Covid Bah Humbugs

 I am just so SAD about the new COVID developments. I HATE that this new variant is so contagious and also transmitted by vaccinated people. I CRINGE when I hear "the pandemic of the unvaccinated" because three of my KIDS are unvaccinated. The TRAGIC misinformation! The TERRIBLE state legislative decisions all over the country motived by politics not public health! It all seems like too much. I mean, in retrospect, we should have sent the kids to school last year because IT WAS PROBABLY SAFER. But we did not, and now they need to go back, so it's not even a question.

I just ordered personalized face masks for Minnie's outdoor birthday party which we hope doesn't get cancelled by a surge. Very depressing. Even more depressing after a few months of --dare I say --normalcy.

In other totally unrelated news, we FINALLY replaced the rest of our main floor light fixtures and I love the results

Thanks to Maya, I am loving this really heavy essay about climate grief-- give yourself the gift of tuning out the world ending re: disease and instead think about it ending re: fire, floods, starvation, etc. (And probably also disease because once that tundra melts, WHO KNOWS WHAT OLD DEAD VIRUSES AND BACTERIA ARE LURKING.

A bit of a phase

Minnie has once again started looking at us like we have pooped our pants in public, which used to be her default expression. I freaking love it.

But when she sees a camera, she will ALWAYS smile for a selfie, goofy little teeth and all.

Minnie is having a bit of an all mom all the time moment. She is waking up before 6 am, and then she wants to just sort of hug me or grab my legs ALL THE TIME unless we are walking or she is taking her afternoon nap. It is lovely but also a lot.

She will tolerate the Ergo but only a little bit. She would prefer to be slung on my hip, and if she could have a hand on my face or even in my mouth, that's best.

Good thing she's so sweet and also that I am so emotional about her birthday coming up. I have no choice but to savor having a baby in the house.

 

RECORD BREAKERS!

 OH MY GOSH!

Yesterday, Jack competed at All-City dive, and today was Cooper's age group. BUT. Before I tell you about that, let's back it up to last Friday night, the boys' last home dive meet of the season. And what a season it has been! Several times, both boys came home with blue ribbons, and Jack! Won every single dual meet of the summer, which was amazing and one of his lofty summer dive goals.

Another lofty summer dive goal? To shatter the boys' 13-14 y/o record at the pool, meaning he will get his name on the leaderboard that hangs up all season long. HE DID IT!

He got a 173.4, and the previous record was a 168.

Doing it on his home boards was especially sweet for Jack, as he also won his 6/6 meet, and got to pose with his little brother for another double blue ribbon photo

Jack's other lofty summer dive goal was to be on the podium at the All-City meet, meaning he had to make it past prelims and into finals and place in the top 7 in the city.

And he did that too!

He was actually 9th going into the final, but he saved his big dives for the end and moved up two spots to finish 7th for the tournament. He dove beautifully the whole time, earning nothing lower than a 5 in prelims.

What an amazing season!

Today was Cooper's turn to compete at All-City. He got off to a rocky start with a back dive that scored 4's, and it looked like he might not advance out of prelims. His next dive, though, was a 1 1/2 pike somersault, and he got 7.5's on it-- which is a pretty crazy score for a kid his age. Cooper was in third place going into the finals, and he ended up finishing 5th in the city, exceeding his wildest expectations.

But the most awesomely unexpected and amazing thing was that his score of 133.70 (on 5 dives-- the older kids compete with 6, which is why they have such high scores) broke the under 10 pool record of 133.05, meaning we will have TWO KIDDOS on the pool leaderboard next year. We are so proud and excited!!

Fave pics of little miss Minnie-- as if EVERY post isn't that already

 I have big swim and dive related news which you have probably seen on my Instagram, BUT, for some reason, I cannot get my pictures to sync unless I plug my phone in (and that takes a stupid adapter because I only have USB-c ports, and OMFG).

So, anyway. My 2 fave pictures of Minnie:

Literally HATES the grass. HATES IT. I just adore the way she has a leg off the ground and her toes so curled up. She alternates which leg she raises.

