It's good to remind myself which day of the week this is because our schedule is a little wacko right now, with two kids down with the virus and the rest continuing to test negative. Let me amend that: it's really not correct to say the kids are "down" with something, because they are as rambunctious as any nearly eight month old guy who loves to practice pushing a walker, or a three and a half year old who has been quarantining too long (in his judgment) at home. So, both boys are very much upright, but still, of course, waiting out their period of isolation.
Today is one of those days where winter turns suddenly mild. It wont last, but we are above freezing for the first time in a very long time and so the ski trail conditions are yukky. We need more snow! But, the air outside is lovely and gentle and mild. Good day to scrape off icy patches on the walkway to the house. After breakfast.
Because I am still being cautious, I will be picking up Snowdrop from school (wearing my best mask!), but we won't come to the farmhouse. Instead, we'll do an outdoor activity of her choice. To spice up our outdoor picnic, I bake one of her favorites (and mine too!) -- the World's Best Blueberry Muffins.
I am more prepared for an outdoor adventure today. Yes, I pack the fruits, the muffin, the chips she loves, the hot cocoa with marshmallows (she eats them separately). And the extra mittens and socks. But I also do a search of our city's skating rinks so we don't waste time driving around. And lo! I find one just a couple of minutes up the road from her school (and therefore an equally short distance away from her house).
It's a neighborhood rink, maintained by volunteers and it is absolutely perfect. Not too many bumps and cracks, not too slick.
But really, it is the weather that has given us this wonderful gift of a glorious day. Oh, I remember when a high of 38F (3C) would have caused me to make funny shivering noises. But after a period of Arctic air, it is a true gift.
Snowdrop makes tremendous progress on this second day of skating for her. Whereas yesterday she could not stand up at all on the ice, by the end of today, we were skating holding only one hand.
And I thought -- wow, sometimes there is a silver lining to the big mess you find yourself in. If we had kept to our regular schedule, she would not choose to skate right after school. She would always choose farmhouse first. By the time she is ready to be out again, it's late and dark and colder than cold. But because we were obliged to stay outside, we skated.
And it was grand.
Hot chocolate...
She noted that we were close to one of her favorite neighborhood playgrounds and so we went there as well.
We aren't fully out of the woods yet. The infection could still spread within the family. That would be messy: isolation would then be extended for everyone. But why look for the worst case events when you are handed this beautiful day. Despite everything, a really beautiful day.
