Summer Fun 2013: A Week to Go

With about a week of summer to go, I've been reviewing and updating my list of summer activities.  We haven't done as many as I expected, probably because of the trips--Philly, Texas, NYC, camp if that counts--and, more than that, reading five Harry Potter books in July.  Still, it's been a good summer and they've had a lot of fun doing whatever they liked, which oftentimes was not on my list!

1. Activity-kit-a day:  Make a snow globe  Well, not exactly, but Sculpey came to the rescue and the kiddos made bunny and penguin snow globes.  
2. Activity-kit-a day:  Make your own birdhouse.
3. Activity-kit-a day:  spin art
4. Activity-kit-a day:  My first Chemistry set
5. Activity-kit-a day:  Magic Science kit  What a mess mixing water, oil, citric acid, baking soda, and red cabbage dye!
6. Activity-kit-a day:  Make a stepping stone
7. Activity-kit-a day:  Etch a tag engraver set
8. Activity-kit-a day:  Pottery kit  No way a kid can make the pots pictured on the box.  Kinda discouraging.
9. Activity-kit-a day:  Potato Clock  Bud is really excited about this one.  I just have to remember to buy the potatoes.
10. Activity-kit-a day:  Mandala maker
11. Activity-kit-a day:  Lava Volcano kit  The mold of the volcano worked, but the explosion didn't.  All the blood red liquid just leaked out the bottom no matter what we did.  The instructions needed pictures.
12. Activity-kit-a day:  Disgusting Science kit
13. Activity-kit-a day:  tie-dye kit   We haven't done our kit, but we did tie dye at the family picnic and at camp.  Love to tie dye!
14. Activity-kit-a day:  Eco crafts kit  When we opened this again, we realized Sis had done all the interesting parts.
15. Activity-kit-a day:  Sound studio kit Some kits just aren't what you think they'll be.
16. Activity-kit-a day:  drawing kit  Ditto.
17. Activity-kit-a day:  light kit
18. Activity-kit-a day:  Sun prints kit  This is the one I've been waiting to do.  
19. Activity-kit-a day:  friendship bracelets  Sis has done some at camp, but we still have the kit.
20. Activity-kit-a-day:  thread art
21. Activity-kit-a-day:  pom pon bunny
22. Host a sleepover with friends.  I'm going to count the sleepovers with Gommie and Pop and Ma and Gong.
23. Join swimming pool.  Well, more like we've been mooching off friends, like Mrs. S and Miss K!
24. Start Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  Yep, started on June 30.  Finished July 1.  And now they're reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
25. Make ice cream in a roly ball.
26. Have a no-electricity day.
27. Have a backwards day.
28. Have a pajama day.  We've done this a lot now, but I'm not sure it gets old.
29. Paint like Jackson Pollock.
30. Help at historic house.  They helped prep for a program and even posed for publicity shots!  Then Sis helped out at the event.
31. Work on woven placemats on loom.  Does weaving potholders count??
32. Learn how to clean bathrooms.
33. Learn how to weed garden.  Well, Sis has, anyway.
34. Practice scooping litter boxes.  Yep, they don't like it.  And with stuff I've recently read about certain bacteria in some cat feces causing schizophrenia, I think I'll be doing the litter boxes.
35. Play putt-putt golf.
36. Sort and donate books.  We gave 6 bags and boxes away to Read to Grow.  And that's just the kids' books.
37. Go strawberry picking.  Nope
38. Go blueberry picking.  Nope
39. Make jam.  Nope
40. Purge and donate toys in basement.  It's a process.  But we've started.
41. Visit Miss S.
42. Write to a pen pal.
43. Organize school papers.
44. Go see a movie in a theater.  With Gommie, Monsters U.
45. Go to one library event.
46. Make popsicles.
47. Have an astronomy night.  We tried.  Meteors didn't cooperate.
48. Have a lemonade stand.
49. Host a Luau/Hawaii party.
50. Build fairy houses.
51. Scrapbook.   
52. Make brandied fruit a la Bloodroot.  I started this before our summer, technically.  But we've added to it and also stirred it everyday.
53. Go on a sketching outing.  At Aunt Sis's!
54. Celebrate July 4th.  With fireworks and a crawfish boil!
55. Celebrate Solstice.  The kids celebrated Solstice on their last day of school by staying up as late as they could; they even put on a performance of Grease for us at 9 p.m.!
56. Celebrate Mama's birthday.  We ate rainbow cake and played a Lego game.
57. Make ice cube candles.
58. Host a culture night.   Hogwarts culture?  We made Butterbeer!
59. Make fudge.
60. Go to concert in the park.
61. Visit a new museum.
62. Hang pictures.
63. Make treats for animal shelter.

