A family weekend

We actually had a nice weekend with our family back up to 4 members.   On Friday night we took a bike ride to a nearby pizza place, where we got takeout and sat at a park across the street to enjoy.   It was actually such a nice setting we wondered why we hadn't thought of doing that before the quarantine.

We devoted Saturday mostly to cooking--Jason smoked ribs, and I made cornbread and a strawberry rhubarb pie to go with them.   3000 calories of deliciousness.

Today, we took a 7 mile hike nearby.   It was a beautiful day, and nice to do all as a family.

So, actually a pretty nice weekend, all things considered!

Ethan is Back!

Today, we drove up to Sonoma to pick up Ethan.   It has been 6 and half weeks since he left, and with the curve dropping off locally we decided that the risk of him getting sick at home was probably less than the risk of the psychological damage inflicted by continued isolation.   Plus we had a 'virtual' appointment with his Rheumatologist last week, who suggested that data thus far does not show that kids on the medicine that Ethan is taking are at higher risk than other kids.   So, yeah, it was time.

Ethan was elated to be coming home, and reuniting with him was really great.   It was weird to see but not hug Gary and Eileen though.  What strange times.  

Alaina was perhaps even more excited than us to see her brother again.   Let's hope that lasts.   I am willing to bet that the fighting will resume tomorrow.

Virtual Passover, Easter, and a new Au Pair

Well, another interesting week has passed.  A week, I might add, that was supposed to be our spring break.  We had planned a trip to Utah that I was really looking forward to.  We were going to visit Capitol Reef, Monument Valley, Canyonlands, Arches and visit some friends in Moab.   But, instead of vacationing, we mostly cleaned and organized the house.  What a break, woo-hoo.

On Tuesday, we took Leticia to the airport at 11am.   It may as well have been at 3am.   I have never seen the airport so dead.   Jason walked in with Leticia and the United Airlines agents were literally running up to help them with her bags.   Jason couldn't help but ask "What happened to my airline?"

On Wednesday, we drove out to the East Bay to pick up our new au pair, Paula.   Paula is also from Brazil, and is leaving her host family because her mom was fired with everything going on.  She seems great, so I hope she sticks around longer than Leticia did.

Wednesday night was the first night of Passover.   We did a virtual seder with Jason's family over Zoom.   I did my best to make the typical fixings, which turned out ok.

Today, Easter Sunday, we did a virtual Easter Basket hunt with Ethan on FaceTime, which was pretty depressing.   I also had sent him some goodies in the mail, so at least he got some treats to enjoy.

Tomorrow, virtual school starts again.  I really hope our school district can get its act together.  We still have 2 more MONTHS of school left, and the things they have been sending out thus far are really quite pathetic.

End of Week 3

As Ethan reminded me on Saturday, he has been away for 3 weeks.   A LONG time.   And no end in sight.

At work we have a shelf of paper bags, each with our own reusable N95 masks.  We are using these now for all patients in the OR, even if they are not sick, since asymptomatic people can carry the disease.

We have had endless work meetings discussing what is the safest way to care for these patients.....with no consensus reached.   I am telling you, it is like the Wild West.

Today, I got out my sewing machine and made a few cloth masks for our family.   We have been getting some pretty dirty looks not wearing them here in Marin, so time to join the club I guess.

As an added bonus to add to the general good will and merriment, our au pair announced this week that she was really scared to live with us and has decided that she wants to go home.   Truthfully, I cant's say that I blame her.   We are still working in the hospital and our home routine has turned upside down with home schooling.  So we have spent an incredible amount of time this week searching for someone new.   If you can imagine we aren't exactly most desirable host family right now, so it has been tough.    

This week Alaina had her first Zoom class session.   She seemed to get a kick out of it at least.   Seeing small kids interact on Zoom is so strange.  Nobody really knows what to say!

So, yeah, it has been a tough week.   I have alternated between angry and sad pretty much all day, every day.   Meh.