Overwhelmed

Lots of things happening right now that are overwhelming me.

• I have a renewed interest going on in the job hunt area.  A lot of calls, some interviews are being arranged or have been arranged, including a second interview on Monday

• Trying to start the loooong process of de-cluttering, organizing and cleaning up our house so that perhaps we can sell it at some point in the (near?) future.

• Being without a job means the improvements we would like to do on the house for the above--are kinda hard (there are not a lot of improvements needed--but still, the money is not there)

• My mother has moved to Massachusetts from Indiana--and the chaos that is ensuing with changing her over (the fact that her furniture and stuff has not arrived YET, having to get her a bank account, etc.)  has hit right at an already chaotic time in my household.

• Chewy is on a HUGE deadline, so he is working constantly, leaving me to try to control the chaos...

• Oh, and someone is going to be FOUR soon and she is letting me know that daily!

Growing Up...

I am sure I am going to jinx it, but we have four nights in a row of no pull ups at night and no wet bed in the morning.

I bought some sippy plugs and sippy yesterday...I think the last ones we will have to buy.

She is now in 4T clothing and we are less than a month away from her Fourth Birthday.

In many ways a toddler, many ways a preschooler...all the signs are there--she is growing up!

Basket Memory

I don't even know where the basket came from.  I think I remembered when Chewy found it this weekend, but now I have forgotten.

Memory has been on my mind lately.   I am not sure if this is why this morning it struck me so deeply.

She found the basket.  I had set it aside to re-purpose (I have no idea for what).  She placed blocks in it (moving them from their proper and totally fine box).  She also put necklaces and an empty checkbox into the basket.

And the memory struck me as she pulled these items out of the basket.  The memory of a somewhat bigger basket.  Just as handcrafted and sturdy. That held toys.  That I played with at my Grammie's house.  I don't even know what the basket had been for originally (I am not even sure that my memory is correct when I say that I had plastic dinosaurs in the basket).  I just remember it was always brought out when I came over to play.

But I do know that the memory made me warm and happy.  I guess the little basket has already found its purpose.

Cat Love

The cats have been so cute and cuddly lately.  Early this morning, Kif came into bed, begging to be petted.  I vaguely have recall of him snuggling up to me, his paw near my face as I petted him as I fell back to sleep.  (Regretfully, Chewy woke up early and when he got up...off went Kif).

Gabby and Kif hanging out...

Wasting Time

We have 70 mins while we wait for his social skills group to finish.  Often it is a chore to fill this time up.  But not today.

The weather is wonderfully warm and spring is in the air.  She and I walk down the charming city streets of Lexington and she finds new discoveries at every turn.  For the first time in a while, I feel myself relaxing and not making myself fill the spare time with thoughts or errands.  We are just enjoying the warmth, the walk, the time together.

I am not trying to teach her anything (well, at a certain point, when she decides she must stomp on ALL bugs in her path, I do inform her that bugs make up a healthy diet for the birds that she was enjoying just a few feet away).  Earlier in the day, we had went to the Y and played in a class together.

But now...I am not trying to squeeze meaning out of this time.

She sees a shop and we go in and enjoy a cookie.  We start to walk back and we notice some dogs.  I noticed  how her eyes crinkle when she laughs.

Nothing extraordinary happened.

But it was my favorite part of today.

Passage

"Monotony collapses time; novelty unfolds it.  You can exercise daily and eat healthily and live a long life, while experiencing a short one.  If you spend your life sitting in a cubicle and passing papers, one day is bound to blend unmemorably into the next--and disappear.  That's why it's important to change routines regularly, and take vacations to exotic locales, and have as many new experiences as possible that can serve to anchor memories.  Creating new memories stretches out psychological time, and lengthens our perception of our lives."  --Joshua Foer "Moonwalking with Einstein"

Reading this book has been very interesting...it is about memory and our brain and how it functions.  I am amazed at how much we still do not understand about our brain.

When I got to the above passage, however, it struck me how I have always always felt about my life and time--how often I seek to find something new, some new experience. Some times it is the yearly gaming convention, or summer at Cape Cod.  This coming Saturday we are going to a symphony concert (Willow's first time).  I realized how much I am grasping at something one cannot hold onto for long, how time slips through even when you are having fun (hey, sometimes I feel time goes faster when my weekends are full of these experiences...).

Life is full and fun and a one time thing.  So why do I let myself get into a rut?  I guess sometimes I need to be reminded.  And now I am off to spend some time with my nieces...cuz, they are growing so fast (damn, that time thing again!)

Looking Up to...

Michael's homework tonight was to brain-storm a list to help him with a long composition essay he will have to do for the state testing later this month.  The subject has to be on someone he looks up to.  He picked his dad (yeah, I do feel a little like chopped liver here...)

Michael has a great imagination, but is not always able to convert that creativity to his homework.  For homework and school work he tends to be quite literal.  So some of this list he made was quite literal...but some of this list was very insightful....here is a bit of his list:

*he's very smart

*his job is being a computer engineer

*he wears glasses, has long black hair, a beard and mustache

*he's tall and strong

*knows how to fix a lot of things

*he's kind and funny

*he plays role-playing games, board games, and video games

*he went to the colleges, Michigan State and MIT

*he's from Detroit, Michigan

*his birthday is July 5th, the same as his younger brother

*has one brother and one sister

*teaches me about computers and other things

*makes pancakes on weekend mornings

*bad driver

*good navigator

*likes "Star Trek" and "Star Wars"

*favorite movie is The Godfather

*has a couple of teeth missing

*likes to take naps

*has ADHD

*likes to read a lot

*broken toes

*went to Japan when he was 16

*went to Romania last year

*beaten up, old car

*likes Bar-B-Q

*likes horror movies

*likes chili and sushi

*leaves clothes and cups all over the place

*forgets to do the dishes a lot

*can't see the color purple

*bad singer

I am really hope I get to see the finished essay...

Total Con 2012 Wrap Up

It was a near perfect year this year...everything was packed and ready, we got there on time...I was able to get an early check in, Willow and I were able to go to the grocery store and pick up snacks, etc.  (We had a junior suite, so we had a kitchenette).

We actually had ALL the games we registered for (Pre-reg online worked this year!)

Both children behaved extremely well and we all enjoyed the time away.

Highlights: 

• Andre's games are always so much fun!  Chewy and I played the same set-up different nights (it is a 7 p.m. - 3 a.m. game).  We did not realize it, but we both played the same character! (He did a great job--I am not as good at Role Playing, but I am getting better--I think I pulled off a couple of good lines!)

• Michael got to play an Andre game with Chewy!

• Met up with some friends and got to enjoy some good food.

• Willow got to have lots of pool time!!

• Face painting!

• New Board Games!

• Ghost Rider Sentinal (and I was She Hulk!)