Kate's Lockdown Birthday

Planning a birthday party is stressful, but not getting to plan a birthday party because you're living through a global pandemic and your province is in lockdown, that's stressful too. The roller coaster of light and dark, happy and sad, it's been really tough some days. I really wanted to make Kate's day special!

Ken and Kate took off on her birthday eve to Scarborough to pick up another laptop computer - curbside pick up of course - computer stores are closed. And I took the opportunity to do some shopping too. Alice, Fiona and I went and did a curbside pickup at Mastermind, and we went to Rexall - a pharmacy which is allowed to be open, to pick up more presents and party supplies. I was so so happy with the way it all came together.

The set up that greeted her in the morning!

Opening presents from sisters.

Pancakes for breakfast.

I think the kinetic sand that Alice picked out was Kate's favourite!

Kate's YW President Nicole Elliot stopped by with a bag of goodies.

Opening Mommy and Daddy's card - and the other present.

Opening Grandma's card.

This is 12!

Mom and CJ came over and we went for a walk by our house. It was cold but bright. It was a little icy but CJ made sure Mom stayed upright.

Happy Birthday to our Katie-Girl. We love you so much. Our family wouldn't be complete without you. You are exactly where you are meant to be, learning exactly what you are meant to learn. We love your humour and your quick wit. We love your willingness to help. We love it when you play sweetly with your younger sisters. We love learning with you, reading books with you, watching movies too. I love it when I catch you singing to yourself, because I love hearing your pure sweet voice. Welcome to 12, it's a pretty awesome place to be!

The Cake

This year Kate picked an Among Us themed birthday cake. Among Us is an online game where crewmates have to do tasks while the imposter is trying to sabotage the crewmates and kill them. The crew mates all the while are trying to figure out who the imposter is and stop him or her. It is a hugely popular game right now amongst children grades 3-6. 

Ken did an awesome job recreating one of the cakes he found online. Kate's favourite colour is yellow and she loves the birds' nest with eggs accessory. The crewmate on the cake is unfortunately dead. It amused me that there was only one dead crewmate on the cake.

The behind the scenes cake master...

The Birthday Questions - Kate - Age 12

1. What is your favourite color? Yellow 

2. What is your favourite toy? Computer

3. What is your favourite fruit? Apple

4. What is your favourite tv show? Mandolorian

5. What is your favourite thing to eat for lunch? Homemade mac and cheese

 6. What is your favourite outfit? The one that I’m wearing right now.

7. What is your favourite game? Cards Against Humanity – Family Edition 

8. What is your favourite snack? Reese’s stuffed with pieces.

9. What is your favourite animal? Dog

10. What is your favourite song? Don’t have one

11. What is your favourite book? Goose Girl 

12. Who is your best friend? Sofia, Mason, Noah

13. What is your favourite cereal? Lucky Charms

14. What is your favourite thing to do outside? Veg

15. What is your favourite drink? Root Beer

16. What is your favourite holiday? Christmas

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Winter and Pepper (stuffies)

18. What is your favourite thing to eat for breakfast? Pancakes

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Boston Pizza

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Yet to be determined.

Covid Fun

Between me and the girls, we are mixed in with a lot of people at school. A lot. Each of the girls has their class, their cohort, all of their teachers, and of course, I teach in 14 different classes in my school. We've all been back at school face to face this fall, wearing our masks, and really thriving! I don't feel worried about Covid, and I don't think the girls really do either, but we're only as safe as everyone else makes us. 

This fall we've seen my Mom and CJ, Andrew, and the Lim-Andersons. Sometimes with masks, sometimes without. We got to church - in masks, we go shopping - with masks. We go for walks. We went to the zoo and museum when it was open - with masks. I feel like we've done our part? 

We've gone all fall without a positive Covid case in any of the girls classes or mine. I had a scare the week before school ended. A student in one of my classes - his father was positive and we waited for the results. We found out on the last day of school that the student's test result was negative! YAY!

We proceeded with our plans. We went to my Mom's wedding. We went to church. We went downtown to see lights. We dropped off a gift for one of Kate's friends. Andrew came over for Christmas. We looked forward to seeing Ken's parents and going to Niagara Falls for our Book of Mormon reading celebration.

And then we got a call from Public Health. On Monday afternoon public health called to inform us that Kate needed to self-isolate because of exposure on the last day of school. Someone in her class was Covid positive. We found out TEN days later. Ten days. Contact tracing that takes ten days isn't really useful, but there it is.

I took Kate for a Covid test yesterday. I booked the appointment as soon as I got the call. Ken and I were worried about how Kate would do with the news and the test. Kate was amazing. AMAZING! She wasn't phased or upset at all.

The testing centre is beside one of our favourite beach front parks in Whitby. We had to wait outside, but not for too long and it wasn't too cold and the view was lovely.

Once we got inside, again, we didn't have to wait for very long. It was very efficient. The nurse that did Kate's test was great. The whole test took ten seconds and Kate didn't move. Her eyes watered slightly but that was it.

We walked out of the testing centre and I told her how proud I was of her and she asked for a donut and that was that.

It's Wednesday now, and I checked this morning and her test results aren't available yet. The numbers in Ontario are crazy high right now - 2923 positive cases today. We're going back to school virtually next week - who knows for how long. The vaccines have started, the end is in sight, but we're still very much in the middle of all of this.

18

 

I might like photo grids a bit!! 

Today was a weird day! Ken and I hadn't made any plans, because how can you during a lockdown during a global pandemic?! When I went to bed last night I felt dizzy. When I woke up this morning I felt dizzy and sick to my stomach. I really felt terrible for a good portion of the day. But after my third nap? I started to feel better.

