A Day in the Life

We still have not had to turn on the heat.  M is trying to cave, but I can taste November 1st like it is 24 hours away.

Long live the down vest and the fleece jacket.

It is October 22nd, and I still have not had to turn on the heat.  Of course, as M has pointed out, I am wearing boots, a fleece, and a down vest in the house.  But I am going to push it as long as I can, as I’m doing it for the polar bears.  It has nothing at all to do with the fact that I grew up in a household that considered those who turned on the heat before November 1st wimps.

I woke up this morning and realized that it was mid-October and I hadn’t even contemplated whining about not wanting to turn on the heat yet.

Surely I just jinxed myself now and it will get frigid in the next 24 hours.

Some folks try to blog every day, my personal goal at the moment is to blog once a month.  I’m not into setting unachievable personal goals these days.  At close to 40, I think I am finally starting to recognize my limitations.

Both kids are happily (and I use that word loosely) ensconced at school.  A was so traumatized the first week because of her lack of handraising skills that she now has veered in the other direction and refuses to speak in class.  Even at snack.  She has, however, discovered a love of the swings, and swings and swings and swings at any given opportunity to visit the playground.

C has, at long last, started to find his people.  The non-sporty, would rather memorize 2,000 facts about some arcane subject rather than touch a ball of any kind people.  He can be found huddled on a bench with a group of three boys every recess, and comes home spouting random knowledge such as how many different Pokemons there are, or quizzing me on the periodic table of the elements.  I applaud their equal opportunity approach to knowledge, it will serve them well someday.  One day a week he heads to the intermediate school for a day long program where he is finally challenged academically, and it has made a huge difference in his interest in actual completing his school work.  Not to jinx myself, but we are one month into school and I have yet to get the email/phone call from the teacher anxious to discuss with me how exactly she is supposed to get my child to complete his classwork.  Now if only they also taught him organizational skills, he has already reached his yearly limit of return trips to school to pick up some forgotten item.

The dog is, well, a dog.  He is currently trying to dig a hole through my kitchen floor, and I am ignoring the behavior.  Which I know I will regret in five years when I actually have a floor in here that I care about, but much like when my kids were little, I am taking what little peace I find, consequences be damned.

I have not knit.  I have not written anything beyond this blog post.  I have vaguely made an attempt to keep up on laundry, and I spent 2 days cooking and freezing food so I wouldn’t have to be bothered to cook again until December sometime.  Vegetarian tamale pie anyone?

How are things by all of you??

OK, I know I still have just about two weeks until the kiddos head back to school, but I am in Fall mode already, so figured I should update the progress on my summer goals.

• De-paper the guest room. I made a dent.  I still haven’t tackled the box of papers from college, or the boxes containing the kids “keep” items, but I did sort through all my work/volunteer files.  Grade: B-
• Clear out the too small dress up clothes. It is on deck for tomorrow while the dog is at the vet’s for his “procedure.”  Grade: Incomplete.
• Find a good home for many, many boxes of books. I sorted many, many boxes.  They are now awaiting delivery to the church book sale this fall.  Grade: A-
• Deal with the basement shelves. Didn’t touch this one, and have no plans to do so.  Mainly because I just can’t face disposing of the old paint cans and batteries.  Grade: F
• Knit. I knit very little this summer.  But I did sort through the stash a bit, and bagged up some of the yarn I know I will never ever knit with to donate.  Grade: D

In procrastinating my actual to-do list, I also accomplished the following:

• Cleaned out the art closet and labeled the bins.  An annual pre-school ritual around here.
• Cleaned out the upstairs game closet.
• Found space in the back hall closet for the dog’s supplies.
• Sorted through my t-shirt drawer and got rid of all the stained, torn, and over-worn items (and then proceeded to Target to replenish my supply as there was nothing left).
• Helped the kids clean out their closets and stuffed animal bins.
• Emptied out all the baskets in the living room.  The things that were found in there?  Christmas ornaments that have been missing since we lived in the City (8 years ago).  C’s missing kindergarten homework (he is now entering 3rd grade).  Lazy Cat’s favorite plush mouse (which she is apparently too old to play with now).  Pictures, pictures, and more pictures.  Magazines, magazines, and more magazines.

And, now, the kids’ five minutes of peaceful play has turned into a full-on brawl in the playroom.  Do you think I could send them to school early and call them interns?

We made it to our final destination, cargo bag intact.  Unfortunately, while the cargo bag stayed put, it was in fact not waterproof as advertised.  We discovered this as the instant I hit the MA border, the heavens opened and it poured.  All the way to the NH border, where the weather magically improved.  The only things damaged in the deluge?  My year-long magazine collection and my clothes.  Thankfully, M had the sense to put my knitting in the car, so I didn’t end up with a bag full of felt.

The kids have fallen right back in with their summer friends, disappearing for the morning at tennis and various other activities and spending the afternoon running from one family’s beach encampment to another’s.  I have gotten 3/4 of the way through my waterlogged magazine collection, and finished the back of my cardigan.  The weather has been beautiful, not too hot and not too cold.

Added bonus: Right now everyone, including the dog, is fast asleep.  At 1:20 in the afternoon.  Do you think I can stay on vacation permanently?

I am packing for our annual Eastern Seaboard trek.  Complicated this year by Herr Dog, who not only takes up the entire back of the car, but also requires his own bag.  So we have now become uber cool and will be treking north with a cargo bag on our roof.  Let’s hope the Amazon reviews were correct and the $40 bag is just as good as the $200 hard carrier as I will be mighty miffed if our belongings end up scattered across the Mass Pike someplace.

Thank goodness I have my packing list to refer to.  This year I am adding onto it the various non-clothing things I never remember.

• Cell phone and charger
• Camera (and charger, and the card reader so I can actually download the pics)
• Video camera
• Kindle (and charger)
• Sun glasses
• Kids’ bike helmets
• Headphones and iPod arm band

I am also going to add on some more specifics at the END of the vacation, such as how many outfits the kids actually need, etc.

Wish me luck…

The Invechr, By A, Age 6

ouns ther wus a gilr. She had a dog and two cats and a fyou fish. She wotitid to go on a hick. Her mom had set up a TV, but she had uthr plans. She got a fyou awtfits for the hick and with that, she ran off.

Translation: The Adventure. Once there was a girl. She had a dog and two cats and a few fish. She wanted to go on a hike. Her mom had set up a TV, but she had other plans. She got a few outfits for the hike and with that, she ran off.

Personally, I don’t see it, but who I am to question a random meme website???

I write like
Margaret Atwood

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!