Things I've Been Doing Instead of Blogging
(1) I bought a house.
A small house. My very own small house. It is going to be absolutely beautiful and I cannot wait to share it with all with you.
(2) I watched Dotter compete in a pentathlon.
She swam. In five separate events. She (and we) spent (literally) all day in an incredibly loud confined space and she survived. Between events she hid in the locker room. I was worried about the noise. Oh, how she crumbles amongst the noises! And I worried about all the people. Oh, how she crumbles amongst all the people! And yet, she didn't. Not at all. And this made me so proud. My little girl. The one who needs her world structured just so is learning how to adapt in a world where it most assuredly is not so at all.
(3) We discovered Cletus has hearing loss.
We've been to a few doctors and have another upcoming appointment with a specialist in the city and we have a wonderful speech therapist involved. I've been down the speech therapy road with Dotter so I just needed a little reminder. Cletus is already showing signs of great improvement. Our next step is to determine whether or not he will continue to lose his hearing or if it's what you see is what you get. Or, more appropriately, what you hear is what you get.
(4) I assured a room full of angry citizens that I was not anti-American.
After an innocent miscommunication (or intentional misleading of the public), our office spent an entire day trying to reassure pissed off citizens that we were not attempting to prohibit the display and/or flying of our nation's flag. That evening's public meeting was standing room only and included a display of various flags as well as a family of well-behaved children decked out in Statue of Liberty costumes. The whole thing was as ludicrous and bizarre as you are imagining it to be.
(5) I went to see Ballet Folklórico De Antioquia at Young Auditorium, with my cousin.
Two of my cousins were adopted from Colombia but I always forget that. I forget that they're adopted and I forget that they're Colombian because I just see them as my cousins and sometimes I think they're more a part of our family than I am. Anyway, when I saw there was this Colombian dance performing in our little piece of the world I immediately wanted to go to learn more about where my beautiful cousin came from. I took my girls and she took her husband and we sat in awe of the beauty and grace and energy of these performers. And then I shielded my daughter's eyes as the dancers came out in barely there costumes to perform a tribal dance. Dotter said, "it looks like she's having a seizure." The Teen Bean said, "oh my god! It's like we're at a strip club!" And I thought, "oh, how I would love to have buns of steel."
(6) Big V will never qualify for Medicare.
Big V has worked for the same guy for over 13 years. He hasn't had a pay increase in over 8. Nor does he get any benefits. No vacation, no sick time or holiday pay. Sometimes he gets paid on Friday. Sometimes he doesn't. There's little to no documentation of actual hours worked or what was paid or what is owed. If he ever loses his job or gets hurt there is no such thing as receiving unemployment or disability. It's all pretty much suckage and I'm resentful that he hasn't opted to move on to a Real Job yet. Maybe when he turns 40...
(7) I made the most awesome gluten free peanut butter cookies I've ever tasted.
And I added M&M's. And then I ate all of them. Every last one. Probably because I was so stressed by the craptastic job Big V has and the doctor visits and, oh, I forgot Dotter needs braces, and -- it's just easier to eat.
(8) I finished reading The History of Love by Nicole Krauss.
Read it.
(9) I was cast in the production of Squirrels in the Attic at Beloit Civic Theatre.
I expect to see each and every one of you there; no excuses. I was cast as Lindsay Spencer which is, in a nutshell, bombdiggity. And now I'm stressed because I have a shit ton of lines to learn and no peanut butter cookies to eat. The rehearsal schedule is intense but worth it.
(10) I did a lot of laundry.
And I cleaned out Dotter's room. And vacuumed. And swept. And dusted ceiling fans. And tried to kill off an infestation of creepy ants. And paid bills. And attempted to organize the bookshelves (again). And watered the plants and cooked dinner and bought groceries and wiped down counters and scrubbed the toilet and, well, generally kept the house in running order. It was (and is) tiring. I'm contemplating winning the lottery and hiring a housekeeper.
A small house. My very own small house. It is going to be absolutely beautiful and I cannot wait to share it with all with you.
