Well... that whole "It'll clear out by Monday or Tuesday..." forecast for the smoke that rushed in on Labor Day: it was a mite bit overly optimistic. We're finishing up week two of historically bad air hereabouts. Nothing compared to some places south of us, but still not fantastic. I'm so SO glad I went ahead and bought those air purifiers when I did.
We seem to be getting down to "Unhealthy for Sensitive Individuals" today, which should not be so exciting but is beyond thrilling. Don't get me started on how motherfriggin' ecstatic the entire city of Seattle (Seattle, mind you) lost their minds when slow drizzles started to manifest. We haven't had rain since before September started! We miss clean air like the deserts miss the rain. But with more weird weather jokes and way less patience.
The air is almost good enough to open up the windows and air the shiznet outta of this old house. Even with our mega purifiers, the air feels stale and the chemical readings in our house have slowly built up over the days. Though having the exhaust on in the bathrooms/ upstairs laundry does seem to help considerably, even if it lets in a little more smoke. Nobody's started wheezing, and my weird rashes are present but subdued, so it's actually been pretty ok.
We have a kind of baseline level of stale that should be annoying, but not particularly toxic, in winter. So that's it. I'm buying a house plant. I know they technically don't really do anything unless they're this one special genetically modified plant that I still haven't seen for sale that apparently drinks up chemicals like a thirsty camel (begining of a sci fi horror movie, obviously). BUT screw it. This is a drastic move, because I kill plants just by thinking of them (blackberries being the exception - the more I attack them, the stronger they grow), but I was idly scrolling through some story my awair app was sharing about houseplants and the golden pathos is apparently the easiest house plant imaginable. So I'm giving a single one a trial and if I don't kill it in a few months... maybe I'll get a fern or something too. Yes, that's how wild I'm getting.
We're suviving within the house adequately. Allan has cast all her future aspirations onto a mixture of Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's day, so we've been plenty busy preparing for the big holidays (there had better NOT be smoke on Halloween, Christmas or Valentine's day, because I've promised a crying child there probably wouldn't be by then). On Christmas she will go outside! On Valentine's Day we will go outside! On Halloween... actually on Halloween she will be a butterfly and Chaya will also have a matching costume (remember she's become her own imaginary friend, if you will) and we'll eat candy.
And the ritual of our days continues.
Occasionally "nap time" still holds onto the "nap" bit. Yeah it involves Allan giving me a pillow, a blanket, a "friend" and a kiss and telling me to nap while she does devious little bunny-girl things. Honestly, I'm pretty good with those naptimes.
Usually not. Usually Allan makes me help her do devious bunny things. Maybe we tell stories. Maybe we're making explorer videos in the upstairs. Maybe we're screaming at the kindle for being a bad kindle. Usually it's not a break. I honestly don't know when to make calls these these days. Probably while she's watching something but that's not always a safe bet either.
The excitement has not been limited to thick tar-filled smoke-air. This was Allan's first week of online preschool!! I mean it's the same thing she did this summer, but this is a little more of a syllabus with the same kids every week and probably month.
Of course this being 2020, her teacher had to be rushed to the ER on Tuesday night and was unable to do a midweek class. She was back on Friday, but given she's getting a substitute next week, I suspect she's not 100% all better as yet. Thank goodness for Out School. We've leaned pretty heavily on that in the middle days of this week.
But preschool is good when it's going. Allan has 4 other classmates, all girls. A few of then also seem to be name shifters so it's always a fun guessing game who every one is that particular day.
Since we aren't able to go outside, every day is movie day! Well, not actually. Allan actually was over movies by yesterday and we're back to drawing and playing in the afternoons. But for a while the novelty was going strong enough to forestall the daily breakdowns about there still being smoke and Allan missing the flowers (which may or may not be dying, but actually seem to have flourished in the grossness).
Her favorite was by far The Princess and the Frog. Which was ok from my perspective, but what really got her was the firefly and the crocodile. Anything happening at the swamp and she was giddy with giggles and glee. He threw the turtle!!! He's flying! They're frogs! They're funny happy frogs!!!!
Kiddo is destined for the bayou I suspect. We also watched a movie - Bolt - about a dog who thinks he's a superhero dog (the dog gets into danger at the end and she cried to imagine her protagonist imperiled). Monsters U, which was nobody's favorite - Allan skipped it ahead halfway through and nobody complained. And Fantasia 2000 which was a pleasant surprise.
But changes are coming! We're bored of movies and there's still rain outside. I think maybe we really might be able to go outside by Christmas!
Or even - don't jinx it here - before October? I won't get greedier than that. I know blessed rain could turn into a tsunami in the snap of a finger these days.
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