I asked Ken if he would put henna in my hair - happy anniversary to him, and he said yes. We watched a show after - well, mostly I watched it. It was an episode of The Chosen. A show about the life and times of Jesus. The first episode was interesting, not exactly what I was expecting.

After I was all cleaned up I informed Ken that I wanted to go out. The kids had been fed, so we took some pics and off we went.

I thought I wanted to go downtown to one of our old haunts and walk around so we headed west on the 401. But then I said, let's go to Port Union, so we came off the 401, past Port Union though, and we got turned around and didn't look at a map and ended up heading west again on Kingston road. Then I thought maybe we should get food and then we ended up in front of Jatujak - this awesome Thai place and it was fate. We ordered food, and drove down to the bluffs and ate it in the car in the dark - we couldn't see the lake and it was cold and icy so we didn't walk around! 

But we were together, and that's what is everything. I love my sweet Ken. This year has been nuts, but it's been bearable and enjoyable because of him. Happy 18th Anniversary my love!

Kate's Last Day of Primary

At church when kids are 18 months they can attend nursery. Nursery is a contained class; that when Kate was in nursery, was 1 hr and 45 minutes ish. She started nursery in Orangeville. Her Dad was one of her nursery leaders.

These pictures were taken on Kate's 3rd birthday - the beginning of her last year in nursery. Nursery is technically part of the primary program at church, but the little ones don't integrate with the bigger kids at all, not until the year they turn 4.

Fast forward a year. We were now in the Cookstown Ward, and Kate and Owen Templeman were the two new kids in primary. I was called to serve as the secretary in the primary organization so I got to be there every Sunday. I so wish I had a pic from Kate's first Sunday in primary, but I don't. I do however have pics from when Kate was the Star Child in March. Kate packed a bag of all of her favourite things to share with the kids in primary. She was so excited to be the star child and she was so excited to speak to all the kids!

And now, almost eight years later, Kate is done. The year that children turn twelve they move from the primary organization to Young Men's and Young Women's. Kate is nervous and excited about going to Young Women's. She spent most of this year anxious to leave primary though!

This is not how I thought Kate's last day of primary would look. But here it is. Zoom Primary has had its ups and downs. My girls don't love it, but they've gotten better at tolerating it!

I asked Kate to speak in our home/family church service on Sunday. I wanted her to speak about her experiences in primary. I only asked her that morning, because we had only decided the night before to have family church and not do the sacrament zoom meeting with the ward. Kate didn't really know what to say. She said that primary has helped her to tolerate little children better. She didn't think she really learned anything at church because she learned everything at home. 

That last comment of hers made me both happy and sad. I made me happy because I'm glad she realizes that she's learning the gospel at home. I'm glad that she thinks we're teaching her something! But it also made me so sad, because of how often I served in primary - I've been a first hand witness to the sharing time lessons, the talks she gave, the lessons from teachers. I know how much Kate has been loved and taught by her leaders in primary. I'm so grateful for the primary organization. I'm so grateful for all the love Kate has received. I'm grateful for the foundation her testimony has received. She'll never truly understand where her learning of the gospel begins and ends because it will just be part of who she is.

And now, on to Young Women's!!!

A Covid Christmas

The province wide lockdown starts tonight at midnight. The direction from the province is to only celebrate Christmas with those in your own household. If you live alone you can chose one other household to associate with.

No McCartney family Christmas this year. And Mom and CJ are together.

Andrew came over in the afternoon and hung out. Ken cooked up a delicious turkey dinner. I helped a little in the kitchen.

The girls had a great day. They had lots of fun gifts under the tree and watching them open their gifts was awesome. We are very blessed.

The girls let Ken and I watch some tv together - undisturbed, so that was fun. We chatted a little with Ben and Suzanne - and other family members in the Bates Household. It was just a lovely relaxing day with a really yummy dinner and a fun visit with Andrew. After dinner we played Cards Against Humanity - family edition and then we said bye to Uncle Andrew and goodnight to Christmas.

I'm grateful for Christmas. I'm grateful for family time and for gift giving and for the gift of my Savior. 

Christmas Eve

Kate was given a gingerbread house by her soon to be YW's leader. I suggested to Alice and Fiona that we decorate gingerbread men that we make, because Fiona had also decorated a little house at school. But then when it came right down to it, no one was really into it! SO as a compromise I said we could make and decorate sugar cookies. But then the only one that really wanted to do it was Fiona. Alice did cut out some of the cookies, but it was just me and Fiona that did the decorating.

Oh and Debbie got us Christmas crackers with a photo booth kit. I need to take pictures of Kate and Alice too!

We don't have any Christmas Eve traditions. When we lived in Tottenham I loved the tradition of going to see the live nativity at Fairy Lake in Newmarket, but that was disrupted by weather a couple of times - and then we moved! And of course right now during Covid there are no live nativity plays happening. 

When I was a kid we would dress up and act out the nativity every year on Christmas Eve. I don't feel like we have enough people as a family of five, but maybe we do? 

This year Fiona really wanted to open the extra Christmas crackers that have been in the basement for ages. Over the years we've had extra crackers - someone bought an extra package, we bought them on sale. As of right now, we are cracker free - lol except for the ones for tomorrow! (No more temptation to open extra crackers in the storage room!) Ken made homemade poutine for dinner which was yummy! We watched the church nativity video. I liked that. And we also watched different leaders of the church reading Luke 2 in different languages. 

I did a few more deliveries for the giving tree today, and wrapped a few things, but for the most part it was a pretty relaxing day!