Christmas in Quarantine

 Christmas in quarantine. We did it! We survived! Thrived? Well, maybe not that far. Everyone in the family ended up getting Covid. Clark and Dana tested positive on Monday (extending our fun family time another week) but we all got some symptoms. Poor Char spent Saturday morning like a zombie. Clark spiked a fever on Sunday and slept his off by afternoon. Mom kept it strong with a clogged nose for a week and no energy. But Dad took the cake for weirdest symptoms - stuffy nose and loss of taste and smell. Yup, he can't taste anything. Like - ANYTHING! We even got extra spicy Thai food on Christmas Eve and nope, not a tickle. 

We tried to keep our Christmas spirits high with lots of board games and a few fun outings to see lights. We stopped the Trees for their display and then the Christmas trucks swept through town, terrifying Charlotte and dazzling Clark. 

Dana upped his sweater game one day when he got the chills and transformed into his Father. 

Christmas Eve we pulled out the gifts and realized just how very blessed we have been this year!

And in the morning, the carnage ensued! We had Elsa dolls, board games, monster trucks, crayons, Buzz cars, Blokus sets, footballs, boogie boards, and sweet Christmas jammies. 

Dad got a paint set which should let him try his hand at being Bob Ross for a few weeks. 

But the highlight of the day had to be that secret, stashed present waaaaay in the back. The only present Mr. Clark wanted all year long. A giant remote control Megaladon monster truck. It is very huge. Perhaps too huge. But look at that face. 

And I was spoiled by the Woodburys with a sweet Knife block and a real as seen on TV Roomba!! It's already gotten stuck under our dresser and we have yet to name him but I LOVE him. Love, LOve, LOVE! 

The aftermath was pretty fantastic! 

Oh we also got our Dot set up and it didn't take the kids long to become task masters, yelling for song after song after song. We had to have some etiquette lessons with Clark and sadly until Charlotte learns to say "Alexa" better, her commands will go unanswered:) Later in the day, after a cozy nap, it started to snow. And kept on snowing. 

So we went outside on Saturday to make snow angels in the street (not kidding, thanks Char) and sled around the block. And some of us may have gotten hit in the face by Dad. 

Christmas was different this year but I feel like we got a lift from nature and neighbors. People brought goodies I was too sick to bake myself. We had the Byers carol to us. Sonny and Sue showed up Christmas Eve with gifts and stood outside our window to wish the kids Merry Christmas. It snowed. We read the Christmas story on Christmas Eve and opened our last little box and listened to The First Noel on our new Alexa dot. It was pretty fantastic after all.