We just returned home from our annual Independence Day trip to visit my aunt and uncle in Palm Desert. We always have a blast and this time was no exception, although it was MUCH hotter than usual — it hit 118° (48°C). I felt like my face was going to melt off. Pretty sure I lost 10 pounds of water weight just through sweating. We did all our usual activities, like swimming, bowling, and eating, but we also added in a new activity: the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. The tram goes up the side of Chino Canyon to the (almost) top of San Jacinto Peak. It travels 2.5 miles and over 6,000 feet in elevation. ALSO, THE TRAM ROTATES. I didn’t like that part. But the views really were incredible, and it was 35ish degrees cooler at the top of the mountain. I definitely suggest going on the tram if you’re ever in the area!

Around The ‘Net

~‘My son is not the same’: New testimony paints bleak picture of family separation

~Anne Frank’s Family Was Thwarted by U.S. Immigration Rules, Research Shows

~How two black women referees expanded the conversation about representation in sports

~What Patriotism Looks Like: A 6-Year-Old Raised $13,000 for Migrant Kids

~‘He loved them more than himself’: How a 25-year-old former monk kept the Thai soccer team alive

~Hannah Gadsby Refuses To Make Lesbianism The Butt Of The Joke

~Artificial ovary could allow women to become mothers after cancer treatment without risk, say scientists

~An 11-Year-Old Got Most Of Her Genes From Her Dad, And Almost None From Her Mom

~The Counterfeit Queen of Soul

~The Tunnel That Could Break New York

~This Tiny Country Says It Can Beat Climate Change

~Flint Students Celebrate Their Last Prom As One High School Closes Its Doors

~‘I Told My Doctors I Had Chronic Eye Pain—And They Brushed Me Off As ‘Emotional”

~Uber and Lyft are forcing Southern California parking companies to adapt or die

~How an Artist Puts Clouds and Rainbows in Unlikely Places

~A Brief History of How Plastic Straws Took Over the World

Gap-Toothed

James lost his first tooth last week! I know, I can’t believe it, either. And, just like his sister with her first lost tooth, he swallowed it. It had been hanging by a thread for days, and despite all of us warning him he was going to swallow it, he refused to pull it out. Live and learn! There were lots of tears, but after I assured him that his tooth would not “eat his insides,” and Annie reminded him that she’d also swallowed a tooth, he calmed down. His little smile is already so different now!

Fun Stuff

~When I realized James had a loose tooth, I bought him a tooth box like the one the tooth fairy had brought Annie two years ago. It’s so damn cute.
~Amazon’s PRIME DAY is coming!! Woo hoo!! I’m so excited even though I think I’ve only ever bought one thing on Prime Day! I just get excited about a good sale, what can I say?
~Speaking of a good sale, Nordstrom’s anniversary sale starts this week if you have a Nordstrom card. It’s literally the only reason I have one! I get a ton of back-to-school shopping done during the sale, I highly recommend it.

Happy Sunday, everyone!