Quarantine Journals - More Birthdays

Today was just pretty low-key around here.  Oliver seemed exhausted lately, and it's been so hot that I didn't really push them to get outside in the morning. I just let them kind of play around the living room together for a while while I tidied up in the kitchen, water the indoor garden, and helped our next-door neighbor get their air-conditioning squared away. I don't remember if I mentioned that a transformer blew in the alley yesterday while we were in the pool, and then for about half an hour air-conditioning wouldn't cool. But we turned the unit off, and then flipped the breaker at the control panel for the air-conditioning, and the AC came back on.  Then I heard from the elderly man next-door that his air-conditioning wasn't working, so I suggested he try the same thing, and it worked! I had also posted on Nextdoor about the issue, so I went back to let them know how we had resolved it, and then ended up helping several people over there as well. I don't really understand WHY it worked, but I'm just glad that it did.

So, after a morning of doing errands and buzzing around, I ended up scooping up all of her to take a nap, and afterwords the kids played in the living room while Richard made my yummy vegan Alfredo pasta.  I had told them that we would go outside before I realized that he was almost finished. So, after we ate, we took the kids outside for a walk. The sun is gone down, and there was a nice breeze, so it didn't seem nearly as hot as it was. Everybody enjoyed the walk. It's been a while since I've taken one, or any of us really, because it's been so hot. But, the three of them to take a bike ride first thing this morning, and they said the weather was nice then too.

That's about it. My dad is Throwing shade at me because we are coming over on Sunday finally, but he wants us to stay for multiple nights. I understand that he's excited about us being there and doesn't want us to turn around and leave immediately, but Richard Hass to work, and it is a difficult thing to coordinate taking the kids and dog out there, worrying about meals and everything for several days.  I guess if we were OK with doing takeout, it wouldn't be so scary. But we haven't been. And so my dad sent me an email today suggesting that I bring the kids out by myself on Friday, and then Richard can just join us for the day on Sunday. And honestly it just lit a rage fuse inside of me. It's such a casual, nonchalant suggestion for something that would be so incredibly exhausting and difficult to do on my own.  I don't wanna be responsible for feeding the whole house three times a day for multiple days, nor do I want to be responsible for doing both bedtimes every night for several nights by myself. It's enough that I'm the primary parent for six days a week, only getting a break after 11:30 PM when I just can't sleep. I'm not interested in going out there where he doesn't feel well enough to help me, and I will be responsible for taking care of the kids by myself the entire time and a house that isn't child proofed and has no toys. They're gonna want to be in the pool the whole time, and I do not have the energy level to pull this off.  The suggestion just seems entirely oblivious to the kind of world that we've been living in in the pandemic over here, and just oblivious to the kind of world you live in when you have a very active three-year-old. And I haven't responded to him yet, I just haven't found the kind words to tell him that what he's asking me isn't really fair or reasonable.

For Gilberto's 92nd birthday today, I had a local shop deliver a tin of mixed nuts, and several bags of chocolate covered nuts to their doorstep. It was risky given the fact that it's 100° outside and it's chocolate, but they packed it really well with a ton of ice and it only took one day to get there. Everything arrived in perfect condition. Then, later that afternoon, we called him on FaceTime and we all had our own little birthday props. We sang happy birthday to him and cheered, and I think he really enjoyed it.  Oliver certainly did. Afterwards, he said "that was so fun! I love great granddad!"  I wish I had thought to take a screenshot, but Richard was in the driver seat on that one.

That's really yet for me today. We have our first pea on our sugar snap pea plants, and multiple peppers and tomatoes sprouting.