Mornin’ friends. How goes your Monday so far? I know, it’s just getting started. We had a low-key weekend; it was nice. On Saturday, Steve thought it would be fun to do a hiking double-header of sorts. We drove out to Rust Nature Preserve for the first hike; it got off to an auspicious start when we saw a gorgeous fox out the car windows as we drove in. We had a lovely stroll through the nature preserve and ate a picnic lunch when we finished – the perks of living in Virginia; sitting down for an outdoor lunch (with parkas on, of course) is doable even in early March. And then we headed off to Beaverdam Reservoir for our second hike of the day… which was immediately scuttled when Nugget jumped off a boulder into a large puddle (despite being repeatedly warned off of said puddle) and got himself soaked from the waist down. We headed home and made up for it with a walk through the neighborhood park after we’d gotten him into dry clothes, but – sheesh. This is why I can’t have nice things.

Sunday was an even quieter day. We hit the trails again in the morning – just our local favorite, Riverbend Park – and then headed home to feed the kiddos lunch and have a FaceTime date with Grandma. After FaceTime I got the kids out of Steve’s hair for a few hours, taking them off to the playground. They ran around and played “escape artists” with a gaggle of other kids, and I sat on a bench in the sunlight and read my book. Headed home at 5:00 and slapped a quick breakfast-for-dinner on the table, then ended the weekend with a book, a candle, and an early bedtime. Not too shabby.

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Reading. It’s been a good reading week! I spent most of last week completely engrossed in Vere Hodgson’s Blitz diary, Few Eggs and No Oranges. Totally fascinating and absorbing. Finished it up on Thursday (or Friday? can’t recall) and picked up Black Narcissus, a vaguely unsettling, atmospheric story of a convent of nuns that sets up shop in a mountaintop palace. It was both gorgeously written and quite eerie – and a good read for this time of year, since so much of the action takes place during Lent and around Easter. I finished it up on Sunday evening and immediately turned to The House of Mirth, which I’ve been meaning to read for so long. I love Edith Wharton and have been saving this one – but I have in my head that I might finally make it to The Mount, Wharton’s estate in Lenox, Massachusetts, this summer when I visit my parents, and I absolutely have to have read The House of Mirth before I do. I’m loving it so far, but it’s too soon to tell whether it will supplant The Age of Innocence as my favorite Wharton.

Watching. Well, we had a moment of parental indecision about what to watch for “family TV time” this week, and Nugget stepped into the breach and insisted on Alaska’s Grizzly Gauntlet on Disney+ NatGeo. It’s a beautifully shot show, and I am soaking in all the gorgeous footage of scenery and wildlife in Alaska, although I could do with less animal scat and half-eaten salmon. We have half an episode left and then the little dude will probably capitalize on the fact that it’s his birthday week to insist that we start over and watch the entire show again. Other than that – I did sneak in a few episodes of Miranda Mills’ BookTube – even on the “big TV” on Sunday morning when no one else was using it. (I wasn’t really in the mood for television at the time, but it’s so rare that I get the remote that I felt I had to take advantage of the opportunity.)

Listening. More podcasts this week, mostly The Mom Hour. Highlight of the week was the validating episode on getting through the rest of the school year – encouraging listeners not to worry about kids falling behind academically this year, host Sarah reassures: if your kids have food to eat, a safe place to sleep, and the security of love, you’re doing just fine.

Making. Ummmm… not sure I made anything last week, except for the standard work product. I guess – the beginnings of some plans? Steve and I started some very preliminary conversations about traveling to Europe with the kids, but that’s a few years away. 2023 is looking good? Hopefully COVID will be over, and the kids will be able to use booster seats in the car – making rentals easier. We have a big international trip, sans kiddos, coming up before then… but planning and dreaming is always fun.

Moving. It was a big week for foot traffic. Looking for sunshine and fresh air, I logged multiple runs and neighborhood walks, and the standard two hikes over the weekend. I need to get back in the habit of strength training regularly, so maybe that’s for this week.

Blogging. Just some silliness for you this week. More “tales from the exurbs” on Wednesday, and an update on library shenanigans on Friday. Check in with me then!

Loving. So, I told you I would report back on the hand cream I ordered from Beautycounter (it’s this one). Update: I love it. It’s as light and smooth – but effective – as the gift set I received from my friend Samantha, and the bright citrusy scent is delicious. At $30 it’s a little spendy, but the bottle is huge (for hand cream) so I’m expecting it to last a long time. It’s definitely helping with my scaly late-winter skin, and it doesn’t burn either. Go get you some.

Asking. What are you reading this week?