Safer at Home Order Journal #12

Dear Kids,

I know. It’s been a while. In my defense, you two have been keeping me very busy.

It’s been so long. Where do I start? Well, all of my English teachers always said to start with the main idea and then go narrow. Maybe by the time you’re old enough to really read this, you’ll understand that.

So. We have a new President and Vice-President. There was quite a bit of drama on January 6 when the election was being certified. A riot broke out and the Capitol was basically invaded. Six people were killed, but it could have been so much worse. After that, certification went much smoother. There was a lot of tension in D.C. and around many other state capitals, but Inauguration Day went off without a hitch. It looked very quiet and a little lonely because the pandemic prevents people from gathering.

Oh, yes, we’re still quite in the middle of that.

Anyways, we have President Biden, the oldest man to ever take the office. We also have Vice-President Harris, the first woman as VP, as well as the first woman of color. It’s very exciting times, and I hope little girls everywhere have stars in their eyes because so much more is now within reach. Though I also hope Sister understands is perfectly okay to not want to reach that far, to be completely fine and comfortable with not trying to be President. Mom is certainly okay with not ever wanting to be in public office of any kind. I value my sleep. The two of you have already stolen so much of it from me.

The pandemic became really bad around us from Thanksgiving through the beginning of the year. Death counts, new daily positive counts, and hospitalization were at an all-time high. There was even a 10 day moratorium on how many bodies could be cremated in a day. It was scary, kids. Funeral homes were turning away families. Hospitals were out of beds. Ambulances were waiting for hours before their patient could be off-loaded. Paramedics were even told to not transport patients who could not be resuscitated. Definitely not a good time to have a heart attack or get into a vehicle accident.

But Perseverance is set to land on Mars soon! When it was being built, we visited JPL and got to see pieces of it. And now it’ll be on Mars soon. Brother has recently told me he wants to be the one making the things that get sent into space and wants to work at JPL. I wonder if he feels the same way now when he’s reading it. It’s very exciting and I wrote it on the calendar so hopefully we get to watch it land.

Closer to home, tomorrow is a big day! Sister is officially a big girl as her new big girl bed arrives. After having the crib with us for over 6 years, it’s time to say goodbye to it. It’s bittersweet, kids. Sometimes I wish to have a third, to give you a little brother or sister since I’m one of three, but Dad and I agree it likely wouldn’t be good for my health. I’ll remember the crib with fondness, though.

Brother is chugging along with distance learning. Most days he seems to be settled into it, but there are always off days. And, boy, are they off! The material is becoming more challenging, but Brother seems to be doing okay with it. There’s some chatter of elementary schools opening in the next month, but I have zero intention of sending Brother back to campus. Vaccine rollout has been way too slow and no one here has received a shot yet, so I don’t feel safe. Brother has said he wants to go back to school, and it breaks my heart that that is an impossibility right now. Otherwise, Brother is doing well. He’s becoming more independent in school and daily life, and has definitely had some wacky ideas!

Sister is very nearly potty trained, but is now waking me up more frequently at night. I’ve been very tired lately, and I’m sorry I haven’t been playing with either of you much. I’m sad to see how quickly she’s growing up, how quickly she tries to squirm out of my hold these days, but then there are days where I’m nothing more than furniture to her and have to convince her to let me up so I can make lunch. I miss my snuggly little baby, but she has such an interesting personality that I just can’t wait to watch her grow up.

Yes, kids, a lot has happened, and a lot more is going to happen. I’ll try to do this more regularly. I keep thinking that you or one of your kids or a niece of nephew or someone you will know will have a history project on this time period and this will come in handy. People are venturing out more and more, but not us. Mom and Dad are both high risk, and we will not risk making you orphans. It makes things quite boring most days, but I like to think we make do. At least you’re enjoying all the chocolate chocolate chip cookies you’ve been having me make.

As I said, kids, I’m very tired. I’m sure there’s a ton more for me to update you on, but sleep feels like the most important thing. I hope I remember to write to you again soon. In other news, your kitty sister napped on her flamingo toy and was just too cute. I hope you remember her with fondness. Maybe a little fear of the teeth and claws, but she really is a good kitty.

I’ll write again soon. I hope.

Love, Mom