Lena is SIX!

When Lena turned six in January, it was quite the momentous birthday...just not in the ways we expected.

Lena herself has had quite the momentous year. This fall she entered kindergarten with a splash AND a bright pink cast, the result of big kid stunt gone wrong. But as usual, she surprised us and got that cast off in barely over a week. Who has bones that heal in 8 days?!?

Not only does Lena continue to surprise us, she continues to be our impulsive spitfire of a second child. It's always a toss-up whether she will hug you or kick you in the shin. I'm not joking about the latter, either. Lena continues to be athletic and now is a (mostly) competent bike rider to and from school each day. She had a great time at gymnastics camp last summer and is still a graceful ballerina. She also continues to love all things art and is just starting to become a reader in her own right.

Lena was ready for her birthday this year, as was I. Jon was nursing what he assumed was his yearly bout of seasonal allergies, so I stayed up late to decorate her door and got up early for a dash to the donut shop for Lena's birthday breakfast. I had the camera ready to snap photos of the birthday girl when I burst into the girls' room, but rather than join in the festivities, big sister Elsa was moaning in bed that she didn't feel good.

Uh-oh.

Fearing the worst, I soldiered on so as to not rain on the birthday girl's parade prematurely. While Lena was happily munching on her pink sprinkled donut, I quickly swabbed Elsa with one of the extra Covid tests we fortunately had at the house. Grandma called then, which was very good timing because it took my mind off the clock. 

But when my phone alarm rang, it was time to face reality. Positive.

I ran upstairs to tell--and wake up--Jon. He took a test as well, which immediately turned up positive. As far as we can figure, he picked up the virus at work the day before. He had actually had a negative test that morning so assumed that the crummy way he felt was due to the weather. He had spent time the night before working on a special birthday sewing project with Elsa, which is how we assumed she got it and so quickly.

And just like that, all the plans immediately changed. But first up was consoling the birthday girl.

She was so upset--understandably--to not be able to go to school to celebrate with her friends. (Luckily, we'd hosted a park playdate the afternoon before, so at least she'd gotten to do that.) Once she calmed down and realized that it was still her birthday and she'd get to do pretty much whatever she wanted, she was much more okay with the idea of spending her 6th birthday in quarantine.

In fact, she was living her best life. She got to play on the computer, work on some of the many art sets she'd received for Christmas, watch all the shows, and have a picnic lunch in the living room. She even took a midday nap (which was so helpful to me because it was about that time that Erik seemed to succumb to the virus).

Quarantine arts and crafts

After naptime, we baked her requested fairy birthday cake: yellow with pink frosting, don't-forget-the-sprinkles. By this time, Elsa had returned to the land of the living (for real, it was that fast), so we ordered in Chinese food--duck and beef lo mein, of course--and settled in for presents. Jon was feeling better, too, so he joined in as well (Erik was getting some much-needed healing sleep).

Unicorn earmuffs, an essential part of the ensemble

Lena was delighted by such thoughtful presents from family and flexible with having to postpone indefinitely her trip to an indoor trampoline park with a friend and afternoon tea with family. She was a trooper through the sheep photo shoot and then cake. However, right before bed, she faded very fast and said that she felt cold and so, so tired.

I was glad that she had at least made it the entire day before getting sick, but I went to bed anticipating a rough day ahead with more sickness to deal with. To my complete and utter surprise, Lena was the first one awake in the morning, acting as though she felt like a million bucks. The girl evidently had Covid for less than half an hour and then slept it off!

What a birthday gift, and what a way to complete her sixth turn around the sun!