November 19

We've enjoyed ourselves a sick day today.  A good, old fashioned one.

Poor little Jack-man got hit by that same Mack truck last night, on the way back home from Legacy Village in fact.  In the car.  Good times. 

Moments like last night make me feel like I am really not cut out for this parenthood stuff.

Spent today making up for it.  

We huddled close to home all day to let the boy recuperate, and to take it easy on ourselves, too, as both Nat and I are pitiful coughing, voiceless things. It turns out, we don't usually do that-- just stay home. 

It was a long day. 

Not a bad day, all told;  no more puking after about 1am, and both kids were pretty happy all day.  But today certainly tested the limits of how long one can play aimlessly with a collection of three Bakugan at a 4-year-old's request. God love them, my children are sweet and loving and very amusing-- yet I am glad that most days allow me to enjoy them in settings beyond the walls of the playroom.    It did feel good, though, to know that I was giving them my undivided attention for such extended periods of time, no outside commitments or schedules or plans to interrupt us.   They deserve that more often.  They're very good little children.

That said, we did have a wonderful walk around our neighborhood this morning, wherein we enjoyed the best 30 minutes of the day, weatherwise, and collected pinecones.  We also went to Target, where we purchased a Christmas tree.  We bit the bullet and upgraded our artificial tree, to use this year when we plan to be out of town over Christmas.  Sigh.  The box is in our living room and I have to admit, I can see how people get caught up in the obscenely-early Christmas start-up.  I kind of want to set it up right now.  It's over there, calling to me with its promise of lights and magic and warmth and memory, that box of plastic greenery. 

But I shall wait.  At least until next weekend.  Because Thanksgiving is in 5 days, can you believe it.  I plan to be grateful that we are all healthy again. 

November 17

I've been a bad blogger.  Or at least, a sick one. Shortly after enjoying that nice, normal Monday, I was hit by the Mack-truck of illness and was down for the count for a good 36 hours.  Feeling much better today, thank you.

Today I am happy that a sore throat and nagging cough, by comparison, don't seem so bad.

One silver lining to a bout with stomach flu:  no worries about overindulging on the sweets for the past few days, that's for sure. I'm going to try to get my behind to the gym tomorrow if only for a quick weigh-in...

I think my musings on sweetness this evening may cross over entirely into the zone of my children, so hop over to Mommy's Blog (see, About the Kids, at right) for a scintillating recount of the things my little darlings say and do...

November 14

Today:

Rainy.

Warm.

Ordinary.

Monday.

To be celebrated for its normalcy more than anything.  A quiet day at work, a quiet evening at home.  Not too much water in the basement after the storm.

The icing on the cake today-- Ivy's giggle and prancing dance, and her obsession with hats.  Jack sitting quietly paging through books, "reading the pictures."   Making the most of my double planning time, and a math meeting that was nigh-tolerable.

The blessings of an ordinary life.  Off to bed early to keep the good thing going...

November 13

What a wonderful weekend.   What wonderful weather.  Kind, balmy days.  Crisp piles of leaves dancing across the sidewalks.  A happy boy who is finally feeling better from his week of malaise.

And today-- gatherings of friends galore:  A birthday party for Jack's preschool friend Scarlett, Second Sunday Soup, and dinner swap...

Much sweetness to celebrate (along with some to eat-- homemade apple crisp and cookies from Corbo's bakery?  how could I not?)...

This morning, a wonderful walk in our neighborhood; a trip to the park that turned into a ramble along the edge of the gully, and then exploring down to the stream, the quiet of grand old trees and English ivy everywhere.

A relaxing morning with the Sunday paper and children who played quietly together, off and on.  A clean house and time to play with my boy.

The chance to meet and bond with some other preschool parents, while enjoying the antics of 17 children dashing through a birthday party.  The looks on the 4 year old faces as they held their "freeze" poses during the games; Ivy joining the dancing; children crowding around the couch, closer and closer as the presents were opened...

A small, warm gathering for Second Sunday Soup-- we all fit (sort of) around a table!   Candles lit and conversation and wine and desserts; children drawing in the living room, playing in the yard, shrieks of laughter abounding.

Ending the evening with an hour and half spent with the dinner swap crew.  Tea and cookies and the talking-over-one-another conversation born of familiarity.  Delicious all around.

Our little faux-fire is burning cheerily away, and four candles still flicker in the wall sconce.  The dog is snoring next to me on the couch, and the laundry is folded all around us.  I am not in a hurry to go to bed...

November 10

Tomorrow is 11-11-11.  We are eagerly anticipating jumping 11 times at 11:11.

Why not?

I look forward to this eagerly despite that fact that Nat is upstairs soothing a sobbing boy with a slight fever and raging case of conjunctivitis.

