Missing our Friends and the Return of the Cats

We've been sort of landlocked with only one car, sort of, and haven't made it out to the other side to see our friends, which is kind of a bummer, but the holidays are always hard. It'll happen, I'm sure of it. When we do things, it tends to be during school hours, so our friends are busy, but again, give it time. We have a lot of fun no matter what, and often times when you factor in other kids, things get way to complicated and they end up not being as fun. I've experienced this on many occasions.

Also, we had our cats spayed, and they're back home now, though a little bit off, understandably. Just wanted to mention that the procedure cost an arm and a leg, I couldn't believe how expensive it was, but at least it's done, and they are at home and on the mend. We missed them, they really part of our family and the house just seems quiet without them.

My name is Fred Lee, and until the next time, thanks for reading.

Grooving, Having Fun, and Writer's Block

Things have been going pretty mellow, and I must say we've found a bit of a groove in many areas. It makes out day that much more enjoyable, and I think the kids get a lot out of it. First off, we start slow, no rush to be anywhere or do anything, so they get to enjoy breakfast and some quiet time getting their day started. I've found that doing our school work ASAP is helpful, so after brushing teeth, we'll hit the books. A is the most resistant, even though once she gets started, she really gets into it, evident by the fact that she often does more than is asked of her. It's awesome to see, because she really loves learning. N has been outstanding, and has moved it up the next level. In fact, I think he really secretly likes doing his work, and will even mention it to me, as if the day can't move forward until he gets to do his school work. How cool is that? He's a reader even though he won't admit it.

Overall, it's been going pretty smoothly, but you gotta ride the peaks because the valleys are always waiting in the wings. I've found that you really have to stand your ground and get the work done, just a little bit each day, and not try to reinvent the wheel. I'm really trying to avoid making school work a chore, and don't want them to hate it, though a bit of that is inevitable. Whatever the case, they are doing a great job, and the key is going at a pace that works for them rather than a one-size-fits all approach. The mantra of homeschooling, and thus far things are working out.

On the fun side, we've actually been partaking in a number of activities and it's been a blast. The kids have really taken to three things-bowling, XC skiing, and rock climbing. It's awesome, and they are all a good distance from us so getting there is not an insurmountable chore, like so many things in our lives. I'm glad they enjoy them, though they can add up in terms of expense. The best thing, we can all do them together, and when mom is free, she can join us.

AND, we aren't even doing things like ice skating and dance, so things are working out on the activity front. I just need to get documentation (i.e., pics) to placate the state, but that shouldn't be a problem. Then again, it's not easy to belay and hold a camera at the same time. Just wanted to mention a cool note John at the Wall for being a good friend and neighbor and letting us slide on the admission fee to climb. I'd forgotten my wallet, and he said we could owe them or even call in the credit card. Thanks John! FYI, he's a local resident.

I love small town life, people are so cool. It makes the holidays that much more special.

I've been struggling to find my footing in the writing world and have to confess to having some serious blockage, and I'm not talking about my colon. I've been struggling to write my piece for WAHM, sorry Erika, but will get it done in the next week, I've made a promise to everyone, including myself. I've pitched my ideas to a few pubs, and the thing that sucks is that I never hear back. What a drag, they just completely blow me off. At least the courtesy of a response would be so appreciated, but they all leave me hanging. Such is the life of a freelance writer, so I've got to keep my feet moving and not feel discouraged, but it ain't easy. Even just writing a query or a pitch is difficult, but again, I'm not getting anywhere by whining, and I really need to generate some sort of income, even if it's chipping away at the stone. More on this later.

In the meantime, it's back to the keyboard. We'll see how this one goes. Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Everyday is a Snow Day, Missing Our Cats, and Christmas on the Horizon

We got some good snow yesterday, and since it was imperative that we take full advantage of it, we went out first thing in the morning and played in it. The kids really love getting suited up and hitting the snow. It's beautiful to watch kids play in the snow, there's truly something magical about it. Kids and dogs just love snow, and there's an important message in there.

