Variants and the return to normal

[TammyLynn33]

Like Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts....

I mean....so my kids say, of course....

These in a salad my addiction kids love the honey bbq

 

[bcwife76]

Oh man, I MISS Trader Joes!!!!!

 

[Pumpkin1172]

Well, we had planned (in the back of our minds) to be in Orlando/Daytona area this week. With Daytona this weekend, it was one of the trips we wanted to do. make a long weekend with a race day, one day at Disney and one at Universal. There was a method my madness for only doing one day in each park so that he would (and I know he will) want to return in a VERY big way insert evil laugh here lol.

But as it is, we had decided to not even chance it last fall, once we seen the cases spike in Florida again, the craziness of the election, and now with the restrictions on both sides of the boarder, I am glad that we didn't take the chance and book anything, but my mental health and the very essence of my soul crave and need the warmth and sunlight of the south.

I am crossing my fingers that by late fall, travel will be not as restrictive (as vaccinations on both sides of the boarder) will help to trend positive numbers of cases down. At some point, life will need to return to some sort of normal. Will it be like it was before....NOPE...but let's hope that some of the restrictions will be lifted making it easier to travel again.

 

[pigletto]

Just imagine how absolutely amazing that day will be ! The day when we finish up work and pack our suitcases in the car and head to the airport . The anticipation will be unreal !!
One day

 

[Donald - my hero]

Just imagine how absolutely amazing that day will be ! The day when we finish up work and pack our suitcases in the car and head to the airport . The anticipation will be unreal !!
One day

ME? I'm waiting till we can go out for coffee while we make our meal plan for the week and then head to the grocery store TOGETHER! I can't have anything they sell at Second Cup but that doesn't even matter, I just miss being able to go anywhere with hubby other than the front step to see if we have mail!! There have been a few times when he's driven and sat in the car when I'm just running in to pick up one or two things. That to us is what we miss the most, the little things that we used to take for granted. We've stopped saying "return to normal" because we see that as unrealistic for us, it will be a "new normal"

 

[tlcdoula]

Just imagine how absolutely amazing that day will be ! The day when we finish up work and pack our suitcases in the car and head to the airport . The anticipation will be unreal !!
One day

Ohhhh I will be a mess, I already am a stress planner and packer. I love to plan and want it all perfect lol so the next trip anywhere oh my hubby is in for it hehehe.. I will be crying all the way to the plane

 

[wdwmom3]

Just imagine how absolutely amazing that day will be ! The day when we finish up work and pack our suitcases in the car and head to the airport . The anticipation will be unreal !!
One day

When I get on that first plane I’m gonna cry.

 

[ottawamom]

My kids fav part of going to the US is grocery shopping for all the foods that are different . I’d be on instacart the minute I crossed the border lol

I hear you there. I used to enjoy our quick trips to Syracuse and then stopping in on our way home for Ben and Jerry's ice cream that we can't get here and packing it in a cooler. That will be the first thing we do when the border open up. That and Joann's for some much need fabric.

 

[TammyLynn33]

I hear you there. I used to enjoy our quick trips to Syracuse and then stopping in on our way home for Ben and Jerry's ice cream that we can't get here and packing it in a cooler. That will be the first thing we do when the border open up. That and Joann's for some much need fabric.

oooh and target for their $1 aisle of stuff I absolutely do not need .. chipotle for lunch and the kids will demand sonic

 

[bcwife76]

oooh and target for their $1 aisle of stuff I absolutely do not need .. chipotle for lunch and the kids will demand sonic

We have a Chipotle less than 10 minutes away but I sure wish Sonic would come to Canada!!!

 

[Timandalicia]

So... now the UK variant has mutated, so that it is now more in line with the South Africa variant, in that the vaccines are less effective. And of course it's far more easily transmitted. Is anyone else starting to feel like we're just never going to get back to normal? Like we're going to be stuck in this for years?

No. We are going to get through this. Keep your chin up. By fall we will be good

 

[mkmommy]

No. We are going to get through this. Keep your chin up. By fall we will be good

No. We are going to get through this. Keep your chin up. By fall we will be good

I hope so but my daughter told me she got an email from her university (Queens) today saying they expect Fall 2021 to be online for most classes.

 

[quandrea]

I hope so but my daughter told me she got an email from her university (Queens) today saying they expect Fall 2021 to be online for most classes.

I agree. I think 2022 might be better. 2021–not so much. I’m hopeful I’m wrong, but we will see.

 

[darwinsrule]

I hope so but my daughter told me she got an email from her university (Queens) today saying they expect Fall 2021 to be online for most classes.

Here is hoping things change significantly between now and September for all our kids. Our oldest will be going in to grade 12 and the plans we had to visit a couple of schools this year have all fallen apart. Hoping for an open house at Queen's in the fall so she can explore the campus.

 

[mshanson3121]

I hope so but my daughter told me she got an email from her university (Queens) today saying they expect Fall 2021 to be online for most classes.