I continue to stand firmly on my new resolution, which is shifting slightly to be:  "I refuse to let life get in the way of enjoying life!"

So there.

Long day all told, for everyone.  Nat had 13 hours of shepherding the dynamic, and 1/2 snotty, duo around the town, while I spent that time juggling a nonstop day and 3 hours of very chatty parents at conferences.

The sweetness of today was hidden in little nooks.  Like Nat's stolen moments with a snuggly boy in our bed for 20 minutes this morning.  The upside of a sick boy.

A Chipotle dinner provided by our PTA, enjoyed hurriedly in the lounge at 3:45, a brief splash of camaraderie to brighten the afternoon.

Happy smiles on the faces of parents reporting their child's pride in bringing home a wonderful report card, rejoicing in progress, saying their child looks forward to school. The reward that goes so much beyond a salary.

The promise of a half day at school and a resale event in the afternoon tomorrow.

Life is good.  See?

November 9

Continuing to need occasional baked goods to get me through the day.  I blame the time change.

Tomorrow, a good run in the morning and then a 12 hour workday should get me back on track... hooray for conferences!

What to savor today?

The music we are learning for our Christmas concert with West Shore is blessedly easy.  We deserve this.  And is it lovely to feel that we are actually making music, already, even as we sight read through a piece for the first time.  A moment of feeling competent; a true treat...

Groups of teachers congregating in halls at 7:30, at 4:00.... not going off their separate ways but coming together.  Nevermind that the coming-together is to gripe and bemoan our current mutual frustrations.  In the midst of the griping are stories of our children, off-color humor, glimpses of the people behind the teacher-masks we all wear.  And that part is lovely.  And I'm not sure it would be happening if not for all the frustrations.  So there's a silver lining for you.

An evening of at-home with my kids... finger painting on the kitchen floor, splashy bubble bath, pizza (peeba!) for dinner, running pell-mell around the house pretending to jump off a raft (aka the dining room rug) and swim in the current, giggles galore...They're fun, these two.

November 7

It's been staggeringly nice outside these past few days.  I think I would be doing wonderfully on my 30 day challenge if I could just stay outside, all the time.  Fall air, the smell of leaves brushing my face, just cool enough and just warm enough at the same time...  how can one crave anything else, in that sort of sensory heaven?

Daggone work, getting in the way.  There's an air of discontent at Orchard these days that can only be countered with a bite of the birthday cake being shared at the meeting, and an iced coffee for lunch.  Perhaps if we had more windows we could open, we'd all feel better...?  Sigh. You know the year is hard hard hard when people come in from a perfect weekend and say it was just "okay." 


The general glum-ness almost made me feel guilty when I answered the obligatory "how was your weekend" queries with a resounding "WONDERFUL!" 

But how could I not?  It was wonderful, all around.  The perfection of the weather (have I mentioned it's been staggeringly nice out???); Sunday breakfast complete with a paper; children in leaf piles and children on walks and children on beaches and in sandboxes and on slides; going to a play with Jackie, snuggling with Ivy, walking with my dog; lunch out with Nat and a new set of Danish modern coffee mugs.... eating dinner with my kids while we watch Sesame Street, laughing and giggling and Ivy naming every animal and character she sees; a walk through the balmy fall darkness after supper, an excited boy jumping into leaves and hiding behind trees at every turn; a quiet house and a cup of tea and a moment to myself to cap the day...

Could life be any sweeter? I am so grateful for what I have.   I will boldly refuse to let anything-- be it work or a somewhat un-met 30 day challenge-- keep me from savoring it.

November 5

Stayed up late last night watching 3 episondes of Lost and somehow couldn't manage to find 5 minutes to blog. 

Sorry about that.

A bit off the wagon today. I figured it just wouldn't be right to celebrate Lillian and Naomi's birthday without a bit of homemade apple pie.  Though, in retrospect, I think our hours at the birthday party were plenty sweet, all on their own. 


Its amazing to think it's been two years since that breathless day when our "extended family" welcomed Melinda's girls, two little beings in a rush to enter this world, tiny two-pound things who were tenacious and strong and perfect....  Just as they are today.  Two darling girls in party dresses, the one with the impish smile climbing alternately on chairs and into laps; the little actress, not feeling well, snuggly and sweet and very excited about new play food.   A study in contradictions, these twins who couldn't be more different, these children of our hearts.  And joining them-- beautiful Tommy and little Matthew, army crawling his way through the world; Jack and Greg, tumbling through bubbles and wrestling with Nat; and Ivy Jane, the "third twin"-- the noise and distraction and beauty of all these little people in one house. 