Bonus:  

• make soap
• go to a local festival
• do 1000 piece puzzle
• have a backyard weenie/s'mores roast  Well, sorta.  We had a playdate with a friend and hosted a hot-dog supper.  And we made s'mores at the family picnic.
• make a family songbook  I'm working on a GS one..
• have a kids-in-charge day
• have a no-cooking day.  Otherwise known as, "pie for dinner" when it's too hot out.  We shared a small apple and a small cherry.
• have an all-outside day  Would camp count?
• and did I mention go to Texas?!  Yep!

Go fishing.  At the bay!

Fly a kite.  With Gommie and Pop!

Learn a new game.  Gommie introduced them to Mah Jongg.
Make Gimp with plastic strings.  Also at camp, but we also have a book for making animals with the gimp strings.
Catch fireflies.  Yes, indeed.
Make suncatchers.  Sis painted a cat and a rainbow; Bud did a turtle and a sun.  I did a dolphin.

Summer Fun 2013: Camp Finale

Tonight was family night at Bud's camp.

I just love camp.

Hearing "Princess Pat" sung by young campers as the late-day sun sparkles through the tree cover just brings me a lot of joy and peace.  I could almost smell the s'mores.

Blackout 2003

I can't believe it's the tenth anniversary of the Blackout.

Ten years ago today, I had been in my office near Union Square when the power went out.  So I walked down the two flights, having been sent home by the director.  I thought it was just a local outage and was surprised to see that the subway was closed and the shops' lights were out.  I pulled out my cellphone and dialed Mama, the one time we connected--her power was out, too.  So we agreed on our previously-arranged emergency plan (this wasn't long after September 11, after all):  meet at Bryant Park and then we'd go to the Algonquin.

I made the long trek from downtown to 42nd Street on what was a very hot day.  People were pouring out of their offices; traffic was at a complete standstill.  Rumors flew.  Some enterprising shops had closed up but were selling bottled water--$4 a bottle!--on the streets.  I think I got one.  Soon one of those loud radio vans snaked by on 6th, blaring that the power outage was all over the Northeast and not due to any clear terrorist attack.

When I finally made it to Bryant Park, I was not the only one.  One oversight in our plan--we hadn't said where in the park to meet, because, usually, there aren't so many people there.  But there were thousands.  I circled.  I learned later that Mama circled.  I even stood in line for a pay phone and tried to call her twice, but by then the circuits were completely shut down.

I decided to head over to the Algonquin and immediately went to the front desk, where I stood in line behind a very grumpy woman who didn't get a room.  When I politely inquired, however, they took my  name and credit card number and put me on the waiting list.  I then headed to the line for the basement bathroom--they'd give you the flashlight one at a time to go.  When I got back upstairs and stood outside, Mama crossed the street.  I was so happy that our plan had worked!

Eventually, we went back to the desk and got our room key.  I think it was 6th floor.  High, but not like the Marriott or other area hotels that we heard later had to evacuate all guests for fire safety in such high rises.  We were so happy to have a space with beds and a bathroom, even if there was no air conditioning, lights, or hot water.

We ventured out later to look for some food and to see what was going on.  It was like a giant party--people walking down the streets, more people than you ever see milling about, but very oddly unlit as dusk settled.  A line for the brick oven pizza place snaked around the corner (and with people buying 10 at a time, we knew we'd never get pizza.)  We found a corner store that was letting people in a few at a time to shop by flashlight, as long as you had cash (which we did, another part of our emergency plan.)  I think we dined on Doritos and candy bars and who knows what else that night.  And were happy to have it.

