Summer summer summertime

Well, it's high time I updated my future self on what's been going on, month 984 of quarantine (just kidding, it's only JULY so it's been 4.5 months of isolation, *insert maniacal laughter here*).

In all reality, we're doing just fine. We've had some ups and downs, just like everyone has in this weird-ass 2020. Let alone the global pandemic, we're having racial awakenings all over the country, which makes a fraught time even more fraught. Please don't misunderstand me -- it was so far past time, it's rather hard to comprehend. But there's no denying it's stressful in every aspect.

Remember when 2020 started and we thought those Australian wildfires (which started in late 2019 and didn't end until January 2020) would be one of the major things we'd remember about the year? HAHAHAHA. Whew. How wrong we all were!

Home front, we're doing fine. Having lots of conversations with the girls about racism. Trying to entertain ourselves within our four walls and in the yard a lot, even though it's been really hot the last few weeks. Writing snail mail and doing some summer school to tide us over into the unknown conditions we'll be schooling in when August comes. Eating ice cream and watermelon, riding bikes, watching movies when it's too intolerably humid out. Working on a few house projects, mostly focused on organizing the garage. Surviving, but not thriving.

Luckily we've been able to see our immediate families -- at a distance, outside -- a few times in the last few weeks. Our new nephew (and godson!!!) was born in May, and his baptism in late June was the first time we'd all been inside a public building since the last Mass we went to on March 8 (wearing masks to go inside for the baptism where we stayed standing 6 feet away the whole ceremony). We went to my family's house on July 3 to watch my brother shoot off fireworks from the front lawn.

The number one takeaway from these outdoor hangouts I'm having is that if we ever encounter a global pandemic again in our lifetimes, we need to move to a climate more conducive for outdoor living year-round. It's just too damn hot to be outside for more than a couple hours without being miserable in the summer in Nebraska. Northern Canada sounds really appealing when you're stuck in a lawn chair on a lawn in 95° for more than 20 minutes.

Quick kid update: 

Kateri Amelia lost her first tooth the other day, which seems impossible! She's reading voraciously -- whenever I can't find her, she's hidden away in her room with a stack of library books reading (actually reading!) them.

Cora Jane is full of a riotous spirit and is attempting to learn her letters (which is not going great, but she's loving the attention it gives her). She's growing like a weed, too, wearing most of the summer clothes Kitty wore last year.

Felix Joseph is as cute and wild as ever -- he is SUCH a boy, climbing on things and trying to rip the covers out of the outlets and such. He gives the best open-mouthed kisses, though, so I can't ever stay mad at him.

David and I have been playing Civilization VI, which is a gift I got him for our anniversary (we celebrated 7 years on June 29! Crazy!). I wasn't sure if he'd really like it, but I played as a kid on my home computer (I played a lot as Cleopatra back then) and it was cheap on Amazon. ;) We're both enjoying something a little cerebral. We've been watching The Expanse still, which is very dramatic and I love the show (although admittedly it's different from the books, which I adore). We got around to seeing Hamilton on Disney+, and now we can't stop singing You'll Be Back in Jonathan Groff's incredible posh accent. I've been dying for a vacation (even if it's more of a trip with kids, let's be real) but we can't confirm it'd be safe so instead I'm just scrolling through mountain cabins in Colorado on VRBO to get my fix.

Otherwise not much is new around here. I should hopefully get some time in the next few weeks to write a post about what we've done to the garage so far, and plans for the future. It's been so hot that it's hard to motivate ourselves to do more than an hour's work at a time. 

How are you doing?