Two brothers singing in the bathroom, one getting in the shower the other getting out.

"Can you stay and hang out?"

"I like hanging out with you!  I'm just really tired!!!!"

Inventions

Every spare minute is spent inventing, or on social things.

Inventing Lego vehicles:  with shocks and springs, hatches that open and steering columns that work.  And online, a vehicle simulator that allows you to build and test vehicles based on actual physics:  where is the center of gravity?  what does it take to make them fly or float?  Helicopters, sea pontoon planes, cars and trucks.

And being social in a pandemic can be challenging but Alex makes plans with friends online or for in person distance hangouts, rides his bike across town ( even after dark!), arranges video chats and social video games online.  Introduces friends to one another.  Started his own Google Classroom, in which he is the teacher.

Alex is an inventor.  He also takes care of others.

He has gotten into cooking and baking, making challenging little individual berry "pie-tisseries" topped with whip cream and pomegranate seeds for Thanksgiving; breakfast like scrambled eggs or eggs with bagel and turkey patties and cheese, toaster waffles.  He has a favorite corn, mint qnd butter dish he makes for dinner that he learned at German restaurant Gaumenkitzel.

And he's the family caregiver:  lots of spontaneous hugs, checking in on us, snuggles, petting and talking to Blueberry (Mike and Mahlon's daughter, still in my belly as I write this).  He has plans to help teach her to walk.

Some parts of school can be hard - the distance learning focus, math, writing.  But those muscles are getting stronger and more tools are being added to a toolbox that is already super full of useful and interesting tools.  The best part of this pandemic is us 4 being really close this year.

Covid 19

Covid19 shelter in place, week three.

Alex misses his friends, and sports, and school.

And going over to Ian and Danny's whenever.

And to CvS.

But here, he's telling me how awesome it was to play badminton with Dad in the middle of the day.