Good things about this past year...

[Porridge]

Has anyone started a thread about things to celebrate from this past (crazy) year? 

It's been such a difficult year for so many, it might be nice to hear about the unexpected blessings that have come out of 2020-2021 for you.

I'll start. My kids are best friends again this year! They were very close their entire lives, but the previous 1.5-2 years were rough - constant bickering, sibling rivalry, passive aggressive behavior toward each other, etc. Totally heartbreaking and exhausting. (and annoying). This past year, they've become great friends again! They're upstair now making a lego stop motion based on Tom Sawyer!

[Not_a_Number]

Oooh, good idea! I've thought about this a lot, actually. 

We've spent a LOT more time with family than we would have otherwise. We've formed a pandemic pod with my in-laws (DH's parents and his sister and little kids), and as a result, the kids have spent every weekend sleeping over at the grandparents'. I doubt this would have ever happened otherwise. 

I figured out how to teach math via Zoom, which has really broadened the possibilities for what we're going to do after the pandemic. Until COVID hit, I was planning to stay a part of our local homeschooling center, but I think that at this point, it would make more sense for me to start a partially virtual coop. 

I've had a chance to troubleshoot DD8's behavior issues, which had kind of gotten out of control, but which we hadn't had the chance to fix due to constantly rushing about. I wouldn't say they are fixed yet, but we've made much more progress than we would have if we have kept up our hectic schedule. 

DD8 has actually wound up spending MORE time with her good friends than before the pandemic. Granted, it's all on Zoom, but she now sees them 3 times a week, and those times are highly interactive. 

And yes, my kids have also gotten the chance to spend time with each other 🙂 . That has also been really nice. And I've gotten to spend some time alone with DD4 -- she was getting a bit lost in the shuffle before 😞 . 

Edited April 10, 2021 by Not_a_Number

[HomeAgain]

We have learned to love Messenger Kids.  It allows ds to spend more time with his friends and do things with them when they can't be around each other.  Before it, none of his sports team knew what each other really looked like. 😄

 

This next one's a little more odd.

 

DS hasn't gotten nosebleeds.  I mean, not like he used to. It's weird.  It used to be so often that we carried cloth hankies, changed him to patterned bed sheets, and kept baby wipes in the car.  His doctor wasn't concerned, but it was a lot.
He has gotten 1 nosebleed in the past 13 months.  So, I don't know what was causing it, but I can say that keeping him in a more sterile environment has seemed to allow his body to get back on track.  I'm a little worried about what will happen when he does start going unmasked again.

[desertflower]

My son was baptized in January and my oldest daughter was baptized in May.

I had a lot of fun actually teaching them instead of running around from one activity to another. 

I had plantar fasciitis, and it healed because I was home. 

My kids had more time to form their relationships.  My kids had more time playing with their friends too! 

Started zooming with my nephews every week.

Got to worship together with my parents and my husband's parents and brother's family as well. 

[PeterPan]

My ds' mood issues and behavior overall with compliance are much better. We seem to be at a good place with his supplement/medication mix. Since behavior has always been his biggest challenge holding back academics, it's very exciting.

[Not_a_Number]

2 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

DS hasn't gotten nosebleeds.  I mean, not like he used to. It's weird.  It used to be so often that we carried cloth hankies, changed him to patterned bed sheets, and kept baby wipes in the car.  His doctor wasn't concerned, but it was a lot.
He has gotten 1 nosebleed in the past 13 months.  So, I don't know what was causing it, but I can say that keeping him in a more sterile environment has seemed to allow his body to get back on track.  I'm a little worried about what will happen when he does start going unmasked again.

It's been really weird for us having NO colds. Like, I'm not sure DD4 remembers what a cold is like. And I remember colds being more than a bit of a hassle -- they'd disrupt their sleep, and the sleep of the other child (since they share a room), and of course half the time everyone would get sick... 

[AnneGG]

 DS’s handwriting is now legible! I have so many homeschool wins I could share, but the handwriting improvement brings me the most joy. 

