Banana bread, coming home, lucky odometer numbers, and more (7 Quick Takes)

~1~

We go through many bananas. Many of them we eat, and others go brown slowly as I say, “Don’t throw them away yet. I might make banana bread.” Then I never get around to making banana bread, and we have to discard the bananas.

This week, though, when I saw we had four bananas that were nearing the end of their time, I decided to make banana bread—and then actually followed through. The bread was delicious. I used this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction, though I used chocolate chips instead of cinnamon. I’m not sure that’s technically an acceptable substitution, but it worked for us.

~2~

As I was coming home from a walk the other night, I looked at our house and was struck by how cozy and welcoming it looked. I found myself remembering how a few months after we adopted our first son, we would turn the last corner on our drive home, and he would happily call out, “Home!”

I would always find myself with happy tears in my eyes.

Whether you’ve been on a long trip or a short one, there is no feeling in the world like coming home.

~3~

The other day, as I was about to back out of our driveway, I realized our car odometer was on 44,444. It felt like a little gift—not just to reach that number but also to notice it.

If I had been flying down the highway or following complicated twists and turns on my way somewhere, I would not have noticed.

It felt lucky. Now I’m looking forward to 45,678. But I’m in no hurry to get there.

~4~

One of our sons is taking an antibiotic right now, and I asked for pills since the liquids always taste so terrible. I didn’t realize the pills would be gigantic. He has been amazing at swallowing these enormous pills, but every time I hand him one, I say, “Just take a big gulp, and it will go right down!”

But inside I’m thinking, “What if he can’t get it down?”

Of course, these kinds of moments are more about encouragement and giving confidence and pushing aside the worry that it’s impossible. That’s a bigger part of parenting than I would have expected before I became a mother.

~5~

A friend invited our boys to go for a swim in her brother and sister-in-law’s pool, and our two swimming enthusiasts had a wonderful time. One of my hopes for this summer was to get our boys some swimming time, and so far, we’ve done well with it. I realize that a typical person with that goal might join a pool.

But I’m nervous enough about COVID that we decided not to do that and instead just be open to the opportunities as they arise. And we’ve had some nice invitations—and enjoyed some pool time during our vacation at the beach.

I keep checking Swimply, the airbnb of pools, to see if there’s a pool near us we could rent for a few hours. Maybe we’ll try that before the end of the summer.

~6~

What do you do when presented with a pile of ketchup packets and a dinosaur taco holder?

I’m not sure ketchup-packet design will ever be an Olympic sport, but it made for an absent-minded yet entertaining pastime while I was casually chatting with my sister and nieces one evening.

~7~

Our out-of-town 12-year-old nephew is coming to spend a week or so with us, and I’m so excited. Our boys are 11 and 13, so we will have a week of Cousin Camp at our house. I almost wish I were off for the week to arrange fun activities, but I find that they have better ideas than anything I would or could plan.

We will make sure we have a few safe outings, though, and I’m excited to be creative and have some fun with the boys.

As a bonus, my nephew will be here for my birthday on Monday. It’s like a built-in party.

Find more quick takes on Kelly’s blog, This Ain’t the Lyceum, and have a great week!

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