Second shots/changing my COIVD mindset

 Harry and Jack got their second shots yesterday morning!!

In 2 weeks, Harry plans to have an actual BIRTHDAY PARTY maybe even INSIDE THE HOUSE.

But. Tomorrow, I am sending Dorothy to a birthday party at a friend's house-- probably without a mask. Or at least, it's a water party, and they are eating, so I can't imagine she'll actually WEAR a mask. The invite said masks optional. 

I am also itching to enroll Minnie in a Little Gym class.

And, our county has eliminated mask mandates, so I went mask-less in HyVee, which was weird and wonderful.

So, here is my basic thinking: Ben and I are protected. Our parents are protected. Old heart condition Harry is on his way to being protected, as is spreads-like-an-adult-adolescent Jack. The data says that if elementary schoolers do get COVID, they will be fine. So. We are getting ready to live our lives again.

We have been living our lives, in fact. AND THE KIDS HAVE A COLD TO PROVE IT. Yes, I took them to the doc for a COVID test and kept them isolated (and masked, actually) until the results came in. And yes, they are negative. 

I think this is the right thing to do now when unvaccinated kids get sick. Isolate. Mask. Test. Repeat. The new normal?

I am trying to reframe COVID. It's not a moral failing. It's not a death sentence. It's a disease that's terrible for older people, but the kids are likely going to be fine. And the risks of being shut ins are starting to outweigh the risks of getting back out in the world. At least for us in our most vaxxed county that has no community spread. What about you?