Yesterday, I went on a field trip to the pumpkin patch with Alyssa's class.
Now, I've done these field trips before (hay ride, pumpkin pickin', etc.), but never quite like this year. This was the first year I didn't have to hurry back to work, the first year I didn't have to obsessively check my crackberry and worry about what I might be missing and what people were thinking if I was unavailable.
Nope, not this year. This year, I was able to actually focus 100% on Alyssa and what she was doing. And it was really, really nice. She's grown a lot, emotionally, since kindergarten started. She interacts so much better with her classmates that I expected, and she's started to show a lot more independence. She still hung out with me quite a bit, but when it was time to go play with her classmates, she went to play.
I talked with other parents some while we were there - there were a surprisingly large number of them on the field trip. It still feels a bit like a club that I'm not a member of, but I'm working on it.
And really, that's not the point anyway. The point was being there with the girl, enjoying spending the day with her. I feel like she and I are going to butt heads a lot as she gets older, but I think we have a lot better foundation now than we did 6 months ago. It's definitely been time well spent away from the working world.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Random
Randomness from today.
- Three miles, probably around a 10:10 average, during B's baseball practice tonight.
- Bought wood for Alyssa's shelf. As much as I liked the way Benjamin's shelf turned out, I'm hoping hers turns out a lot more polished. With fewer (obvious) errors.
- Alyssa got her first fillings this morning; she did fantastic. For the record we've been much better about brushing our teeth around this house lately...
- It is incredibly frustrating to watch your child, who really wants to do well, just not do that well in something.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Holy Snackage, Batman!
A few days ago, Benjamin and Alyssa were sitting in the kitchen, eating a snack. Sometimes I wonder if they are ever anywhere else in the house - I swear they eat all. the. time.
Anyway.
I'm puttering around in the kitchen, starting dinner, and all of a sudden Benjamin exclaims "Jesus!"
Huh.
Not something we typically say use around here as an exclamation. So I looked up, and told him that he shouldn't say that, that some people would get offended if he used that word in that matter.
And he asked, "really? Jesus?"
And I said, "yes, really."
He asked me why he shouldn't say that, and I started to go into an explanation. And he stopped me. And said, quite clearly this time, "really, mom? CHEESE-ITS?"
Oh. Heh. No wonder he looked bewildered when I told him that he couldn't say Cheese-its.
Anyway.
I'm puttering around in the kitchen, starting dinner, and all of a sudden Benjamin exclaims "Jesus!"
Huh.
Not something we typically say use around here as an exclamation. So I looked up, and told him that he shouldn't say that, that some people would get offended if he used that word in that matter.
And he asked, "really? Jesus?"
And I said, "yes, really."
He asked me why he shouldn't say that, and I started to go into an explanation. And he stopped me. And said, quite clearly this time, "really, mom? CHEESE-ITS?"
Oh. Heh. No wonder he looked bewildered when I told him that he couldn't say Cheese-its.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Playing with Power Tools...
It's been a crazy week. But here is why I've been missing all week on the blog:
Yeah. This thing took all freaking week. I started tinkering with the idea for a shelf for Benjamin's room about a week or so ago, when I realized that his legos were taking over the whole damn house. Not to mention the fact that when he finishes a set, it often gets set aside, knocked over, broken apart, and may never get put back together.
I've seen these shelves online and in various stores, and really liked them. I've also been looking for an excuse to see if I could actually accomplish a woodworking project like this. It's one of the things that has been on my list for when I have some time, and what better time than now, right? So I found an online plan, did a little research, figured out that we probably had most of the tools that I needed to do this, took a deep breath, and jumped in.
This is probably a fairly simple project for anyone who has any experience with wood working. Read: NOT ME. I had to learn several fun lessons about circular saws and where you make your cuts on the wood (note: on the outside of your line; otherwise, your board is too short). I also got to play with a protractor (my miter box doesn't have 15 degrees on it), and learned how valuable a sander and some wood glue can be in covering up all sorts of mishaps.
