Good morning, all – how is your week looking? I have a busy one on the docket, as usual – or maybe even busier than usual; I’m not sure how I’m going to get it all done. I will, though, somehow I always do. In the meantime, looking back on a gorgeous bluebird weekend will get me through. It was Nugget’s birthday weekend, so he got to choose the activities (mostly), and the universe sent him the gift of glorious early spring weather. On Saturday, Nugget wanted an epic hike: to start at Riverbend, hike downriver all the way to the neighboring Great Falls Park, have a picnic, and then hike back. Considering we usually only make it halfway from Riverbend to Great Falls, this was ambitious indeed – but we did it! And then because he inherited my energy levels, no sooner had we returned home than he and I loaded up in the car again, drove to Arlington, and had a four hour-long outdoor playdate with his best bud, D, and D’s intrepid little sister.

Sunday was slightly less active. Both of the kids were fighting off something of a spring forward hangover, and nobody was interested in doing anything especially outlandish. I took the kids to the playground briefly, but we left because roving bands of (unmasked!) boys were stirring up trouble – really uncool, since the playground was Nugget’s one request for his birthday Sunday. I felt bad for the guy, but we weren’t going to hang around with a bunch of jerks looking to start fights and not even wearing masks. We spent the rest of the day knocking around the house. Nugget dug in the sandbox, I sat in the sun and read (and tried to fend off Sunday Scaries), Peanut scattered crocus petals all over the garden walk, and Steve played video games. The kids were zonked on Sunday night – I was, too. And now it’s off to the races…

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Reading. Although the above makes it look like an ordinary, active reading week, last week was actually kind of slow on the book front. I spent most of the week over The House of Mirth, which was absolutely wonderful and which I loved – but which moved slowly through no fault of its own. Just one of those weeks. I finally finished it up on Sunday afternoon, and spent the rest of the afternoon and the early evening with Cheerful Weather for the Wedding, a Bloomsbury novella that takes place on March 5, so it was fun to pick it up in the same month if not the precise day. Finally, ended Sunday evening with The Splendid and the Vile – so excited! I’ve been wanting to read this one since it was announced, long before publication, but my place in the library queue was interrupted when I moved to a neighboring county and a new library system. It’s a tome, and I have a busy week ahead, so I’m guessing it will take me the full week to get through, but I already know I’m going to love it. I have adored everything I’ve read by Erik Larson (and am already planning a dive into the few backlist titles I’ve not yet picked up, in order to tide me over before his next book).

Watching. So much to report this week! Two episodes of The Crown – so, so gorgeously filmed. (But I agree with the Fug Girls – what the what, Peter Morgan, skipping Anne foiling her own kidnapping? Isn’t that the whole point of the 1970s?) The highlight of the week, though, was finally sitting down to watch disneynature: Penguin. OMG, y’all. It was hilarious, adorable, beautifully filmed – we all loved it, and have been walking around quoting it for days. “I just got beat up by a baby.” I could watch it every day.

Listening. More podcasts – the usual suspects, some Mom Hour, some Sorta Awesome, some Mother Runner Podcast. And music, while driving little Nugget to and from a playdate in Arlington; he prefers music to podcasts, fair enough. We listened to some New Pornographers (which I call “Carl Newman,” after the lead singer, when referring to the band in front of the kids) and some R.E.M.

Making. A lot of work product last week, and therefore a lot of deep breaths. Some tentative plans and some reshuffled plans. Salmon with tomatoes and capers, again. And most importantly, a birthday cake (funfetti, from a box, but it was good) for the little dude.

Moving. Hmmmm. Well, it was one of those “functional fitness” weeks, I guess. I did lots of moving, it just wasn’t very formal. Lots of walking and hiking, lots of cleaning and carrying children around. Not a lot of running or strength training.

Blogging. Reflections on one year since the COVID-19 shutdowns on Wednesday; not sure I really have anything new to say, but I suppose I’ll find out. And introducing a new project on Friday – check in with me then!

Loving. I mentioned this up above, but GUYS. I can’t recommend Penguin highly enough! We were trying to figure out what it is: is it documentary, is it fiction, what? It’s sort of a combination. The premise is that a disneynature film crew follows one year in the life of an Adelie penguin colony, through the experience of one particular penguin, Steve. You watch as Steve reunites with the colony, builds a nest (and defends his nest from rock-stealing neighbors), finds a lady penguin, raises chicks, and encounters orcas and leopard seals. Throughout the film, the narrator switches back and forth from describing the action in a very factual way, to giving Steve’s inner monologue, which is absolutely hilarious. “So peaceful,” Steve muses as deadly orcas surface right behind him. “I could build a tree fort!” he considers excitedly, contemplating parenthood. I won’t say more, because I don’t want to ruin it. Just this – go watch it!

Asking. What are you reading this week?