And this one! She likes doing WHATEVER the other kids are doing, and it is precious. She was just delighted to pull her high chair over to the island and eat pancakes with them. Even though theirs were buttermilk chocolate chip and hers were baby pancakes I make with a mashed banana, an egg, 2 TBSP of flour, and some cinnamon.

SUMMER DAZE

We are in the thick of the summer and loving every second of it. Swim and dive is over after next week, and we will sort of be at loose ends. Well, I will be. Ben has done more than his share of swim team taxi service, though, so he is looking forward to the extra free time.

In addition to swim, dive,  and baseball tournaments, we have been enjoying:

Lots of ice cream runs

(oh by the way THIS SHIRT-- I liked it so much I bought one for Ben)

Pool days-- lots of them

THIS SWIMSUIT!

Harry LOVES it when I take his photo at work

Water ballet!

Dorothy is having a dance summer and is LOVING IT

She even comes home from class and practices on the TV

Look at her tan baby legs-- not something you see every day.

... Aaaand we're back to pool days.

Today was the last time we could swim in the morning. From now on, noon is the earliest the pool opens, but don't worry. I am sure we'll find plenty to do.
 

Ugh. I missed an orthodontist appointment for Dorothy today and it made me realize that I do not have my shit together when it comes to orientation to dates and time. And plus also, I have too many balls in the air right now. It's almost FALL and going to the OFFICE time again, which means more balls. WHICH MEANS: time to get it together.

Today while Dorothy was at dance class (she is trying out for the dance team and now has FIVE CLASSES A WEEK until the end of summer), I spent an hour with my calendar and my planner, and I think I have a better idea of what is happening when. Also, I realized that I need to spend time with my planner AND digital calendar every night. Probably I should spend like 45 minutes with my computer after Minnie goes to bed-- something I am loathe to do-- because I get so little thinking time throughout the day.

Something else that is helping me: Lunchtime acupuncture:

Minnie explored her first blanket fort

She also loves to throw anything she can reach out the fridge-- so helpful

Ben is such a Harry Potter fan that he wears Harry Potter glasses while he reads to the kids.

 

Water ballet

 At the beginning of the summer, the water ballet show seemed SO FAR AWAY. But! It was tonight! And the summer is ALMOST OVER (not really-- I think we still have more in front of us than behind us, but it goes so fast from here).

Dorothy made me email the pool manger before the pool even opened because she could not live with the suspense of not knowing if water ballet was back or not. She missed it terribly last summer. Tonight was as fun as she thought it would be with an adorable costume, lots of makeup, cookies, and her friends.

Talking Minnie

The baby books (the google more like it) say Minnie should be able to follow simple directions like going to get her shoes when it is time to leave the house. THIS IS FALSE because we never leave the house and also SHE HAS NOT SHOES because she cannot walk and doesn't go anywhere.

But! She can follow the direction "brush your hair" and is very serious and handsome with her combover.

SHE IS BEN'S TWIN BABY.

I just loved this little scene. And think how great it would be NOT IN MY BATHROOM BUT IN THEIR OWN GD BATHROOM that no one uses.

Rabble rouser

All ready for school in end times. She insisted on shopping at Pottery Barn Teen because PB Kids is for babies.

Best sportsball mom shirt ever, I think we can all agree.

Dinner date with Jack! He picked the place and was totally cool with a SIXTY MINUTE WAIT for a patio table. I was ready to eat my own face.

He was SO ANNOYED when the waitress gave him a kid menu, but I immediately colored it.

And then he did the word search.

It was a little humid.

SO DELISH.

LOL at her little FACE. We went to the pool before nap, and she was READY FOR NAP

Last night, Jack and I got home a little late because we also went to the mall, and Minnie grabbed my face so I would look at her and rubbed her eyes and told me very clearly ALL DONE. She meant all done being awake, and it was darling.

Other things she says at 11 months:

Mama (not often)

Dada (all the gd time)

Dorothy

doggy (sounds like Dorothy; context is key)

Jack

hi 

yeah

up

nigh nigh (naps and also milk)

nanananana (no)

mine

more

I-did-it (all one word)

one (accompanied by one finger)

yum

all done

eye

hair

She is starting to put things together like "hi doggy" or "more yum." It's basically the cutest thing ever.