It kind of feels like the rest of the country has gone back to school while we’re stuck in some sort of cruel eternal summer. It began on March 13th with the first day of Spring Break and won’t end until September 14th, when Nolan goes back to preschool, and September 15th, when Caden and Brooklyn do. So actually that makes this the longest spring break ever? Either way, I’m out.
The end of August is always a beast. The five of us are over each other. The activities have all ended. It’s too hot. Except this year there never were any activities, it’s still too hot, and we’re extra over each other. The kids were doing remarkably well this summer with listening and helping and playing together. Then, a couple week ago, we hit a wall. Hard. We hit a similar wall at the end of May/early June after a few months of distance learning and no activities and a stay-at-home order, when all novelty of this so-called “novel” coronavirus wore off and we were all. over. it. So. I guess we were due for another one.
We did receive some long-awaited school information this week. Caden and Brooklyn will be attending a hybrid schedule that has them distance learning Monday-Wednesday and attending in-person on Thursdays and Fridays. Nolan, miracle of miracles, has few enough kids enrolled in his preschool class that he will be attending his regularly scheduled Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. I could walk you through the week I spent of agonized debate over whether to commit to hybrid or pull them out for full distance learning, but I’ll spare you the anxiety. It’s nothing you don’t already know. If you’re a parent of young children, you’ve had this same debate yourself. Suffice to say, we felt this was the least shitty of shitty options for the time being. (Side note: we also have the ability to opt-in to full distance learning at any time, so if we ever feel truly unsafe we have that as our back-up option.)
All I know is that every parent, even once they’ve made their decisions, even for my friends who’ve already sent (or “sent”) kids back to school, are still agonizing over their decisions. Whether distance, hybrid, in-person, or homeschooling, every parent I know is still asking themselves if they’ve made the right choice. The only ones I know who are confident in their decisions were either already homeschoolers or have kids who are immunocompromised, making the choice of staying home obvious.
Despite the amount of brain space it’s been taking up in my head, school still feels like this bizarre far-off ghost of an idea. Here in MN, we’ve got a few weeks to go. We don’t yet have supply lists or official distance learning schedules. The pool is out and we’re wearing swimsuits and eating ice cream while it lasts. Walls and all.
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Take Action
My heart is breaking for Kenosha. I feel like our summer has been bookended by police violence: first with George Floyd and now with Jacob Blake.
I subscribed to the Anti-Racism Daily newsletter by Nicole Cardoza last month. Each day includes education and action items covering a different topic related to racism in the US (and around the world). I highly recommend signing up. There is also an option to receive a Saturday-only newsletter which highlights the topics discussed all week.
I’ve appreciated the way this newsletter has grown my awareness, activism, and education around these issues. This week, I highly recommend looking at the issue dedicated to Jacob Blake and taking some of the action steps listed.
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Around the Internet
How QAnon has infiltrated the corners of the Internet I frequent. Corners that to a certain extent felt safe.
The most playful layout and fascinating read on sweatpants and the collapse of the fashion industry.
On sourdough and what it means now.
On being a mother and how “America just can’t really be bothered".
A beautiful essay on the first day of school.
And this is the biggest laugh I’ve had all week.
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Eating
Ugh it’s hot and I don’t want to cook or eat anything, said everyone everywhere in August. Still. We have to eat. Here’s what keeps popping up on my table:
Not exactly summery, but this chickpea tikka masala has been on repeat. The sauce is everything.
These chicken kabobs. Wrapped up in a pita with yogurt. So good.
And while I think frying fish is kind of a pain, these fish tacos are 100% worth it. (Please just fry your fish, throw them in some good corn tortillas, and pull out your store-bought slaw and pico and call it good.)
Also continuing our Friday night tradition of takeout, including our new favorite Mexican spot. Queso FTW.
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Fun Things
Have you heard that the house dress is back? This might be the best thing to come out of 2020. I’ve been living in this tank one and this midi tee one.
Nolan got this Mario LEGO set and I am stan-ing it hard. It combines two of his favorite things (LEGOs + Mario) and is so well-designed. You need to download an app for the building instructions, which at first had me all, “Seriously? Can we not do anything without technology?” but then I ate my words. Nolan usually has the technical ability to build LEGO sets but not the attention span. It’s like dredging the bottom of the ocean to get him to do the next thing. It’s constant prompting. “What piece do you need next? How many? Okay, where does it go? Are you sure? Okay. Turn the page. Now what do you need?” etc. on repeat forever. The digital instructions + videos were so well done and engaging and he was zero percent distracted by the fact that they were on a tablet. I did nothing but sit there and watch in amazement. The Mario figure itself is ingenious. Everything is so meticulously well-designed and thought out. 10/10 highly recommend.
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I’m currently typing this as the kids…I don’t know. There’s lots of (happy) yelling and running and banging going on. We tried going outside but it’s too hot (like immediately-break-into-a-fine-layer-of-sweat-when-you-step-outside kind of hot) so that didn’t last long. I couldn’t stand their noise so I walked upstairs. They’re not exactly being naughty, just….we’ve hit that wall. They’re loud. I don’t want to hear them. I don’t know what they’re doing. As long as no one is bleeding or on fire or standing over me saying “Mommy” on repeat, I just. don’t. care. This is called self-preservation. Am now wondering what would happen if I simply…didn’t emerge again. Until tomorrow morning. Except for the fact that I’m hungry. (On the menu tonight: BLTs , watermelon, and chips because: hot and summer and also EASY.)
September is coming, and while I have no illusions that it will be easier in any sense of the word, (besides in the wardrobe department because we could all use some cozy sweaters up in here), a new routine will probably shake us all up for the better. At the very least, I’ll have an entire 2.75 hours to myself every single week, and while that sounds pitiful, that’s also more time than I’ve had since March 13th. God bless us, every one.