So the pros here:
I've seen these shelves online and in various stores, and really liked them. I've also been looking for an excuse to see if I could actually accomplish a woodworking project like this. It's one of the things that has been on my list for when I have some time, and what better time than now, right? So I found an online plan, did a little research, figured out that we probably had most of the tools that I needed to do this, took a deep breath, and jumped in.
This is probably a fairly simple project for anyone who has any experience with wood working. Read: NOT ME. I had to learn several fun lessons about circular saws and where you make your cuts on the wood (note: on the outside of your line; otherwise, your board is too short). I also got to play with a protractor (my miter box doesn't have 15 degrees on it), and learned how valuable a sander and some wood glue can be in covering up all sorts of mishaps.
So the pros here:
- Only one trip to Lowes to get all the wood and stuff I needed.
- I didn't mess anything up the point where I couldn't recover it.
- It's actually standing up and seems pretty sturdy;
- I actually FINISHED it - this was the part I was most concerned about. I could totally see me finding a problem somewhere, getting frustrated and impatient, and either messing it all up or just walking away and never finishing it.
- I learned a LOT. I think I can fix most of the errors I made on this one. Alyssa wants one for her room (of course), so this time around I'm going to do a few things differently. Hopefully this one won't take quite as long.
- I'm really, really happy with it.
- I did mess up a couple of the shelves, but that was part of the learning process;
- I got lazy towards the end and just screwed in screws wherever.
- It took me an entire damn week. (But it was worth it.)
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Days Go By...
So yeah, it's already Thursday - when did that happen? Here's what the week has held, so far:
- Monday's run, which left me in some serious pain on Tuesday.
- Tuesday & Wednesday, played some doubles with friends.
- Wednesday also held the first baseball practice of fall season. Wow, we have a ways to go on that front. Some of those kids have been groomed to play the sport starting around six months old. There's a little boy on his team who has been taught to play catcher. And by that I mean, he has the equipment, the catcher's glove, the shin guards, can catch and throw pretty damn well, and hits the crap out of the ball. He may also be an older 7, as opposed to the 6 that some of the kids are, but damn. It's hard to know what to do here. Do I push Benjamin so he works harder and gets better but may not enjoy it as much, or do I just let him enjoy it for the time being? I have no idea what to do.
- Backhands!!! Yes, I know, that's really not all that exciting, but I'm starting to hit a few two handed backhands with minimal pain. This makes me very happy, 'cause it means the tendon on my left wrist is healing.
- A project I've been working on this week. I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel on it, although I may not wrap it up until next week. There will definitely be pictures of this one. It's been a learning experience, to say the least, and has sucked away a good bit of my time this week.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Catharsis
Wow. If I smoked, I would totally have needed a cigarette after today's run.
Let's just say I didn't start out with the intent to do that kind of workout. In fact, I had pretty much given up getting a run in today altogether. My motivation was seriously lacking, and I was tired and had already thrown in the towel.
But then I realized that it was Monday. And my mom had offered to pick up the boy while I took the girl to gymnastics. And that meant I had an hour at the community center by myself while she was in her gymnastics class. And really, I had no excuse to not hop on the treadmill.
All my plausible excuses exhausted, I threw on some clothes and resolved to do a quick, half assed run to get a few miles in. And I tried...sort of. When I walked in, I was initially relieved to see one lone treadmill remaining unoccupied in the gym. On the adjacent treadmill, a lady several years older than me was running at an insane rate of speed. I figured she'd do what most folks did - fade fast, and be gone in about 5 minutes.
I soon learned that the lone treadmill was lone because some jackass had stolen the safety key. Without that key, the treadmill lacks a connection that will let it actually operate and, you know - maybe let you run?! Of course it was only after I'd looked around, punched a few buttons and looked hopelessly befuddled that the lady on the adjacent treadmill looked over, smiled, and said in a way-too-perky-voice that they had already informed the front desk that the key was missing, and there was nothing to be done.
Shit.
All other treadmills occupied, I wandered over to the elliptical machine that lay in the corner, licking its lips in anticipation. I was sure it was just waiting to trip me up and make me look like a dumbass. Then again, on an elliptical, it's really not that hard to do. So I settled in to this machine, hoping a treadmill will open up in the next few minutes, and looked like a fish out of water in the meantime.
