We ended 2021 with COVID-19 diagnoses (via rapid test at home) for Jack and Steve. Tests were hard to come by at the time, we so just assumed Henry and I were also positive and acted accordingly.
Jack, using the pulse oximeter with only mild exasperation:
Jack and Henry both developed fever (only for a day), sniffles, sore throat and cough. Henry also had nausea for a day. But being young, resilient and lucky, they improved quickly and were bouncing off the walls just a few days after they first showed symptoms.
Steve also developed symptoms and was pretty miserable for a few days. Fortunately Dr. Henry was on the case and was very reassuring. "This IS going to hurt," he said, gleefully.
Without the ability to go out and about, the boys watched way too much television:
We also finally did a Christmas cookie decorating kit that was purchased for Christmas 2020 and had been subsequently forgotten, left languishing for over a year. I asked the boys not to eat the cookies after decorating, but everything actually looked and smelled eerily fine (according to Steve, I couldn't actually smell anything).
I suddenly lost my senses of smell and taste about a week after the boys got sick, but I never developed any other significant symptoms. My senses returned suddenly after six days of absence. It was very strange.
The boys work together on a gingerbread house cookie:
The result:
Jack poses with his gingerbread person:
Yes, we love each other very much and always get along, no matter what our parents say:
Henry inspected Jack's gingerbread person and declared to his brother, "I really thought you were going to a make a mess out of this, but you did a really great job!"
On day one of missing school to isolate, thanks to their acquisition of a stepladder, the boys had already reached the "velociraptors testing the perimeter" phase:
On the second day home from school, Steve found a way to make the Christmas tree removal an exciting activity, by having the boys cut branches off while the tree was still inside the house.
Jack shows real promise as a future fearless tree-trimmer:
Henry the compactor at work:
The boys then carted the cut branches outside to the green waste can.
By the half-way mark of our ten-day isolation, things had devolved into chaos (well, even more so than normal).
Jack "sneaking" candy:
Henry being super loud (in other words, being Henry):
We were beyond ready to rejoin the world, but just had to wait. In the meantime...
Jack
Showing off the triple-hat look:
Humoring Mom for a portrait:
Definitely not humoring Mom for a portrait:
Kitty Jack:
Building a garage for his cars out of foam blocks:
Building with tiny blocks:
Henry
First lost tooth! Courtesy of Henry, age 5 years 5 months and 18 days:
Just to clarify, the missing tooth is on the bottom. One of his upper teeth isn't visible in the picture because it's crooked from an old bike crash.
Henry's missing tooth went, well, missing. He was very concerned that the tooth fairy wouldn't leave him anything without the tooth (even though Steve and I explained that we were sure the tooth fairy would understand) so he dictated this note:
The note must have worked, since $3 appeared the next morning.
Vintage Henry (in Camp Fire shirt that used to be mine with beaver stuffed animal that belonged to my brother):
Henry, all Star Wars, all attitude:
Regarding the Star Wars pajamas, Henry exclaimed, "Whenever I see it when you're doing my laundry or in my drawer, I have to wear them!"
Enjoying a maple bar:
Ugh, Mom is lurking and wanting pictures again.
No smiles here! Give up, Mom!
Henry was definitely tired of being stuck at home. When I asked him to finish his first snack before getting a second, he huffed, "I need a new house to live in!"
While stuck in the house, we did a lot of cleaning and organizing.
The boys hard at work on the living room floor:
And the boys did a lot of lurking whenever Steve had his phone out. The pull of screens is strong.
Finally, the day arrived, isolation was over and it was time to go back to school! Hooray!
Masked wonders:
Jack was immediately back to his old tricks. Contents of his pockets after a typical school day:
He really, really likes to collect things.
Cleared to be back on the town, we were out and about!
Jack watches a large crane work downtown:
Scootering at a nearby park.
Jack:
Mom, who never thought she'd be so happy to be out of the house:
Everything about the pandemic is bad, except the fact that I can dress up like I'm in witness protection to supervise my kids at the park and nobody thinks anything of it.
We even had some visitors! Uncle Lee and Aunt Staci stopped by for a visit.
Aunt Staci does a Valentine's craft with Henry:
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