Two days ago, my husband Matthew says, “they have a slot in Zone 5 at Canterbury Woods from 2-3.” Are you confused? So was I! A slot for what? He reminds me that we wanted to see how swimming works in our community during the pandemic. Our county closed all of the public pools for the season; since our community pools were open we wanted to try it out.

Our Home Owners Association set a limit of 100 people per 1-hour time period. The pool is divided into 10 zones. Each zone is limited to the 10 people from one group/family. You must fill out a waiver that states that you may be exposed with communicable diseases and you fully accept the risks. You hold harmless the Association. You also have to declare you are healthy and, to ensure the safety of yourself and others, you haven’t been to or around any risky people/places in the last 14 days.

I was anxious about the waiver. What if someone lies, is asymptomatic, thinks it’s just allergies…

But we went. And it was glorious! Why? For the following reasons:

1. Reservations – you get to choose what time and what zone you wanted. This needs to be permanent in our Association.  Most people want the places where you would be able to sit against the wall. I was pleased that no one wanted the middle of the pool where our little could still touch the bottom and feel comfortable swimming. 
2. Limited to 100 people in the pool. Most families do not have 10 people in their family. So, 10 families with 4-6 people in the pool. At most it’s 60 people.  No random kid squirting water from their noodles, jumping in while you’re diving in or swimming next to you. Just your own weirdos that you brought with you.
3. Face Coverings Required in the pool house. You have to have a face covering when going through the restrooms to get to the pool. Use your towel if you forget. The goal is to slow the spread and help to keep people healthy as possible.
4. Constant cleaning and sanitizing. Every time there was a lifeguard rotation, there was another person in a mask sanitizing the lifeguard chair and area.
5. Limited to 1 hour. No need to argue with your 8-year-old who is part mermaid that we need to go home. No lingering around the deck. No lounging in the chairs. No break times every 45 mins.
6. Focusing on the family – We got to focus on the family group and not divided into friend groups. Our pool outings are usually connection with our friends that we catch up with at the pool.  Instead we were ‘forced’ to swim together. This was fun. There are no chairs, so I got in. We ALL played and swam with one another.
7. One way – you only go through the pool house to get to the pool – you leave through the gate. It’s less opportunity to be exposed to someone coming in or exposed by you coming out.
8. I enjoyed getting the exercise and playing with my kids. I didn’t realize how much I missed the pool. Our family is at the pool daily during the summer, it is so weird to not be swimming every day. A little bit of summer normalcy in an upside-down crazy time.

So, if you live in a community that has opened the pool with restrictions you should try it! You can get some exercise, go into the out, continue to bond with your family (or friends if you want to coordinate times), and still have time to relax at home where you’re comfy.

Thanks for reading!

<3 Tatana

Tatana Todd

Chief Education Officer of Todd Homeschool Academy, teacher, history lover, recovering news junkie and lover of politics and truth – which does not have to be an oxymoron. I love Jesus,  vacationing with my family, baking, reading cool children’s books, playing violin, and watching crime shows.

You can reach me on Facebook 

Since we have been in isolation during the pandemic, having limited contact with friends and family, it has been very hard on my littlest. She has tried to adjust. She had tap and ballet via Zoom. She had co-op via Zoom. She has had church via YouTube streaming. It has been such a dramatic shift for her, for someone who loves and craves in-person interaction. We have had to keep distance between our neighbor, Anna, and their two children. Isley used to play with them often, seeing them outside, running to play with them only now, they have to yell across the yard and stand away from each other; but at least there is some interaction. This really has been tough for our munchkin.

Fast forward to her birthday (there will be another post about that day) and the gift she receives was both in a box and on the phone. Keira asked to be on the phone when she opened the gift. During the call, Isley received both an apron and a cook book, Isley was excited to just have Keira on the phone. Keira then announced on Monday, August 3rd, she wanted to have a cooking session with just her and her little sister! Isley was so happy. This was such a touching moment for me as I know how much Isley longs to spend time with her sister and how much she loves cooking too. Isley was given the choice of any recipe in the book and she chose cupcakes, who doesn’t want cupcakes?

Today was the day. Tatana and I set up the kitchen as best we could, Tatana did the cleaning and I set up the technology (I got the easier part of that bargain). The call came in while I was in a meeting for work and Tatana has to take Jonah to an allergy appointment. This plays into the self expression and self confidence that Isley gained because she had no help from her parents and really had to rely on her big sister over the interwebs (yes I said interwebs). Isley, for the first time had to preheat the oven, I did not know she did not know how to do that, sorry Isley. She had to learn how to make buttermilk with lemon juice. She even let me help her put the pans in the oven, since she has not learned how to do that yet and “did not want to burn off my face,” according to her.

Every step was guided by her big sister, advice was shared, not just cooking advice either. This was such an awesome time and precious gift from Keira. I came upstairs once the call was over to assist in the scooping of the mix into the muffin liners. Although that was short lived because, “Daddy, I can do this,” was announced. Isley took a yearlong cooking classes in her co-op, thank you Mrs. Kim, so I knew she could do it, but I just like helping. I was allowed to put the liners into the muffin pan and put the pans in the oven, I was also allowed to wash the dishes, measuring spoons, and mixing bowl so they can get ready for making the buttercream frosting.

While the cakes were cooking, the two sisters sat and talked about life, kittens, fun, school, and anything else that came up. My heart as so full as I overheard some of the conversation while not trying to interfere at all. Tatana came home while the cupcakes were cooling just in time to assist with the frosting. Seeing my three ladies spending this precious time together was so fulfilling as a father and husband. Cooking together really helps us emotionally and mentally, and physically, once we eat the food we cooked. The passing on of ideas and tricks, the experiences of falling cupcakes, adding salt instead of sugar, realizing the mixer did not get all of the flour; all of these things are challenges that you must adapt to and things you will need to overcome and work through together. (Those did not happen today, I’m just reflecting on the learning side of cooking.)

In the end, there were some beautiful and tasty cupcakes. But even more, there were two sisters and a mom who were able to share some precious moments together. Oh the name, Kisley? Isley decided that was the name she wanted to put on her Zoom screen to signify the two of them spending time together.

Take some time to reflect on how you give time to your family, and to your friends. Take some of that time and spend it with others, even over long distances. It means so much that you spend that time with them.

Matthew Todd

Happily married, father of four, and lover of the adventures in life. I love Jesus, vacationing with my family, camping, fishing, bike riding, swimming, walking, and sleeping. Sometimes I am even able to watch movies that I want to watch.

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