Our Week - The One with Jacob’s Scholarship Ceremony, a Spelling Bee, and Missing a Bunch of Stuff Because of Covid

Last week, I was down with Covid the entire week, so it definitely wasn’t the best week.  We ended up missing so many things, which was not ideal, but – it is what it is.  Now to move forward!

Monday, December 9

Monday morning, my alarm went off at 5:30 like always, and I felt yucky – aches, congestion, etc. – worse than I did on Sunday, so I shut my alarm off and went back to sleep.  I’d told Brian to be on standby in case I woke up feeling bad so he could take the kids to school, and he ended up doing just that.

I slept until nine, which is way later than I normally sleep, and I actually felt like I could’ve slept longer even though I’d slept, probably, ten hours.

When I got up, I headed downstairs where Brian was working from home.  While he was out dropping the kids at school, he had stopped at the store to grab a flu/Covid test for me to take since he knew I wasn’t wanting to go to acute care.

I went ahead and did the test first thing, and I thought for sure I was going to be positive for flu, so imagine my surprise when I ended up being positive for Covid!  As the liquid was moving up the stick, the Covid line showed up immediately, and after the 15 minutes it was as dark as could be.  So, there was no question about it – it was Covid.  Boooo.  We don’t even know anybody who’s had Covid in ages, so I have no clue where on earth it came from. 

I immediately burst into tears because Jacob had a special ceremony that I’d been so excited about attending, and I knew that with Covid I was going to have to miss it. 

I made some breakfast and then headed to my office, and I did what everyone else does when they’re upset… I called my mom.  Haha.  I ended up talking (and crying) to her for 45 minutes, and she assured me that they’d be there for Jacob’s special moment and that they’d get pictures for me since Brian was going to Facetime me so I could watch it live. 

After I got off the phone with her, I texted all of my girlfriends because I’d started coming down with the Covid just hours after I’d spent the afternoon with them, and I wanted to warn them in case any of them get sick.  I prayed so hard that they wouldn’t because I would have felt so bad if I’d gotten any of them sick right in time for Christmas.  Thankfully, none of them ever got it!  It’s a Christmas miracle!

Once that was done, I texted the assistant principal at the high school to let her know I couldn’t make it, and I asked her if someone there could get a good picture for me since I couldn’t go.  We have a Communications Director who always takes pictures at special events, and I was told she would be there and that they would make sure to get a picture for me.

After that, I got showered and ready for the day, and by the time I was ready, Brian was almost ready to Facetime with me. 

He Facetimed during the whole ceremony so I could watch, and my sweet Boo (along with four other kids in his class + four other kids who received a different merit scholarship) was awarded with the highest merit scholarship that the high school offers based on his grades and his high school placement test scores.  The scholarship is renewable each year for all four years, so that is going to be incredibly helpful for us since the tuition increases from middle school to high school.

He works really hard, and he just has the most incredible brain – I don’t even know any other way to describe it, haha – so the scholarship was well deserved.  And not only is he smart, but he is truly a really good kid, so I was happy for him to receive it.  We are so proud of him.

When the ceremony was over, I was able to Facetime with him for a minute to tell him how proud I was, and he looked so happy.  He later told me he was SO surprised.  The administrators specifically told us to NOT tell the kids they were receiving awards because they wanted it to be a surprise, so he had no idea it was coming.  He had no idea that Brian (and I) was even going to be there that day, and he told me he saw Brian when he got up to go to Communion and he was like, “What is he doing here??”  Haha.

After the ceremony, Brian and my parents got some pictures with him, and then Brian came home.  And our wonderful Communications Director sent a picture to me, and I was just so grateful. 

I made my lunch and then took it to my office to eat so I wouldn’t spread germs with Brian, and by the time I was done eating, I had to leave to get in the car line to pick up the kids.  Brian had a meeting that he was in charge of, so he couldn’t pick them up, so I had no choice but to pick them up, germs and all.

I brought along masks for them in case they wanted them, but I told them they didn’t have to wear them… it was totally their choice.  But both of them put the masks on immediately when they found out I had Covid because neither of them wanted to get sick and have to miss all the fun things coming up.  They are SO my kids.  Haha.

