MY BOGGY BLOG: find your way through the murk
Notes from the Homefront -- Theresa Jarosz Alberti, writer and mother... http://sapphire.albatross.org
Today we had a family day and spent the time at two malls. First we went out to the Eden Prairie Mall, which is quite out of our neighborhood, but I was dying to see the movie "Girl with a Pearl Earring" with DD, who at 12 is quite the artist. I loved the book and the movie was amazing. We went to the EP mall because there I could see my movie, the boys could see "Peter Pan" and DH could see "The Butterfly Effect," all at the same time. (We all really liked our movie choices, BTW.) We had lunch in the food court... this is quite the posh mall, I tell you. A giant fireplace in the food court, the comfiest chairs in the movie theatre (with arms rests that could be raised up to make life better for us big-hipped folks) and fancy clean bathrooms. Good job, EP!
Then we went to the Big One, yes, The Mall of America. We've been there many times, though its not a hangout we often choose. The kids had been given gift cards for an all-day ride pass, though, so we went and let them ride rides to their heart's content. It was crowded and, being broke, we didn't really do any shopping. DH and I parked ourselves at a table in Camp Snoopy and had time to chill while the kids did their rides. Afterwards, our family of booklovers went to Barnes and Noble in the mall to browse.
Malls sometimes drive me crazy because of the crowds and the parking, but today was a good day. A good way to spend a cold winter day... it almost felt like a mini-vacation.
I forgot to mention yesterday the Fish Heads song on the Dr. Demento CD. My kids are playing that one over and over again too. Little chipmunk voices chanting "Fish heads, fish heads, roly poly fish heads. Fish heads, fish heads, eat them up, yum." I'm starting to relate to another song on the album... "They're coming to take me away ha ha..."
I bought my kids a Dr. Demento CD for Christmas. They aren't into any kind of popular music yet, not even the 7th graders, so I try to find music they might like... movie soundtracks, musicals for DD, and silly songs. In the past we've had Animaniacs, and this year I heard about Dr. Demento (okay, I'm quite late in this disovery) and thought that would be fitting. But I forgot that my kids tend to find a song and play it to death, so I've been stuck listening to:
"Star-Trekking across the universe, on the Starship Enterprise under Captain Kirk. Star-Trekking across the universe, only going forward because we cannot find reverse."
Over and over again. At least sometimes they switch to "Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda" for a change of pace. What have I done????
Today I heard the radio announcer on MPR say, "It's warmed up to minus 22 degrees." Where else but Minnesota? We are getting the kind of icy temps that we haven't seen here in 6 years.
Brrrrrrr!
I've been building up topics I want to write about in my head, mostly having to do with daily life events as they occur. But I haven't been writing them down so now I feel like I have a rushing river rising in my head... get out of the way of the wordstream!
Don't worry, I probably can't remember most of what I wanted to write about, anyway.
The first and most recent is that my DH was a guest on Minnesota Public Radio's Midmorning show today! The topic was the MyDoom virus and other computer security issues, and he was the expert. I am so proud of him-- he always sounds so professional and knowledgeable when speaking in public, a skill I'm sorely lacking. (What will I do when I rise to the book-tour circuit??) He sounded great, and I'll put a link up here later so that you can listen to him if you'd like-- some good info on viruses and computers in general.
We Minnesotans who've been snickering at the cold on the East Coast have now officially "got ours." We knew we would, though we haven't had very harsh winters in the last few years. Weather folks have said the high temp will be negative five degrees today, and the windchill in the negative 30s. The kids had their snow-tubing field trip cancelled yesterday. But, they still have school.
On Sunday, I went with the 7th grade class at our Unitarian Universalist church to visit a Baptist church. The program for 7th graders at our church is "Our Neighboring Faiths," which involves visits to a variety of other communities. So far we've been to services at a Jewish synagogue, Muslim mosque, Catholic Basilica, Zen Buddhist center, Vietnemese Buddhist temple, and now Baptist church. I love going on these trips because I myself learn so much, and I think it is an excellent education for the kids. The Baptist church was on the more liberal side, and one of the friendliest places I've ever been. Great jazzy soul music with wonderful singers, lots of singing, a small close-knit community. The service was 2 hours long, which was hard to take. Now when I hear about Baptists, I'll have an image in my mind to reflect back on.
