December 2021 - Happy Holidays O17!

[Taitai]

How is it already 1 week into December and we don’t have a thread?!! I hope that all the O17 families are doing well and healthy. Here’s to a fun holiday season!





Just make sure to keep the kids away from frozen poles…

[Taitai]

We’ll be back in the states pretty soon to see our families for Christmas, get DS1 vaccinated, and get booster shots for myself and H. Very excited! We haven’t been back for Christmas in a long time, so it will be fun for the kids to have a chilly (and hopefully snowy) Christmas experience surrounded by grandparents, aunts/uncles, and cousins! I think we’ve got all of our cold weather gear ready to roll. No joke, we haven’t been in temps lower than 75 degrees F for at least 2 years now….it’s going to be a shock to the kids I’m sure! Looking forward to it, nonetheless.

Now, we just need to make sure we test negative for COVID, and get the results turned around in less than 12 hours, so we can get on the plane. 🤞🤞🤞

[curmudgeon]

Taitai how exciting!! Your visit sounds like it will be full of so many good things. Are the boys excited about possible snow?

[Taitai]

curmudgeon We made it to the states! Apologies for the belated reply - between jetlag and visiting family, I feel like I’ve had zero down time! It’s so coooooold here!! We’re totally not used to this weather 😂🤣

We got DS1 his first COVID shot the day after we landed, no problems there. In a crazy turn of bad luck, we did end up exposed to COVID just after DS1 got his shot - because we then visited my sister, whose son (unbeknownst to all of us) was positive for COVID. Ugh!!! He tested positive the day after we visited, so then me, H, DS1, and DS2 all had to get PCR tested for COVID. We received the results yesterday that we’re all negative, so it’s been a whirlwind of a trip so far. What a relief that we don’t have it, so now we can start visiting family members again.

How’re things going by you? danvers CoachTsWife duskymonkey August Blooms - how is your December going?

[August Blooms]

Hey all, sorry I’ve been MIA. Life has been super busy, I feel like l’m running from one thing to the next! Definitely hoping for another lockdown so I can have nowhere to go and nothing to do. It looks like I may get my wish with Omicron. Cases are high but no increase in hospitalizations so far.

Is everyone ready for Christmas? I overbought for the girls so I have to return a few things. DH as usual is not getting very much, my gift to him was a flight to visit his mom early December that I partially paid for with my points. We plan on going to my moms for Christmas dinner with my sister and her husband. Everyone will be doing rapid tests beforehand. The schools handed out a 5 pack of them on the last day of school which is nice.

They opened up under 50’s to get the booster a few days ago. I was able to score an appointment right away and got my booster yesterday. DD1 hasn’t got hers yet, I’ve been a bit hesitant for no good reason but she says she wants hers after Christmas. Not sure the reasoning lol

[duskymonkey]

Merry Christmas O17! Sorry I've been MIA too...too much going on this month plus our internet has been acting up significantly this past month too. I am also stuck at school for half the day with lil fella and don't have enough data on my mobile plan. I did manage to make some stuff. Lil fella asked this year for Linzer hearts and yes that's his hand! lol!
This year's gingerbread house got a tree. The kids decorated the house again and I made the tree. It's all smashed to bits now of course. haha! Will try to catch up later. Hope everyone is doing well. Welcome back Taitai

[curmudgeon]

Merry Christmas!!
duskymonkey I made Linzer cookies ONCE and they were so amazingly good. Lol I may have to dig that recipe back out because yours remind me how delicious they are.

[Taitai]

duskymonkey Wow - those Christmas treats look amazing!!! I can only imagine how delicious they were - your family is so lucky to have such an awesome baker/cook in you! How did the kids like Santa’s visit? I hope all is going well with your little one at school - have you been able to do some reading during the day on a kindle or something while you are there?

August Blooms I bet the girls loved their Christmas presents!! How nice of you to help fly out your SIL. DH and I tend to just focus on the kids for presents too - DH is incredibly picky about gifts and I really don’t try to surprise him with anything anymore - as he tends to return everything. Such is life I guess!

curmudgeon How did your Christmas go? Hope Santa was good to you all!

