Our Thanksgiving worked out perfectly. My daughter’s ride both ways with her friend was very smooth. Hopefully, we will repeat for Christmas.
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We had isolated (since 11/12) and tested (on 11/21) in anticipation of gathering with my elderly parents on Thanksgiving. They had done the same (my husband is immunocompromised).
When our test results still had not been returned by Wednesday afternoon, we postponed. Thanksgiving ended up being a beautiful warm and sunny day here, and we briefly considered changing plans and getting together and eating outside, but did not. On a neighborhood walk Wednesday afternoon, I saw several party tent trucks parked, so I assume many of my neighbors hosted outdoor events. They could not have had a better day for it.
Friday, our test results still had not come back and we made the decision that we had isolated for 15 days at that point and we were going to take our chances. So, we gathered indoors (I did keep some windows open, because…after having no one but us in our house for nearly 9 months, it is hard to just turn off that switch, I guess) and had a lovely meal and extended visit with them.
We gave thanks for our ability to be together, took a moment to think about all of the people who are missing loved ones at their tables, and in their lives (including us, as my uncle who had joined us every year for my entire life died of COVID last March) and made a toast for a (hopefully) happier 2021.
Saturday afternoon our test results came back (negative). It took a full week to get them. We decided that if we plan to gather again for the next holiday, we will probably forgo the test and just isolate completely for 14 days again.
For the record, now that my D24 has been “released” from isolation and can spend time with her friends (outdoors) again, three of them are in their own isolation/quarantine situation, due to exposure just before and on Thanksgiving.
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My sister-in-law just cancelled our usual Christmas at her house. Her husband is too sick (not Covid related). I am kind of relieved, I know my daughter was not excited about going to somebody’s house for the day. Now it will be a repeat of Thanksgiving, just the three of us together (she is getting a ride back and forth from the same friend).
This is the first Christmas in her life (26) that we will be eating at home, we are excited about preparing a dinner ourselves.
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My D is going into the hospital to be induced on the 27th, so she & her H will do Christmas alone. We’ll stop over & give them gifts outside. S will come over for awhile - we have kept him in our bubble, even though he does work in a lab (he is very careful). We won’t do our usual get together with my brothers & nieces/nephew on Christmas Eve, and church will be online. It will be odd, but we’ll try to keep the reason for the season in mind in order to stay positive.
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At this point, it looks like Christmas for two here. But I did learn my lesson with Thanksgiving and will cut the side dishes I make in half. I can’t remember the last time I cooked a full Christmas dinner. We will make it as festive as possible for two…but we are scaling back a lot on the decorations.
We will need to meet D and SIL to exchange presents…sometime. But that will be a drive up and drop off event.
No decorations for me this year. I am here by myself and with everything going on it just doesn’t feel very festive to me. A bright spot is we are going to a local Airbnb for a week. It’s going to be 6 of us. We are taking all the precautions (getting tested 5 days before and be quarantined after that), we know it is not full proof, but it is a risk we are willing to take.
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D has decided to fly home and back for Christmas. She cancelled coming home at Thanksgiving and then regretted it. My mother had originally said she wasn’t going to join us because my college student son was going to be there and he wouldn’t have test results yet, but then she changed her mind and did come which I think made my D miss it even more.
The thing that really surprised my, though I guess it shouldn’t have, is that there is now only one direct flight a day between her city and us. There used to be five. She made her reservation yesterday and said there were only two seats left on the plane when she booked it.
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We cancelled my daughter’s 12/4 flight, weekes ago. I spent Thanksgiving alone but Zoomed with my 3 kids. Daughter in So. California lives alone in a studio and was also alone.
Christmas will be a repeat. Me alone, daughter alone and other two kids with roommates. We can Zoom while opening presents.
Daughter is young with health conditions and I am no spring chicken and also have some health issues, I am more worried about her, of course…
I got a little tree and decorated it so the kids don’t worry about me. Isolated daughter also got one and we Zoomed to get her some lights and decorations. I am amazed at her resilience after 9 months alone.
My mother is in assisted living, so for both holidays I see her the day before, at a window (which is closed in the cold). Giving her little gifts and flowers to try to keep her mood up. She has dementia but knows Christmas is coming, because of the facility decorations.
My daughter and I, on separate coasts, have never really left lockdown. I have not seen her in a year and hope to see her in 2021. I believe she is 1c for vaccine!
It’s just one year. We are making the best of it.
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It is hard for all of us, especially families with elderlies and people with health issues. Hopefully with vaccines coming we will be able to see all of our love ones next year.
I have a friend who has severe depression over covid. I try to tell her that everyday we wake up we are one day closer in ending this nightmare.
It is important for us to give each encouragements now. I find myself a bit discouraged from time to time.
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I mentioned in November that we would go visit my son; an 8 hour drive. My daughter lives 8 hours away from him the other direction. All 6 adult and both toddlers were tested prior and again 5 days after coming home; everyone was negative both times.
While I was hesitant to make the trip, we all agreed to do it. Assuming no one had/has COVID, without symptoms, it turned out ok for all. The adult kids enjoyed having us there to play with the kids, and as grandparents, we loved being about to hug the little ones. This trip gave me a much needed boost.
