This was not a good week for me holding my shit together. But moving on.
I had enrolled the 8 year old in an online drawing class – I was hoping to get her some more interaction, and I think she enjoyed, but it meant that we didn’t get as much outdoor time as we usually do, and I think tempers were somewhat frayed because of that. I’m still trying to figure out what is the right balance of outdoor time and interactive computer time.
We finished up the tie dye projects from last week. The bight starbursts and spirals of colour really made me happy as they sat on the drying rack. The blue dye was more potent than I thought and it took four wash cycles to get to a place where the shirts did not bleed in the wash.
Our adventure this week was to the zoo. A lot of the buildings were closed so that social distancing could be maintained, but there was still lions, tigers, and elephants to be seen and ice cream to be eaten. I don’t know that I would feel comfortable going again; people were really good about wearing masks, but I would have preferred more distancing. I keep optimistically taking the kids to places that have opened with precautions in place, but then realizing that the variety in people’s risk tolerance does not really put me at ease.
I watched the Met’s beautiful production of Eugene Onegin starring Anna Netrebko. For once, I watched it on our tv rather than on my computer or iPad. There is so much opera content out there right now. I want to take advantage of the chance to see these operas, but I also want to remember to really watch and not just view. Hopefully being more choosy as to what I watch and watching it in a focused way will help towards that.
(Incidentally, it was a double Netrebko week – for Friday movie night, we watched the Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, in which I was surprised and delighted when she made a brief appearance as “Opera Singer Anna.” The eight year old was really excited to hear opera in a movie. More so when she could identify it – “That’s La Traviata!” she shouted, as if it were trivia night. )
The 3 year old needed new shoes; his old shoes had holes in the toes. We made an appointment for our local kids’ shoe store and had a trip there. He chose some bright pink shoes. I appreciated how the lady at the store who fitted him did not bat an eye or try to steer him towards the rack of blue and green shoes. He is now a 10 extra wide. I asked about shoes for the just walking baby and our salesperson said that they weren’t necessary until cooler weather.
The Democratic National Convention was this week- a strange, slick affair of speeches and effusive partisan love. It was odd to listen to these rousing speeches devoid of audience applause or reaction; a certain momentum seemed lost to me. I was reminded anew about what a powerful and heartfelt orator Barack Obama was, and how inspiring he could be. The vitriol in his speech was a little surprising, but perhaps shouldn’t have be, given the occasion.
For me the most meaningful aspect of the Democratic ticket right now is Kamala Harris. More and more this year, I’ve come to see that representation in the mainstream matters. Everyone talks about Kamala Harris being Black, but I think it is equally important to recognize that she is half Asian. Part of the story that we were traditionally told about being the “model minority” was about being quiet and assimilating, being invisible even. I am recognizing, however, that the model minority trope is unfair and oppressive, and in fact hurts true diversity.
When the people that are seen in positions of leadership are all white and male, it is easy to think that is just how things are. Regardless of what I think of Harris’ past performance and policies, to see a Vice Presidential candidate that is from the same continent as my parents is amazing and can’t be taken for granted. When she was nominated as Biden’s pick for running mate, I almost cried as I stood in the kitchen listening to the news.
Here is what we ate this past week:
Saturday – Zucchini boats (using up leftover filling from last week’s zucchini boats)
Sunday – Shrimp and Broccoli Pad Thai from Dinner Illustrated. This was really really tasty. It was a lighter, tastier version than take out.
Monday – Salmon Tacos with Cabbage Mango Slaw
Tuesday – Stir fry (Eggplant, green beans, peppers)
Wednesday – Broccoli Quiche and Salad. Quiche made ahead of time, before we went to the zoo. Quiche is actually a pretty regular easy meal for us – I make a big batch of pie dough and freeze it, so all that I have to do is saute vegetables, blend milk (or buttermilk), eggs, flour, garlic, herbs together with shredded cheese. Put it all into the pie crust and bake. It feels fancier than it really is. Also great for using up bits of veggies in the fridge.
Thursday – Ginger Catfish, made by husband. Really tasty