[August Blooms]

duskymonkey As usual your baking looks amazing!

Taitai Are you still stateside?

[August Blooms]

Looks likes I jinxed myself because we are in quarantine. DH tested positive on a rapid test on Christmas morning, I got sick the 26 but didn’t test positive on a rapid until yesterday and DD1 did as well. I was smart and booked PCR tests for everyone when DH got his positive test but the appointment was still a few days away and we went today. We think DH got it at work since so many of his staff are sick.

So far everyone is not too sick, I would hate to have this unvaccinated and with other health issues. Now we just have to wait to see what happens with schools.

[Taitai]

August Blooms I was just about to write about our trip back to the states. It’s been….ehhhhhhhhh. Not great. I actually regret that we came back.

So, basically everyone in my family either has had COVID the last 2 weeks, or has been exposed to someone who has it. This meant no family gatherings over Christmas, and we basically were only able to do quick visits with people the first week we were here. The amount of times we’ve seen someone who later tested positive for COVID the next day (or day after that) seems too numerous to count at this point. My kids and I have had 5 PCR tests since Dec 11th, and I’m just totally over it.

Most people seem to not care at all about COVID where we are - no masks, no social distancing, and if you wear a mask, some people will even give you a rotten look. I can’t believe it. Just really selfish behavior, and I wish we’d stayed in Southeast Asia….where the numbers aren’t 380,000 new cases per day….

Most of my family members are actually responsible and follow all CDC protocols/guidelines, so it’s like that part of our family and my own family are the ones suffering the consequences of everyone else being irresponsible. We have tested ourselves, we have quarantined after exposure like we are supposed to, we wear masks. And then I see all these other dipshits just going around saying their kids had fevers and they have a “cold”, and no testing, no mask wearing, asking to visit us (answer is NO!), and then I hear they are trying to visit my 93 year old grandparents. And I just want to tell them to fuck off. Their behavior is ruining this Christmas season for everyone.

We have our PCR departure tests coming up next week, so we can catch our flight back home. I hope and pray we will stay negative. I wish we’d been able to see more family and not just say quarantined nearly this entire trip. But - lesson learned - don’t travel to the Midwest in the USA in the winter.

And to top it all off - our dog of 14.5 years passed away on Dec 27th. He lives with my sister, and because her kids got COVID from school the week before Christmas, they were in isolation and we could not be there when our dog passed away. We couldn’t say goodbye in person. I just hate COVID so much.

Well - that was pretty negative. I guess some positives are that we’ve been able to take lots of outdoor walks and enjoy the snow. The kids have loved that. We also got to see some family members the first week, which was nice. Oh, and the country where we live brought back the 2 week arrival hotel quarantine for all international arrivals, BUT because I got our return passes before they changed the rules, our family will NOT have to quarantine in a hotel for 2 weeks when we fly back next week. So I guess that’s some good news!

[curmudgeon]

Oh Taitai I’m so sorry the trip turned out like this. I would feel 100% the same way as you. I will never understand why people are so selfish and won’t just stay home when they are sick. Coughs, colds, Covid, whatever. I don’t want it! At least it sounds like the kids had a good time experiencing the winter weather 😆 I’d love so much as a cool breeze over here after we had a sweltering 83 degree Christmas.

I’m going to guess no New Year plans based on how the previous weeks have gone? I can’t believe it’s 2022 already.

[duskymonkey]

August Blooms ,Taitai , I’m so sorry to read that your Christmas hasn’t gone on too well. Covid sucks and I’m totally with you Taitai people here are asinine selfish assholes. It’s really embarrassing as a nation with all the tools to fight Covid, a big portion of people choose to disregard their civic duty and discard the notion od selflessness. They’re the ones who complain the most about Covid protocols yet are the ones who don’t give a shit about it. I hope you all stay healthy and safe despite all the exposures. At least your DS 1 has gotten vaxed and the kids were able to experience the winter weather here. I would gladly leave too if I were you. I’m also heartbroken about your dog and not being able to be by his side.so close yet so far. 😔 also how has it been like the whole month of December and I haven’t posted much. 
August Blooms how are you all doing? My friends daughter ( we’re  in the same germ pod throughout Covid) tested positive last week too and she was just about 2 weeks out from being fully vaxed. She told me they’ve all tested negative in the household and yesterday was their last day of testing and all negative so vaccines do work plus she and I are so thankful her daughter only had mild symptoms like a cold and was over it in a week. It sucks ststeside as it seems we’re all going to get it. I’m hoping and praying to keep lil fella as safe as possible until he can get vaxed which I’m so upset that it won’t be anytime soon. 😞

[duskymonkey]

ETA. same post as above. Oops!

