How was your first non-holiday weekend of 2022? You know, ours was pretty good, and I am so thankful.
Friday night, we ordered take-out and cozied up inside. Jason and the kids watched the movie, Holes, while I chatted away on zoom with my book club. For two hours, we deliberated about books, commiserated a little about Covid, and laughed a lot. Too bad we couldn’t really get together, but friends (even on screen), sweatpants, and books made a good Friday night for me.
We just finished:
Our consensus: This was a quick read that drew us in. However, what happened with the ending? We needed more.
Next month we are reading:
Saturday morning, Jason was officially free from quarantine. Fortunately, he’d been feeling pretty well for most of the week, but he was happy to get out a bit (by getting out, he meant the grocery store … things are more exciting post-Covid).
Before this, though, we said an important goodbye. Grandma and Grandpa finally returned to their house in Florida for some well-deserved sunshine and warmth. They have been our lifeline for these two pandemic years: taking care of our kids, driving them to and from school, and providing mental and emotional support, too. Not to mention, my parents are incredibly good dishwasher-emptiers, backpack-packers, readers, and morning car Would you Rather players. They made our life manageable and, even joyful, when times around us seemed hard. We were all sad to see them go, but we were mostly truly happy for them! If any two people deserve palm trees and R&R, it’s Grandma and Grandpa. I enjoyed driving them to the airport to see them off.
Now we just hope that the good ole’ state of Florida doesn’t welcome them back with unmasked Covid. Fingers crossed.
Afterward, the boys went to Jason’s school for an epic Nerf battle and to run around the gym a bit while I took Harper to the stables. She rode the beautiful Jill today and trotted happily around the arena while I played with the barn doggies.
Saturday night, we couch-camped and decided to watch an old Oscar winner, Chariots of Fire. Have you seen it? I thought it ended how it should, but Jason was very unhappy. He said that Abrahams and Liddell absolutely needed a rematch. Jameson did not care for the “weird crown and shampooed hair” of the lady in the movie and thought it was just “strange.” Harper could not figure out how so many smokers could run as fast as they did.
Sunday morning was gloriously lazy. We took our time getting up and drank multiple coffees. We made King Arthur Flour’s French Toast Scones, which were delicious and the size of our faces. My laziness continued as I opted for grocery delivery (I love you, Instacart), so I could soak up a few more pages of my book.
Midday, I took Harper and a girlfriend ice skating. They had a great time and, actually, so did I! I forgot how fun it is to skate. I appreciate my town for offering this each winter.
By 2:00 every Sunday, the cloud of doom sets in. Today was no different. I found myself in a soft panic, as if I did not know that work was coming and that I had hours of planning and grading to do, a class email to send, and my own kids’ homework to wrap up. I wonder … does anyone have a whole Sunday? Like a true entire Sunday? How do you do it?
Despite this, we wrapped the weekend on a high note that included cereal-crusted chicken fingers and bubbly baths. Jason and the kids are reading The Invention of Hugo Cabret.
In between things, I cleaned all three toilets in the house. This, by itself, felt entirely triumphant.
Have a beautiful week.