It was raining on the way home, but we rode with all of the windows cracked, so hopefully my germs would stay away.

Monday afternoon, I finally got a call back from the vet about Maui’s urinalysis results, and unfortunately, she still has protein in her urine which means that her kidney disease has likely progressed.  Since protein is vital for pretty much everything in your body, it’s dangerous to lose it on a constant basis, so they want to put her on medication.  She’ll have to take 1 mg every day forever.  Not the news we wanted, but at least our girl is still healthy otherwise.

When we got home, I locked myself in my office to keep my germs to myself, and I did my Bible study, I put up a quick blog post to say, “Oops” because I couldn’t get my normal one up, and the kids did homework and some screen time since it was still raining.

Thankfully, we had some leftover Pizza Joes in the freezer, so I was able to warm those up since I didn’t feel like cooking, and I also wasn’t able to go grocery shopping, obviously, since I had the Covid germs.

I wore a mask while I prepared the food (all those old masks came in CLUTCH last week, haha) and then I ate at the kitchen counter while the rest of the fam ate at the table so I could keep my distance.  While we’re no longer worried about getting super sick with Covid, we just didn’t want anyone else to get it because we knew it would kill all of our plans, so we were as careful as could be to not spread the germs.

By the time dinner was over, I was feeling pretty achy and really tired again because my medication had worn off, so I took some more Tylenol and then lay on the couch for a bit while Brian cleaned the kitchen.  I also still had a low-grade fever Monday, but that was the last day I had any fever at all.  Mine never got over 100.8, but that’s actually really high for me considering my normal temp hovers around 97.5.  Plus, I don’t ever run fever anyway!

Once my Tylenol kicked in, I felt much better, so I got up and got a couple of things done, and then we got the kids in the bed. 

After they were in bed, I got some of our Christmas cards addressed and ready for the mail (and don’t worry, I did them with clean hands and I did NOT lick the envelopes… I used a wet paper towel, haha). 

Brian made me a hot toddy while I did that, and then we watched an episode of Shark Tank, and off to bed we went.

. 

Tuesday, December 10

Tuesday morning, I slept in again while Brian got the kids to school.  He had to go in to the office anyway, so it made the most sense for him to take them so they didn’t have to be trapped in the car with my germs unnecessarily.

I woke up around 7:45 and I didn’t feel nearly as bad as I had on Monday morning.  I made my breakfast, and then worked in my office all morning.  Late in the morning, I got showered and ready for the day, and then my aches settled in again.  They were much milder Tuesday, though, and I was happy to have been able to go about 15 hours without taking any medication.  My fever also didn’t come back on Tuesday, so that was a win!

Tuesday, I mostly just had nasal issues… it’s like all of it had moved to my nose because I sneezed all day and had to blow my nose a hundred times.  I took that as a sign that everything was *hopefully* draining and that it would be gone soon.

Tuesday after lunch, I got some more work done, and then it was time to pick up Olivia from school.  Brian had taken a half day Tuesday because he and I were supposed to have gone to see Usher in Atlanta.  Unfortunately, we had to miss it, and we sold our tickets for a MAJOR loss, which sucks.  Bye bye, birthday present!

Since B was home Tuesday afternoon, he did the grocery shopping for us since I couldn’t do it, and while he was out, I grabbed Olivia from school.  Jacob had Velocity so he stayed there.

On the way home, it rained, but we kept the windows cracked anyway to hopefully let the germs escape, but about 3/4 into our trip home, it started POURING, so we had to roll them up.  I could barely see because it rained so hard.  I always hate driving in that kind of weather, so it wasn’t fun at all.

When Olivia and I got home, I helped B put the groceries away, and then I locked myself in my office for the rest of the afternoon again to stay away from everyone.

Brian headed out to pick up Jacob from Velocity, and then when he got home, he took Olivia to dance, and I was grateful that he’d taken the afternoon off to do all those things so the kids didn’t have to be trapped in the car with me any longer than necessary.

