Food for the Soul!

I am barely three days out from my visit with Gabriel and already, I am missing him…and his parents too!!

What a great socially distanced, hotter than hell, fun, long weekend it was!!  Let’s not forget the tasty outdoor dining on the covered carport, (with the flies!), the various flavored, hand-crafted mojitos, and cornhole, a pool for Gabriel (and maybe a few adult feet!) as well as Gabriel’s introduction to the animated stuffed animals and people that Pappaw has collected over the years!!  All of them singing a different tune!  (*Note…Gabriel is still trying to decide if he likes these things…holding onto my shirt with the tightest grip ever was just a small indication that maybe he wasn’t ready!)

As you know, we have been practicing the social distancing, the quarantining and the hyper aware behavior of protecting my parents, whom I adore, and are totally fragile. They are really struggling not to have visitors and sit around the dining room table as a family.  This visit was something they looked forward to.

Prior to the visit, there was an email with “rules!”  We would be outside as much as possible, masks when we were inside and entrance to the house would be through a side door, avoiding as often as possible, the main living space of Mom and Dad.  The concern was not so much any of us giving anything to Katie and Anthony but rather them bringing something to the house to Mom and Dad.  I have said all along, we have to do what is right for our families.  Some think masks aren’t necessary.  Some think hugs and intimate dinners are fine.  That’s your decision.  For my family, and for Katie’s family, we had a plan and we were going to stick to it.

For starters, Katie and her family stayed at an Airbnb nearby.  Initially, I was not thrilled with that idea because of not having them with me, but the reality is that they are not as compact as they used to be.  With Gabriel, there is a lot of “stuff” and there is a schedule.  (a pak & play, a gated play area, bottles and freshly prepared food in a cooler, a bag of toys just in case CeCe didn't have any, and a few other things!)  Having a separate "home base" turned out to be a blessing for them…plenty of space, the ability to keep Gabriel on some kind of a schedule, and a place to “escape” when needed. 

Then, there was the outside seating…we had a table and chairs on the deck in the morning, then when the sun invaded that space, we moved to the carport and the canopy for more space and shade.  We looked like hillbillies (some might say white trash!), with an assortment of fans, plugged into a variety of extension cords, all blowing the air away from us from behind.  It helped on some level with the air flowing, but it was hot air flowing.  We thought it would help with the flies, but nothing can help with the flies when you have a ten-month old eating cherries, grapes, zucchini, chicken, sloppy joes, and ice cream at the table!  He was a fly magnet…and easily rinsed off in the small pool we had set up for him. 

The biggest challenge was meal time.  We wore masks inside when getting food, in shifts.  Because of the heat and Gabriel’s schedule, we ate early, then Katie and Anthony would head back to the Airbnb for the night.  Sometimes, the rest of us would cleanup the outdoor space then head back in to the air-conditioning to eat, fly free!

We avoided a lot of political chatter when we were all together, saving that for times when we knew it was “safe.”  We avoided most controversial conversation because we had plenty of other things to talk about and quite frankly, I refuse to let politics or this damn virus mandates/guidelines/etc…get in the way of my family relationships.  However, there was always plenty to talk about and the bottom line was providing Katie, Anthony and Gabriel a getaway from their shelter-in-place in Pittsburgh and the opportunity to share quality time with Pappaw & Betty Boop.  Those times are even more precious now.

The point to this blog post is that family get-togethers during a pandemic are NOT easy.  They are NOT what we want.  These gatherings take planning, cooperation, and kindness.  For some, it may not be worth the extra effort.  Again, that’s your decision to make.  For me, (and my brother and brother-in-law) it was so fun and yet so exhausting…wanting to make everything as pleasant as possible for our visitors.  Masks are hot, annoying and can be scary for babies.  We are grateful for the extra effort that Katie & Anthony made, to spend the time with us.  Thanks to Mom and Dad for pizza and wings.  It was a team effort!

Family gatherings during a pandemic are not fun, but if everyone does their part, they are doable!  It was a team effort!

There’s nothing like a baby to keep us grounded and to entertain us with the smallest things!  If you want to gather, be safe! 

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Gabriel trying to figure out what's on CeCe's face!
Smiling before he sees the mask!
Gabriel and Pappaw solving the problems of the world!!


Gabriel meeting his cousin Luca for the first time! 
I think they will be friends!



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