I’ve been trying to write this since mid-January, starting and stopping and jotting down little notes here and there. This “life lately” edition spans far more weeks than I ever intended.
Maybe that speaks more to how life has been lately more than anything else. February saw everything. In addition to the kids’ birthdays and our Florida trip, my grandma passed away. We also had appointments on top of appointments smooshed in amongst the regular chaos of life. I’m not sure we had a single “normal” day in the entire month. February was relentless.
I’m ready to put February aside and look ahead. Spring is here it seems. The temps are steadily moving upward and sunshine seems to be more of a daily occurrence here than a novelty. This past weekend we were outside in the sunshine with temps in the 50s and it felt good—so good—to be outside again. The snow is almost gone and it’s the first time in four or five years where it feels as though we’re going to have an actual, real, live, proper spring, instead of suffering through a frigid spring break in March and freak snowstorms in April.
All the credit to the ice cream man who rolled through our neighborhood on Saturday. He knew that if he rolled through Minneapolis suburbia on a sunny, 56-degree day at the beginning of March he could sucker people into some $4 ice cream. And he did.
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I know many of you are still processing and reeling and sad and angry after Elizabeth Warren officially dropped out of the Democratic primary race last week. Hi, I’m right there with you. I don’t want to wait 4-8 more years for a woman to be the presidential candidate again. I don’t want to watch this election cycle be yet another battle between old white men. I have no more words for it all myself, so here are some thoughtful reads:
“I Am Burning With Fury and Grief Over Elizabeth Warren. And I Am Not Alone.”
“It Will Be Hard to Get Over What Happened to Elizabeth Warren”
”The Enthralling Brutality of Elizabeth Warren”
”What Elizabeth Warren Taught Us”
Also “The Electable Female Candidate”. Which is funny, but, y’know, also not at all.
The intro to Pantsuit Politics Friday episode last week was life-giving. Just listen to the first few minutes. Seriously considering Sarah saying “A woman president is inevitable…I believe that to my core…it’s going to happen sooner rather than later” as the alarm on my phone.
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Other reads from around the Internet:
“Will the Milennial Aesthetic Ever End?” (TBH, I hope the pink never, ever goes away)
”Why Girls Need Pockets”
”What are we teaching boys when we discourage them from reading books about girls?”
”A Graveyard Full of Camels”
Also re: coronavirus. Or COVID-19, but, I really like the way coronavirus rolls off the tongue. (Also am disappointed that we didn’t think of “coronavirus” as a euphemism for “hungover” a long time ago.) Anyway. Because 2020 already feels a bit like a dumpster fire, this is also a thing on our collective radars. I appreciated this article. It sets just the right tone of “yes let’s be mindful of this but also it’s mostly fine and let’s not lose our sh*t” that my not-at-all-an-alarmist self appreciates.
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My go-to pancake recipe is this from the New York Times. I’ll be making these at least once over spring break.
Obsessed with this pasta dish. It feels fresh and bright and healthy(ish) with all the veggies. I use 1/2 lb. of sweet Italian sausage and a healthy sprinkling of Parm is a must.
Also been making this simple smoothie on repeat. I usually have most of the ingredients on hand and have been making one in the afternoon for Nolan and me to share at snack time. Definitely recommend adding a handful of ice before blending it all up.
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Updates on the “what do you want to be when you grow up?’ question:
Caden: an artist
Brooklyn: a Kindergarten teacher
Nolan: “a mommy and I’ll say, ‘You can watch whatever you want’ all day.”
Guess he’s taking issue with my whole “read books and play with toys” stance on parenting.