be worn indoors and outdoors. Cases have doubled in the last two days with community spread. The expectation is that there are many more cases to come. This was met with some resistance but there is a need to limit pre-Christmas get-togethers at this point. Teachers sent remote learning plans and work home in the event of school closure, although experts agree that it is better for the children’s mental health if schools remain open.

Despite bars and restaurants allowed to continue business, many have voluntarily closed for a period of time as most of the spreading has occurred in those establishments. It’s all about social responsibility.

Today is a beautiful spring-like sunny day allowing us to forget about it all and enjoy the outdoors.

School is done. I am surprisingly relieved to not have to download a lesson or print homework. I won’t miss those times after kids bedtime sitting at the computer preparing next day lessons and readings so my six-year old can understand and do them independently for review together at a later time. Homeschooling became a whole lot more challenging when I went back to work.

Under normal circumstances my children would be scheduled for a variety of summer camps. As it turns out, we are all liking the unplanned summer time spent together to do whatever we feel like. Through the day, my children are free to play and exist without routine, much like I did when growing up. Organized sports have been traded in for biking, scootering, learning skateboarding, walking, running or swimming at the lake for the whole family. Regular lesson plans are now walks to the library. The days of preplanning and cooking dinners for the next day late at night so that we can dash to one activity or another are long gone. I can enjoy barbecuing and creating fresh meals daily weather it be at home on the deck or at our lakeside cottage. We are free range.

In this phase of recovery, all businesses are allowed to open as long as social distancing measures are in place. Hardly anyone is wearing masks anywhere. Sadly, our downtown mall and many sidewalk shops have taken a hit during shutdown and have vacated. There’s no-one around.

This weekend marks the formation of The Atlantic Provinces bubble. The East Coast has performed very well in containing COVID-19 and provincial borders have been opened. Our family traditionally spends time exploring the home provinces in the summer. This year will be no different. Despite no formal entertainment due to the pandemic, Canada Day will be spent very East Coast Canadian way on a beautiful lake canoeing listening to calls of the Loons.

Happy Canada Day! 🇨🇦

Our first COVID-related death. Not unexpected yet tragic and very disappointing. We continue to monitor the reach by that one infected person.

Life is starting to re-open here. It seems our government is uncertain how to do it as it waxes and wanes on regulations. My feeling that most decisions by politicians are based on popularity more than science is reaffirmed. The reality is, we only need to look elsewhere in the world for guidance.

For my family, it is business as usual. We remain sensibly connected to just friends and family keeping our circle small. Choosing our mask to wear has become a fashion statement. We don’t leave home without one. I keep extras in the car. My children understand that in doing so we are protecting others. They are starting to point out people who don’t wear one as those who don’t care about protecting us.

I am used to the new routine that is my work. Clients are very grateful for continuing care and services. We are thanked every day. Never have I felt more appreciated in my career.

George Floyd. Remember that name. My head is spinning trying to make sense of it all. Of course you can’t. There is no sense. A country on the brink of a civil war in the midst of a global pandemic. Boogaloo.

Thankfully our province is peaceful. Because people here are now angry. It seems a health care worker may have spread COVID-19 to possibly hundreds of people by not complying with the mandatory self-isolation order after travel. Eight new cases in a matter of days, two in the ICU. Local hospital closes, fifty staff at risk. A senior care home has been infected. A possible breach on so many levels. A doctor is suspended and RCMP is investigating. And then we wait. Further lifting of restrictions has been put on hold, zone 5 took a step back to state of orange due to COVID clusters. The full impact of this act remains to be seen. Praying this doesn’t result in our first COVID-related death. Boogaloo.

I have discussions with my children of all that’s happening right now. They now witness the reason why as a health care worker I dress the way I do for work, why I take my temperature and sign an attestation about my symptoms twice a day. I teach them about social and moral responsibility and accountability. The reason why we continue to wear masks in public and why we continue to social distance is so blatantly obvious even to my six year old.

We talk about racism. We read about Martin Luther King, Jr and I teach them that more violence isn’t the answer. We pray for Minneapolis and no Boogaloo.

Being back to work at the office has been very rewarding. Although it makes for busy times with the kids being at home, some normalcy has been restored.

In order to resume operations, new protocol had to be adopted. This called for sourcing and purchasing new PPE ( personal protective equipment) and taking related safety training courses. All costly and time consuming, but very necessary. Running my business in this time of COVID-19 pandemic is anything but routine. It has been another adjustment.