I did a Bible study and worked diligently on a blog post all afternoon, and then I headed downstairs to get dinner ready early in the evening.  Olivia had a late dance night, so she didn’t get home until 7:30, and then we sat down to sausage, peppers, and onions tacos, fruit, and tortilla chips to keep things easy.

After dinner, I worked on Christmas cards some more, and nearly finished them up, and then after we got the kids in the bed, it was hot toddy time, an episode of Shark Tank, and then bedtime.

Wednesday, December 11

Wednesday morning, Brian got the kids off to school again and I slept until about 7:45.  Jacob had a spelling bee at nine and I was SO DANG SAD to have to miss it.  He opts out of it every year because he doesn’t like to get up in front of people, so this was a huge step for him, and naturally, I was sick and had to miss it.  Sigh.

Brian Facetimed me during each of Jacob’s turns, and he ended up getting sixth place out of twenty kids.  The word he missed was residential, and he later told me that he got nervous and knew immediately he had misspelled it as it was coming out of his mouth.  Win or lose, we are just so proud of him for getting up in front of everyone.  He has come a long way!  I was also grateful for the school principal for taking and sending me a picture of Jacob at the mic... so so grateful for our village!

The rest of my day was spent working on blog stuff, doing a couple of loads of laundry, Christmas shopping online, and getting stuff done at home.

At 3, I picked up the kids from school, and then we headed straight home.  It was finally sunny on Wednesday, and a cold front had moved through, so it was freezing, but we drove home with the windows cracked anyway.  Wednesday, my aches were pretty much gone, but my skin felt sensitive to the touch and all of my congestion was still in my nose, so I was constantly sneezing and blowing my nose.  Other than that, I felt pretty good. 

When we got home, the kids worked on homework and studying, and I did my Bible study and worked some more on the blog.  Brian got home early because he had a work Christmas party, so he took Olivia to dance so I wouldn’t have to spend additional time in the car with her.

While she was gone, the boys and I had turkey and cheese biscuit sliders for dinner, and then after dinner, I went back in my office to stay away from everyone.  I had a very productive time, and I finally finished addressing our Christmas cards which was HUGE since we sent out 100 this year.  And I also got all of the teacher gifts done… this year we just gave Chick-Fil-A gift cards to each of them inside one of our Christmas cards.

While Jacob was in the shower and Brian was out getting Olivia, I did come out of my office and get a few things done around the house – I folded all of the towels and put them away, I tidied a few things downstairs, and I finally got my record player that B gave me for our anniversary out of the box.  I can’t put it in its place just yet since the house is decorated for Christmas, but I’m dying to test it out.

Brian and Olivia got home a little after 8:30, and then Olivia headed straight to shower and get ready for bed.  I sat down on the couch to read for a bit while she got ready, and then we got the kids in the bed.

B and I watched some random college football coverage for a bit while I drank my hot toddy, and he booked hotels for our Georgia games for the 2025 season since they had released the official schedule.  Sounds crazy, I know, but if you don’t book now for the popular games (we play Alabama and Texas at home next year!), then they’ll all be gone!

 

Thursday, December 12

Thursday morning, Brian took the kids to school so I could sleep in again, and I got up around 8.  I headed downstairs to eat breakfast to find that I could hardly taste anything.  Womp womp.  I thought it was very strange to lose my sense of taste six days into the sickness, but several people reached out to me to tell me they lost their taste pretty far into it, too. Sigh.  While I could taste a little bit, it wasn’t much, and my sense of taste continued to decrease throughout the day.  By lunchtime, I could probably only taste about 30-40% maybe?  And by dinnertime, I could only taste the difference between savory and sweet foods with maybe the slightest hint of actual flavor.

I spent the whole morning Christmas shopping online because there was still so much left to do.  I knocked out a good portion of it, and most items are at risk of barely delivering on time or not delivering on time (seriously what on earth is up with shipping times this year?!). 

