It Happened

Wayne and Karen were planning to watch the kids while I had parent/teacher conferences.  I had been feeling crummy that week and had a COVID test which came back negative.  Wayne came to get the kids on Thursday because I had to work late that evening.  I ended up feeling increasingly worse.  Conferences ended up getting canceled due to ice, but the kids were already gone by the time that call was made.  That night I had such a miserable night sleep.  I was so congested to the point that every tooth in my mouth ached, my ears ached and my head ached.  I'd never experienced anything like it.  That morning Kyle read the directions from our COVID tests we just were sent from the government.  Mine was positive immediately.  Kyle took one also, but his came back negative.  I was so worried that the kids might be carrying it and passing it to Wayne and Karen.  They all went out and took tests and all were negative.  They ended up keeping the kids for an extra day while I completed my quarantine.  Kyle ended up with many of the same symptoms that I had but never tested positive.  

The kids were worried about me and I got sweet messages from Evangeline.  Evangeline said Jed cried when he heard the news.  I think we had just tried for so long to keep it away and had feared getting it, that it still felt like a really scary thing when it finally entered out household. It also happened the very week the state of IL lifted the mask mandate at school.  

I found this in my pocket left there by Evangeline and it meant more to me than she'll know.  I found it at the perfect time.  I was missing them and feeling very sad and discouraged. I do not like feeling so sick that I can't do anything.  Also, loosing my taste and smell was very unnerving for me. 

The next day after the kids got home Jed came down with a high fever.  He stayed home the next school day and tested negative when I tested him the same day he had a fever.  He tested positive, however, at school the following day and had to spend two more days at home to finish out his quarantine.  We did remote learning and I rather enjoyed doing school work with Jed despite the fact that I still felt pretty awful.  He missed Presidents Day and one of our projects was to make a tri-corned hat.  His teacher, Mrs. Reynolds, brought Jed Dairy Queen for lunch one day.  She is such a thoughtful person. 

Next was poor little Evangeline.  She felt awful one night but was determined to go to school so she could play her marimba solo at her band concert that night.  She had tested negative the previous day as well.  Her concert ended up getting postponed due to weather and she tested positive the following day.  

I tried to embrace the quite time of no energy and not being about to go anywhere or do anything.  I baked bread, painted, read and watched TV.   We are thankful for our health.