!Lo Hicimos! 8/23/21

It’s the count-down until school starts. I’ve already started and am half-way through teaching; Boop starts soon. Not going to lie, it was tough for me to lecture in a mask. The microphone wasn’t picking up my voice for the recording; so I felt like I was shouting for 2 hours. It was also exhausting to be on my feet and to have to talk for that long--completely draining when I haven’t done it for nearly 2 years. Thankfully, I wasn’t too anxious and didn’t feel like I would faint.   

Boop will be having open house soon to start school. I really wish we didn’t have to be in person. We’re a few weeks away from the peak of Delta here, and all of the hospital beds are full of COVID patients in our region.  Although I’m fully vaxed, I know my immunity is in the down swing, as it’s been about 6 months from my last vax. I guess I will be eligible for a booster in October. Boop still hasn’t had a chance to have the vax, and I don’t feel good about school for her. I hate that she will have to eat indoors without a mask. The schools seem resigned to just have all of the kids get COVID. I mean, the administrators have all had ample opportunity to get their vax. There is so much anti-mask sentiment here; it is unbelievable. The anti-science, anti-intellectualism sentiment is tough to navigate.

Boop went to horse camp and really enjoyed it. She was so proud of her ribbon for best technique while riding. It’s an expensive and time-consuming hobby, as we have to travel a bit to get to the stables. Being able to ride bareback is great and all, but I’m sure that she will want all of the special tack and such. The next thing you know, she will need a horse. This child and animals. If she can get over her squeamishness, she’ll make a good veterinarian. I suspect she takes after my dad in this way. He had a horse growing up and would feed every creature that passed by our house. Squirrels would eat out of his hand.

It wasn’t all kumbaya moments at the horse camp, though. She came home a sneezy, watery-eyed mess the first day. I promptly gave her allergy meds, and she was on the mend. With the threat of COVID, the horse camp’s previous experience with COVID, and a friend who was recently exposed to COVID from someone who thought her symptoms were allergies, I was insistent that Boop get tested for COVID before going back to the camp. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, but with a promise of a Robux card from my mom, I got her to Urgent Care. Fortunately, the nurse was careful, and Boop was thrilled at her success. !Lo Hicimos! We did it! Of course, it was negative, but I’m glad we’ve gotten one test out of the way. She was ready for her next screen.