Feeding my soul

I was starting to lose it last week. I have so much empathy for people trying to work from home, but I think I’d under-appreciated the impact of working on-site for the duration of dumpsterfire 2020. It was perfect timing then to be reminded that I had two personal days that I’d lose if they weren’t used by the end of the fiscal year. I made it a long weekend and OMG, I needed it. I went to the dentist. I got my oil changed. I slept in and then made brunch. We hiked twice. The first one was a dud; too hot, too dusty, too whiny. BUT, we made up for it with an awesome 5 mile trek that included rainbows, rock scrambling, swimming in the river, fishing for C, and hunting tadpoles for the rest of us. I am so grateful that my family has an activity we already liked that is still safe and available. I came back feeling refreshed and ready to go for another god help us who knows how long. I am a huge proponent of the idea that self-care is not always sloth and gluttony. It’s important that we know what actually feeds our souls and we make space for that “in these unprecedented times.”

She wanted to be a dog all week? So much that she wanted to hike on a leash. This was our compromise. There was definitely howling

I’m also appreciating C’s quarantine hair. He’s NEVER let it get this long and I’m here for it

I 100% acknowledge that I only added this picture because I think I look pretty. Lean in, right? :)

Happy Birthday Eli!

Can we just take a moment to appreciate that this tiny little person used to seem SO OLD? I had no idea

I measured Eli on the growth chart this week and realized that he’s been taller than me for almost two years. I had to special order the shoes he asked for because his feet are enormous. 12/13 nearly broke me. Now he’s super chill and funny and awesome to be around. I’ve always thought he was an adult waiting for his body to catch up and I think I was right. 

We celebrated in typical quarantine fashion. Traditional birthday donuts, his favorite dinner of tortellini, ice cream cake, and permission to stay up all night playing video games. I even bought him energy drinks since I obviously don’t need to worry about stunting his growth. 

My time left with him as a kid is feeling very real and very precious. He’s quick to remind me how long he has before he gets a job, drives, goes to college... I’d love to keep him to myself, but man, the world is going to be so lucky to have him out there

School’s Out

And just like that, they’re done. The chromebooks are stashed away, the textbooks have been returned, and there are no more Zoom’s on our calendar. I am immensely grateful for how these teachers rallied and pulled together crisis learning. I am also immensely grateful that it’s over.

In all the drama of the past few months, somehow I completely skipped over that Eli is going to be in HIGH SCHOOL next year. 2024 seemed so long ago when he started kindergarten. Now it’s quite likely that I already own the shoes I’ll wear to his graduation.

Our Menagierie

For a house where I've declared no more things that poop, we seem to still keep collecting pets. We're about one more month of quarantine away from getting a kitten. 

This is Francisco. He fell out of the tree while my mom was on the stoop. He's literally four feet long and I love him because, apparently, he eats rats and rattle snakes. I love that enough to forgive the fact that I didn't know there was a four foot snake in our tree.

Cauliflower and Emily. They're snails. Averson caught them by the pond and has kept them alive for two weeks. They like arugula. 

The big one is Nemo Jackson. C adopted him off of Facebook when his family decided he'd outgrown his tank.

And then of course we have the OG's