Jacob had an orthodontist appointment at 8:20 – thank goodness for Brian and his flexible work schedule – because he had to take Jacob since I couldn’t be around people.  The orthodontist used that wand to create a model of his teeth again and he said that everything is perfect and ready to go for the braces since we had his baby teeth extracted.  Brian called me on speakerphone to set the dates since I’ll be the one taking him, and we got him scheduled for January.  He’ll have to go twice – once to have bands put on his molars and then again a week later to get the actual braces – so he and I will both have metal mouths together. 

Late in the morning, I got showered and did some blog work before it was time to pick up the kids from school. 

They had music lessons on Thursday, and I stayed in the car just in case I still had germs.  My friend, Maegan pulled up in the car next to me as her daughter, Aubrey (one of Olivia’s best friends) takes lessons at the same time as our kids, and she and I chatted through the car windows the whole time.  She is a PA at an acute care place, and she told me that the new guidelines for Covid are that once symptoms start to improve over all, and you’re fever-free for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medication) that you no longer have to isolate, but that you could wear a mask for a little bit longer if you want to be extra safe.

I met that criteria by Thursday, but I didn’t want to risk spreading germs, so I was content to stay in the car.  Thankfully, Mr. Steve had a cancelation during Jacob’s piano lesson with Mr. Jarrett, so he was able to get Olivia in at the same time as Jacob, which meant that instead of me having to wait in the car for a whole hour (they normally have lessons back-to-back) I only had to wait in the car for 30 minutes since they went at the same time.

We headed home after that, and I got my Bible study done while the kids played outside.  When Brian got home, he and I made breakfast for dinner.  I masked up all week while I cooked even though wearing a mask has been difficult since I started having my vertigo/neck/face tension, so I can only wear it in short bouts.  I can no longer wear sunglasses either since I started having all of my vertigo issues… pretty much anything that presses on my face or head is a no go for me now.  Even beanies are uncomfortable now and I can only wear them if they’re loose, and for very short amounts of time.  The other day in my Instagram stories I popped on with sunglasses on for the first time in forever, but that was just because I wasn’t wearing makeup.  Haha.  And I took the sunglasses off right after I finished recording the stories.

Anyhoo, I also sat at the kitchen counter to eat all week so I wasn’t sharing a space at the table with the fam so I could try to keep them all well, too.  The last thing we need is someone else getting this mess and then taking us all out for Christmas.

After dinner, the kids got showered and ready for bed, and I worked some more on blog stuff, and then after we got the kids in bed, Brian and I watched some of an episode of Saturday Night Live while I drank my hot toddy.   

 

Friday, December 13

Friday morning, Brian took the kids to school yet again, and I spent the day at home panic ordering some last-minute stocking stuffers for Olivia because I knew I couldn’t get out and go shopping.  I also got the whole house photographed for our Christmas home tour. 

At 3, I grabbed the kids from school, and then we headed home.  We were supposed to have gone to see my BFF’s kids’ play again since we’d missed it the previous Sunday, but I still didn’t feel right about going out since I still had lingering nasal congestion, and I still couldn’t taste.  And it’s a good thing I didn’t because I ended up testing positive again on Saturday morning.  Sigh.

The kids spent a long time outside playing when we got home from school, and I stayed in my office so as to not contaminate everyone, and then Brian picked up Culver’s for dinner per the kids’ request.  I still couldn’t taste much, but I was able to taste slightly better than I could at lunch, so that was an improvement!

After dinner, the kids got showered and I worked on my end of the year blog post for a good hour, getting nearly caught up.  That post takes hours upon hours to complete, so I try to work on it all year long, but I had gotten behind in August, and I’ve been trying to play catchup ever since.

After the kids were ready for bed, we watched the rest of the Christmas tree lighting in Rockefeller Center that we’d recorded, and then after the kids went to bed, Brian and I watched an episode of The Chosen before heading to bed.  I opted not to have a hot toddy Friday night for the first time all week, and I felt just fine sleeping all night with no issues.  I still had the tiniest bit of lingering congestion that moved from my nose to my throat while we were watching TV, but it wasn’t that bad.