August Blooms ,Taitai , I’m so sorry to read that your Christmas hasn’t gone on too well. Covid sucks and I’m totally with you Taitai people here are asinine selfish assholes. It’s really embarrassing as a nation with all the tools to fight Covid, a big portion of people choose to disregard their civic duty and discard the notion od selflessness. They’re the ones who complain the most about Covid protocols yet are the ones who don’t give a shit about it. I hope you all stay healthy and safe despite all the exposures. At least your DS 1 has gotten vaxed and the kids were able to experience the winter weather here. I would gladly leave too if I were you. I’m also heartbroken about your dog and not being able to be by his side.so close yet so far. 😔 also how has it been like the whole month of December and I haven’t posted much. 

[duskymonkey]

Dec 27, 2021 17:53:00 GMT -6 curmudgeon said:

Merry Christmas!!
duskymonkey I made Linzer cookies ONCE and they were so amazingly good. Lol I may have to dig that recipe back out because yours remind me how delicious they are.

Did you make it! Did you? 😆 
MAKE IT! I’m happy to share my recipe too if you can’t find it. They are so good and I always make them every year. Getting the right jam is key also. The boys love them and I always make the traditional round ones but this yr as I was going through my recipe books, lil fella saw the heart shaped ones and aske to make thoe which was easy enough.

[duskymonkey]

Right before Christmas and right before Omicron came rip roaring stateside and with us feeling sad about not seeing family again, we decided to take the kids for a sleigh ride in the mountains. So here we are, we just arrived at our lodge today and staying for a couple of nights. Hopefully our ride won’t get cancelled because we’re getting hit by a storm now. DS was so exited and woke up early this morning and promptly brushed his teeth and was ready to eat breakfast lol! Lucky for us the roads was good and passable. Here's a pic from our lodge this evening.

[Taitai]

duskymonkey Wow - that scenery is amazing!!! A sleigh ride and going to a lodge for a few days sounds so winter-y and wonderful! I hope that the snow storm doesn’t cause too much trouble for you!!

@wugustblooms How are you all doing? I hope you and your family are on the mend. Any plans tonight?

curmudgeon 83 degrees on Christmas sounds like back home for us! I think that’s wonderful, but I’ve become such a wimp. You guys staying up tonight?

[Taitai]

Happy NYE O17! I couldn’t leave this month with my super negative and ranting post from earlier this week,lol, so I’ll make this one more uplifting. Things are okay here. We leave to go back home next week, and while this trip has had its fair share of challenges, we’ve still been able to spend lots of quality family time with just me, DH, and the kids…plus all of the winter outdoor activities. We will be coming back in the summer, and let’s hope the warm weather and other factors make it a little more conducive to us actually being able to see/visit with family and friends!

The kids are already in bed, and there is no way DH and I can stay up to midnight. We all watched the London 2022 count down/fireworks while the kids were still up, and it was really, really good! They had these drones that made 3-D hologram-like images in the sky. Amazing - check it out!

I don’t typically make formal New Years resolutions. For 2022, I’m really hoping for international travel to normalize more, for our kids to be in person at school the entire year (this is unlikely given where we live, but I can hope!), and for our family to remain healthy and close to each other.

Hope the rest of you have more exciting plans than me tonight, lol. Happy NYE 017, so thankful for all of you the whole year round!