Meanwhile, the way-too-perky lady running at an insane rate of speed keeps running at an insane rate of speed.
About 5 agonizing minutes later, a treadmill opened up, and I barely gave the former occupant time to wipe it down before I hopped on, ready to get this run over with. Miss way-too-perky was still running at an insane rate of speed. Apparently she's the real deal.
Now, I'm generally not competitive when I run, but I'll be damned if I didn't start to feel a little inadequate. So I started it up pretty quickly at my normal 10:00 per mile pace, and turned on the Shuffle. After futzing with it for a few minutes, I tuned in to some Adele, Eminem, Rage, and Linkin Park. And I think someone else possessed my body for the next half hour.
I dropped from a 10:00 pace to a 9:00 pace pretty quickly, and somewhere in the middle of Eminem's "Not Afraid", I discovered that that pace was too slow. Wha?? So I ended up abandoning any plan on the run (the "plan" was some vauge, easy 3 miler) and ran hard when I felt like it, and slowed down some when I needed to. At one point, I was running a 7:30 pace - which is insane for me.
In the end, I finished with 4 miles at somewhere below a 9 minute per mile pace. And my 5K pace was about 8:45, which is definitely fast for me; maybe my fastest. But even better than that was how the world shrunk down for about 35 minutes, and the only thing I could focus on was a dark spot on the opposing wall of the gym; otherwise, I'm pretty sure I would've flown ass over tea kettle when I got south of an 8:00 per mile pace.
Seriously. It was a run that reminds you what it feels like to really push yourself, and come away surprised at how you respond. I needed something like that to kick me in the butt and get me out running again. It was an awesome run.
Oh, and Miss Way-Too-Perky finished up somewhere between my 3rd and 4th miles. She also stopped several times to drink and wipe down. I was sort of sad to see her go - it was nice to be in imaginary competition, even if she didn't know it. Plus I'm sure she was totally nice and you never know when you'll run into someone again, right?
And really. If I smoked, I would totally have gone for one after. In fact, I finished off on The Veronica's "Take Me on the Floor." I was a bit concerned that some of the folks still in there might have to pick me up off the floor once I stopped, but all was good. That might've been slightly embarassing, right? I'm gonna hurt tomorrow.
Let's just say I didn't start out with the intent to do that kind of workout. In fact, I had pretty much given up getting a run in today altogether. My motivation was seriously lacking, and I was tired and had already thrown in the towel.
But then I realized that it was Monday. And my mom had offered to pick up the boy while I took the girl to gymnastics. And that meant I had an hour at the community center by myself while she was in her gymnastics class. And really, I had no excuse to not hop on the treadmill.
All my plausible excuses exhausted, I threw on some clothes and resolved to do a quick, half assed run to get a few miles in. And I tried...sort of. When I walked in, I was initially relieved to see one lone treadmill remaining unoccupied in the gym. On the adjacent treadmill, a lady several years older than me was running at an insane rate of speed. I figured she'd do what most folks did - fade fast, and be gone in about 5 minutes.
I soon learned that the lone treadmill was lone because some jackass had stolen the safety key. Without that key, the treadmill lacks a connection that will let it actually operate and, you know - maybe let you run?! Of course it was only after I'd looked around, punched a few buttons and looked hopelessly befuddled that the lady on the adjacent treadmill looked over, smiled, and said in a way-too-perky-voice that they had already informed the front desk that the key was missing, and there was nothing to be done.
Shit.
All other treadmills occupied, I wandered over to the elliptical machine that lay in the corner, licking its lips in anticipation. I was sure it was just waiting to trip me up and make me look like a dumbass. Then again, on an elliptical, it's really not that hard to do. So I settled in to this machine, hoping a treadmill will open up in the next few minutes, and looked like a fish out of water in the meantime.
Meanwhile, the way-too-perky lady running at an insane rate of speed keeps running at an insane rate of speed.
About 5 agonizing minutes later, a treadmill opened up, and I barely gave the former occupant time to wipe it down before I hopped on, ready to get this run over with. Miss way-too-perky was still running at an insane rate of speed. Apparently she's the real deal.