If memory serves, we slept well enough, after cold showers, and woke to lights on the next morning. Outside, the city looked like Mardi Gras had hit--people asleep on the sidewalks, garbage everywhere, and the smell of urine pervasive (the one public bathroom, in Bryant Park, had closed almost immediately out of safety concerns--I had tried there before the Algonquin.) It took awhile for the trains to start running out of GCT and we didn't get home until later afternoon.  Our house alarm had sounded when the power went out--we're told it was only out for an hour or so.  But it was too long for our cat, Morgan, who didn't understand the noise or why we didn't come home to feed him--he'd thrown up twice overnight.

All in all, it was a fun adventure, once we knew it wasn't terrorism.  And to this day, we're grateful to the Algonquin for letting us in.

Summer Fun 2013: Cold Day for a Swim

With morning lows around 60 and a steady breeze at 15 mph, I wasn't sure we were actually going to swim at our pool playdate today.  But kids are hardy and that's exactly what they did--swim and swim, between breaks out of the water wrapped in towels to warm up.  Thanks so much, girls and Mrs. S, for having us over for swimming and lunch.  We all had a wonderful time!

-=-=-=-=-=-

M&M Cookie Bars
2 1/8 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
12 Tbsp butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 12oz bag M&M's, divided


Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position. Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter and sugars until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in 1 cup of M&M's and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula. Sprinkle remaining M&M's on top and press in slightly.


Bake 25-30 minutes, until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan. Cool completely before cutting.

from What Megan's Making

Summer Fun 2013: Reading the End, Again

Bud has finished the last Harry Potter book today!

It's amazing that they both read close to 3,000 pages in the last month.

No wonder we haven't gotten much else done on our Summer Fun list this year!

Now, to see the last four movies (we watched Goblet of Fire on Sunday, my least favorite because of Cedric Diggory's father's keening at his son's death.)

And, less fun, write up their summer book reports.  At least they have plenty to choose from.

Experiment Conclusions

I've been on FB for one year, having started when Mama had her surgery last August so that I could be in touch more easily and quickly with more friends and family.  It's been an intriguing year.

Here are some things I've learned:

• FB is a lot like sitting at the popular kids' table in junior high.  If you aren't on FB, you are missing out on social information that circulates there--who's sick, who broke an arm, who is on vacation, who is selling a piano--information that you otherwise might not get.  Or you'd get it too late.  Because everyone assumes you saw it on FB.  You also are kept abreast of current cultural memes and jokes--"Hey Girl," Grumpy Cat, those e-cards, anything by George Takkei. I have found I like to be in the loop.
• People post a lot of personal information.  I have, too. I realize, though, that there is no expectation of privacy and anything I post becomes public knowledge. Though, I kid myself that using the kiddos' initials and never tagging them in photos will protect them down the line.
• In many ways, people show their compassion and humanity--supporting cancer survivors, helping to look for lost puppies, sharing Autism updates--but I wonder if that's all we do?  If we are lulled into a false sense of having done something through posting or liking on FB, we really haven't contributed much--and yes, I very much indict myself there.  FB doesn't let us off the civic responsibility or social justice hook.   Does it really matter if you "like" those things, especially when I have read how often those aren't real cancer survivors or "beautiful kids" just ad companies trolling for likes so they can sell them to other companies?  Didn't you wonder why the source of the child with Down Syndrome was "Watch My Weight" or "Ads for Less?"  But my FB newsfeed is a beautiful, calm, loving place full of supportive people who care about the issues I care about--but how are we creating that IRL? (That's "in real life.")   I worry about the disconnect.
• While there are a lot of political posts, there is almost no real dialogue or conversation on issues. Except of course with the people who pretty much agree with you.  Or really don't, at which point they drive you batty (and vice versa, I'm sure.) What can you expect from a "like" or sound-bite format?  It is reassuring, though, to engage with and see the pet issues of my liberal friends online and shocking to find out which of my friends are not (there are even some Bush lovers in the mix!  GASP.  There are things I've learned on FB that I didn't want to know.)
• I wanted more give and take.  I'm often without adult company for long stretches of time, especially not that Mama works late several days a week.  I'm not a phone talker much of the time and few of my friends are emailers.  I don't text, finding it worse than FB for meaningful exchanges--it's like a digital answering machine that demands constant attention.  Anyway, I do like to exchange ideas based on current events and essays I'd read.  So I started posting my links to FB, like I sometimes do here (which is funny, in a sad way, because my best correspondents are here on this blog and not on FB!!)--like op-eds on Trayvon Martin or Russian anti-LGBT policies and the Olympics including Stephen Fry's call for a boycott or something on Roman forts uncovered in Wales because of drought or discrimination against people with mental illness by medical doctors--and no one engages.  Sometimes they don't even "like" it, or they post an agreement; rarely has it gone beyond that.  Granted, I don't always post it with my own take, probably should, right from the get-go.  I think I was looking for intellectual engagement; that was naive.   But it compounded my isolation because I'd put these things out there and not hear back--I even posted that I was unplugging FB for awhile and no one commented.  The opposite of sitting at the popular table, more like being a wallflower at the dance. 
• I spent an incredible amount of time on FB, looking for said interaction, liking things and posting on people's status updates, even looking for neat things to include on my own status update.  The interaction--the approval!--was there, sometimes, and really who doesn't like a lot of comments?  But the time-reward ratio was skewed.  And I realized that's a little desperate and lonely, even for FB.