But the sweetest part of this evening, and of the little 2-year-olds we celebrated? Knowing, and seeing, and feeling in that room with us, all the joy they bring to their parents and their family.  The way they complete a family, and bring people together. 
Its awe-inspring to look around and see the continuity of generations moving forward, and know the hope and the dreaming and the glimpse of immortality that our children bring; to know the importance of them, these children.  To be humbled by the task of parenting them, even as we run a bit ragged behind them, or cut up their lasagna, or change their diapers, or just hold them for a moment in our laps. 

It's amazing, and huge, and staggering-- and so very mundane and busy and cacophonous, too-- this business of being a parent.  And no sweeter way to celebrate it than with perfect little individual cakes, balloons, sprinkles, and presents. 

Oh, and it was a perfectly, stunningly lovely fall day, too.  I had this wonderful gift of a half hour in which Corydon and I--just the two of us!-- walked around the 4 blocks of our neighborhood, me sipping from a travel mug of iced coffee and inspecting the architecture, Cor meandering nearby, my little companion.  Its not so much "walking a dog", taking her out.  Its more "walking with a dog."  I had her leash and collar with me-- in my pocket.  I love my dog.

November 3

Its been a lees-sweet day, all told.  Less sweets eaten-- better every day!-- and less sweet to write about, I think... nothing like a full day math meeting, during report card week, to bring out the boring, cardboard-taste of life.

But, I'll try.

Sharing a laugh with my son as we drew together on a big piece of cardboard on the floor.  And then, walking by the mess of scribbles and lines and seeing... art.

The way Ivy runs, lifting each leg so high, dancing through the rooms with that light in her eyes and curls bouncing, turning and teasing and dashing away.  She's a bit of a pill, these days, demanding and vocal about what she wants and even louder when you tell her no... but, oh, that little run-and-turn-and-twinkle of hers!

She can say "mine" now, you know.  But she can also say, "nice."

Getting the kids to bed 20 minutes earlier than normal and finding that Antiques Roadshow just happened to be on.  Man, I love that show.    Except for when the people seem completely unimpressed at the worth of their strange item, casually nodding their heads at its newly acquired $8,000 price tag.  But I still love that show.

Today, apparently, is not a day to wax poetic.  But life is still good.  I am snuggled on a couch next to a beautiful dog and our little faux fire is chugging away.  My wonderful husband just brought us chips and salsa and I really love Lady Grey tea.  Watching Grey's Anatomy and thinking about wonderful people in my life and how I ought to give cards to more of them.

I suppose that wishing for more hours in a day is just proof positive of how good life really is, right?

November 2

We've got to get the Halloween candy out of the house. 

I mean, seriously, how can I be expected to say no to Dots, of all things???

Other than that?  Not bad.

Had a great spinning class this morning.  The shaky-legs-going-down-the-stairs-after-class sort of great.  Was a good girl at school, snacking on almonds while I worked on paperwork. Nice long walk with the kids this evening.  So I'm going to call it even.

You know what's sweeter than a box of Dots?

61 sunny-perfect degrees on a Cleveland Heights afternoon, gracious trees dropping their leaves artfully, angling them just so to catch the yellow light and filter it down over houses, nestled in browns and greens with Jack o'lanterns still dressing their front steps.  Blue sky above and a little boy pointing out to me each white line made by an airplane. "Or maybe a rocket, mommy!"  Soft fall air and more neighbors to stop and meet and greet and friendly dogs sniffing and playing and a sticky-fingered baby joyously nomm-ing on a lollipop, content to watch and smile. 

It was a nice evening, here.

Hope yours has been, too.

November 1

Not the best day, not the worst.  Consider it a "taper" from the orgy of sugar that was Halloween.  A couple of cookies at school today, because I get hungry at school and, there were cookies.

Note to self:  be better prepared with good snack options to keep on desk at school.

Also, note to readers:  I'm not talking ZERO sugar here.  Just to make that clear.  I mean, the generic corn chex I had this morning, which taste pretty much like corn and not sweet at all, still had 5 grams of sugar.

But, I will try again tomorrow, to avoid the cookies.

Today's sweetness:

The luscious lines of "Infant Lowly, Infant Holy" tonight at choir,  even if it feels too early to be singing Christmas music.

The sunshine slanting long-shadowed through the trees as we ambled down Somerton, chatting with neighbors and following two kids on bikes (or off, as the case may be for Miss Ivy-Stops-a-lot...).

The hugs from my children when I got home from work.

Not having any meetings at 3:00 for the past two days!  Being able to tidy my room, prep for the next day, and still leave at 4.  It's the little things in life...

The sun.  Did I mention the sun?

My snuggled, warm, tired, jowly dog. I love her.

My wonderful husband who makes me expresso to welcome me home.

Being regaled with stories by Fiona on our drives home.

The connections we make, with people in this world, the little moments each day, laughs and smiles and shared opinions.

The fact that it's the season for blazers and scarves and knee high black books.  This is the good stuff.