[duskymonkey]

Happy NYE O17! The kids are also asleep Taitai, there was so much excitement today and we had the best weather we could have. Despite being cloudy, it was lightly snowing which was nice and most importantly hardly any winds! The kids had a great time and there was hot cocoa after the ride by a fire pit and a small hill they could sled on. We also managed to get in a bit of snow shoeing and sledding right in the late afternoon before the winds picked up right by the lodge. We couldn't have asked for a better day. The kids have already asked when we could return to the lodge. It's such a bummer the walls are thin but otherwise it's very comfortable, we were allowed to borrow toys and games from the game room and the owners are extremely Covid conscious unlike most of their selfish Covidiot guests ( we just avoid them and wear our mask everywhere - I got some eye rolls when I walk into the dining room with DS to get hot cocoa and cookies and to make my tea ) In lieu of Covid, they have made to order breakfasts and you can choose to dine in or packed to go and they were so sweet and said they can make DS chocolate chip pancakes; he's very excited to be able to order and choose his breakfast items himself! Our short stay is over tomorrow. Hopefully the roads will be OK. The entire area including our home was hit by a snow storm yesterday, today and tomorrow. We are thankful we aren't close to the fire but it is horrible, so many homes they are estimating up to 1K homes lost. I know that area very well and I actually picked up our Chariot from a homeowner there several years ago and her home is now ashes...so so devastating.

[Taitai]

duskymonkey Your stay at the lodge sounds so fun! We are getting a big snowstorm here this afternoon, and I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to take the boys sledding tomorrow. We have snow already, but it’s all hard and icy - need some fresh stuff to make sledding a more fun (and safe) experience.

I read the news about those suburban/urban wildfires by Boulder. How awful - I’m so glad that it doesn’t seem anyone was seriously hurt physically, but to loose your home so suddenly must be absolutely awful. My heart is with those people.

[August Blooms]

Taitai It sounds like you are making the best of a bad situation. That’s so lucky that you won’t have to quarantine upon your return and hopefully the rest of the trip goes well.

The kids and DH are mostly back to normal, unfortunately it seems to be lingering around with me. I’ve still got chest congestion and am tired all the time. My quarantine was over Jan 1 and I was supposed to be back at work but since I’m still ill I’m still at home. My province had given up on COVID, stopped PCR testing for all but the most vulnerable, reduced quarantine time and are sending the kids back in person with only a 2 day delay. N95’s and rapid tests are impossible to find. They are telling people to isolate for 5 days if they have any symptom since they can’t get a test. Our hospitals have so many staff out isolating or ill. It’s just crazy.

[August Blooms]

duskymonkey Happy New Yeah! Sounds like your family had a great trip! I’m glad your family wasn’t affected by the fires. I saw the news, how crazy that it just came out of nowhere. How devastating for those families.

[curmudgeon]

Dec 30, 2021 22:45:54 GMT -6 duskymonkey said:

Dec 27, 2021 17:53:00 GMT -6 curmudgeon said:

Merry Christmas!!
duskymonkey I made Linzer cookies ONCE and they were so amazingly good. Lol I may have to dig that recipe back out because yours remind me how delicious they are.

Did you make it! Did you? 😆 
MAKE IT! I’m happy to share my recipe too if you can’t find it. They are so good and I always make them every year. Getting the right jam is key also. The boys love them and I always make the traditional round ones but this yr as I was going through my recipe books, lil fella saw the heart shaped ones and aske to make thoe which was easy enough.

😂 no, I didn’t make them. I think I’ll have the drive around valentines to bake again. I had to make 3 other kinds for NYDay at my aunt’s (for 50 people). We did not attend that giant disease-ridden get together but I did drop off the cookies early.

[Taitai]

August Blooms I’m so sorry that you’re still sick. I hope that your recovery is just around the corner - will be thinking of you. Also - it’s really a bummer that tests and masks are becoming so scarce…I feel like it should have been a no brainer that there would be a surge around the holidays, and to have a lot of those on hand? Seems like the USA didn’t plan well either. It’s nice to know whether you actually have the virus, so you can plan accordingly on who to see visit, and is not being able to get at home tests is also a limiting factor to who we can see. Sigh. We leave soon anyways, and I’m just hoping we can stay negative between now and when we get back. 🤞🤞🤞