Lascours Lockdown, Day 714

Sunday, February 27th.

I made crêpes for breakfast and then quiche for lunch. After breakfast, the girls did their homework. Laureva had quite a bit. Studying her history lessons - mostly about the Paleolilthic and Neolithic periods - took awhile as we made flashcards to help with the process. About 10, Jean-Phi the police officer arrived to drop off saucisson from Corsica and get help from Sylvain on one of his sons' math homework. I did not manage to get on the exercise bike.

After lunch, I was feeling worn out, so I decided to treat myself to a nap while the girls read. Even though I was tired, I had a hard time actually sleeping as I couldn't get my brain to switch off.

Afterwards, I made chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, planted some seeds with Laureva that had had to soak overnight, put in our grocery order and did some miscellaneous paperwork. The girls stayed outside all afternoon, for nearly three hours in all. They started out jumping on the trampoline, then transitioned to roller blades. I had to force them in for bathtime about a quarter to six.

Laureva had been hoping to discuss her comic book project with her friend Léonore, but her mom never called us back as planned. She sent a message after 10pm to apologize. The girls will just have to chat at recess tomorrow. Laureva had been hoping to avoid that as she's worried about the wind blowing her papers away.

We finished The Autobiography of Santa Claus and "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box" tonight. Maeva called the latter story one of the "weird" ones. But not one of the scary ones. She was a bit grossed out by the severed ears, I think.

I thought I'd share a favorite passage from Melville's Typee. It makes me laugh. I can't think of another author who can expound so unparsimoniously on the involuntary act of swallowing bugs: On one occasion I was so inconsiderate as to yawn while a number of [a minute species of fly] were hovering around me. I never repeated the act. Some half-dozen darted into the open apartment, and began walking about its ceiling, the sensation was dreadful. I involuntarily closed my mouth, and the poor creatures being enveloped in inner darkness, must in their consternation have stumbled over my palate, and been precipitated into the gulf beneath. At any rate, though I afterwards charitably held my mouth open for at least five minutes, with a view of affording egress to the stragglers, none of them ever availed themselves of the opportunity. (from Chapter 29)