It was the phone call this afternoon that tipped the balance. A simple call to Verizon, to ask if the payment I’d scheduled for next week was going to prevent their threatened suspension of service. Been there before, and yes I get touchy when finances are tight, but it always works out. I had to wait through their menu 3 times before my “0” would get me an actual human, but I was connected right away. Gave my name, and he looked me up, but when I tried to answer his second question, he suddenly couldn’t hear me. At all. I could hear him clearly, but he obviously heard nothing. I hollered to no avail, and he hung up after saying it was due to a bad connection.
Catbirds, smoky cellos, and life in the slow lane
When I started homeschooling, I was told that I’d be likely to confront my own issues at an unprecedented level. While the idea seemed strange to me, it’s proved very true. Moving to the woods made me suspect the same thing would happen, and while I’ve not been caught off guard this time, it’s certainly not any easier.
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Home, yes, it's home already ...
What a week! Today marks the first full week in our new place, and it’s been a crazy whirlwind. I still don’t have my real voice back, perhaps the husky raspy thing goes along with plaid jackets and chopping wood? Not sure, but it’s here for now. I’m slowly recovering my sleep and general energy, but trying to take it easy. I curled up on the couch today with a book, rather than unpack a few of the lingering boxes. They’ll keep :).
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Packing up, oh the joys ...
It gets worse before it gets better, right? This is Fynn’s idea of how to sort his drawings … really helps you feel like you’re making progress. It always seems like the point at which the papers and legos are scattered the farthest is when the landlord calls to say the realtor will be through in 2 hours with another possible tenant who wants to see the apartment. I go on a crazy cleanup binge so that they can at least walk from one end of the house to the other without breaking an ankle, but it starts to get a bit old.
life moves forward ...
… even though I have nothing more resolved than the last time i posted!
what i’ve been up to though …
block parties enjoyed to the hilt …
learning to get comfortable with uncertainty...
Nothing quite screams “neglected blog!” like an outdated banner, does it? Well, that point is remedied, and it alone should give you a small glimpse into my state of mind. The last month has been a whirlwind, and it shows little sign of settling down.
Summer's here, and I think I have two heads
There’s no question that summer is here, at least in attitudes and clothing choices. Pools aren’t open yet, but layers have been shed, windows are open, and everyone is lingering outside later and later. I’m feeling the pressure of a chaotic series of trips and complicated schedules, trying to finish up schooling and get everyone and everything organized so that we can leave on time. Some days I think my head is rolling around under the bed collecting dust bunnies, and other days I’m yelling at the boys to stop making weird noises and find something to do already!
Is that really freedom I see back there?
Aching
D, sick, at age 2. One of my entries in Kizz’s LEAP Photo Challenge which is open till Tuesday, and for every entry she’ll donate $10 to the American Cancer Society. Deets at the bottom of her post. Reason it’s a LEAP if you click the pic and read the description.If there’s anything consistent about this blog, it’s that I’m not consistent. I’m up and down and verbose and silent, sometimes chipper and often wry and deprecating and full of wishes and hopes and aches and pains. There is it.
The past two weeks have been quiet achey ones. I’m not sure why, but have been letting it roll over me. Lack of energy has been the theme, with an undercurrent of pms, some reflection, and a lot of distraction with obsessive show watching, late-night reading
Moving in slow motion, or not at all
Sparrow keeping a hand on Douglas last week, when he was feeling cruddy one night and ended up in our bed too. I’m lying in bed sick, recovering from some kind of bug yesterday that involved fever and puking, thankfully mostly during the night though. My boys brought me a snack in bed this morning, which stayed down, and my husband got home in time to take over for the rest of the day, so glad for that! I’m starting to feel human, and the house is quiet as they just left for the library. Lay Down Your Wand Day ... (guest post by Bridget)
I think people in general, but particularly women, are always trying to improve themselves. As the author of “Searching for My Wand”, a novel based on a woman named (incorrectly) after Glinda the Good Witch, I have given this a great deal of thought. We want to be the best wife, the best mom, the best friend, etc. If we could just find a magic wand, all of our problems would be solved, right? Kids misbehaving? Poof! A tap of your wand and they are instantly smiling and going off to entertain themselves for a while. Husband complaining because he asked you to do something and you got busy and forgot? Poof! A tap of your wand and he’s all hugs and apologies for not having taken into account all that you do. Buried deep in an underground lab somewhere, there has to be a group of scientists working on this, don’t you think? It would solve everything.Down to the wire ...