My conclusions:

• I'm going to stay on FB.  I like to be in the loop locally and culturally and this is the dominant and socially-acceptable way to do it in real time.  
• I no longer like cancer survivors or beautiful children unless the source of the page is clearly "real" and not an ad company. 
• I'll probably do even fewer posts with pictures of the kids.
• I've taken FB off my phone so I can't aimlessly check updates and post things.  I can check my account 2-3 times a day when I'm on a "real" computer.  That's more than enough to satisfy the above.
• I will look for other paths to intellectual engagement and personal interactions and not the superficial quick-fix of FB.  I will try yet other ways to connect with people to discuss issues and events regularly.  Maybe even in person!  People still do that, right?  (Of course, the irony of posting this on a blog doesn't escape me.  Especially because my blog readers are the ones who email or call me up for coffee!!  Maybe the answer is staring me in the face.)

Summer Fun 2013: Reading the End

Sis has finished all seven Harry Potter books!  That's 3,363 pages, the majority of which she read in July.  Wow!  We are so proud of her reading ability, her persistence, and her interest.  Sure, I'm sure there are things she didn't understand, but she is absolutely enthralled by the stories and the world.  The deaths affected her less than I suspected; maybe that's why fairytales are for kids--they just see them differently.  She's even already started re-reading them, beginning with book 2, I think.  And she and Bud were building HP sets for their own original Lego Harry Potter movie.  I love that their imaginations are running with it.  Still, I think it's a bittersweet thing to have finished the whole set--it's never like the first time.  But maybe kids see that differently, too.

Summer Fun 2013: King of Weekends

This weekend, we went to NYC.

Saturday:

"My little-town blues are melting away."

We stayed on the 42nd floor of the kids' favorite hotel.  

We were in town to see The Lion King, the kids' first Broadway show.  It was wonderful!  Sis liked Rafiki, Bud liked Zazu.  And they "stage doored" afterwards and got autographs of young Simba,  young Nala, Mufasa, Zazu, and others.

Sunset over NJ and the Hudson River.

Here you can see Sis and Mama under the awning of Virgil's, where we got BBQ takeout for dinner.

There is a special AG package at the hotel.  Felicity got her own bed that she also got to take home.

After sunset, we roamed Times Square, perhaps the most crowded I've ever seen it.  And remember, I lived there--19 years ago!

The M&M store and the Hershey store are their favorites.

I liked our late-night Junior's snack--Devil's Food Cheesecake, Strawberry Shortbread, poundcake, and Egg Creams!

Sunday:

We went to the "Art of the Brick" show at Discovery Times Square.  Those are all Legos, folks!  The artist Nathan Sawaya reproduces masterpieces in bricks!

I loved this one!

Pretend the dino is moving, not that it's a bad picture, please.

 
He also does several of his own sculptures, often with empty cavities, like this one.  Amazing and inspiring.

We finished our visit at the Visitor's Center because the kids always like to see the New Year's Eve ball.

Writing the End

During my daily perusal of the NYTimes (and BBC online and the Guardian), I came across a wonderful article on a woman, Jane Lotter, who had written her own obituary, which has now been published (she died of endometrial cancer) and has been making the online rounds.  And then I read the full obituary in the Seattle Times.  It's worth a read, not only for her direct words and tender sentiments, but also because I invariably started wondering what mine would say.

