Post by kds on Jul 5, 2023 12:53:01 GMT
2021-22
Mom passed away after a short battle with cancer in December 2020. In February 2021, our son had a major sleep regression due to some issues at Daycare. Some nights, sleep wouldn't come until after 10pm. It was around this time that we got the official autism diagnosis. Needless to say, the winter of 2020-21 wasn't really a joyful time.
The coming of long warmer says and summertime offered a bit of a respite from a dreary time. Plus, my wife and I got our COVID vaccinations in the Spring, and more restrictions began to ease. It took a long time, but we did finally get my son back to a more normal sleep routine. For that, I was quite thankful, because after the events of that winter, if I couldn't have my summertime deck sabbaticals, I'm not sure how well I'd have held up.
The joy I usually feel in the summer was a bit tempered in 2021. After Mom passed, we had the whole year of "first (x event) without her." So, that included Mother's Day, her birthday (which is in late June), and of course, Ocean City trips. My mother passed her love for the beach onto me, so going down there was never going to be the same.
But, my wife, son, and I did go down for our usual week in July. There were less restrictions, but it still was not as crowded as years past as there were still some lingering COVID fears. At least we no longer had to wear masks while walking outside on the Boardwalk. We still had a lot of fun on that trip.
In August, we had our first family trip since Mom passed away. And, we ended summer with a Labor Day Trip again just after my son started his start year at PreK3.
I, once again, did not attend any concerts or baseball games in summer 2021. I finally attended my first sporting event since COVID at the Ravens Home Opener in mid September.
2022
With all the stuff that went down in the winter and spring of 2021, I really was not taking care of myself. But, at the tail end of 2021, I made a change. I started getting back into exercising regularly, and cut back on drinking.
I have to admit, after getting through the first year without Mom, things were easier in 2022, with all those first events and anniversaries out of the way. Plus, our son was doing far better, and back into a routine that worked. All in all, everything was a little bit better. And, I went into summer 2022 about 35-40 pounds lighter than I was the previous summer.
I was supposed to go to my first concert since January 2020, but alas, my wife and I got the COVID in early June, and had to miss Paul McCartney. Not a great start to the summer of 2022. But, things got better.
I enjoyed as much time outside as possible, playing with the boy, or grilling or whatever.
During our July Ocean City vacation, I did something I never thought I'd do on vacation - exercised. It was not unusual for me to put on a few extra pounds on vacation, but I wanted to avoid that. My son has really embraced Ocean City. One of the characteristics of autism is liking routine, and that makes me wonder if I'm on the spectrum too with as much as I love going down there in the summer. I think it might be a combination of that, and just sharing generations of memories in the same spot. Watching my son's eyes light up when he rides the same kiddie rides on the Boardwalk that I rode decades before. It really is a special place to me.
After vacation, I finally knocked out my first post COVID concert - Jimmy Buffett at Merriweather on a hot, muggy, Tuesday night. It was wonderful.
As summer waned, we did our usual family trip in August, followed by Labor Day, as my son started PreK4.
Mom passed away after a short battle with cancer in December 2020. In February 2021, our son had a major sleep regression due to some issues at Daycare. Some nights, sleep wouldn't come until after 10pm. It was around this time that we got the official autism diagnosis. Needless to say, the winter of 2020-21 wasn't really a joyful time.
The coming of long warmer says and summertime offered a bit of a respite from a dreary time. Plus, my wife and I got our COVID vaccinations in the Spring, and more restrictions began to ease. It took a long time, but we did finally get my son back to a more normal sleep routine. For that, I was quite thankful, because after the events of that winter, if I couldn't have my summertime deck sabbaticals, I'm not sure how well I'd have held up.
The joy I usually feel in the summer was a bit tempered in 2021. After Mom passed, we had the whole year of "first (x event) without her." So, that included Mother's Day, her birthday (which is in late June), and of course, Ocean City trips. My mother passed her love for the beach onto me, so going down there was never going to be the same.
But, my wife, son, and I did go down for our usual week in July. There were less restrictions, but it still was not as crowded as years past as there were still some lingering COVID fears. At least we no longer had to wear masks while walking outside on the Boardwalk. We still had a lot of fun on that trip.
In August, we had our first family trip since Mom passed away. And, we ended summer with a Labor Day Trip again just after my son started his start year at PreK3.
I, once again, did not attend any concerts or baseball games in summer 2021. I finally attended my first sporting event since COVID at the Ravens Home Opener in mid September.
2022
With all the stuff that went down in the winter and spring of 2021, I really was not taking care of myself. But, at the tail end of 2021, I made a change. I started getting back into exercising regularly, and cut back on drinking.
I have to admit, after getting through the first year without Mom, things were easier in 2022, with all those first events and anniversaries out of the way. Plus, our son was doing far better, and back into a routine that worked. All in all, everything was a little bit better. And, I went into summer 2022 about 35-40 pounds lighter than I was the previous summer.
I was supposed to go to my first concert since January 2020, but alas, my wife and I got the COVID in early June, and had to miss Paul McCartney. Not a great start to the summer of 2022. But, things got better.
I enjoyed as much time outside as possible, playing with the boy, or grilling or whatever.
During our July Ocean City vacation, I did something I never thought I'd do on vacation - exercised. It was not unusual for me to put on a few extra pounds on vacation, but I wanted to avoid that. My son has really embraced Ocean City. One of the characteristics of autism is liking routine, and that makes me wonder if I'm on the spectrum too with as much as I love going down there in the summer. I think it might be a combination of that, and just sharing generations of memories in the same spot. Watching my son's eyes light up when he rides the same kiddie rides on the Boardwalk that I rode decades before. It really is a special place to me.
After vacation, I finally knocked out my first post COVID concert - Jimmy Buffett at Merriweather on a hot, muggy, Tuesday night. It was wonderful.
As summer waned, we did our usual family trip in August, followed by Labor Day, as my son started PreK4.