I wrote about our time leading up to the start of quarantine.
I wrote about our first 100 days in quarantine.
I wrote about the rest of 2020.
I wrote about the beginning of 2021.
Here’s a little synopsis of what we’ve been up to the last 1.5 months to end this Covid series and our year at home.
February was a really tough month. Eric told me I’m just saying this because it’s freshest in my mind, but I’m almost positive it was the worst month of the entire year. Yes, the beginning of Covid was tough and things were unknown, but first of all, we had hope because we were clueless. Second of all, it wasn’t winter. I am pretty sure there was more snow during this month than all other months combined over the last 5 years.
There’s a slide under there. 
And then after the first storm, there was another storm. And then small amounts of snow piling on day after day after day.
This is 8 all new inches on top of the 30 we already had, and it wasn’t done for the day.
Snow is so fun for toddlers! On the first day. And then it’s really not anymore. I can’t tell you how many times my 4 year old said to me “I can’t take any more snow” during this month. He wasn’t wrong. There was snow covering our entire backyard every single day in February, and the entire first week of March. It did not completely melt until March 14. We had a completely covered yard from January 31 until March 6, and then a few days of mud.
Don’t be fooled by the smiles in these pictures. It was TOUGH to get them outside and when they were out it didn’t usually last too long. Would you want to play in snow every day that’s bigger than you?
We couldn’t even take the double stroller out for a walk for WEEKS.
To top it off, someone in Landen’s class had covid so we were out of school for 2 weeks. Here we are practicing for our post exposure tests (all negative!).
And to top that all off, our angel babysitter was away for the first of those two weeks and quarantining for the second. Yes yes, I know, we didn’t have a babysitter at all at the beginning. But we also didn’t have a third child and we also hadn’t just already spent 11 months doing basically nothing and it also wasn’t the snowiest coldest time of the year. SO I am not wrong. This was the worst month of the pandemic.
Also, every day the snow would melt, and every night it would freeze over, so just getting out of the house each day was a process that involved a broken shovel and the purchase of an ice breaker. And also some massive icicles that eventually melted through our living room window.
There were A LOT of indoor activities. Each one lasted about five minutes. And there was A LOT of TV. We spent 48 hours outside in January. We finished out February with just half of that at 24 hours. We’re just halfway through March, and we’re already at 24 hours.
They were SO proud of this piece of art (rightfully so). 
Love this. He’s explaining to her that the D and P are both straight and curved <3. 
My teenager with her first messy bun. 
We also had to get creative to switch up the monotony of meal after meal after meal in our house with no one else. We had floor picnics and we made a lunch or two in our lunchboxes to pretend we were eating at school. And we even let Graham eat with us!
So February was MOSTLY bad.
It wasn’t all bad though. We got to celebrate Hudson’s 5th birthday with the world’s funniest magician, based on the reaction my children had. I wish we could’ve celebrated in person but I’ve never seen these kids laugh so hard. And we baked some cupcakes for the occasion.
Look at this genuine laughter. 
The smiles though… 
There was that one nice day we had where we spontaneously met grandma at the zoo.
We are now members. Lemme know when you wanna meet us at the zoo. 
Who knew flamingoes did cold weather?
And then Grandma’s doctor gave her permission to have me and Graham cracker come sleep over for a few days while Eric took the big ones to Baltimore. Life was almost normal for five minutes, minus the all day masks and eating at separate tables. Graham and Cinnie became BFF.
That’s mine in the back there. 
AND I forgot my glasses so we got a surprise visit from Grandma and Grandpa the next day so the big kids got to see them too.
So yes, there was some good in the worst month, but it was still the worst month.
March didn’t exactly roll in any better. Some may say it rolled in like a Lion. Haha I’m so funny. But seriously, it was still cold and the snow still hadn’t melted and we were still bored and stir crazy.
And to top it all off, Joey and Graham were sick. Fortunately, Graham was just super snotty. Joey though. Poor little Joey girl spiked 104 fever. She was less than thrilled with this development, as was I because it meant that we had to keep both Joey and Landen home from school because of that whole Covid thing.
But right around my birthday, things started looking up. Joey’s PCR test was negative and her fever broke. We had our first playdate in over a year with Landen’s little preschool crush.
We went to the zoo with OTHER HUMANS (Hi Mollie, Logan, and Skylar).
Eric got balloons and a mini piñata, and then we went out for a meal again in our own little igloo which was fun and also delicious. Remember restaurant food? So good.
The next day, we had a little backyard birthday party for me and Aunt Rissi which included all of the chocolate imaginable.
These two are both passed out. 
And then, guys, spring happened. All week. It was warm, it was sunny, it was amazing. Everyone played outside and then played outside some more. Landen and Joey went on a bike ride with their daddy. We even had a big playground playdate with Landen’s class. There was sunshine and socializing like it was 2019.
Snow almost gone!
Then this past weekend, Grandma and Grandpa came to visit on Saturday and there was so much playing that did not involve mommy. So good, but also no pictures because no mommy. And on Sunday, after 14 long months, I SAW MY FRIENDS. They all came over and met little Graham cracker and just sat out in our backyard for hours talking to me like adults while our children ran around the backyard with their daddies. It was my favorite day.
Same, but different. 
And now you know. You have all of the information about the inner workings of our year in isolation. And now I finally feel like it’s really coming to an end. I know it’s not over, but it’s better. People are getting vaccinated. Numbers are going down. Good weather is rolling in. I have even been speaking to people about planning and booking Disney trips, and DisneyLAND just announced their reopening date in April! (Can you believe they’ve been closed for over a year?) I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Tomorrow, we will finally get on an airplane again, and I never thought I’d be excited to fly with three kids under five but I am. I really really am. I can’t wait to write my first Covid travel post and turn this back into a travel blog.
In the meantime, here’s a side by side comparison of my kids doing their favorite activity exactly one year ago, and now so you can see how much they’ve grown.
TRAVELING WITH ARDEN 