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| Summer vacation: Day 1 |
In an attempt to stave off summer regression (academic and motivational), I've been making Kiddo follow a schedule. Much to his initial dislike. But keeping life as normal as possible has been to the benefit of the whole family. No wandering around in our pajamas at 2p. Not that days like that aren't wonderfully lazy... but for us they should be few and far between, which makes us relish them more when they do happen. Anyway, our usual let's lay around attitude has been all but eliminated. And with only a few proper summer vacation days under our belt, I'm proud to say we wake before our alarms. We get up, get going, and are out and about. Kiddo is even volunteering for activities. Trust me that it's really quite miraculous.
On Thursday Mario had an all-day online class for work followed by a business dinner. Kiddo and I got out of his hair and made something of ourselves. He came along to CrossFit with me, then we decided to venture out into the world (also known as Vermont).
You know how kids are innately aware of their bodies and how to move them? They don't think about it, they just do it. No one ever taught Kiddo how to properly climb a rope. Or do a chin-up. He just can. There are dozens of tutorials on how to position your feet and place your hands... and he needs not a one. I've lost that ability, a common occurrence among adults, I think, and now spend several days a week trying to retrain my brain and muscles to lift and pull and jump in ways it natural could in childhood. (Though I'm not convinced I ever really had it, at least not to the degree my child does.) I hope Jared never loses the sense of fun and adventure he garners from moving his body.
After I wiped off the sweat and regained my composure, we hopped in the car, queued up a Harry Potter audiobook, and drove. It was time for one last visit to our favorite bookstore. Along the way we passed a roadside sign for a pick-your-own strawberry farm. Because we are in the throes of summer and in the mood to be fancy free, we stopped. We picked. Stained fingers and a touch of sun on our cheeks. He still finds joy in impromptu berry-picking dates, so I'm taking what I can while I have it. Because gosh that kid is pretty much the best thing I can imagine. With him, I look at the world through strawberry-colored glasses.
We spent a good deal of time enveloped in the literary world. What's more, I found a common thread among the books that caught my eye and begged me to read their synapses: Biology. And for the first time in six months, I became acutely aware that my brain misses academia. Not the homework and papers and deadlines and all nighters. Not those aspects, for sure. But I miss learning new things. Expanding my knowledge. I'm ready to work that gray matter again after taking a hiatus.
And now we have things like strawberry toaster waffle towers to show for our mother-son day out.
Other thoughts:
// Summer hair. I'm getting there, I think. It's a two steps forward one step back kind of thing. You see, I was never one to easily master hair and makeup related things. Those girls I knew growing up that braided their friends' hair and had already mastered the smoky eye? Oh, how I envied them. Now in my thirties, I still flail when it comes to figuring out the mop on my head. How to deal with my hair type. How to throw it up and make it look chic. It's the bane of my existence, my hair. Some days, some days, there appears a glimmer of hope. I would understand if I got kicked out of some sort of girl club. I'm a mess.
// I'm in a handbag rut. Which happens ever now and then. I'm not the type to keep a collection of bags at the ready. Instead, I'll use it until it falls apart and buy a new one. The other day I saw Emma's bag on A Beautiful Mess and decided it must be mine. I tried everything to find its birthplace: going so far as to employ Google Images to track it down. Nothing. Despair! Then, in my search for objects meeting the description black + white + ethnic + brown leather trim + handbag, I came across THE BAG. In fact, I like it even better. Which meant express shipping it so it doesn't arrive to an empty house. Mario said it reminds him of the tapestries his aunt, who's decades older than I am, brings home from Habitat trips around the world. ("But I understand that tribal things are back in style these days." Okay then.) There are worse things to be compared to.
// An article in last week's issue of Time magazine that I read from beginning to end. It has since been sitting on my nightstand. Food for thought.
// A brand spanking new Ulta store opened up in town yesterday and I see this eyeliner in my near future. Oh to master the perfect cat eye!
Tonight we are off to Maleficent. Have you seen it? I opted out of Transformers (another one? really?) and instead of going sans Sarah, they let me choose the film. Those boys, I tell you.
Happy Saturday!