Now, I'm generally not competitive when I run, but I'll be damned if I didn't start to feel a little inadequate. So I started it up pretty quickly at my normal 10:00 per mile pace, and turned on the Shuffle. After futzing with it for a few minutes, I tuned in to some Adele, Eminem, Rage, and Linkin Park. And I think someone else possessed my body for the next half hour.
I dropped from a 10:00 pace to a 9:00 pace pretty quickly, and somewhere in the middle of Eminem's "Not Afraid", I discovered that that pace was too slow. Wha?? So I ended up abandoning any plan on the run (the "plan" was some vauge, easy 3 miler) and ran hard when I felt like it, and slowed down some when I needed to. At one point, I was running a 7:30 pace - which is insane for me.
In the end, I finished with 4 miles at somewhere below a 9 minute per mile pace. And my 5K pace was about 8:45, which is definitely fast for me; maybe my fastest. But even better than that was how the world shrunk down for about 35 minutes, and the only thing I could focus on was a dark spot on the opposing wall of the gym; otherwise, I'm pretty sure I would've flown ass over tea kettle when I got south of an 8:00 per mile pace.
Seriously. It was a run that reminds you what it feels like to really push yourself, and come away surprised at how you respond. I needed something like that to kick me in the butt and get me out running again. It was an awesome run.
Oh, and Miss Way-Too-Perky finished up somewhere between my 3rd and 4th miles. She also stopped several times to drink and wipe down. I was sort of sad to see her go - it was nice to be in imaginary competition, even if she didn't know it. Plus I'm sure she was totally nice and you never know when you'll run into someone again, right?
And really. If I smoked, I would totally have gone for one after. In fact, I finished off on The Veronica's "Take Me on the Floor." I was a bit concerned that some of the folks still in there might have to pick me up off the floor once I stopped, but all was good. That might've been slightly embarassing, right? I'm gonna hurt tomorrow.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Interconnected
I played my morning mixed doubles match today with a new partner. Although we've only said hi a few times, I remember him from junior tennis some 20 years ago. Of course, he looks a little different now, but who doesn't...
Anyway, after our match, we trekked off the court and I noticed him talking to another tallish individual on the sidelines. After a moment, I realized I also knew the tall guy - it was B's coach from baseball this season. In a bit, the coach's wife showed up and we chatted for a bit about how she had seen my mom yesterday up at the kiddos' school. Funny enough, that family lives about a block away from us in Maumelle.
And, as it turns out, the guy I played against this afternoon is the new husband of a lady I play against fairly regularly, another person I remember from junior tennis. I had forgotten how insular this little area of the world is.
We've been here, back in Arkansas, for about three years. I had forgotten how interconnected everything can be here. Everyone really does know everyone else. It helps explains a phenomena I noticed when I first started playing tennis here.
At the first "big" tournament I played in here in Little Rock, I was amazed at how folks were greeting each other with hugs and warm regards, regardless of team or level. Everyone really DID know everyone else, which was a stark contrast to Houston tennis, where things were a bit less warm and fuzzy. It honestly made me a bit uncomfortable at first. This was supposed to be competition, dammit!
But the tennis community (hell, every community) is smaller here, and very interconnected. Which seems to make it less likely for folks to hold long term grudges. Don't get me wrong, there are still folks who rub others the wrong way, there are still clashes and conflicts and things that go on behind the scenes. But it makes more sense to at least try to get along with others here and put things behind you, because it's almost guaranteed you will see that person again. And it's quite possible that you may end up on a team with them at some point.
Anyway, it just amused me how interconnected my world was today. I can only imagine how much more I will see that when I get my ass back to work one of these days.
Anyway, after our match, we trekked off the court and I noticed him talking to another tallish individual on the sidelines. After a moment, I realized I also knew the tall guy - it was B's coach from baseball this season. In a bit, the coach's wife showed up and we chatted for a bit about how she had seen my mom yesterday up at the kiddos' school. Funny enough, that family lives about a block away from us in Maumelle.
And, as it turns out, the guy I played against this afternoon is the new husband of a lady I play against fairly regularly, another person I remember from junior tennis. I had forgotten how insular this little area of the world is.
