~1~
Every day I try to get out of the house for a walk. Sometimes I only go around the block. Sometimes I make it farther. But I do see a difference in my mood if I can get outside and remember that there’s a world beyond my computer screen and kitchen sink.
Most days the sun is setting as I sneak outside. And sometimes I find myself thinking that in this mostly-stay-at-home life, it can feel that every day is the same. But take a look at the sunset, and you can’t help but realize that each one is so different.
~2~
Last week I took a day off. I called in for a work meeting, took a call or two, and I kept an eye on my email throughout the day. But I told myself it was a day off, and that made all the difference. The other day when I asked a colleague whether he was taking Friday off, he told me he was taking “a soft Friday,” and I thought, that’s what my Monday was—it was a soft Monday. And it was lovely.
Because I had taken the day off, I decided I would make an apple pie. You can take a day off and do nothing, or you can take a day off and end up with a homemade apple pie.
~3~
I grew up in a family that had the family pets fill out surveys by mail so you could see who was selling our address to which company. So, when I signed up for a Baltimore Sun subscription, I put it in our birds’ names, Ron and Hermione Buettner.
We’ve only occasionally subscribed for a print newspaper, but I decided we would do it this summer, and we have been enjoying it for more than the birdcage liner.
The other day I opened the paper and found that the word search was called “All John.” My son wanted to know whether we would find “Buettner” in there for his father, but no such luck. Still, we do enjoy getting the paper—and the birds make the most of it, too.
~4~
The finches have been hard at work on their nest, and it’s quite stunning. I can’t remember which one of us thought it would be fun to drop some yarn in, but Ron loves the yarn, and he is knitting a beautiful little nest for Hermione and him. It looks quite comfortable and colorful.
We’re so proud of him—and Hermione has helped a bit, too. But she sort of reminds me of me, sitting to the side and looking off into space as she imagines the blog she’s going to write while her husband does all the actual labor.
~5~
This summer seems to be flying by, and that is surprising considering how little we’re doing outside the house. I try to think of things we can do so we can remember that it’s actually summer vacation, and a couple weeks ago I remembered fruit punch.
Some people have a soundtrack to summer. We have a drink of summer, and somehow I had forgotten to get any. So, we ordered gallons and gallons of Turkey Hill fruit punch for the downstairs fridge, and the boys are drinking their way through it. Every now and then I have a taste for quality control.
Go ahead and hoard your wipes, if you can get your hands on any. We’ll be here guzzling fruit punch.
~6~
When I was a child, my siblings and I played in the alley behind our house, so I never learned to ride my bicycle in a real street. John, on the other hand, used to ride his bicycle all over Glen Burnie, traveling to the library and all over town.
So, this summer, since the boys are 10 and 12, we’ve started letting them ride their bicycles in the street. I find it a bit terrifying, but it’s also a perfect way to let them have a little freedom in a moment where it’s hard to give children freedom. I should probably give them both St. Christopher medals.
~7~
Did you know you could buy cookie dough ice cream without the ice cream? I saw these frozen cookie dough chunks the other day and snagged them for the child who loves picking the cookie dough out of the ice cream. Don’t worry. He also loves salad. And that has nothing to do with our parenting and everything to do with our children’s taste buds.
~Bonus Take~
My friend Jessica who is an editor at Baltimore’s Child invited me to write a Diary of a Parent entry for their site. So, if you want to relive the day that we brought our birds home, feel free to go check out the post.
Read more quick takes at Kelly’s blog, This Ain’t the Lyceum, and have a wonderful weekend!
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