Friday was also Taylor Swift’s birthday, and Olivia asked if we could buy a cake to celebrate (LOL), but since I was still down with Covid, we did not.  Happy birthday to one of my favorite songwriters, though!  She so eloquently puts into words all the things that so many of us feel and can’t find the words to say and I’m forever grateful for her music.  <3

 

Saturday, December 14

Saturday morning, I slept in, and then all four of us tested for Covid as my nephew was coming into town for the first time in a year and we were supposed to be getting together with my FIL and the rest of Brian’s family Saturday afternoon.  Unfortunately, my test was still positive – the line popped up immediately yet again – but the rest of the family was all negative, thank goodness.

I masked up and made homemade waffles for breakfast (which I couldn’t taste at all other than the tiniest hint), and then the kids and I all watched that movie Family Switch.  We’d watched it on Christmas Day last year and we all loved it, so I have a feeling it’ll be one that we watch every year now.

Even though Brian and the kids tested negative, there were some family members who didn’t want to risk being around us right before the holidays, so Brian and the kids decided to bow out even though they had no symptoms and were not positive.  I felt terrible that they had to miss, and it made me feel guilty for the rest of the weekend even though I know it’s not my fault I’m sick.  I still have no clue where this came from as I’m the only one in the household who isn’t exposed on a daily basis to classmates and work colleagues, so I’m wondering if one of the kids had it and were asymptomatic?  Who knows.

I still had lingering congestion in my nose and throat Saturday, but again, it was still very, very mild and I did have a headache and felt a little tired, although, I attributed that to hormones since I always have a headache during certain times of my cycle. 

We all settled in for a very long day at home… and there wasn’t even any college football on worth watching.  :o( 

I do love staying home and being cozy this time of year, but when we’re just 10 days away from Christmas Eve, and I’m not the least bit prepared, that is the last thing I needed to be doing.  Saturday afternoon I started feeling very uneasy knowing how much was left on my plate, knowing how many things I had on the calendar for the upcoming week, and knowing that I had just freshly tested positive again for Covid.  It’s a helpless feeling knowing that there’s SO FREAKING MUCH TO DO and that you literally can’t do any of it.  And don’t get me started on not being able to work out for so long.  I’m convinced that most of my exhaustion was from being forced to be lazy for days on end.  Haha.

Anyway, I spent the whole day in my office transferring photos from my iPhone to my computer, downloading some new music, syncing my phone, and clearing off loads of stuff from my phone so I could make room for iOS 18.2.  My phone had been telling me for weeks that there was a new update, but my phone was also full, so there’s been no room for said update.

I finally got enough stuff removed from it so I could update to the new iOS and, praise be, I was able to get my deco font back on Instagram.  They had given it to me months ago only to take it away a few months later, and I’ve been without it for weeks.

I got showered late in the afternoon, knocked out a Bible study, worked on the blog for a bit, and then sent Jacob off to a Christmas party for Velocity with his friend.

Brian picked his friend WJ up and dropped them off at the party, and then WJ’s dad picked them up later and Jacob spent the night over at their house.  I always miss the kids when they’re gone, but I was grateful he was able to get out of the house, away from the germs, and do something fun.

WJ’s dad always sends me a “proof of life” picture when he grabs them from an event, so I cracked up when I got my proof of life picture Saturday night. 

Poor Olivia was stuck with us alone all night, but she didn’t mind.  Brian picked up Panera for dinner on his way home from dropping the boys, and then after dinner, we all watched Matilda on Netflix.  And by “we,” I mean Brian and Olivia because I promptly passed out and slept HARD for two hours.  Apparently, when I get Covid, I just get reeeeally freaking tired.

After the movie was over, Olivia got in bed, and then Brian and I watched an episode of The Chosen before going to bed.

 

Sunday, December 15

Sunday, I slept in after having slept a total of probably 10-11 hours (insane), and I headed downstairs to eat breakfast and unload the dishwasher.  Olivia got settled in with Princess Diaries 2, and then I headed to my office to quarantine some more.  I watched my sermon that I watch every Sunday, and for the first time in ten days, I got in a workout.  It was just a very calm yoga stretch workout, but it was a workout, nonetheless.

