Feb. 24

Let's see... the usual of not much happening here the last week.  A few really warm days followed by some really cold ones.  School was even delayed 2 hours this morning over the threat of ice.  Yeah, just a threat. Better safe than sorry I guess.

Mike is happy at work, insanely busy as usual, but he seems to like his new role.  Sounds like he'll finally get to hire someone to do his other job so hopefully by May or June he'll be out from under the strain of two jobs.

I decided against curling again this season.  It's odd, I miss it very much but I'm generally not sad on Sunday mornings when I don't go.  The last couple of seasons I played I was stuck with teams that just didn't feel like showing up a lot of the time.  Really hard to find a way to enjoy the game when I can't get a consistent team from week to week and we were hard pressed to win any games (and no, it's NOT about winning, but that sure is fun sometimes).  And the cost went up. So. In the fall I'll reevaluate and maybe go back out again.

The kinder class that I taught Spanish to is no more.  The teacher had to retire due to some very serious health issues.  Circumstances being what they were (too much to go into here) the administrators split the kids among the other kinder classes.  I cannot express how incredibly happy I was to drop that Spanish class. Such a great release.  I thought that would free up a bit of my time Wednesday mornings but as I was working with the teachers to rearrange my schedule one asked me if I could work with one of her kids in my now free time.  So, not the time break I was hoping for, but no Spanish and that is a good thing.  Now if I can just finish out the last few weeks of library time Spanish I will be free!

I am still spending lots of time on the MOOCs.  They are so fascinating.  Among others, I am retaking the guitar course I did a few months back.  This time a friend is taking it with me. She is really wanting to learn to play the guitar, as am I.  We figured together we might actually accomplish something.  So we are taking the class, finding some time to get together every week or two to practice and our goal is to actually be able to play by the end of the year.  The boys want me to practice with them every day while they practice the piano.  It's good to be held accountable!

And now... I have a hot cup of tea to drink and the funnies to read.

Birthday Fun

Alex is 9!  It was a beautiful day yesterday and a perfect day for a birthday.  All in all I would say the kid had a pretty darn good day.  Lots of presents and surprises, a nice little walk in the park, a visit from Aunt Stephanie & Uncle Michael, and cake.  What more could you ask for.  Oh yeah, he got his chainsaw, thanks Uncle Andrew!

Fun with Lizards

The boys found a couple of green anoles last weekend.  It was a little cool so the lizards were on the sluggish side and couldn't quite escape playtime.  Alex & Ben played with the lizards for probably close to 3 hours, miraculously without harming them.  When they finally tired of their little friends the boys returned the lizards to the garden where they found them.

Ups and Downs

I got a couple of extra days with the boys this week.  Each February the school district shuts down for a few days for teacher continuing ed conferences.  It's a nice mid-winter break for everyone.

Anyway, it's been nice having the kids home even if they are a little crazy.  We've definitely hit the stage of "boys will be boys".  Today's example - Alex brings me the electric pencil sharpener.  He says he jammed it when he stuck the eraser in it to sharpen. Apparently erasers aren't the only foreign objects to get shoved into the pencil sharpener.  Apparently the pencil sharpener isn't the only thing of mom's to be abused.  The kid gets a few points for honesty and not screaming about it as if the world is going to end.  But...

Oh, it's all academic anyway.  Every single one of us went through this stuff as a kid.  Every single parent got irritated and frustrated with it.  Most of us come out the other side of it all right.  I thought I had a few more years before it all started, but nope, pre-teen kid has officially joined the household.

It all just adds to the general winter malaise that seems to have settled over me.  February is a hard month for  many reasons: bills, mid-winter doldrums, too much school before summer, etc..  I don't dislike February at all, but I just can't seem to find a center of balance and happiness at the moment.  The weight of all the little things in my world seems magnified and immense and quite frankly I'd really just like to crawl back into bed with Mike and a good book and my blanket and wake up when the sun is shining all the time and school is over and I don't really care how much crap gets shoved in my pencil sharpener.