We spent a lot more time outdoors this year and went on lots of nature hikes. I’m indoorsy, so it was a big stretch for me to pack up DS and roll out on a trail. We only got lost once so I’m calling it a win!  

I learned to bake bread, fry crispy bacon, and make meringues. I’m not very good in the kitchen so those things felt like big victories. I cannot wait for berry picking season so I can try to make jam. T&P welcome. Lol 

 

[HomeAgain]

22 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

It's been really weird for us having NO colds. Like, I'm not sure DD4 remembers what a cold is like. And I remember colds being more than a bit of a hassle -- they'd disrupt their sleep, and the sleep of the other child (since they share a room), and of course half the time everyone would get sick... 

Yes!  NO colds!  I get brutally sick most of the time I get one, and it sits in my lungs for about 3 months.  We haven't been sick once since ds got sick last March. 

[Shoes+Ships+SealingWax]

We were able to stay on track with our financial goals despite Covid throwing a massive wrench in everything (DH’s industry was particularly badly impacted) & bought our first home! 🏡 

Now that we’re settled in & vaccines are rolling out there’s light on the horizon, so we’re starting to dip our toes into the local homeschooling community, which is seeming like it’ll be a FABULOUS fit for our family. I’m so excited! 

[LauraClark]

8 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

Yes!  NO colds!  I get brutally sick most of the time I get one, and it sits in my lungs for about 3 months.  We haven't been sick once since ds got sick last March. 

How are you guys doing that?!  We have gotten a few illnesses in our house this year, just like normal, and we haven't been out much. I have no idea where they come from (although dh is a public school teacher, so maybe there). No covid yet, though, ptl.

We had a baby in Dec 2019 so were forced to stay home more and enjoy the little guy.

We joined a co-op for the 2019-20 year and we all hated it. It has also gotten a bit overwhelming with a newborn. I was thinking about just leaving mid year (but didn't want to burn bridges either) and then covid hit.

[HomeAgain]

1 hour ago, LauraClark said:

How are you guys doing that?!  We have gotten a few illnesses in our house this year, just like normal, and we haven't been out much. I have no idea where they come from (although dh is a public school teacher, so maybe there). No covid yet, though, ptl.

 

My family decided to become extremely careful with COVID in order to protect me.  And I mean, extreme.  The oldest went to basic training for the National Guard and explored the option of staying on base when he got back in order to quarantine.  He ended up quarantining in a corner of the house because it was safer (I don't go into his wing and we moved the youngest out of it) until he got tested again 7 days later.  The youngest got to play hockey- but his team was super careful: no locker rooms, no hang outs, most of the kids wearing masks and plastic helmet shields, half of them remote schooling and a quarter homeschooling.  All his gear was disinfected after each use and his coach was fully supportive if we could not do a game because of the other team's/rink's protocols. We managed to send him to a skill coach, driving an hour each way, because he was the only one who understood that he could not get into my kid's face and breathe into his helmet.   We dropped all our in person friends for 10 months, had nobody over, didn't do public places with other people around, and only dh went grocery shopping: first thing in the morning or last thing at night.  Everyone in the house showered or scrubbed down when they came in.

It was a lonely year.  Only now, with 3 of us vaccinated, are we starting to say hello to people again. 

[Not_a_Number]

1 hour ago, HomeAgain said:

We dropped all our in person friends for 10 months, had nobody over, didn't do public places with other people around, and only dh went grocery shopping: first thing in the morning or last thing at night.  Everyone in the house showered or scrubbed down when they came in.

Yeah, we were incredibly cautious. We didn’t see anyone except our pod (and it was genuinely a pod — no one ever went anywhere), we got all of our things delivered, and no one worked outside the home.

Apparently, this really cuts down on germs!! I expect to have tons of colds next year to catch up, though 😞

Edited April 11, 2021 by Not_a_Number

[HomeAgain]

8 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

I expect to have tons of colds next year to catch up, though 😞

Yep, same here.  :(  I'm kinda hoping masks become a thing but that might be too much to hope for.

