Quarantine

 Most people around here don’t mask or mask in selected settings only.  Because of our experiences with Nate and his compromised immune system, we have been pretty diligent advocates.  However, we were naughty this summer and flew out west to see some family.  Rusty picked up Covid in Idaho and came down with symptoms the day after we got home.

Oops.

His symptoms were pretty dramatic but he didn’t need hospital care.  He rode it out in the master bedroom and the kids and I stayed in the rest of the house- but Hannah and I managed to catch it anyway.  Hannah showed symptoms on day 13 of her quarantine.  So, PSA, yes, please do wait all 14 days before declaring yourself safe.  She and I had much milder cases.  If I hadn’t been in quarantine for weeks, I would not have realized that what I had was Covid- my symptoms were not the classic ones.  Anyway, because it took time to work its way through the family, our combined quarantine added up to 6.5 weeks.  Hyrum and Naomi were the last to be released and were absolutely thrilled to finally go to school last Wednesday.

Hannah chose online school this year, but does go on campus every other day for choir.  Hyrum and Naomi chose in-person school.  Hybrid won’t be offered in our district unless the community count goes up.  So far (4 weeks in), so good!

Hyrum’s strange adventures (before Covid)

 Hyrum found this photo and wanted to write a post about it:

 “Yep. I found this bad boy right in the Menards Store. If any squirrel comes near to our front door, bring a squirrel sprayer.”

But, Hyrum, we are the nutty Squirrel family!

“Why didn’t you tell me in the first place?!?”

Oh dear.  An identity crisis is in the making....😅

“Anyway, I found this squirrel spray at the squirrel at the store.”

Joyce’s 14th Birthday!

It’s been seven or eight years since we’ve adopted Joyce. On her birthday, we spend time with Joyce petting her and let her cuddle with us. Hyrum is is now a senior in high school. 

(Hyrum chose this photo and wrote the first paragraph.  Mom is typing the rest.)

Hyrum is a SENIOR in high school!!  Aaaackk!!!  We are all getting older.  Hyrum has struggled for many years to find a hobby or talent to develop.  This year, our prayers to help him were answered: he has decided to become an author.  He works really diligently at his writing, and has fantastic ideas!  He struggles with the boring stuff like grammar and developing his chapter headings into full chapters, but he keeps trying.  I am so proud of him!

Joyce is getting older and we decided that she had better move inside.  Yup, the cat I wouldn’t feed is now the much-loved lap pet in the house.  She is quite elderly now, her legs don’t bend well and her kidneys are beginning to fail.  But she is still remarkably patient with us all and has adopted to indoor life quite well.  She must have been an indoor kitty years ago because the litter box was not a problem at all.  Now she sleeps a LOT and eats pretty well.  Other than a couple months of vomiting earlier this summer, she’s been a low-maintenance pet.  And much loved.  Hyrum says she watches over us while we are sleeping.  “Creepy,” he says, with a huge grin.

Hyrum and Naomi plan to go to school on-site this week, when we are released from our 6.5 weeks of quarantine.  Hannah has chosen to do school online.  All three have been doing school online for the last few weeks.  We are all excited to send Hyrum and Naomi to school in person on Wednesday!  More about Covid quarantine later.