Being a parent, of course, requires dealing with snow's challenges, so while the kids played I dealt with shoveling and clearing, not to mention getting firewood. What's nice is the kids actually enjoy helping with the shoveling. I don't know how this works, but some kids are just motivated to do things that you wouldn't think they would enjoy, and it's cute as heck to see. N in particular loves to shovel snow, and they cleared out a little ice patch to be their in-house ice skating rink. It's slippery as heck, dare I say dangerous. I've taken more than my share of spills on it.

We took Misty and Dusty to the vet yesterday, braving the blizzard no less (chalk one up for our Hakkas) to have them spayed. The vet actually called to say all went well, so that's a big relief, but they hold onto the cats for 24 hours so we haven't seen them and miss them. As much as they drive you crazy, they really are a part of our family, though the kids have been dealing with the situation very well. We're going to pick them up today with the truck and I have anxiety about how it will deal with the road conditions. I have this notion that we'll have to drive the entire way in 4WD, but we shall see.

Had a good day of homeschooling, N finished his math workbook and is on the cusp of hitting the big time. Fortunately I have his next book and I'm curious to see how he deals with upping the ante a little. I've found learning with him takes a lot more stealth and agility, and forces me to be a lot more involved and engaged. I enjoy it, though it's more work, but nobody said we're looking for the easy way out on this one. Either way, it's exciting to see him engaged and enthusiastic about learning, and in the end, what homeschooling is all about.

Christmas is right around the corner, we have a week to go, and I have to deal with family stuff, especially getting a card out to my mom and my neices present. I have them, just need to send them.

Also have to get stocking stuffers for the kids. We try to discourage massive consumption of junk, but they need to have something, and Joanne does a great job sending them lots of stuff while we can fill in the gaps. It's a bit much at times, but they're kids and should have magic in their lives.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Confronting Boredom and Waiting

Yesterday we had a mellow day and sat around the house not doing much of anything. Sure, we dealt with the things we had to deal with, like cleaning and meals and homeschool assignments, but on the whole, it was my kind of day-relaxing with nowhere to be. There is usually plenty for me to deal with around the house, especially with assorted projects that are in limbo, but what works for me doesn't always work for the kids, and I got a sense at times that they were getting bored.

My first impulse was to load them up in the truck and cart them off to fun and exciting places, but then it dawned on me that we'd had a pretty active weekend, and there's nothing wrong with spending some quiet time at home, even being bored. It's something we talk about all the time, the need to be able to spend time in your own head, free from external distractions. Heck, that's how I grew up, and remember actually looking forward to having some down time to myself where I could make up my own world. Sure, that may be asking a lot of today's kids, but when you can sit quietly and entertain yourself, the world becomes a much more manageable place, and you become less dependent on other people and other stimuli.

It seems like more and more everyone around me is incapable of just sitting still. The world is just so distracted, and a lot of it has to do with the internet and TV.

Anyway, it was a slow mellow day, and I think the kids are all the better for it. Today we'll try to go and do some fun stuff, maybe hit the rock climbing gym. You never know.

We are moving into the next phase of homeschooling for N. He is getting good at reading and writing, and though he takes part begrudgingly, he does take part, and without much of a fight. While I have no illusions of whether he actually likes it, sometimes he's fairly motivated, which makes me think he doesn't hate it. We ordered new books for him and I think he'll be ready when the time comes. Things are starting to click with him, though his enthusiasm isn't always there. Give the guy a break, he's young. There are more fun things to do.

As for A, it becomes a question of addressing the areas of need. Her math and reading are fine, and I know she can grasp and absorb all concepts of health and science, it's history and government that will be more of challenge. How do you make that interesting? We are focusing on health and science, and again, it's about getting the cold hard facts. We're getting there, but slowly, and we are always shifting on the fly.

In a way, it's nice the Christmas concert stuff is over because it opens up Fridays to do social/fun stuff, and it's one less appointment to worry about. BTW, the concert was great, A really shined, and best of all, she loved it. She found something she could do and do it well, and she asserted herself and showed courage and poise. Big things for a seven year old.

