Hello, July. I see you creeping around the corner.
June has been both long and short for me. It’s been both hard and good, too.
As always, in things of greatest importance, we are well. My family is healthy, as are our neighbors and friends. I hope you and yours are, too.
I lost a little mojo in June. I got suspended somewhere between relief that school and work was over and craving it like a north star. April and May were busy, to say the least. We worked so hard to settle into a Covid homeschool groove, and we did it. We felt accomplished and strong. We schooled, we exercised, we made home our center for family fun.
Then June came, and we had already done the walks. And ridden the scooters. And rode the bikes. And blew the bubbles. And chalked the walk. And painted the rocks. And squirted the water shooters. And made the s’mores.
And, so, the first summer month felt a little intimidating. How was I to keep my children enriched, happy, entertained, and safe? Do we play with friends? Do we not? Do we hug? Maybe not? Accept our quarantine fatigue or get over ourselves? The nights were a little restless, and I grappled with 3 a.m. thoughts about news headlines, rhetorical questions, and general gloom. My type-A teacher personality lead to constant discomfort about the unknown.
And yet, June wove threads of happiness into its days, to be sure. I am grateful. It was not a blue ribbon month, but it certainly had joy. Looking back through my camera roll made me smile. How was your month?
Here’s a little peek into ours:
June 3 is a big day around here each year. Jameson celebrated his sixth birthday in style this year, Mario theme and all.
We went from one birthday to another. Harper turned eight on June 11 (EIGHT! That is so big. I am freaked out.). For Harper, quarantine was synonymous with Harry Potter. She’s in deep. Her theme was all things HP inspired.
In between birthdays, we spent lazy days picnicking, playing tennis, and checking in on the garden.
Jameson’s month was punctuated with excitement when he had four teeth pulled out to make room for future orthodontia (oh, yay!). We stocked up on soft foods beforehand.
Now, those who know us know that my son loves to eat. He wakes up between 5 and 6 each morning and can hardly contain his excitement for breakfast. I was more than a little concerned about how I was going to keep him occupied without food until his appointment at 8:40 (no eats before anesthesia!). I managed only by promising ice cream for breakfast afterward.
He, like his sister last year who had eight yanked at one time, completely rocked this. He was a trouper and continues to be. He hardly complained, bless his soul. Besides, what is more exciting than a tooth fairy visit and extra jello? It was a celebration, for sure!
Of course, there were many a day when we had to just get out of the house. We explored some local treasures and did a little hiking.
Hmmm, what’s over this ledge?
And because we are not even close to being a camping family, we pitched a tent in our playroom instead. Why be outside, get eaten by mosquitoes, and “sleep” on lumps and rocks when you can stick your kids in the room next door and peacefully sleep in our own bed?
#goldsberrycampstyle
Father’s Day was a noteworthy June celebration. Jason is one of those men who was made to be a dad. It’s just part of his identity. He’s like that magic shell that you pour on top of ice cream, a little hard on the outside (he will throw down if you mess with his kid) but soft on the inside. We love him. He’s ours, after all. We will take the shell with the cream.
Harper and Jameson made him some sweet pottery for a gift. Nothing says love like a homemade beard mug and a beer bottle. Ha.
I wish I could be stronger, but I gave up hope toward the last few days of June. Not only did I need to get out of the house, I needed to get out of town. Here in Colorado, ski country is reopening slowly but surely. We called around and asked a lot of questions about whether it was safe to travel and if mountain towns even wanted visitors. Breckenridge looked promising, and it’s one of our favorite places. So, we headed up for a two night retreat to breathe a little mountain air and take in a change of scenery. We rented a condo with a full kitchen and brought up all of our own food. We wiped and sprayed things down and criss-crossed our fingers that we were doing the right things. We ended up having a most wonderful time. It was like a salve.
I have to say bravo to the town of Breckenridge. There were signs and masks everywhere, and people were incredibly courteous. I respected the vigilance and the attentiveness to care. We hope to go back once more before summer ends.
Not pictured in this update: complaints about boredom, way too much TV and iPads, sibling rivalry, and eating too much peanut butter (you ever buy those giant Costco peanut butter jars? Bad news bears.).
Also not pictured: the headlines on the news which made this month tragic. Wishing you all health, tolerance, respect, and hope.
Bring it on, July!