I think it's an interesting exercise to consider or actually write your own obituary.  I'm pretty sure very few people would say they were proud of keeping their houses clean.  Some things I might say, a la Lotter:

I was born in a small Texas town and, though I don't really remember it, lived in 7 places before my folks settled in suburban Houston.  While I'm glad to have spent my adult years north of the Mason-Dixon line in more liberal and urban parts of the country, I am proud to be a fifth-generation Texan of Irish, Scottish, English, French, and German descendant. 

Loving school, which is good because I went for a long time, I am proud of a variety of academic achievements, including my 5th-grade Citizenship award, my 8th-grade Service award, my 4.something GPA, going on the archaeological dig in Tunisia, Phi Beta Kappa, passing my Orals with distinction, and being chosen to give a "Frick talk."  (And while it wasn't academic, my time as a camp counselor for children with special needs.)   

Oddly, finishing my Ph.D. in art history was not as much of a pride thing as a chore.  I'd say I'm sorry I spent the time on it, but it took me some great places--friends, colleagues, behind-the-scenes in art museums, knowledge, travel, and, best of all, Mama, whom I met while I was in grad school in NYC.  I didn't know it when I met her (she swears she did, but that's a long story that changes with the season), but we would fall in love.  And what a love it has been!  Mama, I love you so much and am so proud of you and am so grateful for the family and life we've made together. Sis and Bud, you are the lights of our lives. I am so proud of both of you and cherish all our days together (even the ones when there was yelling.)  I love you all to the moon and back. Always, just like Snape said.  I wish I had some inspiring words--love and help one another and yourselves. (There should be more here about them, but I leave it at that for now.  I can't fathom how to sum it all up in words.)  For more, read my blog and remember our times together and in that way we're together again.   

I like reading, baking, reading about baking, crocheting, volunteering (especially Girl Scouts, hospice, and the historic house), art museums and living history museums, costumes, Ren Faires, eating out, and blogging.  I think I'm pretty funny (but like Lotter notes, it's hard to get that across in an obit), often either dry or dirty.   

Two things I can say I'm sorry about:  all the time I spent hating myself for my weight and judging the state of our house.  And never learning another language, though that's not quite in the same category. We all will have regrets, though, and these aren't hard ones.  I wish sometimes I'd been more sensitive or attentive in some of my relationships; I'm sorry for the times I wasn't.   

Opposite of regret is gratitude. I am grateful for Mama, Sis, and Bud.  Also for my parents, who have loved, accepted, supported, and been proud of me; and  my sister, who has put up with a lot from me, and her family; all my extended family and friends. Thank you.  Also, for chocolate, cats, rainbows, groundhogs, bunnies, penguins, snow, roses, the scent of baking bread, Christmas lights, fall leaves, the first snowdrops, boat rides, meteor showers, singing, poetry, the Indigo Girls, and New York City, among so many others.   I am especially grateful for my late-in-life conversion to Unitarian Universalism as well as the four Noble Truths of Buddhism, which have given me a much deeper understanding and connection to this good life that is so hard to leave.  I like to think that we are all connected somehow, but how that all works is an unknown mystery, that perhaps I know more about now.  Love, Mommy Hungry

Okay, not too bad for a first draft!  But it would be expensive.  Good thing blogs are free.

Let's hope we don't need this for a very long time.

Thoughts and Prayers

Thinking of the pilot and children on the ground killed in East Haven, CT, when a small plane crashed.  And their families, friends, and communities.

Summer Fun 2013: The End is Nigh

Sis has started the final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, today.

Babysitter and I tried to warn her that once she'd read them all the first time, the journey would be over and re-reading isn't quite the same.  But of course, didn't all of us Potterheads rush through the last one?  I'll admit to reading the last chapters first because I needed to know a.)  if Harry lived/won and b.) which side Snape was on.   It didn't ruin the book for me to know; I think it actually made it more enjoyable.  I could let go of the stress and obsession about the ending and enjoy the whole book.

Well, except the Hedwig-Dobby-Fred-Lupin-Tonks-Colin Creevey-Snape death parts.