Sunday also found us in a Catholic church since my new nephew was getting baptised. A. is a sweet and energetic 9 month old who my sister and BIL adopted from Russia two months ago. What's funny is that he was born the day after my other sister had her baby, so these two are one day apart! We'll have birthdays galore to celebrate in April, now. And it is so touching to me to have this new baby in our lives, to think of him coming to us from an orphanage on the other side of the world! And now we are so happy to call him ours!
Well, that's it for now, folks. My memory has run out now. I'm sure there was more to say... next time!
Just for the record, today we have a temp of -10 degrees and the windchill is at -32. So today we Minnesotans laugh *with* you East Coasters. Through chattering teeth!
History Day is the big project of middle-school and high-school students around here. I know it is a national program, with competitions, but not everyone participates in it. At our school, it is a requirement, so my two 7th graders are doing it for the second year in a row. And I'm glad, although it is a big ordeal with great amounts of research required. I'm glad because it really gives the kids the experience of organizing and disciplining themselves to complete a big project. They get to choose a topic that interests them within the yearly theme, which this year has something to do with exploration and discovery. So DS is working on the history of SETI (the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence) and DD is working on the many facets of torture (we tease her because she has always had an interest in torture-- just look at website listed on my links page and you'll see the evidence.)
What's so great is that the kids get to learn about something that they really have an interest in, and feel off their interest to make a meaningful display or paper or presentation. Last Sunday I was sitting at the kitchen table with them while they were reading their research books, and I was researching my latest children's nonfiction book assigment on a weather-related topic. We would each read and take notes, and when something "cool" caught our eyes, we would share a tidbit with each other. There is so much to learn about in this world!
As I continue to research this book of mine, I'm realizing what a pleasant process it is for me. Whereas I never liked the researching of magazine articles I've written, this kind of research really appeals to me and I'm looking forward to the challenge of writing the book. My mind is starting to turn with the idea that maybe I could write more of this type of book on my own, without waiting for an assigment, and just peddle it around. A new direction for me to play around with!
I hate to say it, but I am probably not the only Minnesotan who can make this confession... I've been laughing when watching the news at night, with the meteorologist waving his arm at the East Coast and talking about the record-breaking lows they are experiencing. Twenty below here, five below there, windchills galore, and footage of East Coasters bundled up like, well, Minnesotans usually are.
We laugh because we've been there, done that, many a time, and we are famous for it. We laugh because now someone else will get what it's really like when it is nose-hair-freezing cold. We laugh because we are experiencing the balmy temps of 18-30 degrees lately, barely cold enough to actually put on your gloves for. We laugh at the fantasy of commercials that will entice frozen East Coasters to "get away from it all... come to Minnesota."
So it's not nice to laugh, but Minnesotans get to be the butt of enough jokes, especially concerning weather. We are really, truly, good-natured people at heart. Just ask us and we'll send you the jumper cables we're not using right now and some extra long-underwear. And some weather jokes, because laughter can keep you warm!
Older DS and DD are technically only 12 1/2 years old, but lately there have been some hints of the new stage to come (double YIKES! and I mean double!). I have heard other parents of 11 and 12 year olds talk about the changes they were seeing in their kids-- sullen behavior, sneering at parents, you know the rest-- and I was able to live in my state of blissful ignorance because my twins seemed to really want to hang onto their childhood. They had no interest in popular music, weren't dependent on their friends, still thought we were okay as parents, etc.
Most of that is still true. The other night, however, I had a taste of the storms to come. Older DS got furious with me because he put off doing his homework until the last minute and there wouldn't be time for him to goof off on the computer. I won't go into the gory details, but there was a lot of hysterics from him, all the "it's not fair, you like him better than me, you're a bad mother," kind of fun stuff. The worst part was that he seemed lost in a cycle of repitition, wanted to believe the worst of me, and he wouldn't even look with me so there was no connection. It reminded me of his toddler tantrums. He went on for about a half hour with me trying to say whatever I could think of but feeling mostly useless. He seemed like a different kid all of a sudden, and I didn't know how to get through to him.
