June Happenings

Next to being a bit out and about (which we have reduced again due an increasing amount of new Covid cases locally as well as nationwide), we also had fun and found things do in and around the house. For starters, Elliot lost 2 front teeth within a couple of weeks. Look at this toothless smile:

It was so hot and humid the first week of June, that we put up our little pool in the backyard and cooled off. Even I got in after my morning run on a Sunday. 

The kitten also settled in nicely...she is friends with everyone. Our older cat is still not 100% convinced of the little energy bundle but she accepts her. 

 She likes sleeping in the guinea pig cage...but only if the guinea pigs are in there as well.

Ella got spayed this week  and is supposed to stay calm and not run/ jump much, which is really not working. She seems to be doing great, except she does not enjoy the sock of shame over her healing scar:

Outdoor reading time: 

Enjoying a cooler evening on the porch while the kids catch fireflies in the yard:

Homework helper and artist enthusiast:

On a Friday a couple of weeks ago, I took Amelia to the park to ride her bike. Since we live in a hilly neighborhood, learning how to ride the bike is not practical here. We tried last year but she was always too afraid. Well, after a few minutes at the park, she got the hang of it and she rode for 2+ miles around the park. So proud of her. 

And then, only 3 days later I took both kids to the park to ride their bikes. Amelia went right on her bike and was able to get on/ off by herself and then circling around the parking lot while I was teaching Elliot how to ride his bike. I was so proud of them and myself (lots of sprinting after them) that it only took them a day and both are now riding their bikes with no training wheels. 

Our garden is growing too: beautiful flowers, tomatoes, sugar snap peas, lots of cucumbers and yellow squash, carrots, eggplants, kohlrabi, rhubarb, lettuce, kale, chards and onions. 

Last Sunday, we celebrated The Best Dad on Father's Day. I feel beyond grateful to be raising these two kids alongside with him. He is a great father, partner, mentor and our favorite! 

We topped the day off with a walk in the park. Only to see up close a groundhog eating kale and not being bothered by anyone. 

This was my Thursday afternoon project: I painted my home office. Since I have been using my craft/ art room daily now as a office, I wanted a more suitable office color. I really like how it turned out. 

Two nights ago, after a long and busy day, I relaxed on my front porch at night and lo and behold out of the hedge comes a skunk. I was only a foot away and definitely in spraying range but it did not seem to mind. It seems to be a regular who checks out my bird feeder. 

And because it was so such a nice evening, the entire family hung out last night on the front porch/ lawn: beautiful sunset courtesy of the Saharan sandstorm, wine coolers, ice-cream sandwiches, 80s music on the radio, children catching fireflies. Definitely one of those evenings I want to remember.

Despite these crazy times, we find joy and peace of being at home and being together. It may not be the summer vacation we dreamed of but so far it is shaping up to be quite a fun filled and memorable experience nonetheless.

Out and About

Since the beginning of June, we have started to be more social and interact with others, albeit still obeying to social distancing rules as the infection rates are still going up here in TN as well as nationwide. The first Monday of the month, two of my girlfriends and I rented kayaks and we enjoyed paddling up and down the river for 3.5 hours while chatting away. It was not too hot and just being out and about and with some other women felt amazing. Perfect activity to social distance too! 

Because the weather was so great, a couple of days later, we headed to our secret beach spot at the lake in Nashville. The park was still closed for cars but one could walk in to and when we got to the beach, it was almost empty. Perfect way to spent a morning with the family! 

And because it was so nice and empty, we went back right the next week again. In between, we cooled off in a stream by our friend's house. Amelia was delighted to see the girls and to spent two hours with them, floating in the water, looking for crawfish and turtles and rock.

We have chosen two close friends that we feel comfortable with being in closer contact without wearing our masks. Last week, I spent an evening on Emily's porch and we talked, ate and enjoyed being social while we watched the sun set  and the evening got cooler. 

For Saturday, Bettina and Dominik had invited us to their new house for lunch...a delicious German meal and freshly baked blueberry muffins. While the adults chatted, the children played. 

On Sunday, we went back to church for Outdoor Worship Service. While we wore masks and stayed by our car, others were less conscious of social distancing rules and sat by each other or hugged. Because of the increase in infection rates, we decided to continue watching the livestream for our church instead of going back next week. But we did enjoy feeling the community spirit. The kids even had a sno cone to stay cool. 

Our Nashville Zoo reopened on Monday for members only and I heard only good reviews about the safety and cleanliness precautions they had taken and decided to book an appointment for a zoo visit for the next afternoon. Since the weather was just perfect, barely 80F and mostly overcast, the children, Bettina, Evie and I spent 3 blissful hours there. While some exhibits were closed, we still saw most of the animals being out and about and quite interactive. It was not crowded and one could only walk in one direction thru the zoo. Masks were a requirement for everyone over the age of 4. 

The most exciting part of the zoo visit was riding the zipline though. Despite it being higher than it looks from the bottom, both children went a couple of times and want to go back for more. 

Till next time soon!

While we are still careful and watchful of how this pandemic keeps unfolding, we also enjoy getting out a bit further from our comfort zone on a weekly basis. So stay tuned for more summer adventures. 

Unrests Across America

Today we went dark in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. People across the globe joined in to show their support as we are outraged by the continued killing of black people in America. 

In the past 7 days, there have been protests and unrests in cities all across America, which are the result of the outrage of the community about the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, during an arrest by the Minnesota Police Department. George was handcuffed and restrained and being completely cooperative during the arrest. However, a white police officer kept his knee on George's neck for over 8 minutes (while two other police officers held him down) and despite begging that he can't breathe, the officer continued to kneel on him and ultimately caused his death due to asphyxiation.  The video evidence is clear and demonstrators are desperately calling for an end of police violence. Unfortunately, George is just one many recent black people who died due to brutal police force. 

I'm disheartened, saddened and disgusted by this violence and what has followed over these past 7 days. While protests in some cities turned violent (mostly looting and property damages but also some injuries), most people just want to show their support for the black community and raise awareness to stop the racism that is still so alive in this country. I do condemn the riots and attacks on the police force though as problems will not be solved thru violence and only will create a bigger rift among sides. But I also condemn the president's actions of using tear gas on peaceful protesters to clear a path for him and then raise a bible in front of a church and ultimately calling for martial law. It is disturbing and frightening.

Racism is very real and alive and can be encountered on a daily basis as seen by the actions (and tweets) of our leaders in this country. Racial profiling and the killing of African Americans by police force and vigilantes that recently surfaced are only the tip of the iceberg as the root causes are much deeper and have existed far longer. The evolution of slavery in America, racist American policies (prejudice vs discrimination), inequalities and economic segregation are all part of the issue and will need to be tackled in order to diminish discrimination and achieve equality.

I'm married to an African American man and my children are bi-racial. For us, we don't see each other as black or white. We don't love each other because of our skin color and our children accept, respect and love us the same way. My life is in no way more worth than the life of my husband, or any other person in America or around the world. Skin color, gender, sexuality or the country of origin should not define a person or make them any more or less valuable.  However, I'm worried sometimes about going to certain places with my family or if my husband is out and about by himself (especially in a Republican Southern State) as we are more susceptible to encounter racism and discrimination. In this day and age, no one should have to worry about that though as the human race is better than that. Therefore, we need to step up, be active and make change happen so that our children do not need to live in fear.