We’ve been out at The Lodge now for about five months now. It’s looking like Ben’s school is going to be 100% in-person come September. That means we’re preparing to move back home to our primary residence in Seattle.
Our time out here has provided memories we know will last a lifetime for Alex and me. We can only hope at least Ben takes some of these memories with him forever. This time, hunkered down, has changed us all and will help shape our future. Alex and I have had so many conversations about what the short and long-term future we imagine might look like, and I’ll tell you, our thinking has changed quite a bit from what it was pre-pandemic.
School is what is pulling us back to Seattle, and frankly, we’re wondering {expecting?} if sometime in the fall or winter the kids’ schools will move virtual and we’ll be back at The Lodge. The coronavirus is raging in Seattle and it’s really hard to wrap our heads around sending the kids back to school, but Ben’s school is confident it has the resources to bring kids back safely.
Ben will be starting pre-kindergarten at a private school that has the capacity to social distance, spread kids out and cut class sizes. Hannah will be starting preschool virtually at a small co-op.
It’s going to be a massive change for us, having been here for so long. Hannah had just turned 19-months old when we arrived at The Lodge and she’s going back a potty-trained 2-year old. Our kids are different kiddos than they were when we left. They’ve grown up in the mountains.
Our house is not set up for a 2 and 4 year old. We still have Hannah’s high chair out, and we’re anticipating she’s going to move to a toddler bed any day now. We don’t need her changing table, and she’s jumping into 3T, so she won’t fit any of the 18-24-month clothes hanging in her closet. Her toys and books are for that of a baby, not a full-fledged toddler.
We’re certainly nervous for all of the unknown associated with COVID-19 and returning to school amidst a global pandemic. Life as we knew it doesn’t exist anymore – we know that much, at least. There will be big emotions, certainly from us all, as we adjust to our new normal.
I want to make sure we allow plenty of time for us to get settled and for us to have some Western Washington fun before school starts up. I really want to take Ben to the WA coast and try to find some safe, local adventures nearby to help ease us into the transition.
The kids are now overdue for a visit to the dentist, vaccines and a well-child check-up. We’re skipping a haircut for Ben to avoid another possible exposure opportunity. So, we have a lot to catch up on before they start school.
We are certainly nervous about our move back to Seattle. It’s been so easy to weather this storm on 3 acres in the middle of nowhere. When we arrive back in Seattle we’ll be able to high five our next door neighbor from our kitchen window. We’ll don our masks every time we walk out the front door. Life as we left it in Seattle does not exist anymore.
We have savored the family time, our precious time in the mountains and simply slowing down. It’s been so so so special.
Here’s to slowly starting to close the chapter on our spring and summer riding out the pandemic at The Lodge and beginning a new chapter on weathering the pandemic in a city where one of our children is attending school…….. wish us luck!
