2021 in review

 Before this crazy year ends, I want to get a summary posted.

Here is a review:

- in early 2021 (starting in Dec. 2020 actually) we approved a vaccine for Covid, less than a year after it started spreading globally. This is nothing short of a scientific miracle and brings tears to my eyes even now.

- There was a little lag in getting shots out as they ramped up production, but 3 (!!) different vaccines were approved by spring 2021 and by the summer there was pretty wide availability. With a little finagling, the studly hubby and I both got our vaccines by March.

- Once we were both vaccinated we put little L back into daycare, which was just after spring break. Layla had to finish out the year homeschooling because they didn't have any physical space for her whole class to come back to. Both kids went back full-time for the summer camp program and they were both back in person starting in the fall. Every step was very weird for them.

- With Little L going back to school, I could start physically going to work. I was much needed there. Once I came back I could meet with my people face to face and also give hand-on direction in other ways (e.g. to find things, look at equipment or data, chase down other people, etc). It was, and has been, a long road back.

- The Studly Hubby navigated an exploding (in a good way) job market. Over the year he switched jobs 3 times. Each job change brought a raise and new set of responsibilities. All three were remote positions and the last one is not even in Kansas. He is now directing a team of software developers for a job in Connecticut and getting paid about 30% more than he was this time last year. 

- Once the vaccines were approved a new set of problems arose. It turns out many (MANY) people refused to vaccinate and vaccine misinformation was rampant. It was aggravating to say the least. 

- Another issue was that little kids weren't approved for vaccinations until mid-fall and kids under 5 still aren't approved. We put Little L into the Pfizer clinical trial for kids under 5 starting in the summer and found out he was placebo after his 5th birthday and the 5-11 age group was approved in early November. He got vaccinated immediately afterwards. 

- Between low vaccination rates (around 60% for Kansas and currently about 73% nationally) and kids not being approved for vaccinations, our kids were sent home on quarantine over and over again due to positive cases in their classes, or we were out getting tested for our own fevers, coughs, etc. We managed to dodge Covid but just barely.

- Kids finally got vaccinated by early December and then a new variant hit (Omicron) that is somewhat resistant to the vaccines, starting the whole thing all over again. We decided to go ahead with Christmas break plans and see family near and far, but are testing and isolating like crazy. 

- Needless to say, the year has been pretty exhausting.