We've been here, back in Arkansas, for about three years. I had forgotten how interconnected everything can be here. Everyone really does know everyone else. It helps explains a phenomena I noticed when I first started playing tennis here.
At the first "big" tournament I played in here in Little Rock, I was amazed at how folks were greeting each other with hugs and warm regards, regardless of team or level. Everyone really DID know everyone else, which was a stark contrast to Houston tennis, where things were a bit less warm and fuzzy. It honestly made me a bit uncomfortable at first. This was supposed to be competition, dammit!
But the tennis community (hell, every community) is smaller here, and very interconnected. Which seems to make it less likely for folks to hold long term grudges. Don't get me wrong, there are still folks who rub others the wrong way, there are still clashes and conflicts and things that go on behind the scenes. But it makes more sense to at least try to get along with others here and put things behind you, because it's almost guaranteed you will see that person again. And it's quite possible that you may end up on a team with them at some point.
Anyway, it just amused me how interconnected my world was today. I can only imagine how much more I will see that when I get my ass back to work one of these days.
Sigh.
So J got a ticket to the Razorback game tonight from a good friend; they are headed to Fayetteville as I type this. I was gonna tag along and tailgate with friends while they were at the game, but I had already committed to a tennis match, and I couldn't get out of it without being a seriously bad team player.
Sigh. Sometimes honoring your commitments sucks. I totally wanted to go up there this afternoon, but it's not happening. So instead, I'm thinking this might be my night:
Match at 5:00.
Pick up kiddos from my parents afterwards, get them to bed.
Listen to Razorback game on the radio and be jealous.
Maybe a nice long soak in the tub, with a book and a glass of wine.
Maybe bake some cookies.
Maybe even watch a movie (gasp! yes, me!).
Try not to do a repeat of last night's 2:30am bedtime.
And then think of something fun to do with the kiddos in the morning and figure out what the next week holds for us. I also need to get a long run in tomorrow, 7-8 miles. Need to figure out how to make that happen...
Sigh. Sometimes honoring your commitments sucks. I totally wanted to go up there this afternoon, but it's not happening. So instead, I'm thinking this might be my night:
Match at 5:00.
Pick up kiddos from my parents afterwards, get them to bed.
Listen to Razorback game on the radio and be jealous.
Maybe a nice long soak in the tub, with a book and a glass of wine.
Maybe bake some cookies.
Maybe even watch a movie (gasp! yes, me!).
Try not to do a repeat of last night's 2:30am bedtime.
And then think of something fun to do with the kiddos in the morning and figure out what the next week holds for us. I also need to get a long run in tomorrow, 7-8 miles. Need to figure out how to make that happen...
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Maintaining
I don't know how many folks have asked me this week whether I'm looking for a job yet. It's not annoying, just - strange. I haven't started looking yet, in part because I feel like there is still a lot at home I want to get done. And yet, at the end of the day, I haven't gotten anywhere nearly as much done as I'd hoped, and I'm still pretty tired most days. I just can't figure out what's going on.
I'm pretty sure it's not the fact that I've played tennis three times this week. That definitely has nothing to do with it.
Or the fact that both kiddos have homework at night now, which pretty much means that from the time they hit the door after school until they are in bed, I need to be somewhat engaged (snack, more snack, dinner, homework, homework, showers, teeth, bed).
Or the fact that I seem incapable of getting anything done before 10am, besides sitting on my ass in front of the computer, drinking coffee and figuring out all my ambitious plans for the day.
I'm sure there's a reason for my not getting stuff done...I probably just need to think harder about it. Maybe I should sit at the computer until 10:30 every morning, thinking harder. That might help.
I'm pretty sure it's not the fact that I've played tennis three times this week. That definitely has nothing to do with it.
Or the fact that both kiddos have homework at night now, which pretty much means that from the time they hit the door after school until they are in bed, I need to be somewhat engaged (snack, more snack, dinner, homework, homework, showers, teeth, bed).
Or the fact that I seem incapable of getting anything done before 10am, besides sitting on my ass in front of the computer, drinking coffee and figuring out all my ambitious plans for the day.
