Ice Ice Ice

 Our beautiful blanket of fluffy white snow is now covered with a thick layer of ice. The yard looks beautiful, but it is also treacherous. Everything is slick and walking beyond the front door is difficult. I love the snow, but I abhor ice.

Even Friend, who normally loves to be outside, has been content to stay inside by the fire. When he does go outside (usually under duress) he has learned to stay within the flower beds by the front of our house. The one time he ventured into the yard he ended up slipping and sliding down the hill on his belly. 

The temperatures are supposed to warm today so hopefully the ice will melt. Until then, I am staying home and staying inside (as much as possible). Ice is dangerous for everybody, but I am especially vulnerable to slipping and falling.

Snow and Music

Although they no longer have an active infection, both boys are continuing to recover from the impact of Covid. Robby simply goes into his room to take a nap when he is tired. Timmy becomes irritated and angry, swirling around the house like a chaotic tornado. If he had trusted us, or if he had listened to his body, our weekend would have been a lot easier!

In addition to dealing with the wrath of Tired Timmy, our weekend was spent with music and snow. On Saturday Robby was well enough to go to his band performance. He missed the gig last weekend and he was devastated. He was delighted that another show was added, allowing him the opportunity to showcase all of the songs he has mastered.

Because of Covid, I was the only one to attend the show in person. Scott and my mom watched the show through Zoom. I know that I'm biased, but he did a fabulous job!

Yesterday the air was filled with falling snow, blanketing our yard in fluffy white. While Robby and Timmy were excited for the snow, it turns out that Friend is not a fan. We received about 6 inches in total, which made the snowfall taller than his head. He jumped around and played for a few minutes but quickly retreated back inside to the warmth.

Today we are back to the grind. Well, at least I am. Scott is still isn't cleared to return to work until Wednesday because of his positive Covid test.  Someday our house will return to normal. That day will not be today.

 

Catch Up

 The past two weeks have been difficult. Thankfully everybody is on the mend and, soon, we will return to our "normal" post-pandemic lives. After witnessing Robby and Timmy struggling with Covid, I will happily keep wearing my mask. I don't want to contribute to the level of misery that my boys experienced. 

This weekend will be spent recovering and playing catch up. We are supposed to get snow or rain on Sunday. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some snow because my yard looks so beautiful when it is blanketed in white. 

Have a great weekend, and please stay safe.

Friend

Yesterday everybody continued to improve. Fevers only present in the late afternoon and evening, which is to be expected. At this point, the main issue is going to be regaining strength. Unfortunately, I think it is going to take awhile until this house returns to normal.

Until everybody is full recovered, I'm doing my best to keep as low key as possible. While I haven't been sick, I am living under the assumption that I am also Covid positive. With the exception of enjoying long walks with Friend, I haven't left the house. In many ways, I feel like we are living like we did at the beginning of this frustrating pandemic. Thank goodness I have Friend to keep me company.

I completely underestimated how much I would love having a dog in our family. I resisted for years because I knew that the onus for care would land squarely on my shoulders. With trying to juggle so many roles, I wasn't sure I could add dog mom to the mix. 

It turns out to be the best thing I could have done for myself. This little dog is a furry little snuggle bug who is content to sit on me or next to me when I work. He follows me around the house with his tail wagging, happy to just be with everybody. Our long walks through the neighborhood have become my respite from the household realities of Covid. Instead of feeling like a chore, it turns out that taking care of Friend is both enjoyable and relaxing. 

I love his little pup!

Hovering

Everybody is slowly recovering, with the emphasis on slow. Robby's fever continues to hover around 100.5 while Timmy is holding strong at 100. Scott doesn't have a fever but he continues to feel fatigued and "off."  So far, I am still the last person without symptoms. 

Even though the boys are not feeling well, school work has resumed. The semester ends next Friday (it is a hard stop with no wiggle room for illness) and they have a lot of odds and ends that they need to finish. I am trying to pace them through their work without pushing them to fatigue or frustration. It is definitely a difficult wire to walk between asking too much when they are sick and them not finishing the semester. 

According to Scott's Covid policy at work, he will be off until sometime next week. By the time he does return to school he would have been off for nearly 6 weeks. Talk about a long winter break!

Today will be more of the same- juggling work, school and caring for the boys. By the time this is all over, I think I am going to need a vacation!

3 Positive

 As predicted, Scott tested positive for Covid. Considering the innumerable opportunities for contacting the infection, I am not surprised. I am sure that, if tested, I would be positive as well. Thankfully I am asymptomatic!

Unfortunately Scott is not completely asymptomatic. He came home from his Covid test and went straight to bed, where he stayed for the rest of the day. He doesn't have a fever, but he is terribly fatigued. I'm hoping that lifts quickly and his energy begins to return. 

Timmy and Robby are slowly improving, but the recovery is taking longer than we anticipated. Robby's fever continues to hover between 100 and 101 and he continues to struggle with an intense cough at night. His appetite is slowly returning, and I'm hoping that his strength will follow.  Timmy's fever is consistently between 99.5 and 101, but he spends more time on the lower end of a fever than Robby. His coughing is subsiding and his appetite is returning.

Today will be another day of juggling work and nursing duties. From a selfish perspective, trying to take care of three sick people is starting to wear me down. I hope that everybody recovers soon!

A Very Long Week

 Last week was long, terrifying and exhausting. Both boys had high fevers due to Covid. I'm so angry because we did everything to keep them protected and safe, yet they still became infected. Logically I know that we didn't fail, but my heart aches that they were both so sick.

Timmy's fever began to fade on Saturday, allowing him to rest with more comfort and to begin to play. He still has a cough when he becomes too active, and his fever rises in the evening, but he is now functioning at about 80% capacity. 

Robby has been considerably sicker than Timmy. His fever went higher and stayed there for almost an entire week. Yesterday was the first time his temperature fell below 101.5. His cough is beginning to ease, although he continues to struggle at night.

After nearly a week locked away, Robby finally emerged from his room to shower and to sit with us at dinner. He continues to have no appetite (he probably lost at least 10 pounds), but I think he is slowly on the way to improvement. I suspect it is going to take him weeks to regain full strength. 

Scott is starting to feel ill, which is not surprising because of our close exposure. He is going to get tested today. Although I'm sure it will be positive I'm hoping that his symptoms are mild.  Covid stinks!