Gramma Camp in a year of COVID – Week 20 last day

Wednesday 

I love the ads in December!

We ended up the day watching The Polar Express!

And playing with cats! (I do have the furnace on! Honest!)

All dressed up for the season!

Friday

 Up we got. First coffee, then wake the girls.

 The kids keep posting the stories of Noël. This time in a bubble bath!

The cats go out first thing, then come in. Sometimes not so willingly. Josephine fetched Cinnamon.

I watch Your Morning in the morning. Since COVID, they've had a graphic to tell us what day it is. When the FRIDAY sign came on, Josephine cheered!

Grampa had this funny idea. Every morning he's been a crossing guard, ushering the girls to the "bus." They are doing virtual school, so it really is funny.

 Instead, he bought a school bus from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I went down to the new trailcam, but since it was -15 or somesuch, no critters appeared. Except, this critter on the frozen frogpond, looking for mice friends.

I kicked the pumpkin. That was a mistake. It was frozen solid. What was I thinking?! It hurt.

I don't know where the day went, but we had the girls pack up, and we shut down school by 3:30. I texted Momma, and we prepared for the meet up and Hostage Exchange. On the way, there were several outdoor rinks with hockey nets. First, two girls were doing their thing. The fields are quite wet, nice and flat and frozen.

Then, this place had a whole pond. I took a photo in the setting sun, and on the way back.

This house has been renovated. They are building an atrium on the back, as well. What a job!

They played a make-me-smile game. 

Decorations are up!

Winter vacation is here! Two weeks off. At least. There are rumblings about shutting down southern Ontario for three weeks, not the normal two. We shall see what happens on Monday. 

South Ontario has had some bad numbers. Ours, in south east Ontario, are going up slightly. 

Ontario doctors are begging the government to shut us down, as some (Toronto, Peel, etc.) have stuffed ERs, ICUs, and facilities.

We sent the girls home with Momma. Our week was done.

Now, these are drive-by shootings, and not great. I really don't know the correct settings. We'll go with artsy!

Home, we put our feet up. Canned soup for dinner. We were baffed, but happy to have done our part. It's school holidays!

Gramma Camp in a time of COVID – Week 20 Monday

I tootled off to Hillside Gardens last week, to fetch something for Caitlin! Isn't it adorable?! 

A bit of snow outside. We're back to the cold weather. 

I bought myself a new banner. "What did the fox say?"

The frogpond, something was walking on it prior to final freeze up. I don't know how they know when it is safe!

That was quite the start to the day! No Google service. Sadly, we didn't have the day off, and it came back up before the 9:00 a.m. start.

Things got silly in the afternoon! Jos was playing with Cinnamon or Nutmeg. I forget who. Isabelle wore her Santa hat all day.

The OCDSB (their school board), in its infinite wisdom, came up with an exercise schedule. Bless their little hearts!

Parents - it is critical that you are supervising your child(ren) as they engage in these activities. Better yet - join in! Physical Education Log for you to use with your child... Choose any of these activities in any order to engage in daily physical activity for a minimum of 20 minutes a day. ..Progress should be recorded in the Physical Education log. Parents, please sign it at the end of every week and submit it to your child’s homeroom teacher. 

Printed the options,
stuck them on Isabelle's office door

I came up with a plan.  At afternoon break, 1:45 - 2:30, the girls can alternate exercise choices. Jos chose: 

Isabelle was a bit grumpy. I cannot imagine how some families will do this.  Jos and I began in the basement, but I was laughing so hard... With a sore arm it didn't go too well. Iz said that Jos wasn't doing it properly, her bum was too high in the air. She was taught this in gr. 3, she informed us. Iz made it to 33 reps, which wasn't bad. After this fiasco, they ended up having a tickle fight,  some wrestling, and then they played with the beach ball. Nutmeg, on the cat stand, was giving them side eye, as they were rambunctious and she was deeply suspicious. It was good exercise all around.

I brought some wood in and made a fire, while the girls horsed around. Grampa took off to his physio appointment.  

To answer your question, Jean, they get two weeks off, beginning on Friday, Dec. 18th. I dug out an old Christmas thingie I've had since 2000 or so. (I retired in 2006.) Since I had a multicultural classes, many celebrated Eid, so I took off the "CHRISTMAS" and replaced it with HOLIDAYS!  We always shared one another's December festivals. 

Josee's coworker wasn't going to wear his bell collar! None of the cats like it!

Cinnamon slept with the girls two nights ago, and a bit last night! Nutmeg declined! I went down the wake them up and Isabelle was on the floor. Apparently, the queen-sized mattress is bouncy and whenever anyone turns over the other bounces around. Oh my. It's not easy! Maybe we'll try blowing it up more.

COVID–19 cases are up in our health unit. Not near us, West Lanark (yellow),  but in the lower left quadrant. We are simply being careful, both of our households. I cannot imagine Ontarians getting the vaccine until late fall. It is a logistical nightmare of immense proportions. So many are in line ahead of us. 

Those poor workers... happily, they are beginning to give the vaccine to healthcare workers in Ottawa.

We're going to hunker down here.