Mommy's Blog: Day 145: Ready set go!

I write to you from the last official day of summer vacation. Tomorrow is our first teacher work day (despite the work days that I've already done!) and its time to readjust to the way my life works with 8-10 hours a day at school. Sigh. Its so hard to make this transition right now, at the peak of August glory, flowers blooming and sun blazing and summertime still calling to my soul. I'm hopeful, though, that I can hold on to a little bit of summer with my new schedule. I am going to try my best to be home by 3 each day so that if we want to beach, bike ride, walk-- there will be time! And there's this part of me that doesn't really feel like school is starting, with this whole virtual thing. I know I have to report to the building-- but then I am going to just be alone and on my computer. The not-normal of all this is much more apparent right now. A great deal of our vacation (Farley's especially!) was pretty much the same as always. Now we are running right up against the reality of our pandemic life. I'm the first one to transition, then Nat starts teaching the following week, then the kids "go back to school" (AKA start getting up before noon and not spending 10 hours a day watching youtube. We hope).

So! Here we go! I'll be meal prepping and laying out clothes tonight and trying to get myself pysched up for the start of this strange, new year. There is celebration and anticipation still, even in this sideways world.

Here's what we've been up to over the last week. (I'll give you a hint-- we've been soaking up the sun by the water, our favorite thing....)

Euclid Creek is becoming one of our favorite places. It's like having a private pool with fantastic, fairytake landscaping... just a 15 minute drive and a short hike away.

Without having to go in to work early this past week, we resumed our "coffee on the porch" mornings. I'm usually cooling off from a run, and often have an animal or two in my lap. Vacation mornings are the best.

Mentor Headlands with friends. Out of control waves and super happy children.

Sure do love these people. It was wonderful to sit and chat with friends and watch our tribe of beloved (not so) little ones play together. A gift.

Creek walking again! Our friends introduced us to Jackson field on the Chagrin River.

I'm just in love with little Ava, my friend's daughter who takes the world by storm. Can you see the way she stomps with certainty through the river. She caught frogs the whole time.

We found clay! Always a winner. And a nice deep swimming hole.

Ivy got to help dress and hold our friend's new baby. Love love love. Both kids enjoyed playing with the little ones and were talking excitedly of their future babysitting careers on the way home. I really hope we can convince Jack to do it (once we're out of quaratine). He really is so sweet with little ones.

Morning view at Forest Hill.

On a crazy-hot Thursday, we decided we should visit Stan Hywet. It was stunningly beautiful and exhaustingly hot. The kids decided it was pretty much a death march. But Nat and I enjoyed ourselves immensely and decided a date-day is in order in the next month or two, so we can tour the re-opened manor house and enjoy a drink on the patio without having to forcibly drag our children through the experience. We did discover an area we'd never seen before! These lovely bridges, and an old tennis court, down by the lagoons. Always something wonderful to discover at this place.

This picture not only sums up the children's opinion of our day, but maybe all of 2020 so far.

Or maybe this one.

Beach morning at Rocky River park with my mom,, one of her friends, and excited, swimming spaniels.

Friday night's outing was the Asian Lantern Fest at the zoo. It was fabulous, but much more crowded than I'd anticipated (so much for "Limiting" ticket sales!). We had to be masked the whole time and constantly scanning for 6 foot distance, which was tiring. But the high points made it worth it for me: A terrific live show with contortionists and acrobats, amazing lights, a few really fantastic animal views, and Jack's joy at rediscovering his love for dinosaurs as he reminisced in the "Dinos Alive" exhibit.

The elephants were putting on a show. I think they liked the loud Asian music blaring from the speakers around their enclosure.

No snow leopards (the kids remember clearly two years ago when we got to meet the snow leopard babies at the Lantern Fest -- pretty much the high point of that night!) but this guy was awake and active and working on a hairball for a while.

The tiger though! In this photo he is walking RIGHT toward us. Roaring. Worth the price of admission right there.

My favorite light display, I think. Maybe a tie between this and the "under the sea" pathway....

Live theater! Its been a long time since we went to a show. We loved these acrobats!

Look at all those PEOPLE. It was crazy to be around so many strangers. Most people were pretty good about masks and making SOME attempts at distancing, so I think we were ok.

I would like these fiber optic jelly fish light in my house, please.

This is the face of a boy remembering how BIG the dinosaurs seemed when he was little, and how much he loved the one that spit water, and wondering if there was still a T-Rex.... So cute. See, there IS life beyond Fortnite, my son.

This weekend has been quiet. All of our friends have been busy, or not feeling well, or still isolating carefully, so we could not even approximate our usual tradition of an end-of-summer gathering. The weather has been lovely though, so a return trip to Euclid Creek and a perfect sunset evening at E. 55th marina with my honey sufficed nicely.

Got me an expensive new cordless vaccuum because I am at the point of my life where I will pay for convenience. Alos got the cat a new box to play in, it turns out.

The Marina was stunning on Saturday night. Beautiful family gatherings in the sunshine, a packed- yet-distanced patio, yummy cheap cocktails, soft breeze, stunning sunset.