You know what's funny?  I think we're pretty close to each other right now.  I'm cautiously excited about planning an outing for ds and myself over to the MFA.  They were supposed to get the traveling Egyptian exhibit last year, but I don't think that happened. Even so, it's a non-touchy, not school-field-trippy kind of place where I can maybe take him now.  In a normal year, I would have suggested meeting up on one of my trips into the city.  There would have been a lot more of them, lol 

[Garga]

As a nation, we pretty much erradicated the flu: https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20210225/what-happened-to-flu-season?fbclid=IwAR2qGkNSv3cjvdSXVNGQNoIApwB7aVfuY9D2aLayAKdmq8o0Om7wlvJH-28

From the article: “So far this season, labs reporting to the CDC had just 1,585 samples test positive for flu of any kind. Compare that to last year over the same period, when there were more than 183,000 positive samples. Those numbers are making infectious disease specialists do double takes.”

——

For the first time in my life, we as a family (mom/dad/kids) were able to celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving exactly how we wanted to. Instead of the usual extended family gathering that is tense and boring as all get out, we had quiet days at home enjoying each other’s company. It was so lovely. I’ll never forget Thanksgiving/Christmas 2020 and am sooo glad that my boys had at least one holiday that was peaceful and pleasant while they lived at home. 

 

I personally have felt peaceful and centered deep within, more than ever in my life. Yes, there has been turbulence and I’ve felt many negative emotions about covid and I’ve watched people lose so much, but in the core of my introverted being, I’ve flourished within by spending so much time at home.

[Not_a_Number]

2 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

Yep, same here.  😞  I'm kinda hoping masks become a thing but that might be too much to hope for.

You know what's funny?  I think we're pretty close to each other right now.  I'm cautiously excited about planning an outing for ds and myself over to the MFA.  They were supposed to get the traveling Egyptian exhibit last year, but I don't think that happened. Even so, it's a non-touchy, not school-field-trippy kind of place where I can maybe take him now.  In a normal year, I would have suggested meeting up on one of my trips into the city.  There would have been a lot more of them, lol 

Oh, that is funny! We're not normally here, of course... this is the longest we've ever spent in the Boston area, although we've spent the summer with our in-laws before 🙂 . We've enjoyed it here. 

[Porridge]

11 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

Yep, same here.  😞  I'm kinda hoping masks become a thing but that might be too much to hope for.

 

Let's start a trend. I'm personally planning to continue masking in certain public places in the winter long after this pandemic passes. It's been wonderful to not have any viral respiratory stuff this past year.

[BookMamaLade]

We were able to buy a house. It's actually big enough for us and everything. It's an amazing blessing amid all the challenges.

[bookbard]

We really only had a term of lockdown where I live in Australia, but I loved it (and so did a lot of other families, I noticed). It reassured myself and my husband that our plan to homeschool highschool (highschool here is from age 11) could work. We had a goal to teach my son to ride a bike without training wheels - it happened, which has made life so much easier. I introduced Latin, which I enjoyed at least lol, and have kept up in a gentle way as afterschooling. My daughter spent lots of time writing stories, which she's continued.

Once school started back, my son got 2 colds almost immediately, it was crazy how quickly the colds came back! 

[MadsandLilysMom]

On 4/10/2021 at 6:09 PM, HomeAgain said:

We have learned to love Messenger Kids.  It allows ds to spend more time with his friends and do things with them when they can't be around each other.  Before it, none of his sports team knew what each other really looked like. 😄

 

This next one's a little more odd.

 

DS hasn't gotten nosebleeds.  I mean, not like he used to. It's weird.  It used to be so often that we carried cloth hankies, changed him to patterned bed sheets, and kept baby wipes in the car.  His doctor wasn't concerned, but it was a lot.
He has gotten 1 nosebleed in the past 13 months.  So, I don't know what was causing it, but I can say that keeping him in a more sterile environment has seemed to allow his body to get back on track.  I'm a little worried about what will happen when he does start going unmasked again.