I'm sure there's a reason for my not getting stuff done...I probably just need to think harder about it. Maybe I should sit at the computer until 10:30 every morning, thinking harder. That might help.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Speechless
Alyssa got in the car today after school and told me that someone in her class has chicken pox. I asked who it was, and she gleefully shouted that it was G, a little boy who has been the class troublemaker since day one. She continued, telling me that he has to be out for fourteen days, so the class will be without G for fourteen whole days! Hooray!
Wow.
I feel sorry for the little boy, but I've never met him, and she and B both tell me that he is mean and pushes other kids around, punches, etc. It sounds like there is more than just normal misbehavior here, but I have no way of knowing that. I mean, he's only in kindergarten. This kid's got a tough row to hoe if this is how things play out.
Wow.
I feel sorry for the little boy, but I've never met him, and she and B both tell me that he is mean and pushes other kids around, punches, etc. It sounds like there is more than just normal misbehavior here, but I have no way of knowing that. I mean, he's only in kindergarten. This kid's got a tough row to hoe if this is how things play out.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Secrets
What happened last night is between me, J, our friends, their hot tub, and the ENTIRE HILLCREST NEIGHBORHOOD who I'm sure could hear our shrieks of laughter at 2:30 this morning. I'd like to promise that it won't happen again, but I hate to lie...
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Happy Birthday...ish?
I'm not feeling particularly interesting this morning, and I don't have a lot to talk about, but I did want to point out the fact that I started this little space a year ago today. The idea was to see whether it would help me write on a regular basis, with a bonus of having a record of the last year.
Honestly, it's been quite an amazing year. I'd like to say I've done some heavy duty reflecting and have lots of cool insights, but I don't. Instead, I think I'll just say that I'm happier now than I was when I started this little space a year ago. I'm not sure how to quantify how this little area has helped with that, but I know it's played its part.
I've enjoyed the hell out of this for the last year, and I'm so happy to have you guys along for the ride. It'll be interesting to see what the next year holds...
Honestly, it's been quite an amazing year. I'd like to say I've done some heavy duty reflecting and have lots of cool insights, but I don't. Instead, I think I'll just say that I'm happier now than I was when I started this little space a year ago. I'm not sure how to quantify how this little area has helped with that, but I know it's played its part.
I've enjoyed the hell out of this for the last year, and I'm so happy to have you guys along for the ride. It'll be interesting to see what the next year holds...
Friday, September 9, 2011
Hello, Friday
The weather is perfect on the back deck this morning - sunny, cool breeze, upper 70s, perfect. I have a good friend in town, good coffee, and good conversation. There's bread rising in the kitchen, the trash is already out, the house is tolerably clean, and the Razorbacks play this weekend. A date with some friends and a hot tub Saturday night, and a couple of runs on the agenda at some point.
It's shaping up to be a very good weekend.
It's shaping up to be a very good weekend.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Perspectives
I went to the library here in Maumelle yesterday as one of the things on my to do list. Let's just ignore the fact that it was the only thing I got done on my list yesterday, mmm'k?
J wanted a copy of the 7th Harry Potter book, and I wanted to look for a couple of young readers for the kiddos. Part of their homework every night is to read, and I managed to find a batch of Star Wars readers for Benjamin - Score! But of course I also managed to find a few books for myself, one of which is Nigel Marsh's Fat, Forty, and Fired.
I'm about a third of the way through the book, and while there are plenty of things that have made me roll my eyes in this "formerly corporate dad turned househusband for a year" tale, there have been a few things that have made me think. He's been a dad-in-absentee for his four kids' entire lives, and decides to suddenly plunge himself into an involved parent role. His experience in tackling a few aspects of child-rearing for the first time was humorous, as it was supposed to be (see: drop off lines, morning schedules, etc.).
But so far, his main conclusion is that raising kids is hard. Now, J and I only have two kiddos. My hunch is that four kids might complicate things slightly... But regardless, he makes several points that ring true to me. For one, it's hard to find a schedule or routine when you move from the corporate world to being at home. Each day brings new challenges and a different schedule; it's hard to find routine in the world of kids. You have to have a lot of self discipline and really think about how you want to structure your day. I'm still working on that...