Happy New Year to all my mom (and a few non-mom!) readers! It’s been a rather crazy ride the last few days, and my post yesterday was rather cryptic but from the heart. I’ve been struggling with some things that are dear to my heart, and hospitality is one of them.
Orn(ery)ament tutorial, as promised.
70’s photos? nope, just my inkjet running low again. I swear I get 15 pages before it craps out …
I made noises last week about an ornament tutorial, but of course it turned into a long-standing project that got shoved aside, and I only took a few pics. How many of you have any intentions (still) of being crafty and making some personalized ornaments while sipping hot chocolate, listening to soothing holiday music, and everyone laughing and talking happily? I thought not. Not to be grinchy, but finishing up the ornaments last night turned into me making most of them, the boys drawing a few cats and a turtle for me, and then spending the rest of the time making popcorn and stringing it with Dad. More fun than fiddly ornaments for sure!
When's the last time you were sick?
The garbage pail under my desk when I started this post, which was last emptied yesterday …This is an utterly self-serving question, because I’ve been miserable for the last 5 days with a cold/sinus mess. It’s a genuine question though, because when I’m down for the count, it really puts a lot on those around me. I’m the glue, the scheduler, the gap-filler, the teacher, the most-of-the-time cook, the laundress, etc. and when I can’t do more than 20% of my usual tasks it gets pretty chaotic pretty fast. Tripping Over Strings, and you?
My nephew hard at work this summer with some of his birthday tape …Well, I finally stopped making excuses, and we started school today! It went remarkably smoothly, thanks to some established habits from last year, and I hope the rest of the week goes as well. I do NOT plan on waking up extra early to bake special GF scones for the next 4 days however, the lovely piles of yummy dust they ended up being. (Note to self, do not try new recipes before you’re fully awake, and especially not before 4 growling stomachs are dragged to your table to start their day! Spoon bread would be a better name …) To keep the day going smoothly, I have to get my thoughts out in a mere 15 minutes so we’ll see how that goes. Q of the Week : How excited are you by back-to-school?
Image courtesy of D Sharon Pruitt via Flickr.For NYC, it’s back-to-school week (and I know many others are in the same boat), while some of you have had it in session for a few weeks already. We’re running a bit behind my intended start date of today, but I’ll have it put together in the next couple of days. We started up morning Checklists again at least so there was some little bit of a return to routine this morning! The roller coaster that is my mind
Fynn and I headed to our lessons this past winter … I have to say I won’t miss lugging that thing on the subway …I’ve been all over the map today, and am only starting to feel settled down at 9:30 at night. Fynn’s in bed, exhausted, M’s working, the radio faintly playing in the kitchen, and our fans do battle with the humming of A/C in the buildings around me. I saw the tip of his shoe and it hit me ...
D took off on his camp adventure yesterday morning, and practically floated down the front steps on his way out. I had to call him back to say goodbye, which made me smile, and felt just a wee twinge in my throat. I’d been pre-mourning his going, as I’m wont to do, so the actual moment of separation didn’t really hit me emotionally. I blew a kiss at the departing car, came inside with Fynn, and went back to bed to make up for the sleep I’d missed while getting the last of his gear labeled and mended and packed. Combining My Single Friends with My New Mommy Job (guest post by Sarabeth R)
(Escaping with a single girlfriend last year — SaneMom)Being a new mom is both exhilarating and exhausting. Between trying to get the hang of a new sleep schedule, learning how to take care of baby and maintaining a somewhat sane household, there isn’t much time for you. Add in new mommy friends to the mix and you’re left with little time for your pre-baby friends.
But, just because your life has made a major change doesn’t mean that you have to break off your relationships with your single friends. In fact, maintaining those relationships can be healthy, reminding you that you are a multi-dimensional person and there is more to you than your new “job title”.
Here are some tips you can utilize to help combine your single friends with your new mommy job.
Breathe Coaching deadline approaching ...
Just a quick reminder mamas, Heather’s Breathe : Group Coaching for Moms signup deadline is this coming Friday the 29th … get your mojo on and give it a whirl if you’re anywhere near Baltimore! Deets here, hope you can make it!
Happy Easter and Passover too, may your weekend be a relaxing one :).