I think I have some reading to do, some talking to parents already in the teenage trenches, some strategising to do with DH. Double yikes!
I've been watching my two little babies coming along with physical changes, too: DS getting shoulders and neck that resemble an older guy, a deepness in his voice, DD's figure becoming rounded and curvy, and plenty of zits for each of them. Oh, do I remember those days!
Much more thinking about this for me to do. But for now, this Saturday morning, DS is pleasant and cheerful, allowing me to sink back to the blissful haze for at least the time being!
From my window I can see Evelyn out for a walk with her navy blue walker on wheels with a basket out front. Evelyn is the 90-plus mother of our neighbor Janet, and after years of Evelyn coming to stay with Janet and Randy over the summers and then spending winters in Arizona with another relative, Evelyn has stayed in Minnesota all year this year.
It is winter, a real Minnesota winter this year (we've had quite wimpy winters the last few years, no thanks to Global Warming). It is cold (actually not too bad today, at 19 degrees). We've had windchills, we have layers of ice on the ground. And Evelyn bundles up in many layers and makes slowly makes her way around the block-- slow, but strong and determined. She is going to keep moving, no matter what, Winter be damned.
Not only is Evelyn over 90 and keeping active, she is a lovely, cheerful woman, always coming out for our block parties. She's a great example of someone who has kept on... staying interested in life, using her body, taking care of herself, and open to the world around her.
Let's hope we can all say the same when we are 90!
I don't know what it actually is, but the idea of a New Year sure does inspire me to make changes in my life. It's funny-- it really is just going from one day to the next, but it really does feel like a fresh start. And while I did put off starting my goals until January 5th (when the kids went back to school; too busy before that), I am liking the feeling of tackling my goals. And I'm somehow managing to not beat myself up if i don't quite make the goal for the day. I am really trying to Change My Life, so I know that it will be a long process with slips and bumps, and if i just keep going mostly forward, I will succeed.
My list of goals is a bit long, but for the most part there are writing goals, like finishing one of my novels by my birthday in September, doing a certain amount of words each week, doing research necessary to complete the novel. There are organization/household goals, like working on clutter for 15 minutes a day (thank you, Flylady, for that idea) and washing, drying and folding one load of laundry a day, with the kids putting the clothes away. And body/health goals like working on eating when hungry, writing down food and feelings in a journal to find out why I eat, and exercising a certain number of times a week.
And so far, I've been meeting many of the goals in my day. Not every goal, but I keep taking stabs at them. I feel better for the exercise, that's for sure. And I've been seeing a difference already in some of the kitchen paper piles (oh, I have piles you wouldn't believe!).
I'm ready for the change, ready for a new year and a new chance to see what I can do!
It is 10:00 p.m. and there are six 9 year old boys running loose in our house, not to mention two 12 year olds and a 41 year old (okay, so the last three aren't really running). Younger DS turned 9 in November and we are finally having his party for his friends. It has really worked out well-- he was just dying to go to Roller Gardens with his friends AND have a sleepover, but it was hard to find a time when both would work. Today was the magical day, however, so we already went roller skating and came back here for frozen pizza, ice cream sundaes and a night of computer games, various chase and battle games that keep them running all over the house, and hopefully conking out in front of a video around midnight? I can dream, can't I?
For the most part, these boys have gotten on quite well. I had the privilege of driving the carload of boys to the skating rink, so I was privy to all their excitement and silly conversations. Like, "Let's talk about Super Smashbrothers Melee!" "Who's your favorite character?" "Link!" "Link stinks!" "Not if you know how to play him." "Let's talk about SpongeBob!" "SpongeBob is stupid!" "Let's talk about no homework!" And on and on. They would all shout out and it seemed like some prescribed ritual, the way the conversation went. Everyone seemed to feel free to give their opinion, even if others disagreed.
We've done lots of sleepovers in our career as parents, had some pretty wild and destructive ones (don't ask), and so far, this one isn't too bad. They have energy but it seems focused. And hopefully, as the sugar wears off, they will tire and crash. Sleep, little 9 year olds, sleep!