After my workout, I got my planner ready for the week ahead, and then I updated my Christmas gifts spreadsheet (and panicked a little because all that was left) and I purchased a couple more gifts online that may or may not make it here in time.  Sigh.

We were supposed to have lunch with my MIL and step-FIL, but again, some of the extended family members were iffy about us bringing germs, so Brian and the kids skipped out again.  Brian really wanted to see our nephew and his partner who were in town, though, so he and Olivia grabbed Jacob from WJ’s house, and then they swung by my MIL and step-FIL’s to say hi outside and grab some food that my MIL had gotten all wrapped up for us.

While they were gone, I washed 84,000 loads of laundry – our sheets, our comforter, our quilt, all the blankets I’d used during my Covid, an entire load of just joggers and sweatshirts that I’d worn through my Covid, the towels, and anything else I touched while I was sick.  Haha.

I ALSO FINISHED READING THE BIBLE FROM COVER TO COVER, Y’ALL!!!!  I set this goal for myself in July 2023 to read the entire Bible (and do a study alongside it) by the end of 2024, and I did it!  And I finished 15 days early. 

Little did I know when I opened my Bible on July 10, 2023 and did my first study that I was going to wake up the very next morning fighting an ongoing battle of vertigo, dizziness, unsteadiness, tension, headaches, and migraines for the next 17 months and counting.  It has been a long road (as most of you know) and even though I still have all of my doctors perplexed, I have the comfort of knowing that God is in control and that He has been with me and will continue to be with me through it all.  I’m also convinced now more than ever that His timing is always perfect (sometimes that’s reeeeaaaalllly hard to understand and accept)… He knew what I was going to endure starting July 11, 2023, so He placed hope and encouragement right in my hands in the form of His Word on July 10.  How’s that for timing?! 

The things I’ve learned on this journey are worth their weight in gold, and the gratitude that I have in my heart for His timing is immense.  I picked my Bible right back up and started all over again the very next day.

When Brian and the kids got home, we all sat down to homemade meatballs, mac n cheese, broccoli, fried okra, scalloped corn, chicken nuggets, and garlic cheese biscuits for lunch thanks to my MIL.  It was the best meal we’d had all week since I’d barely been able to cook.

I was finally able to taste about 50% at lunch (yay!), but even so, I was in a bit of a funk Saturday afternoon.  Missing all the things and being stuck at home for the past eight days was starting to wear me down, and the endless dreariness outside wasn’t helpful.  So, I did what I always do when I get in a funk… I showered, I laced up my tennis shoes and bundled up, and I headed outside. 

It was cold, and Maui wasn’t particularly fond of the idea, and she only made it about 0.13 miles before she was ready to turn around, but I headed back out on my own, turned up the worship music, and after a mile, my mood had completely turned around.  I also got to see our neighbors' cute little Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce elves.  LOVE.

When I got home, Brian and Olivia were making candy cane cookies, so I grabbed some cinnamon tea and patiently waited for the first batch to be done.  I grabbed two and then headed to my office to get some last-minute blog work done for the weekend.  Oh, and continue the endless loads of Covid laundry.  

Late in the afternoon, I made my way downstairs… Brian helped Olivia study for a test and then I whipped up some grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner.  We were all still pretty full from our late lunch from my MIL, so nobody was terribly hungry, so we kept it very simple.  Brian also whipped up another batch of margs as we’re still trying to perfect the at-home margarita, but unfortunately, I couldn’t taste it enough to know if it was a good batch.  Haha.

After dinner, the kids got showered and ready for bed, and then we started watching the holiday Lego Masters special that we’d recorded earlier in the week.  It was a two-hour episode, so we only got through about half of it, and then we got the kids in the bed early.  Jacob had stayed up until 2 or 3 AM at his sleepover, so he needed the extra sleep.

Brian and I watched most of the episode of Saturday Night Live from the previous night, and then we headed to bed, too.

And that was our week!  I’m hoping for a much more normal week this week.  ;o)

Happy Tuesday, y’all!