But I particularly enjoyed his thoughts on his household at end of the day. He'd never really understood why, when he called his wife during the evening hours (when he was still at work), she was never as nice to him as he expected. Now that he's doing the nighttime routine, he's figured out that the process of winding down a household for the day is not easy. One wrong move (see: kiddo temper tantrum, lost stuffed animal, one lengthy phone call, etc.) can throw the whole mechanism off. And if you throw everything off, bedtime comes later in the evening, and you lose some of the very limited time that you have to yourself.
Nothing so far has been a "novel concept" to any even slightly involved parent. But it is interesting to get the perspective of a formerly-uninvolved parent who is figuring out just how hard child rearing really is. There are many nights, after the tumult has died down and our house finally relaxes into quiet, where I think of the things I could have done differently. The yelling I did, my impatience with the kids, better ways to handle situations. Hell, there are days where I just try to get through the hour after school and before dinner without any conflict. Ha ha. Hello, pipe dream.
None of this is easy, none of it is "a breeze," but I guess it's not supposed to be. It's good to be reminded of that every now and then, if for no other reason than to gain a little perspective.
J wanted a copy of the 7th Harry Potter book, and I wanted to look for a couple of young readers for the kiddos. Part of their homework every night is to read, and I managed to find a batch of Star Wars readers for Benjamin - Score! But of course I also managed to find a few books for myself, one of which is Nigel Marsh's Fat, Forty, and Fired.
I'm about a third of the way through the book, and while there are plenty of things that have made me roll my eyes in this "formerly corporate dad turned househusband for a year" tale, there have been a few things that have made me think. He's been a dad-in-absentee for his four kids' entire lives, and decides to suddenly plunge himself into an involved parent role. His experience in tackling a few aspects of child-rearing for the first time was humorous, as it was supposed to be (see: drop off lines, morning schedules, etc.).
But so far, his main conclusion is that raising kids is hard. Now, J and I only have two kiddos. My hunch is that four kids might complicate things slightly... But regardless, he makes several points that ring true to me. For one, it's hard to find a schedule or routine when you move from the corporate world to being at home. Each day brings new challenges and a different schedule; it's hard to find routine in the world of kids. You have to have a lot of self discipline and really think about how you want to structure your day. I'm still working on that...
But I particularly enjoyed his thoughts on his household at end of the day. He'd never really understood why, when he called his wife during the evening hours (when he was still at work), she was never as nice to him as he expected. Now that he's doing the nighttime routine, he's figured out that the process of winding down a household for the day is not easy. One wrong move (see: kiddo temper tantrum, lost stuffed animal, one lengthy phone call, etc.) can throw the whole mechanism off. And if you throw everything off, bedtime comes later in the evening, and you lose some of the very limited time that you have to yourself.
Nothing so far has been a "novel concept" to any even slightly involved parent. But it is interesting to get the perspective of a formerly-uninvolved parent who is figuring out just how hard child rearing really is. There are many nights, after the tumult has died down and our house finally relaxes into quiet, where I think of the things I could have done differently. The yelling I did, my impatience with the kids, better ways to handle situations. Hell, there are days where I just try to get through the hour after school and before dinner without any conflict. Ha ha. Hello, pipe dream.
None of this is easy, none of it is "a breeze," but I guess it's not supposed to be. It's good to be reminded of that every now and then, if for no other reason than to gain a little perspective.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Recap
Only one way to sum up this weekend: food. And more food.
We ate really well this weekend. And hung out with friends and family. And enjoyed the first cold front that came through, finally giving the A/C a break. I made my first batch of homemade cinnamon rolls, which turned out very yummy. Not to mention sweet enough to send you into insulin shock.
Then came the rest of the weekend: chicken fried steak with gravy and mashed taters, grilled chicken with several yummy sides and homemade ice cream, breakfast parfait, and a semi-sushi lunch (rice bowls with sushi toppings, rather than rolls or nigiri; lazy (wo)man's sushi). This is what our weekend was made of.
Therefore...on Saturday afternoon, I churned through a 7 mile run. The temperature was in the low 80s, which felt amazingly nice after months of 90-100 degree temps. I held about a 10:20 per mile pace, which made me very happy.
