Who would have thought my world could change so much, as I was putting out my Christmas Eve Dinner and waiting the arrival of my 1st of 2 new grandson’s to join the bubbly little 2 year old that was running around getting so excited as the adults encouraged him.  Wolfed down my dinner and left everyone to dash up to see my daughter, her husband and their new little boy.  After a short visit I pop back home, pass my husband in the corridor as he goes up to hold his new grandson.  Christmas day is uneventful, our little 2 year old is running around wanting to open everything but we are waiting to see when his mom gets home.  Little did we know that our daughter-in-law was starting to feel funny, as in this is not funny I was supposed to have my baby first LOL.  The things we have no control over.  Rachel gets home and we drop our 2 year old off on Boxing Day.

Things are fairly quiet when I get a call from Rachel, not Stephanie (who is upstairs soaking in a nice hot bath with my wild heather soap straight from Scotland).  Rachel’s appendix has possibly burst.  Off to the hospital she has to go.  Stephanie and David can you come help with Ethan and Tommy.  No answer, they phone back they are off to Mississauga to have their first child.  She is blaming my soap :).  One of the first hard decisions of my life, where to go, the hospital with David & Stephanie to sit for 24 hours waiting, or to the hospital with Rachel while Jay stayed with the babies.  I went with Rachel, figuring she would be taken care of quickly and she was, 12 hours from emergency to appendix removal and back in room.  But Stephanie was full of surprises, a 6 to 7 hour labour and delivery of her first beautiful baby boy.

The next month was crazy busy, dashing off to Newmarket, down to Mississauga, lots of baby and toddler time.  Children with babies staying over.  Life was exhausting and amazing full of lots of emotion.

Because of the babies Jim and I had no holidays planned, very unusual for us.  I kept saying to Jim, this is probably a once in a lifetime happening having 2 newborns to cuddle at the same time.  So let’s just enjoy it.

Little did we know that another once in a lifetime happening was percolating at the same time.  December 31, Wuhan has their first death from COVOID-19.  Hardly causes a ripple in the news world.  Now in case you don’t know me, there isn’t a serial killer book/series I haven’t read or a disaster movie I haven’t watched.  Jim laughs at me as I critique the FBI, who always seem to just miss their man for at least 10 episodes.  Why do they yell ‘FBI FREEZE’ when they are 30 feet away in a busy people filled market.  Like hello, the guy runs.  Same thing for disaster movies.  Why don’t they do this, why don’t they do that.  I feel I am a bit of an expert, so on January 23, less than a month after the first announcement, China decided to quarantine 30 million people in Wuhan, followed by other regions within days, my spidey sense started to get very tingly.  Like seriously you just decided to quarantine that many people, how do you even do that.  “What is really going on”.

By the beginning of March I was in full fledged panic about relatives and friends that were away.  Get home.  Thankfully they all did and none of them were sick.  For the next month I was buying groceries, I even bought a small freezer as my fridge is small and couldn’t hold anymore.  Soups were cooking, chilies and curries were simmering.  Burgers were made.  Yes toilet paper was bought.  My pantry was stocked with cans of beans, chickpeas, cat food.  Yes my cats were not going hungry.

Things are settling down, we are still trying to see the kids as we are all working from home.  Social distancing is impossible with a 2 year old, the babies don’t care, they just want their mommies.  I am missing all the hugs and holding the babies close, but as the tears run down my cheeks, I keep saying how lucky we are and pray this will be over soon.

How my world has changed, if this is the worst that happens to us I can handle it (with lots of tears).  Stay safe everyone, stay positive.  And thank you so much to the people on the front lines who are putting their lives on the line to keep us safe.