I'm still waiting to hear from the Valley News and it's not looking good. I'm doing the worst thing in sitting around and waiting, as if my life depended on this one thing, and I don't even have any details about the gig, i.e., does it even pay? Once again, putting all my eggs in one basket. The truth is, I think it would suit me well, and I've got the experience and ability to fill the void, but I guess I'll hear about it if it was meant to be.

In the meantime, I had this brilliant idea: move on with my life. Does it get any better? I decided to continue pitching my ideas to not only other pubs, but to the same pub. I still like my idea of Green In, and think it would be suitable for any of the assorted pubs in the area, all five of them. I just need to get a general query together, which is a lot harder than it seems.

I've also other things to deal with, including house stuff and pieces I need to finish, all of which are weighing heavily on my mind, bringing me down. It gets me depressed just thinking about it, but again, the only way to rise above it is to rise above it. Deal with it and you shall be rewarded.

About 9 more days until Christmas, and there are still things I need to take care of. Got to get my mom's card, my sis in law's gifts, and the last of cards out. I should deal with that today. Hope to get to the Wall, and would love to do some ice skating, maybe with the homeschool skate, but that's on Friday.

I'm living my life like a cliche, so much to do, so little time. I've also been doing battle with our cat, she simply loves to destroy our tree, and has been slowly taking out ornaments and destroying them. It made me mad at first, and I reprimanded her but regretted it, so for now, I'll just deal with it. No big deal, right?

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Holiday Weather and Our Daughter's Show

It's cold outside, the temperature differential has been about fifty degrees over the last two days, which makes a mess of things outside. You understand why people obsess over the weather in the Northeast. It really forces you to adapt and improvise by challenging you constantly. We have been part of the lucky crowd in that we have electricity. People not too far from us, in fact less than half a mile, have lost power for a day or two. It's pretty significant when the weather is this cold, because everything ends up freezing and the days are so short. We're supposed to get a warm front, and then more cold weather. What a strange Winter it's been thus far.

Fortunately, as well, we have lots of wood, so there's at least the heat to keep us warm. Still no big snow storm, though, and it's looking less and less like we'll have a white Christmas. Speaking of which, they sang that last night at the show.

The show was really cool on so many levels, the most important of which was seeing A on stage. Enough said. The children all did a wonderful job, they looked so cute up there in their Sunday best, and best of all, it looked like they were all having fun. The most important thing. Afterward, A commented on the thrill of the applause. She said it made her feel more brave, and I'm glad she enjoyed herself.

It was a little harder for N, who was full of beans, but you can hardly blame him since the show was near his bedtime and even for an adult it's hard to sit still. Even with all that, he did a great job of sitting through the show. It couldn't have been easy. Hopefully a day show will be a bit more manageable.

I'm thinking today will be a mellow day, spent mostly just hanging out in the house, by the fire, though I do want to get some workbook stuff done. It'll make me the goat, but I'm willing to assume that position. Heck, somebody's got to.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Back in the Saddle

After a bout of some serious GI malaise, I'm finally feeling human again, and not a moment too soon. It's hard enough when you're feeling healthy, but add a bug that wipes you out and you're really struggling. The situation was compounded by the fact that mom had a particularly busy week and was not necessarily at liberty to take a huge amount of time off, so woe was me. Now that I'm feeling better, I ate up a storm last night with pizza and ice cream, both of which I could easily regret, or should I say, my family could regret as the gas bubble in my gut grows.

We had some really inclement weather yesterday, so much so that it made headline news. Apparently up to 1 million people in the Northeast were without power, and many of our neighbors were coping with it. We were lucky in that we never lost it for more than a second, and we could function relatively smoothly. In fact, the kids went to play at C's house for what was supposed to be a 2 hour playdate and they ended up staying there for 5 hours. School had been canceled because of the weather.

Under ordinary circumstances, this would be fine because it left me alone to deal with house issues, but G called and said he would come over with T and take a look at our barn. I couldn't pass up the chance to talk to him and pick his brain, and I figured the kids would be back by then, but the entire time they were here, the kids never came back. They were having fun with C, I know, but I felt bad for T. I owe her one, big time. It was nice to see G, however, though he's got a lot on his mind. He's a man who's searching for the answers, and that's never an easy path.

