Day #133: Not All Day Trips are Created Equal
Daddy had no appointments today. No interviews, no recruiters, no doctor, no nothing. So we decided to...go somewhere!
The kids wanted to go back to the beach like yesterday and I thought, why not? So we finally in the middle of the day got everyone including dog loaded and headed that way. It's a 20 minute drive.
We got there and...Max was asleep. At the actual right time of the day when I would in theory like his nap to be. So we decided to keep driving for awhile and then get out.
And we got lost. Multiple times. Including one detour where we drove on an overpass over the freeway on a main street that...dead ends into a new housing development. It was bizarre.
An hour after this drive started Max woke up and we found a random park where we were.
It wasn't a bad park. But in the divide and conquer of children I got Grumpy Toddler who was NOT PLEASED. He didn't like that he had to walk on gravel (Max is a little OCD about what touches his shoes,) he was VERY UPSET that the playground was closed (he usually handles this, but this one was not roped off, just had a sign up, and it was a DINOSAUR PLAYGROUND,) and in general was displeased with the endeavor. By the time we got there it was also the heat of the day and while it wasn't really all that hot (80 degrees or so,) it was hot enough for grumpiness. I kinda felt the same way.
Josh was bummed that his road trip adventure didn't turn out but hey, there are worse things in life. We were all together, we are all healthy, we got to see some pretty views. If the worst thing that happens in a day is grumpy toddler, that's not a terrible day.
After this, I went to the grocery store and almost hyperventilated. I should probably have had a hit on my inhaler and blown my nose before putting the mask on. It was hard and once you start to feel short of breath like that anxiety takes over and it gets worse. I almost bolted from the store for a minute. But I got through it. I just kept telling myself (out loud, at times, I am THAT PERSON, apparently,) breathe, you got this, just take a breath. Mask anxiety is real...that's all I'm gonna say. I know no one who likes to wear it, I'm sure it's harder on some people than others, but it's real. That said, wearing it is the right thing to do, I kept the damn thing on, and I'm very lucky because I don't have to wear it much. I could be working right now and wearing it 8 hour shifts.
In other news, Joanna Cole, creator of The Magic School Bus died this week at age 75. The news was released widely today. RIP. James and I worked on another podcast episode in her honor. I hope to release it this week. He seems to really enjoy doing it.
Today's media consumption: I started the middle grade book A Kind of Paradise and it is so soothing but did make me miss my life in library-land. Been thinking about work a lot today.
Today I'm grateful that Max went to bed a the right time, that James lost a tooth and the tooth fairy didn't wake him up, that I have a wonderful and supportive husband, that I don't have the need to wear a mask that often, for sunshine, for health, and for the fact that someday, in the future, this will be over.
The kids wanted to go back to the beach like yesterday and I thought, why not? So we finally in the middle of the day got everyone including dog loaded and headed that way. It's a 20 minute drive.
We got there and...Max was asleep. At the actual right time of the day when I would in theory like his nap to be. So we decided to keep driving for awhile and then get out.
And we got lost. Multiple times. Including one detour where we drove on an overpass over the freeway on a main street that...dead ends into a new housing development. It was bizarre.
An hour after this drive started Max woke up and we found a random park where we were.
It wasn't a bad park. But in the divide and conquer of children I got Grumpy Toddler who was NOT PLEASED. He didn't like that he had to walk on gravel (Max is a little OCD about what touches his shoes,) he was VERY UPSET that the playground was closed (he usually handles this, but this one was not roped off, just had a sign up, and it was a DINOSAUR PLAYGROUND,) and in general was displeased with the endeavor. By the time we got there it was also the heat of the day and while it wasn't really all that hot (80 degrees or so,) it was hot enough for grumpiness. I kinda felt the same way.
Josh was bummed that his road trip adventure didn't turn out but hey, there are worse things in life. We were all together, we are all healthy, we got to see some pretty views. If the worst thing that happens in a day is grumpy toddler, that's not a terrible day.
After this, I went to the grocery store and almost hyperventilated. I should probably have had a hit on my inhaler and blown my nose before putting the mask on. It was hard and once you start to feel short of breath like that anxiety takes over and it gets worse. I almost bolted from the store for a minute. But I got through it. I just kept telling myself (out loud, at times, I am THAT PERSON, apparently,) breathe, you got this, just take a breath. Mask anxiety is real...that's all I'm gonna say. I know no one who likes to wear it, I'm sure it's harder on some people than others, but it's real. That said, wearing it is the right thing to do, I kept the damn thing on, and I'm very lucky because I don't have to wear it much. I could be working right now and wearing it 8 hour shifts.
In other news, Joanna Cole, creator of The Magic School Bus died this week at age 75. The news was released widely today. RIP. James and I worked on another podcast episode in her honor. I hope to release it this week. He seems to really enjoy doing it.
Today's media consumption: I started the middle grade book A Kind of Paradise and it is so soothing but did make me miss my life in library-land. Been thinking about work a lot today.
Today I'm grateful that Max went to bed a the right time, that James lost a tooth and the tooth fairy didn't wake him up, that I have a wonderful and supportive husband, that I don't have the need to wear a mask that often, for sunshine, for health, and for the fact that someday, in the future, this will be over.
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