Summer Fun 2013: In-Activity Kit

Sometimes, store-bought kits aren't what they're advertised to be.  And it's not all user error!  We tried to make snow globes today and you had to cast your own critter mold for the figurine inside.  Needless to say, that was a messy disaster.  Despite sealing it as tightly as we could and even taping it closed, the plaster oozed everywhere.  Thankfully, I know to do these things outside.  Such a disappointment.

But ever-resourceful (cue "Super Mom" music--I need a cape!), I told them they could make Sculpey figruines to go inside the plastic domes.  And so they did--you guessed it, a bunny with carrot and a penguin. They've been baked, glued, and encased in their new homes, with water and glitter in the outer dome.  

A salvaged fun experience and now another tchkotke on the shelf.

(Because of the quality of the plastic, two layers of it, I can't get a good picture of their cute creations.)

Final Day of Our Summer Project

Officially, if there is such a thing, today ends our summer project renovating the living room and dining room. The treadmill people are coming to disassemble the behemoth on the porch and move it to the basement, probably by way of the side door to aid in navigating the tiny, turning stairs.  At that point, all the heavy lifting and fixing-up is over and we just have to put all of our belongings back in place, either in the house or to Goodwill.

Let's just hope they can get it down there!

-=-=-=-=-=

UPDATE:  The mover guys managed, through hard work, persistence, and removing the outer door from its hinges, to get the treadmill into the basement down those tight, tiny, turning stairs.  Whew!  I really hope I like it down there.  Too late now . . . .

Summer Fun 2013: Baking Blueberries

We're having a lazy Pajama Day today, starting with a morning viewing of Robin Hood with Errol Flynn ("Mom, sometimes the romance parts are BORING," Bud decided.  They both think Olivia de Haviland sounds like Princess Leia--"are they the same actress?" Only two generations apart!) and now moving on to, you guessed it, more reading of Harry Potter.  Sis will finish book 6 today, no doubts.

Even though only one kiddo will eat this, I made Blueberry Poundcake this morning, a nod to Blueberry Muffin day earlier this summer and blueberry picking, both of which we didn't get to.

Blueberry Poundcake
This is the recipe for the pound cake.  It is really for muffins so just bake for about an hour (checking) if you do the bread.

1/2 c butter

1 c sugar

2 eggs beaten

1/2 c milk

2 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 c fresh blueberries

cinnamon/sugar topping (taste fine with or without)

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs mixing well. Stir in milk.  Combine dry ingredients and add to mixture- stir to combine. Fold in blueberries.  Fill greased muffin tins and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar (optional) and bake at 375 degrees for 20 min.

Enjoy!
MIss J.D.

Note:  I also added a teaspoon of almond extract.

Summer Fun 2013: The Un-Fun

As I navigate the challenges (and delights) of going from active parenting about 4 hours on an average school day to the summer-time average of closer to 13, I've realized some things about myself.  I still expect the kids to need me present and ready to play.  Sure, they still like to play with me, but that's occasional, not constant, which is a change from even just a year or two ago.  Which means I've found myself unintentionally waiting around to be needed sometimes.  And that's boring.  Sometimes, after I've tried to initiate activities in the morning when they aren't interested, I'm on to other things by the time they are and we "miss" each other.  So I'm finding a way to "parallel play" sometimes.  If they read, I read.  If they play computers, I have my smartphone.  If they watch tv, I nap.  It's working out pretty well.  Of course, conversely, when I do chores like laundry or dishes, they do, too!

I've also figured out what makes me crazy and angry.  If they make more work for me by being messy or careless or lazy--say, leaving dirty underwear in the hallway, spilling water and not wiping up, or not putting their dishes in the sink--I start yelling before I even notice I've opened my mouth.  An extension of this making-more-work is how I am also sensitive to their being unhelpful, whether intentionally or un--not holding the door open, not coming when I call for help (like when the cat gets out).  Also unhelpful:  intentionally making trouble with the sibling.   And I'm finding that I give the same directions regarding all of the above over and over and over again, which also tends to make me grouchy and deliver repeat instructions in a louder, less-friendly tone.  It's much more noticeable over 13 hours.

And now that these have come into such stark contrast for me in the last three days (our first real days of lazy, at-home, together summer), I can both adjust my schedule so we're all more in sync and also be more aware of my own reactions . . . and help us get through the next few weeks!

Summer Fun 2013: Activity Kits

Sis's first thrown pot

Water, Acid, Soda--Oh, My!