(2) I watched Dotter compete in a pentathlon.
She swam. In five separate events. She (and we) spent (literally) all day in an incredibly loud confined space and she survived. Between events she hid in the locker room. I was worried about the noise. Oh, how she crumbles amongst the noises! And I worried about all the people. Oh, how she crumbles amongst all the people! And yet, she didn't. Not at all. And this made me so proud. My little girl. The one who needs her world structured just so is learning how to adapt in a world where it most assuredly is not so at all.
(3) We discovered Cletus has hearing loss.
We've been to a few doctors and have another upcoming appointment with a specialist in the city and we have a wonderful speech therapist involved. I've been down the speech therapy road with Dotter so I just needed a little reminder. Cletus is already showing signs of great improvement. Our next step is to determine whether or not he will continue to lose his hearing or if it's what you see is what you get. Or, more appropriately, what you hear is what you get.
(4) I assured a room full of angry citizens that I was not anti-American.
After an innocent miscommunication (or intentional misleading of the public), our office spent an entire day trying to reassure pissed off citizens that we were not attempting to prohibit the display and/or flying of our nation's flag. That evening's public meeting was standing room only and included a display of various flags as well as a family of well-behaved children decked out in Statue of Liberty costumes. The whole thing was as ludicrous and bizarre as you are imagining it to be.
(5) I went to see Ballet Folklórico De Antioquia at Young Auditorium, with my cousin.
Two of my cousins were adopted from Colombia but I always forget that. I forget that they're adopted and I forget that they're Colombian because I just see them as my cousins and sometimes I think they're more a part of our family than I am. Anyway, when I saw there was this Colombian dance performing in our little piece of the world I immediately wanted to go to learn more about where my beautiful cousin came from. I took my girls and she took her husband and we sat in awe of the beauty and grace and energy of these performers. And then I shielded my daughter's eyes as the dancers came out in barely there costumes to perform a tribal dance. Dotter said, "it looks like she's having a seizure." The Teen Bean said, "oh my god! It's like we're at a strip club!" And I thought, "oh, how I would love to have buns of steel."
(6) Big V will never qualify for Medicare.
Big V has worked for the same guy for over 13 years. He hasn't had a pay increase in over 8. Nor does he get any benefits. No vacation, no sick time or holiday pay. Sometimes he gets paid on Friday. Sometimes he doesn't. There's little to no documentation of actual hours worked or what was paid or what is owed. If he ever loses his job or gets hurt there is no such thing as receiving unemployment or disability. It's all pretty much suckage and I'm resentful that he hasn't opted to move on to a Real Job yet. Maybe when he turns 40...
(7) I made the most awesome gluten free peanut butter cookies I've ever tasted.
And I added M&M's. And then I ate all of them. Every last one. Probably because I was so stressed by the craptastic job Big V has and the doctor visits and, oh, I forgot Dotter needs braces, and -- it's just easier to eat.
(8) I finished reading The History of Love by Nicole Krauss.
Read it.
(9) I was cast in the production of Squirrels in the Attic at Beloit Civic Theatre.
I expect to see each and every one of you there; no excuses. I was cast as Lindsay Spencer which is, in a nutshell, bombdiggity. And now I'm stressed because I have a shit ton of lines to learn and no peanut butter cookies to eat. The rehearsal schedule is intense but worth it.
(10) I did a lot of laundry.
And I cleaned out Dotter's room. And vacuumed. And swept. And dusted ceiling fans. And tried to kill off an infestation of creepy ants. And paid bills. And attempted to organize the bookshelves (again). And watered the plants and cooked dinner and bought groceries and wiped down counters and scrubbed the toilet and, well, generally kept the house in running order. It was (and is) tiring. I'm contemplating winning the lottery and hiring a housekeeper.
Comments
Howie Mandell has a whole house in his back yard that is always perfect and clean. It's where he goes when he gets overwhelmed by his OCD, but I'm kind of thinking I should do that too. When I get overwhelmed by the children. Maybe that's what your #1 can be?
I hope Cletus continues to do well, and that you stop burning flags.