Ethan’s new adventure! +podcast rec

I’m writing about ~40 minutes later than usual this morning, because due to another winter storm (this time involving freezing rain AND snow…oh joy), school is virtual today. The decision was made yesterday afternoon already, which was I guess nice for planning purposes. I’m okay with a slower morning and I begged the boys to SLEEP IN for once, since we don’t need to rush off to the bus.

Rock Climbing!

A big highlight of the week so far has been Ethan’s first ever rock climbing class last night!!! Since there’s no soccer currently, and his tennis lessons are on hold, we had been feeling that Ethan just has NOT had much going on lately. No bueno. Too much just….sitting around. I mean, he’s an active kid, he reads a lot, etc… but still, he needed something new and exciting.

So, we enrolled him for a month of rock climbing classes. Ivan took him last night for the first one and it was a hit! He was very excited after and said it was soooo fun. He chattered on and on about it and I could definitely sense his enthusiasm. 🙂 I had had a feeling that this might be a good fit for him. We went canyoneering in Moab, Utah a couple summers ago and he was obsessed with it! Ivan didn’t get any pics of him last night, but here are some from Utah:

I spent the afternoon waiting outside the pool while Asher was at swim practice. (Still no parents allowed inside). I actually kind of enjoy this- it allows me some built in alone time. When you wait inside, you often end up making small talk with others parents… which is okay, but I think I secretly prefer the alone time. 🙂 Haha.

I went for a walk for ~40 minutes and then read in my van for the final 20 min. The little town that practice is held in always feels kind of quaint to me. I walked past this old cemetery, with farm fields beyond it. Many of the headstones had birth dates in the 1800s! It’s hard to not have at least a little moment of reflection when you walk past a cemetery.

Podcast rec!!

While I walked, I listened to a GREAT podcast episode!!! This was one of the best episodes I’ve listened to in a while. It was from Hidden Brain and was called “The Double Standard”. It was all about bias, and specifically, how people just don’t see it in themselves- though we are all GREAT at noticing it in others. 😉

The episode touches on politics and race, but the main focus is actually just about how everyone always thinks THEY are right, no matter what the topic! This was a very fitting episode for me, considering I just wrote that post the other day on being so burned out on other people’s opinions.

I thought it was a fascinating episode and highly recommend it. SO INTERESTING!!! I kept laughing and nodding my head, because it was all just so true. I LOVE PSYCHOLOGY.

A couple favorite quotes:

1- (quoting comedian George Carlin):

“Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an IDIOT, and anyone going faster than you is a MANIAC?” Hehehe……

2- “I know it’s a matter of taste, but your taste is stupid.” 😆

Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-double-standard/id1028908750?i=1000504332200

Episode description: It’s easy to spot bias in other people, especially those with whom we disagree.  But it’s not so easy to recognize our own biases.  Psychologist Emily Pronin says it’s partly because of our brain architecture. This week on Hidden Brain, we explore what Pronin calls the introspection illusion.

Okay, better go remind the boys that there is “still school” today… 🙂 Have a good one.

Daily Gratitude:

I am grateful for built in alone time during swim practice and that Ethan loved his 1st rock climbing class!!