Restrictions have been loosened further due to no COVID cases in our province. More businesses are opening, playground and water park activities resuming and family & close friends socializing again.

We look forward to weekends at the camp. In nature at the lake, all restrictions and masks are forgotten. Sounds of birds, crickets and water are soothing for the soul. Games, bonfires, paddling, fishing and swimming occupy our minds. Children can be just children again.

If there is anything good to be said about schools closing and isolation, it is my observation that bullying has stopped. Both of my children have experienced bullying at one time or another, one more severely than the other. I have first hand experience of some of the negative consequences of long term bullying and the potentially life long effects of it. I have personally witnessed the resulting fear of everyday things, the emerging low self-esteem, the frustration and even the eventual anger. There is no-one more lonely in the world than a child who is a victim of bullying.

In Psychology of Bullying 101, some resolutions are outlined, the main one being isolating the victim from the offender. It is crucial that the victim is able to get away from the bully and has a safe space. Having this complete isolation within the safety of the family unit has had a huge positive impact. It has allowed for recovery and realization by the victim what normal is. It has allowed for the victim understanding that bullying is about the bully, not the victim. The happy child that I once knew is re-emerging. Sadly there still are those everyday things that need to be worked out, but it is a whole lot easier when the source is gone. The child can now focus on being a kid, playing and freely expressing themselves without judgement.

We made it! My family are thriving. School work is being completed. I’m back to operating my business. First bottle of wine in eight weeks. Happy Mother’s Day to me!

The announcement of re-opening non-essential health care businesses came as a complete surprise at this stage of recovery. This meant spending the weekend preparing the business to comply with COVID-related protocol. Although I feel my profession is one of the best suited to operate during a pandemic, my sentiment is not the same for most other businesses that are now allowed to open. I will be following the developments closely next little while and weighing the risks before making the decision to enrol my children in public daycare or summer camps. There is the possibility of a necessary lockdown in the future due to resurgence of cases. Schools will remain closed until September.

Despite the fact that there is no outside influence for my children on Mother’s Day, we always celebrate it. I have no shame in making a big deal of my motherhood. I worked hard to achieve it and it defines me. My children can appreciate and understand that for me, it is a celebration of them. They know of the fertility struggles, years of planning and then pre-eclampsia that nearly took me. On this day I am thankful and I celebrate life. I choose to uphold and demonstrate to my kids the traditions my late father had for my own mom by baking his traditional cake and getting flowers for our deck and for my mother.

To all the mothers out there, especially during this pandemic: You’ve risen up! You are doing an amazing job! You are very likely working at your career while home schooling and raising your kids, taking care of grandchildren or God forbid caring for a sick or special needs child, or any combination of above. Happy Mother’s Day 🌹.

Some areas are opening schools and daycares. There is an overwhelming amount of rules and restrictions published about having children together apart. I am reading this in anticipation of what we might face regarding summer camps and school in September. As I’m reading this I can feel myself getting anxious.

My children would not be participating in this form of institution. I think my children would, in fact, be scared in this environment. And I would be scared for my children. I would like to think that more humaine solutions would be in place come September, but I’m already planning for my children’s education remotely.

This solitude has allowed me to step back and observe my children. I mean really study them. I am fascinated by their individuality, by their developing characters. I have learned how much they are seeking their role. Nobody wants to be told what to do, how to be. That feels adversarial. What works best for us is honest conversation about feelings, wishes and goals. Checking in frequently is important to prevent frustrations and misunderstandings which may be expressed as tantrums or defiance.

The weather has turned much warmer. We can finally pack away winter jackets and gloves! It seems to have been unusually cold which has likely benefited social distancing. Enormous time spent at home and now springlike temperatures sparked my kids’ interest to refresh our living space. Given that we are all in the same boat, I agreed to a change that they can have a hand in, and not just in their rooms.

My daughter is very artistic with a keen eye for beauty. She is also drawn to anything cozy and comfortable. So I allowed her to explore all that and transform our living space to her liking. And I have to say, her ideas for placing furniture and decor are much better than mine! She herself was so overjoyed with the results that she took her friends for an immediate virtual tour.

End of week seven. Fourteen days of no new COVID-19 cases here, all active cases we had have recovered. Watching Snowbirds fly over our city…a show of respect.