The week has been like many others of the past year: somehow so busy yet so boring at the same time. We got a glimmer of hope in the news hearing that Disneyland and baseball stadiums would be allowed to open in April, as long as the numbers stay low. While they’d only be allowed to open on a very small scale — and it will probably be near impossible to get tix for the first little while — it feels like a step in the right direction. But it also brings up some weird anxiety about the return to normalcy. It’s everything we’ve been wanting and yet there are some reservations and fears. I’m sure a true sense of normal is a long way off, but I can’t help but wonder what it means for us? I think my re-entry (as my SIL puts it) might be a bit bumpy.

Wearing

My new-to-me trail runners! They haven’t seen any actual running, but maybe someday. It was after a particularly difficult hike with Stevie that I decided it was time to get some shoes with tread — for both our sakes. We each did some significant sliding down the side of a mountain (with the dirty bums to prove it) and at least 4 people stopped to tell me “you really need the right shoes for this”. No shit, I thought, waving goodbye as I was surely about to flail to my demise. Thanks!

Upon our survival, the hunt for shoes began. My first instinct was to find hiking boots because… well, that’s what hikers wear. But man, are those things ugly. I should also note, I already own ugly hiking boots for fashion’s sake. Looks aside, I decided I wanted something a little more flexible and low profile. Maybe a little less overkill, considering most of the hikes we have been doing are really just walks on dirt. To strike a mix of cool and functional and works with leggings, I found a few options I liked and then started reading the reviews. I finally settled on the Nike’s and, after a quick search on Poshmark, found just what I wanted. I absolutely love them!

The sizing for Nike can be a little tricky. In almost every other brand I’m a solid 9.5. But Nikes run about 1/2 size small, so I’m always a 10 in their sneakers. I figured since these would see some major walking, I could size up another 1/2 size to leave a little extra room for my toes to expand and be comfy. So I ended up in the 10.5, a full size up, and they are so dang comfortable, right out the gate. No break in time whatsoever. The backs are flexible as to allow for movement, but hug your heels to keep rocks out of your shoes. And most importantly, they work really well to keep me upright and not slipping around.

There was some trial and error finding Stevie the right shoes. He has double-wide feet and not many brands make trail shoes for kids in an extra wide. The New Balance sneakers he currently wears are a size 6 XW and after a few orders and returns, we settled on these Merrell’s in a size 7W. They’ve been a total life saver and no complaints from the master of complaining. A great sign.

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Eating

This honey garlic chicken was a no-fail instant pot recipe that my family loved. Stevie asked for it again the next 3 days in a row! I probably would’ve made it too, but we were out of chicken. There was also a day where I needed to use up some sweet potatoes, and this taco recipe was a big hit. I’d eat it as a bowl with no tortilla too, if it came down to it. Yum.

Unlearning

I have to be honest — I don’t totally get all the hubbub surrounding the recent Dr. Seuss book news. There’s lots of screaming online about cancel culture and book banning. But I don’t think a company deciding on it’s own accord to stop publishing books that are harmful to certain groups of people is any of those things. At all. But (!!) feelings are feelings and I do understand feeling all of them. If this is something you find yourself upset about, I just wanted to share this video to offer another perspective.

Going

I loved this hike so much, I did it twice! It’s a nice wide trail, everyone was masked, and we were rewarded with some beautiful views of the city. Even if you don’t go all the way to the observatory, there’s a great lookout point to see. To make the hike a little longer, you can start pretty much anywhere on Ferndell Drive — IF you can find parking on the street. If not, go to the main parking lot and start your hike there. There are many directions you can go and different trails to take, but we just followed the signs. To add a bit of joy for your ears, I would recommend downloading the Ellen Reid Soundwalk App. I’m definitely looking forward to trying more of the Soundwalks (maybe even a couple by myself so I can actually listen to the music).

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Remembering

Can we have a moment of silence for the shrimpy little body Stevie was in when he started his first day of preschool EIGHT years ago?? Who is cutting onions up in here?! Gah, he’s just so bitty and cute. I remember that day so well, and all the decisions leading up to it. How badly I wanted him to do well and gain more social skills. Little did I know he would turn out to be the ultimate extrovert and didn’t need much help in that area!

Hope you all have a great week. How are you feeling about a return to normalcy, so to speak?

loves,
jaana