Day Eighty-Nine: Arrival of Boy and a Whole Hog

Jeremy went to get Owen this morning. He also went to the abattoir to pick up one of our hogs, now butchered and turned into bacon, bratwurst, ham, chops, loin, and all the rest of the various parts that a whole hog gets turned into. The kids were bouncing with excitement. When it came close to the time of Owen's arrival we all went out onto the porch. The kids hid so they could surprise him, and I sat in the rocking chair so I distract him from their hiding spot. We had a signal and everything. It sort of worked - they missed my signal and didn't quite yell "surprise" in synchronicity, but the enthusiasm was definitely on point. 

It was so nice to hug Owen! He's so big! He's such a handsome teenager! Taiya and William love him so much! Taiya immediately tackled him, and William immediately started telling him fun facts about animals ("Did you know panda babies are the size of a banana?"). I whipped up a quick "snack lunch" of salami, cheese, hummus (made from chickpeas I had cooked from dry beans, and it was so much better and smoother than when I use canned chickpeas), fruits and veggies, and crackers. We all sat down and ate together, Owen acting very chill but happy, and the kids levitating. 

Since it was afternoon, we went straight to the pool after lunch. Jeremy stayed behind to work and we all went to swim. We played some silly tag games (it's hard to play tag in a small pool when you can easily corner people), Taiya got to finally splash someone to her heart's content (and get thoroughly splashed in return), and we all just generally basked in the sun. 

In the evening Jeremy and William took Owen to do chores and I grilled potatoes and the bratwurst Jeremy had brought home from our own pig. Taiya chose to stay behind with me and watch shows for a bit. Dinner was fun - an extra person at our small table makes it feel like a party. We all talked about what we missed most about B.C. Owen said he missed hanging out with his friends. Taiya said she missed pretty much everything about school, especially her BFF. William said he didn't miss school at all. 

Taiya and I are almost done with Wise Child, and it was a tense two chapters we read before bed. William and I read Amos and Boris, by William Steig, one of my favorites from my own childhood. 

In the news today, we heard over 700 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Arkansas, and the governor still not doing a damn thing about it. We heard about the rippling effects of the protests - various cities banning chokeholds, confederate statues coming down (I signed a petition to remove one from the Sebastian County Courthouse's grounds), a law banning no-knock warrants in Louisville, Kentucky (why not the whole state, though? I don't know), and continued protests around the world in support of Black Lives Matter. There is such a mix of good, bad, scary, baffling, and hopeful news it makes one's head spin.