2020: The year we stayed home. Zoom.

COVID-19 has closed our schools, canceled vacations and made us ration toilet paper in a completely unexpected, unprecedented way. 

But, in the midst of it all, we are so incredibly blessed.  This is what Jeep and i have talked about every day since this all started.....how thankful we can be that we have so much.  Not only do we have ENOUGH - - of everything - - but, we are in our comfortable home, usually in our pajamas, and able to access endless hours of entertainment and our friends and family with all the devices we have here. And, in fact, there are now a lot of new weird adventures at home.

I figured that this time is unique enough that I should probably start jotting some of these memories down, in this LONG-FORGOTTEN (like, truly forgot i had it) blog thing. 

So, here is Memory 1: Zoom calls

One of Jeep's friend's moms asked if we could set up a call.  In 2nd grade, friends are essential, and the boys were starting to go through withdrawal.  So, I sent over a Zoom invite so they could see each other....followed up with another Zoom call with a long-lost CA friend.

Here is what I've learned about little boys and Zoom:

• Sometimes, the invitee will accept the invite 25 times.
• The first several minutes of the call will be filled with the boys realizing they are on camera, then making weird faces at each other, and constantly repositioning the screen so you see the top of their heads, then their chins, then the ceiling...
• Some invitees will hide until they get used to seeing their own face on the screen.
• Once the faces are in focus, they will then start the greetings: 

               "Hi." 
               "HI."
               "Hi."
               "Hi."
               "HELLO."
               "Hi"
           This will go on for approximately indefinitely, until an innocent bystander parent hollers,                     "SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT!"

• "Do you want to see my cat/dog?" segments are never really appreciated by the featured pet.
• Conversation topics include:  Hilarious book parts, forts, how much pee is actually in a pool, video games and "Would your rather" questions, which no one would rather....
• ...until they discover Chat.  THEN, it turns into the Sloth scene in Zootopia, in which Jeep says, "I have a joke! Wait a minute..." and proceeds to type it into the Chat box: 

              K.

              n.

              i.

             "MOMMY, WHERE'S THE ERASER?" ("Hit Backspace")

             Backspace.

             Backspace.

             "Whoops."

             N.

             o.

             C.....

             Innocent Bystander Parent:  "Maybe just TELL him the joke?!"

             "Almost done....." (he wasn't)

             k..........

             Super patient friend:  "You know, if you get Grammarly, it helps you type really good...."

• There is no counting the number of times the call will accidentally hang up and start again...
• Jeep: "Okay.  I have 3 minutes left then i have to go."  Friend: CLICK. Face disappears.
• Once Jeep realizes there was no proper goodbye, his typing skills will surge as he types in the now empty chat room.  "BYE! Bye.  Goodbye.  YOU ARE MY FRIEND.  PROMISE. Goodbye. g. G. Bye. Goodb"
• Lastly, the calls never really end, because at any time, the invitees' faces might just appear back on the screen....

This is this season's version of a play date.  It might be even more fun to watch than to actually Zoom.