Trying to eradicate a small but persistent pest

I feel like Bill Murray in Caddyshack as I try to rid our house of an incredible ant invasion. Ants have found their way into everything from laundry soap to clean dishes to the silverware to the microwave oven and toaster oven. In the morning, I'd see an ant on my spoon as I was about to scoop up some cereal and milk, and ants on the plate during any meal.  Ants crawled on our tubes of toothpaste and played in the soap dish. Our kids carry food all over the house, and both Joanna and Elijah have contributed to the problem. My wife and I have done our share as well.  Also, ants appear in bigger numbers after a rain, and since we're still in monsoon season with nightly rain, we were seeing bigger numbers daily. And this is the tropics, so ant season is year-round.  We're not big on sprays like Raid. My wife resists using sprays and was more tolerant of the ant situation than I was, but last week when I came downstairs and had ants on my forearm, glasses and behind my ear while preparing my daughter's breakfast, I decided enough was enough. The itch alone will drive you crazy. So first, I cleaned the heck out of the living room. I washed the walls, toys, the floor, the couch cover and pillows, and finished with a "healthy" dose of Raid everywhere. Then the kitchen was next, where everything was rearranged so all the walls are now exposed. Again, scrubbing followed the rearranging and Raid concluded the day's events. Food very rarely makes it way upstairs in our house so ants aren't a super huge issue in the bedrooms, but they make their presence felt in the bathrooms. Again, Raid to the rescue. Since my neat freakout, the ants have been dramatically reduced. I rely on Joanna's powers of observation and good eyesight to spot any colonies or gatherings of ants, and she's picked out a couple. (So I got that going for me, which is nice.) The kids and wife are then forced to go elsewhere while I clean and spray again. It's been a real learning experience and lesson in patience – and cleanliness.
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Covid cases are dropping in Vietnam – roughly 5,000 new cases a day are being recorded, down from 12,000 a day – most likely because of vaccines and the strict lockdown. I was walking to the pharmacy to get eyedrops and wet towels on Sunday when two guys on a motorbike rode up to me and said I shouldn't be out and to go home. They weren't cops, but most likely cop-wannabe volunteers of some sort, but I didn't squawk. I turned around and went to the market near our house and then home. On the way home I noticed lots of folks out in the streets, most without masks, playing with their kids and such. I always wear a mask and shield when I have to go out. I have one vaccine shot and I'm waiting to hear about the second. I don't understand folks here and everywhere who won't wear a mask. I understand even less the folks who won't get a vaccine, especially in the United States where I see anywhere from 70,000 to 140,000 new Covid cases a day. Screw politics; vaccines are available and this is about the well-being of family, friends, co-workers, and everybody around us.
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My two children are getting increasingly fed up with being home all the time. My daughter Joanna and I used to take long walks daily, risking life and limb amongst the motorbikes and cars on the streets and sidewalks. Now we would risk life and lungs if we walked too much, although we went around the block the other day -- wearing our masks and shields -- to photograph some dragonflies. Our son Elijah would run and play soccer for long stretches in the heat and park, which meant at naptime and night he slept like... well, like a baby. With the park closed and walks prohibited, we have two frustrated children on our hands. I'm sure we're not alone.
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I talked to my friend in the U.S. on Skype the other day, the friend who was at death's door with heart issues, lung issues, kidney issues and major back surgery. He didn't go through death's door and he was driving to an auto parts store to get a new battery, presumably for his car, not his heart. We joked about the joys of aging and had a nice little chat for 15 minutes.
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I changed the picture at the top of this blog. Joanna saw the previous photo and asked a simple question: "Where's Elijah?"  That prompted an immediate change. The blog most likely will end when we find out about the waiver. If approved, we'll head to the U.S. If the waiver is rejected, I'll try to get more sleep and work on improving homeschooling lessons for Joanna.