By noon it turned out to be a nice day, and while the kids were having fun, I managed to get a lot done around the house, mainly outside stuff dealing with the snow, which was brutal because it was wet and heavy. The problem was that it was supposed to freeze overnight and then the surfaces would be a disaster. Lots to do, a lot of muscle work, but the sun came out and it turned out to be a beautiful day.

My priority in my writing are twofold-to finish my WAHM piece, (did I mention Erika paid me? Stoked!), and then start working on pitch ideas. It's fun to think about, though daunting in practice. Mom and I have been talking a lot about screenplays, and it seems to crop up now and then. I still love the idea, but we don't work well together. Either way, we could do it, and we have the connections. In fact, I just heard from John and Jim on the same day, which is kind of interesting in retrospect.

And, of course, I still want to write the elusive novel, but that's the quintessential pie in the sky stuff that every aspiring writer gravitates to. So cliche.

Today is Saturday, and there are a million things to do in this area with the holidays and all, but we need to end up at the library at some point. Personally, I'd rather spend a couple of hours there than go to some big to-do surrounded by hundreds of people. I just love the Howe, but that's just nerdy me. I think the kids are not so keen on crowds, either.

We heard from M and K, our good friends, and that was nice. Ah, the beauty of the holidays, a time to connect with old friends.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Rising From the Dead, Sort Of

Boy, I sure felt like heck yesterday. This bug I've contracted really knocks you out, it's pretty ugly, but GI infections are never pretty. This one is particularly aggressive, and I've found myself at time concerned as I recall stories of people infected with E coli who die from GI trauma. It was that crazy. I still feel pretty crappy, but a lot better, and last night I ate my first solid food, some spaghetti that I'd made for the kids. It was so good, I was so hungry after not eating for at least 36 hours, but I thought in the back of my mind that I was going to regret it. Somehow, food just goes right through me.

It wasn't the case, and I managed to get some sustenance into me, so that helped make me feel much better. In fact, I did a few things that I think helped me out, though it could have simply been that I was on the road to recovery. What was difficult was that I felt weak and hungry, but couldn't eat. Food had no appeal, so all I did was drink.

This situation was compounded by the fact that I had to keep the house afloat, make meals, homeschool and do my best to keep my germs away from the kids, which entailed washing my hands about a thousand times a day and bathing in Purell. Not to be a sissy about it, but my hands have taken a beating, and they are cracked and bleeding.

I managed to survive by stealth parenting-getting the things that need to get done and then lying down and napping in between. It's the only way I can survive. So I'll lie down and wait for the kids to wake up, get them juices and breakfast, then lie down while they lounge by the fire and relax. Then they're pretty much on autopilot for most of the morning, playing or reading and just hanging out. The only pressing issue that needs to be attended to are the dishes, which can sit and wait until lunchtime, if need be. At some point we need to brush teeth, and that's a good segue point into doing homeschooling, which can be a bit of struggle because work is always greeted with disdain.

Once we're done with that, I can rest some more, then it's lunch, more dishes, and then preparing for dinner. It never ends, and I'd like to point out that this is all accomplished with NO TV, the bane of our civilization.

By the time mom gets home, I'm whipped and ready to crawl into bed and die. That's how it's been over the past couple of days, and to aggravate the situation, I can't eat so I have no energy. Today I feel much better, and I attribute this to eating probiotics. I had some probiotic yogurt and I took a tablet, and my GI is in much better shape. Again, it could be that I was just on the road to recovery, but you gotta believe in something.

Today there's supposed to be a big storm, and we might be housebound, but we've been in the house for several days and I'd like to try to venture out with Gary's truck. The main problems, and they are major problems, are that the truck is not snow worthy, and the inspection certificate is expired, so we are taking chances. We need to get out before the storm hits, and hope we don't get pulled over. It makes for a tense drive, to say the least. On top of that, I'd like to make it to Sterns. Am I crazy, or what? I feel bad for the kids, though, they've been so well behaved these past few days, true gems, to say the least, but you didn't have to tell me that.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.