Monday - 87th

For future reference -- going to a popular county park on a Monday morning, even in beautiful summer-like weather -- is going to buy you a lot of open space and privacy. Social distancing made easy!

So this was our plan: we do our various chores and child duties and house tasks early (for me -- animal feeding and flower watering)...






We eat our respective breakfasts (for me -- on the porch, with Ed)...






... and then we drive over to Indian Lake Park. All the kids and most of the parents and me, split between two cars.

The kids are more than ready to go!






And yes, it is going to be a hot day.











You can feel it. It's palpable.






But too, it's a beautiful day to be out hiking!






So much to see! The first monarch butterfly. Daisies growing in the prairie. A frog crossing our path. A bird coming in for a landing in her birdhouse. It can boggle a young mind!


(Young minds plus one older one)






We pause for a snack.






Then we're on the move again. Up and down, past prairies and forests, with the ever present song of the many birds that share this open space with us.











And now we split up. Sparrow returns to his home with mommy to nap there. The younger family comes to the farmhouse. Snowdrop opts to come too. She's looking for some quiet farmhouse play while her cousin naps.

But first, lunch.






Eventually, while Primrose still sleeps, I join my daughter on the porch for a lazy chat about everything and nothing. The kind that I love so totally, with either daughter, or both daughters, and now especially with my Chicago daughter. Snowdrop meanders over to the porch as well and we all take out some markers and draw together. Despite the sticky heat. These two girls are the dedicated artists of the family -- they love drawing and they're good at it!
















And the loveliness of the day doesn't end there. When Primrose wakes up, we all drive over to my older girl's home. I bring food that we had planned on eating here, but then changed our minds. So, food, kids, grownups -- all packed into cars and we're off.


We are all still isolating. No contacts with anyone, no store shopping, all working at home, kids playing at home. But this week doesn't feel very isolating at all. It feels hugely beautiful because we are together.






And the kids play and we eat.


 


All things done in every country, in every community: eat, play, work. But oh how utterly sublime to be able, for this short period of time, to do it together.

We are not living a normal life right now. Nothing about washing groceries and moving away from people you may be passing is normal. Watching the dramatic events unfold in communities around the world is not normal. Still, on the home front, this day, this week are, for me, pure magic.





Yep. Pure magic.