And on Monday, a group of us walked the river trail and hiked up the woods trail to Emerald Park. Despite growing up here, I'd never been to Emerald Park, what a beautiful view. The air was incredibly clear, and the river was gorgeous. It was a great Monday afternoon, and I think we sufficiently wore the kiddos out with our hilly 3 mile jaunt.
And here we are at Tuesday, a short week, and a long list of things to do. Now I just need to get organized. Quit laughing, it's theoretically possible... Theoretically.
We ate really well this weekend. And hung out with friends and family. And enjoyed the first cold front that came through, finally giving the A/C a break. I made my first batch of homemade cinnamon rolls, which turned out very yummy. Not to mention sweet enough to send you into insulin shock.
Then came the rest of the weekend: chicken fried steak with gravy and mashed taters, grilled chicken with several yummy sides and homemade ice cream, breakfast parfait, and a semi-sushi lunch (rice bowls with sushi toppings, rather than rolls or nigiri; lazy (wo)man's sushi). This is what our weekend was made of.
Therefore...on Saturday afternoon, I churned through a 7 mile run. The temperature was in the low 80s, which felt amazingly nice after months of 90-100 degree temps. I held about a 10:20 per mile pace, which made me very happy.
And on Monday, a group of us walked the river trail and hiked up the woods trail to Emerald Park. Despite growing up here, I'd never been to Emerald Park, what a beautiful view. The air was incredibly clear, and the river was gorgeous. It was a great Monday afternoon, and I think we sufficiently wore the kiddos out with our hilly 3 mile jaunt.
And here we are at Tuesday, a short week, and a long list of things to do. Now I just need to get organized. Quit laughing, it's theoretically possible... Theoretically.
Friday, September 2, 2011
A Day Off
Ahhhh. I took today off. It was nice and relaxing. I hit the River Trail for a while, read a good book, and was pretty much completely and utterly nonproductive. Despite my griping about not getting enough done on a regular basis, these are pretty rare days for me. Today was thoroughly enjoyed.
On a random note, I'm reading Into the Wild right now by Jon Krakauer (sp?), and it's an excellent read. I've gotten in the habit of downloading ebooks from the library here, and it's definitely helping my book habit - and my nearly-overflowing book shelves. I've got a couple of other books waiting in the wings...I've been missing my reading habit, it's time to get back into it.
We have a fun weekend in front of us that includes family, friends, and lots of good food. I think sushi making is on the agenda, as well as chicken fried steak and some other yumminess. And maybe some whiskey. Well, really? Almost definitely some whiskey. Whiskey makes the world go round, right? Or maybe I have that wrong, I can't really remember. It's Friday. Cut me some slack.
On a random note, I'm reading Into the Wild right now by Jon Krakauer (sp?), and it's an excellent read. I've gotten in the habit of downloading ebooks from the library here, and it's definitely helping my book habit - and my nearly-overflowing book shelves. I've got a couple of other books waiting in the wings...I've been missing my reading habit, it's time to get back into it.
We have a fun weekend in front of us that includes family, friends, and lots of good food. I think sushi making is on the agenda, as well as chicken fried steak and some other yumminess. And maybe some whiskey. Well, really? Almost definitely some whiskey. Whiskey makes the world go round, right? Or maybe I have that wrong, I can't really remember. It's Friday. Cut me some slack.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Wrist Shenanigans
Dx for wrist issue: partially torn tendon. Rx: 4 weeks rest, brace, anti-inflammatories. But I can still play tennis (albeit with the crappy one handed slice), and do pretty much anything else as long as I'm careful and keep my left hand out of the action. At the end of four weeks, we'll try the tennis thing again with a two handed backhand and see where we are. Fingers crossed that it has healed significantly by then, but even if it hasn't, that's ok. Thank god I'm not left handed.
As far as injuries go, this one is just fine with me. No restricted activities other than a two handed backhand. And that's much better than me moaning and complaining for the next 9 months that I can't run or exercise. Believe me, no one wants that.
As far as injuries go, this one is just fine with me. No restricted activities other than a two handed backhand. And that's much better than me moaning and complaining for the next 9 months that I can't run or exercise. Believe me, no one wants that.
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