On another note, my son, a hospital based physician, may be getting the vaccine as early as next week. My practice is ordering and my husband should be able to get one at one of the hospitals he works for. While I am not counting my chickens yet, I am hoping we will get together with the kids in the summer for the family beach vacation that didn’t happen in 2020. Actually, the little girls will be a better age for the beach, 2 and almost 3, so maybe it will be more fun for them.
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We were supposed to have Thanksgiving in our backyard. The Saturday before Thanksgiving my daughter and her husband went to a wedding. We saw them on Sunday and they both got negative Covid tests on Monday. But my sons were furious and refused to see us. So my husband and I had turkey by ourselves. We have always gone to my mom’s and had never made a turkey and we didn’t do a very good job.
For Christmas we are quarantining and testing and are supposed to see my sons Christmas Eve and then my daughter and her husband (who will see his family Christmas Eve) on Christmas Day. My daughter and her husband are careful, but do see a few friends socially (usually outside) and will see his family, so my sons don’t want us to see them during the quarantine period. It is not ideal, but it is what we have.
I don’t really know what we are doing. I’m sort of tired of being the one to figure everything out. No fun.
Definitely not having the usual Christmas Day gathering with my mom and two brothers and families. My mom is out of town (just about an hour) so probably not seeing her on Christmas Day - that’s ok, technically she’s Jewish anyway! 
My three? Son is in town. His bubble is us, his wife’s immediate family and very little contact with other staff at his school. Grad school daughter will be coming home and will get tested prior but has not had any in-person labs for 2+ weeks so basically no contact with others besides her roommate. Other D largely lives with her BF and they literally see no one except outside - even his family.
So everyone has VERY LOW contact with others - but as we know, that is not a clean slate. I’m sort of laughing that I have presents, will do some baking - not sure when everyone will open or eat it though!!! Just go with the flow!!!
I really don’t understand why these conversations are so hard. Isn’t it obvious what we should do? My brother is furious with me because I said our 82yo mother should not spend Christmas Day with him and his teen kids. I suggested that I isolate with her, staying away from my husband and son for 2 weeks. She’s upset that she is having to choose between us.
Brother just spent a week deer hunting, staying at a bunkhouse with a bunch of guys. His kids are working and socializing. Maybe I am “passing judgement” (as he accuses me) on their activities, but I am also just listing the many ways they could have been exposed. The virus is so prevalent in the community right now! Why is he so determined to expose Mom?
Oh, I want to rant so I’ll stop now.
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We have been working from home and have been no where except grocery with masks, which are mandated in our county. Our youngest (elementary sch) has gone to school with a mask for the last several months (very small class/small school where everyone is 8’ apart and mask wearing mandated seriously). Regularly tests negative. Teen doing remote school and sees friends only online. College kid coming home Sunday, tested negative Tuesday and staying home since. He will mask for the first week back home. Then test.
We are going to test a week after college kid comes home with all of us staying home. If negative test results will then drive to my dad’s for Xmas. While there will mask if in the same room. He has been alone except for visits with his girlfriend. Both are isolating aside from each other and trips to grocery with masks.
Since we all have been doing the same kinds of “protected” behaviors, it seems okay to see each other (esp after we’ve had a negative test).
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@FrancescaBennett I’m sorry your brother is furious with you. It does seem like his family’s activities are too extensive to feel comfortable with right now, with high levels of virus in the community now. I know a lot of people who are having conflicts like that–each person seems to think the people they know and trust are “safe” but why? For myself, I would only feel comfortable with people who have really been staying home. If my daughter were within driving distance, I’d have her here for Christmas, because she can work from home for two weeks ahead of time and not socialize. But my son, who is closer, will be working outside the home, and I doubt he will want to be indoors with us because my husband has a lot of health issues. We did OK with outside Thanksgiving lunch but the hospitalization rate is going up so much–I think we will all be separate and trying to have a zoom meet up. A bunch of us did a zoom today around a children’s holiday performance and it was actually pretty fun.
Most of our small bubble have been very isolated. All working from home. We only do delivery or curbside, no store visits. My D and her H have had several dr/dentist apppointments but they’re far enough back that we can all instigate a two week lockdown until Christmas. So it should be me, H, S, D, SIL, and GD. D’s latest ultrasound was on the edge of the lockdown period, so she’s scheduled a test for next week, just to be sure.
My sister and brother are disappointed we can’t all meet, but like @oldfort said above, we just need to hang on a little while longer. I’m trying to keep everyone encouraged, and hopeful for widespread vaccines in a few months.
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we did our extended family Hanukkah party last night, via zoom. It was not ideal, but we are all feeling confident that we just need to hang in and sit tight for a little longer and we’ll be back to spending time together in person, maybe even by Passover.
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Thanks, @orangepurple. I’ve said, “we’ve been safe so far, let’s not blow it now when there’s a vaccine and light at the end of the tunnel.” Mom seems receptive to that argument…no response from brother. At this point, I’m happy with silence!
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My mom just told me how careful they are being, then told me how much fun she had at her book club meeting. Inside. In person. It couldn’t have been done over zoom?
The delusion of “careful” is so frustrating. I had a friend tell me how careful she’d been but caught COVID anyway after going to a dinner party at her neighbors.
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