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! |
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Smiling before he sees the mask! |
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Gabriel and Pappaw solving the problems of the world!! |
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Gabriel meeting his cousin Luca for the first time! I think they will be friends! |
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