Jimmy Turns 5!

Jimmy turned 5 on February 4th and had been counting down the days for ... well, what seemed like forever.  Turning 5 is a milestone because it signifies that he is old enough to start kindergarten in the Fall.  He is more than ready and is excited about riding the bus, eating his lunch at school and even having homework!  

We're not exactly sure what the start of the school year in August will look like because we are still battling this (never-ending, ongoing, persistent) pandemic.   Vaccinations have started in the older populations with two different trial drugs that must be given as boosters -- two shots administered either 3 or 4 weeks apart, depending on the drug.  There are supply issues and shortages of the appropriately-trained individuals to administer them.  Some pharmacies are better organized than others and some states have opened up large stadiums to accommodate the hoards of people that are desperate for the antibodies.

The local school district is continuing with half-days of in-person learning and we hope to increase to full-days soon.  The biggest hurdle is the current vaccines are only approved for adults (16+ in age).  The trials for children have only just begun in the U.S. and it is estimated that vaccines will probably be approved for high school and middle school-aged children in the Fall, but elementary-aged kids will not be able to be vaccinated until January next year.  All of this is an estimate and things could certainly change.  But, using that timeline, the partial days of instruction may continue longer than we want (because of concerns of children transferring the virus during lunch).  

We're hopeful for a more normal start to the school year than we had last year and are grateful that we are able to gather more and celebrate birthdays -- even if they are more low-key than before ...

Jimmy's preschool class does not allow parents to bring in any food (too many potential allergies), so the kids are encouraged to bring in a goody bag or a small prize to pass out.  I found these incredible cups, complete with a straw, that light up with the touch of a button.  How cool is that to drink out of cup where you get to choose what color/flashing lights you want?!  They were a huge hit with Jimmy's friends!

That day, while the other kids were in school (James doesn't have school on Thursdays), I surprised Jimmy and took him to the store to pick out 2 birthday balloons.  He chose a dinosaur and then a traditional Happy Birthday one, both filled with helium.  We also put up some balloons on the wall with our traditional birthday banner.

Grandpa came over and picked up pizza (Jimmy's birthday dinner choice) on his way.  We finished off the meal with ice cream and hedgehog cupcakes.

And there were lots of presents for the 5-year old!

And more to come because later this month, we have a combined birthday party planned with an Outer Space theme to celebrate both Jimmy and Sophia's February birthdays!