Aspirations

I took the kids to the local hair salon to get tidied up. Cami's had her hair cut there several times, but it was Graham's first trip. I'd been cutting his hair ever since we'd moved here, but he clearly remembered the experience of going to the salon in New Jersey & asked to have a professional do it.

While waiting his turn, he began to spin the backless swivel seat the stylist had vacated. When I asked what he was doing, he replied, "I want to pretend I'm a CD in a CD player."

I laughed along with Clare, the stylist, who told him, "You need to get out more."

Hearing Myself

Throughout my late teens and into my early twenties, I was an avid journal writer. I took about a twelve year hiatus from that habit. But at the beginning of the year, I was thinking about the times I felt most content with myself & determined to start doing the things I did when I felt comfortable in my own skin. Writing in my journal every night is one of those things.

Jason and I have long known that we are happier as a family when the computer is not the chief source of entertainment for our children. But I had to admit to myself that the time I spend in front of the computer wasn't contributing to our family happiness either. So, we decided to take a week -- just a week -- where the only screen time would be Jason's work & my twice-a-day e-mail checks.

That's why the blog hasn't been updated in a while. I'd been using the blog as my substitute journal, but when you blog, the audience isn't yourself. I needed to hear my own voice again to figure out what things would make me feel content with who I am. That mission is still in progress. But it is progressing.

Returning to Action

I took a month off from blogging (I'll explain later), but Cami is the source of two post-worthy items.

Item #1.

Here's a photo taken in October 2008 of Cami & Cousin Mary. Cami found my wedding dress in a closet at my parents' house & asked to try it on. I love the combination of the girls' expressions.

Item #2.

Just a few minutes ago, she made the traditional seven-year old claim that Jason was being a "copycat." He decided to switch things up on her & said she was copying the things he was going to say, making her the copycat. She gave him a bewildered, "Huh?" as I asked over her head, "She's a prescient copycat?"

Jason picked up on my question & told her, "You're a prescient copycat."

Her reply, "No, I'm a mind reader."

Spring Cleaning

In French Women Don't Get Fat -- yes, it's a diet book & no, I don't have a weight problem -- Mireille Guiliano mentions that she does her "spring cleaning" in the winter when she wants to be inside, so that she can enjoy spring fever by being outside.

Yesterday, despite icy roads, the members of the Emmaus Community came to pick up our bedroom-cum-living-room furniture. It's like we have a brand new room. I was afraid Cami & Graham wouldn't respond well to the change, but when Cami walked through the front door after school, she immediately gave it her stamp of approval. Rosie & Graham are loving all the space. They are happily playing downstairs right now.

With the big change of simplifying the living room, lots of little purges have occurred. There was a lot of paper stored in those drawers that are in recycling bags right now. Jason is currently on an errand run that includes a stop at a charity shop (aka thrift store) to get rid of unused books & clothes.

With a bit more determination, things will be spick-n-span when spring fever hits.

Which Came First: the Pancake or the Mac?

I mentioned to Jason that I'd overheard someone talking about IHOP (International House of Pancakes). He observed, "It sounds like a rabbit made by Apple."

Happy 2010

Happy New Year. It's 8:48 GMT, so many of you are probably just heading to bed. I hope your memories of the night are worth remembering.

Jason just told a squealing Graham, "Don't scream. Our neighbors are still hung over."

For whatever reason, I'm finding it hard to be motivated today. I've spent the last few days clearing out a lot of clutter, which feels really good. But today I really don't want to do much more than read a book or watch a Thin Man movie with Jason.

But the day is beautiful. The red roof tiles across the street look pink with frost. The sky is clear. And it'll be too easy to just laze the day away if I don't get out into it. Or at least laze the day away until the panicked tidy up that will happen an hour before our friends are supposed to arrive for a waffle supper. So, instead, we're going to go for a walk in the woods. It's the sort of memory I want to make for a new year.

Smart Kid

Graham just asked me a joke/riddle/serious question -- I'm not sure.

Graham: What do you call a triangle without a top? (Imagine this being asked in a little boy lisp while big brown eyes look at you steadily.)

Me: I don't know, Graham, what do you call a triangle without a top?

Graham: A bi-angle.