That is awesome!  My daughter used to get terrible nose bleeds on a regular basis, but they have stopped in the last year too.  I never thought about it being connected to being home more.  I attributed it to her growing up.

If the nosebleeds ever return, having the child blow their nose while it is bleeding is very helpful.  It is a tip my daughter’s pediatrician shared with us.  Also, an ice pack on the back of the neck helps.  If you can remove the clot, the bleeding usually stops.  It got to the point where we had codes for the clot size (sister, mama, big daddy, grandpa 🤣) just to take her mind off it.  

[goldenecho]

I just saw a transformation I didn't realize had happened.   Last year around this time I set up a minecraft game party for my youngest, then turning 12.   We set up a short meeting on zoom before the game so they could all talk and so people who couldn't play the game could say hi. It was beyond awkward.   Everyone had to be prompted to talk.   Things got better once they got in the game...they knew what to do.   But this year I considered skipping the zoom part because it had been so awkward the year before.  I decided to keep it though, just so everyone could see each other's face before they played.

It was totally different this year. This kids were zoom natives now.  They got on and immediately started chatting like they would in real life.   There was that giddy excitement like you'ld find at an in person party.  They were having so much fun.

Here we were worried about how all the kids would be damaged socially...but in stead they grew.  Not that it hasn't been hard having to navigate this and missing friends, but somehow over a year a bunch of kids who were socially awkward on screen became confident and comfortable.

I've seen something similar with my middle child, who for most of his life just does not like to talk at all (to the point where it worried me).   The teachers have been telling me about how much he talks in class over zoom.   He's been telling jokes more and starting conversations more at home too.   It might have happened had he been in school like normal, and it was just his time to blossom, but maybe not.  

 

Edited May 2, 2021 by goldenecho

[Not_a_Number]

17 minutes ago, goldenecho said:

Here we were worried about how all the kids would be damaged socially...but in stead they grew.  Not that it hasn't been hard having to navigate this and missing friends, but somehow over a year a bunch of kids who were socially awkward on screen became confident and comfortable.

I've actually seen this, too. My kids are now way more able to interact via Zoom. And that's actually a real blessing -- I'm going to able to organize some of my co-op classes next year via Zoom, because the kids all know how to do that now. And let's face it -- the lack of travel time is nice a few days a week! Yes, we'll do some stuff in-person, but it's really nice that the kids have an extra tool now. 

[HomeAgain]

On 4/29/2021 at 4:04 AM, MadsandLilysMom said:

That is awesome!  My daughter used to get terrible nose bleeds on a regular basis, but they have stopped in the last year too.  I never thought about it being connected to being home more.  I attributed it to her growing up.

If the nosebleeds ever return, having the child blow their nose while it is bleeding is very helpful.  It is a tip my daughter’s pediatrician shared with us.  Also, an ice pack on the back of the neck helps.  If you can remove the clot, the bleeding usually stops.  It got to the point where we had codes for the clot size (sister, mama, big daddy, grandpa 🤣) just to take her mind off it.  

I was unsure if I wanted to respond, lol, but what the heck.  I wish these were all solutions here, but sadly, he's a horse of a different color.  His issues stem from inflamed blood vessels or capillaries bursting from the least little provocation. Nothing clots until we force it to, which is why nearly a year ago today, we were sitting at the first aid station in Epcot long enough to say you know, we'll just call the day a wash and head back to the hotel. LOL  2 days later he was incredibly sick and stayed that way for a couple of weeks with something that was non-Covid.  The kid does struggle with low iron, which doesn't help, but he has continued that struggle this year and yet just got white sheets on his bed last night for the first time in years. 

Edit - it was more than a year ago.  I have no track of time.  We were there at the very beginning of March, not May.  Both months start with M and this has been a year of monotony, so that's my excuse. 🤣

Edited May 3, 2021 by HomeAgain