Summer Fun 2013: Book "Widow"

The kids are reading.

Still.

Again.

Sis has finished HP 5 and started HP 6 today.  Bud is finishing HP 5 so he can start HP 6.

It's all they do.

Read and play Animal Jam.

I'm not complaining.

Well, I might be.

Sure, it gives me lots of time to do my own thing (like write those last two posts), but it's also kinda boring.

But it's great that they love to read so much, worth every penny we've ever spent on books (that we have then given away in large chunks.)

And I'll be glad when I no longer have to keep the secrets of Harry Potter from them, worrying that they might find out before they finish the series.

At this rate, they'll be done by next week.  Easy.

Clean Bill

As an update to "The Weight is Over," things are going well.  I went to my GP last week and got the results of various annual tests.

First, no apnea.  In fact, no sleep disorders, though my "sleep efficiency" wasn't great at 72%.  ARGH  that's a D or even an F.  So my doctor, suspecting perimenopause as the culprit, suggested some melatonin before bed; so far, it has worked well enough, I think.

And yep, gotta talk to the gyn about menopause (again.)

As for all my regular tests, I'm doing well.  No thyroid issues, no anemia.  Sugar is fine but was lower last time.  Cholesterol went down 30+ points!!!  Yay for being mostly vegan, on average, following Mark Bittman's Vegan Before 6 (except on vacation!)  I just need to tweak the carbs some (so easy to eat too many when you're mostly vegan!)  But I'm really excited that it's going well, especially with regards to my giving up dieting and weight loss.  Blood pressure was great.  And while they did weigh me, I didn't inquire or remember how that compared to last year (which is mental progress, anyway.)

But I am going to try a new ENT to see if I can get my constant sinus pressure and ear-dullness under control.

So even with the chronic back/pelvis/tailbone issues (which are much better than earlier this summer, thanks), I'm pretty healthy.  And it feels good.

Nothing for Granted

I've been keeping a running list in my head for some time now of things, specifically activities, which I do not take for granted after my on-and-off-again "life in a bed."  Often, I find myself doing these and thinking, mercy, I couldn't do this three years ago and now I can.  Call it gratitude, self-awareness, mindfulness, whatever, I don't ever forget that I can:

• tie my shoes by myself
• rollover in bed
• stand up without help
• getting out of the shower alone
• putting a bag in the garbage can
• pick something up off the floor
• take things in and out of the oven
• stand at sink to do dishes or at stove to stir a pot
• unload dishwasher
• get things off the lower shelves of the fridge
• sit down to eat
• lean over to tuck my kids in each night
• push a store cart
• carry in the grocery bags
• drive for 20 minutes!
• sit in passenger seat instead of reclining in back
• travel in a plane
• sit in pew at church
• attend a show
• weed my garden
• feed the cats
• pick up the cats
• put laundry in and out of machine
• stand to fold clothes
• bend to open drawers to get out/put away clothes
• get down on floor/ground and get back up (like for a picnic in the grass!)
• give a 1 1/2 tour at the historic house
• sit with a hospice patient
• stand for an entire Brownie meeting
• sit at Starbucks for awhile
• open and close the windows
• dance a little
• walk on a treadmill/outside for longer periods of time
• be out and about for up to about 5 hours (with rests, of course)

There are others, I'm sure--and of course a list of things I still can't really do (swim, sit to use computer)--but I like to focus on those above.

Summer Fun 2013: We're Having a "Cold Wave"

The NYTimes has dubbed our recent spate of below-average temperatures (avg. in NYC is 84F this time of year) a "coldwave."  Sure enough.  And I love it.  We haven't turned the AC on in weeks--who needs to with low 60s at night and highs barely at 80F?  (And I read that Houston had a heat index of 110F earlier this week!)  Which is perfect for airing out at the VOCs from the floor.  I even did some gardening this morning and we had a picnic lunch outside yesterday.  And I added a blanket to the bed for last night's 57F! I'll admit, though, that this makes it a little cold for swimming.  But after 2 weeks at camp, I'm not sure the kids mind.  They're just inside reading HP 5, which I imagine one or both will finish today.  And then start up the next one.  I know it will get hot again, probably just in time for schools without any air conditioning, but for now, I'm enjoying it.