Adrian and I went on an overnight mini hike to Tyresta (Årsjön). This late in the season, the camping area wasn’t crowded at all. The trails on the other hand were full of people, 80% of whom seemed to be carrying baskets for picking mushrooms. Seems to be this year’s hot thing.

After a last-minute realization that Adrian’s feet have outgrown not just his everyday sneakers but also his gym shoes, and he has gym class tomorrow, we went shopping again.

Urgent shoe shopping for Adrian today. His old shoes (on the right, in case there is any uncertainty about that) are about two sizes too small and falling apart. Apparently he now has size 38 – the same as Ingrid who is 4 years older.

It’s an awkward combination of size and age. He’s ten going on eleven – still very much a kid. His tastes and habits are those of a kid. He needs durable shoes with flexible soles, made for running and playing – and for easy access. Especially at school they’re putting their shoes on and taking them off again all the time. He’s got no patience for tying laces. His shoes need velcro closure or some kind of elastic solution. Otherwise, as experience has shown, he simply leaves them so loosely tied that he can slip them on and off without doing anything. Which doesn’t exactly make for good fit.

There are “junior” shoes that go all the way up to size 38, but few go beyond that. Men’s shoes on the other hand mostly start at size 40. I’m not sure what is supposed to fill that gap or what we’ll do when he outgrows this pair. I don’t expect him to like laces much better in a year’s time.

Two guys, four screens.

Both are playing Genshin Impact. Adrian is supplementing the game with music on YouTube, Eric is looking up something or other.

Memm, jag har någonting till dig. Och nej, vi ska inte slänga dem.

“Mum, I’ve got something for you.” (Doesn’t even need to look at me to guess what my response would be to seeing this thing.) “And no, we’re not throwing them away.”

All right then. Mending it is.

Schoolteachers here like giving kids reading challenges for the longer school breaks. Both Ingrid and Adrian have them for this summer break.

Adrian’s challenge is twofold: read 10 minutes every day, plus a bingo card with specific challenges. I think it’s the same one he’s had before; probably something the teacher found on the internet and now keeps reusing for every single school break. At least the “read in your swimming clothes” square makes a bit more sense now that it is summer.

Except swimming clothes are actually not that comfortable when you’re not swimming, you know? So Adrian used the same workaround as he’s done in the past. Put his arm through his swimming trunks, read for 10 minutes, and crossed of that square.

He really takes this thing seriously, even though there are squares there that he really doesn’t look forward to. It’s more of a compulsion than something to enjoy. And he is quite uncomfortable with the idea of cheating, or even thinking outside the box, when it comes to this. Even when it is as innocent as the swimming clothes thing.

Least favourite square remaining: read in a car or a bus. I’m pretty sure he’s going to ask me to keep him company. And I think I’ve convinced him that it is perfectly valid to do this when the car is standing still and the doors are open.

[ Monday, July 19th, 2021 — in Adrian, Dailies, Photography — No comments ]

Adrian and ran some errands in Bromma. Ingrid wanted us out of the house for as long as possible so she could get some time on her own, so she sent us a link to a nearby ice cream place. The ice cream place turned out to serve the most delicious gelatos. (Swedish raspberry and chocolate sorbet for me. I’ve never had chocolate sorbet before.)

Before covid, I’m sure there would have been a long and tedious queue outside the door. Now they had a ticket dispenser instead, which makes waiting a lot more relaxed. And the electronics store we visited before had the same. I’d much rather move around while waiting than stand still in one spot, covid or not.

Like with working from home, I hope that these changes persist.

We cycled to the recycling centre in Bromma. All the way there and back, the sky loomed over us and the air felt like it should start raining any moment, but not a single drop actually fell.