My brother is so discouraged. He hates the online learning. He was considering going pre-med, but said he doubts he'll be able to now, since his mark's have been affected with the online format. So many students are struggling with the online format, it's sad. I really hope that universities will be a bit leniant in their consideration of scores during Covid.

 

[quandrea]

My brother is so discouraged. He hates the online learning. He was considering going pre-med, but said he doubts he'll be able to now, since his mark's have been affected with the online format. So many students are struggling with the online format, it's sad. I really hope that universities will be a bit leniant in their consideration of scores during Covid.

Yes. This change in learning structure will affect kids’ professional outcomes for years to come. We have had quite the year. I’ve homeschooled for years so when I pulled dd out of the system for her final year of school (she’s in grade 11 but was due to graduate in August), I thought, no problem. I enrolled her with the Independent Learning Centre. Problem with ilc is they are slammed with students because of this pandemic. Communication is poor, marking is slow. Dd sometimes waits ten days for an answer to a question. Long story short, she won’t finish these four courses on time and will have to go back to school in the fall for another semester. She’d planned a gap year to work and swim on her national swim team. Won’t happen now. It’s a very hard time for these kids.

 

[mshanson3121]

Yes. This change in learning structure will affect kids’ professional outcomes for years to come. We have had quite the year. I’ve homeschooled for years so when I pulled dd out of the system for her final year of school (she’s in grade 11 but was due to graduate in August), I thought, no problem. I enrolled her with the Independent Learning Centre. Problem with ilc is they are slammed with students because of this pandemic. Communication is poor, marking is slow. Dd sometimes waits ten days for an answer to a question. Long story short, she won’t finish these four courses on time and will have to go back to school in the fall for another semester. She’d planned a gap year to work and swim on her national swim team. Won’t happen now. It’s a very hard time for these kids.

My husband teaches at college, and depending on whatever zone we're in (orange or red), learning is either partially online or fully online, and he is finding it SO hard. He teaches the same way he always did - while they're allowed to teach from home, he specifically drives to the college every day so he can teach from a classroom making use of the blackboard, technology there etc..., but he said it's just not the same. When he's in a classroom face to face, he reads body language and cues, and can tell which student is struggling with a concept and is able to reach out to them and work with them one on one. He said online, that's just not possible. He's warned the students "You HAVE to speak up" if you're struggling, but he said most won't. He said the energy is gone, too. In class, you get a lot of give and take, feeding off each other, a lot more spontaneous conversation and discussion that results in deeper understanding of a concept etc... He said you just don't get that online. Students are also often distracted, because they're "attending school" with a smart phone or TV beside them or YouTube open on the screen etc... or heck, even just trying to attend with a wife and kids in the background. Scores are way down this year since the courses went online. He has been so, so incredibly stressed and disheartened this year. As have his co-workers.

 

[quandrea]

My husband teaches at college, and depending on whatever zone we're in (orange or red), learning is either partially online or fully online, and he is finding it SO hard. He teaches the same way he always did - while they're allowed to teach from home, he specifically drives to the college every day so he can teach from a classroom making use of the blackboard, technology there etc..., but he said it's just not the same. When he's in a classroom face to face, he reads body language and cues, and can tell which student is struggling with a concept and is able to reach out to them and work with them one on one. He said online, that's just not possible. He's warned the students "You HAVE to speak up" if you're struggling, but he said most won't. He said the energy is gone, too. In class, you get a lot of give and take, feeding off each other, a lot more spontaneous conversation and discussion that results in deeper understanding of a concept etc... He said you just don't get that online. Students are also often distracted, because they're "attending school" with a smart phone or TV beside them or YouTube open on the screen etc... or heck, even just trying to attend with a wife and kids in the background. Scores are way down this year since the courses went online. He has been so, so incredibly stressed and disheartened this year. As have his co-workers.

So sorry to hear that. I’m a teacher by profession so I get it. You need that back and forth. It’s energising for both the teacher and the students.

 

[Bobby2443]

We have DVC and trying to think about when things may be “more normal” at Disney at 11 months out, let alone 7 months out, is tough. We have to use a bunch of points by April 2022 so I have been planning a two week March 2022 trip with the mindset that by then you would think it will be better than it is now. I would love to be back there when we are mask free and my kids can see parades and things like that ... more than a year away so I am hopeful but its really hard to predict that far out

 

[quandrea]

We have DVC and trying to think about when things may be “more normal” at Disney at 11 months out, let alone 7 months out, is tough. We have to use a bunch of points by April 2022 so I have been planning a two week March 2022 trip with the mindset that by then you would think it will be better than it is now. I would love to be back there when we are mask free and my kids can see parades and things like that ... more than a year away so I am hopeful but its really hard to predict that far out

I’m in the same boat—trying to plan point usage in a time where everything is so uncertain. We are booked for November 2021 to use up expiring points, but I’m doubtful we will be able to take that trip. Looking ahead to February 2022 for a big grad trip for dd and later in 2022, a 50th trip for my birthday. I’m booking all these trips, but know all plans are soft.