Family News

By unscientific estimate these are currently my most-used mom-phrases:

Low voice.
Swallow before you talk.
Knees under the table.

I love how they are examples of the economy of language, and the extra elements that come from having story and/or experience behind them.
~
“Low-voice” came out of a conversation I overheard in high school. The mother of a friend described [...]

Well, I was feeling twinges of guilt about packing up (nearly) all the children’s toys, but no more.
I sat next to Melody for a huge chunk of time yesterday afternoon while she made up an entire fantasy with…
(…wait for it…..)
…A cribbage board.
And its little colored pegs.
And we’re talking epic fantasy here.  At one point she [...]

Well, I learned more about me than the kids, but what I learned about me explains why I wouldn’t have noticed it in them.
What we will clear out of our house, and not buy any more:
Oatmeal.
Sort of a bummer and requiring a level of awareness I haven’t needed before, but of all the “common” allergies [...]

This has been the most peaceful trip Jay’s ever been on.
And that was with the 7-years-old birthday party with crafts, donuts and snow-in-the-house.
I can’t imagine it being this peaceful if we had to keep a schedule with the outside world (school, outside work, playdates), but slowing down and doing everything with less intensity.
We’ve gone to [...]

Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve written here.
A lot’s been going on, but I’ve waited because none of it “stable” enough for me to write about it; to set in stone as “reality.”
But now I figure if I wait till it’s all at that level I might not remember enough to record a bunch [...]

In two weeks… And I hope it’s my last for a long time.
Today, for the first time in two weeks, I didn’t walk upon waking.
Yes, I felt less-tired tired, but not in a restful way.  I felt agitated, and wondered (not for the first time in this two weeks) if the reason I’ve frequently been [...]

Monday: last chance to walk if I want to meet my 4x/week goal before my WW meeting
Tuesday: 3 extra kids from 7:30 - 4:30
Wednesday: my kids visiting friends in a.m. while I work a to-do list for my mom– finish getting her house ready for long-term guests
Thursday: p.m. the long-awaited return to “bonkers” indoor playground [...]

The girls are in ecstasies: we are having a Fairy Party this Saturday, complete (Lord-willing, and mom-capable) with things like a fairy cake, fairy games and fairy crafts.
If I’m *really* together I’ll have adorable pictures (that may or may not end up on the blog…) of the ladies in their finery and enjoying themselves.
Right now [...]

A dear friend called me last week to give me more time on my book.
Ahem.
To have the children over. (Actually she did couch it in terms of giving me more time on my book.)
And today I finished the book, so I have to decide how to use the time (assuming I can track down [...]

I’ve said before— more than once, but maybe not here– that I derive peace from “open spaces.”
By this I do not mean the great plains (though that’s never been tried), but rather clear floors in the rooms I frequent.
Currently, because of the book-project, the playroom floor is strewn with books and I’ve spent just about [...]