Day #139: Wicked Sunburn
Mom friends are the best.
I didn't know this before I had my first baby, but if you can get together a group of mom friends in your kiddo's first years they get way easier. Bonus points if they are nonjudgmental and have a sense of humor. Not all do. I'm very lucky.
One such friend, who I met approximately 100 years ago when our now 6-year-olds were newborns, has been saying for weeks (via text because, you know, quarantine) that we can survive the summer if only we can have a few 1-1 play dates outside. We knew that some of the things we count on to get us through the summer like drop in gymnastics, playgrounds, splash pads, swimming pools, vacations, and library storytimes weren't going to be a thing this summer. And they aren't. But sunshine is and small group social distance gatherings are so yesterday I pulled up the insanely large inflatable kiddie pool I bought while I was pregnant with Max (it has a mom side,) and she and her kid came over to stay cool in 80+ degree weather (hey, no judgement, it's Washington hot.)
The pool holds water but has a few slow air leaks, so after a couple of hours with kids in it it got pretty saggy. But patch kits are a thing. And it worked for what we needed for it to do. Of course the only inflator I could find would only plug into the cigarette lighter in the car which meant I had to stand in the driveway to inflate it and that's when I got the sunburn. For some reason I am infinitely better at applying sunscreen to the children then to myself. I've switched sunscreen brands, I could tell you a whole uninteresting sunscreen story but I won't, suffice it to say today I have a wicked sunburn and a bit of a headache and am hiding in the air conditioned basement...but you know what? My kid got to splash and squirt and play and eat ice cream with a friend yesterday. And if these times have taught me anything it's that I have to appreciate really really small things. I sit in wonder now and think about the small adventures I've been on and the things I've gotten to experience. Now that we can't go anywhere or do anything I can think back to when times were better when I did grab an affordable plane ticket to London and crashed at a friend's house in Wales because I could. And once my husband and I did drive Route 66 because it's there. And last year at this time the kids and I were on an adventure to find as many library branches of our local library system as we could and visit them because why not? It's not the adventures you have. It's the fact that you tried something, did something, and the people you shared it with and laughed with over saggy swimming pools and melty ice cream sandwiches. Because one day at a time we really are surviving this very long summer. Sunburns, face masks, and all.
Media consumption: still working on The Left Hand of Darkness. It isn't bad, just slow.
Today I'm grateful for the air conditioned basement, solving my sunscreen and skin issues, clean laundry and bedsheets. Max building with Duplo, James being James, health, safety, ice cream, and good friends.
I also need to bake a pie. I have berries in the fridge that won't last I want to make them into pie. But I don't want to work that hard nor do I want to turn the oven on. This is an issue.
I didn't know this before I had my first baby, but if you can get together a group of mom friends in your kiddo's first years they get way easier. Bonus points if they are nonjudgmental and have a sense of humor. Not all do. I'm very lucky.
One such friend, who I met approximately 100 years ago when our now 6-year-olds were newborns, has been saying for weeks (via text because, you know, quarantine) that we can survive the summer if only we can have a few 1-1 play dates outside. We knew that some of the things we count on to get us through the summer like drop in gymnastics, playgrounds, splash pads, swimming pools, vacations, and library storytimes weren't going to be a thing this summer. And they aren't. But sunshine is and small group social distance gatherings are so yesterday I pulled up the insanely large inflatable kiddie pool I bought while I was pregnant with Max (it has a mom side,) and she and her kid came over to stay cool in 80+ degree weather (hey, no judgement, it's Washington hot.)
The pool holds water but has a few slow air leaks, so after a couple of hours with kids in it it got pretty saggy. But patch kits are a thing. And it worked for what we needed for it to do. Of course the only inflator I could find would only plug into the cigarette lighter in the car which meant I had to stand in the driveway to inflate it and that's when I got the sunburn. For some reason I am infinitely better at applying sunscreen to the children then to myself. I've switched sunscreen brands, I could tell you a whole uninteresting sunscreen story but I won't, suffice it to say today I have a wicked sunburn and a bit of a headache and am hiding in the air conditioned basement...but you know what? My kid got to splash and squirt and play and eat ice cream with a friend yesterday. And if these times have taught me anything it's that I have to appreciate really really small things. I sit in wonder now and think about the small adventures I've been on and the things I've gotten to experience. Now that we can't go anywhere or do anything I can think back to when times were better when I did grab an affordable plane ticket to London and crashed at a friend's house in Wales because I could. And once my husband and I did drive Route 66 because it's there. And last year at this time the kids and I were on an adventure to find as many library branches of our local library system as we could and visit them because why not? It's not the adventures you have. It's the fact that you tried something, did something, and the people you shared it with and laughed with over saggy swimming pools and melty ice cream sandwiches. Because one day at a time we really are surviving this very long summer. Sunburns, face masks, and all.
Media consumption: still working on The Left Hand of Darkness. It isn't bad, just slow.
Today I'm grateful for the air conditioned basement, solving my sunscreen and skin issues, clean laundry and bedsheets. Max building with Duplo, James being James, health, safety, ice cream, and good friends.
I also need to bake a pie. I have berries in the fridge that won't last I want to make them into pie. But I don't want to work that hard nor do I want to turn the oven on. This is an issue.
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