Fabulous Miss S.

Home stretch

Whew. This Sh!T is rough! I've been solo parenting for one solid SEVEN DAY stretch and I swear I'm ready to run screaming from this house at any second.  Well, that's not entirely true.  My patience is regrowing, just like virginity regrows after six months of celibacy, in anticipation of Marc coming home and changing a god-dammed poop diaper tomorrow.  Welcome home, honey!

I have been incredibly lucky that two of my friends have kept me busy this week.  I had evening play dates for Noah all week and dinner was available in some form at each one.  I never lacked for company or mothers to vent to about how Noah was NOT sleeping through the night.  I lift my proverbial hat to any every single parent out there who does this day after day without so much as an extra hand to hold the baby so they can take a crap without a toilet paper-preparing assistant RIGHT THERE with you. 

Each time Marc goes away I make a monster list of things I want to accomplish, writing, exercise, major house chores like painting and curtain-hanging and yard clean-up and furniture moving.  I'm insane, I know.  My kitchen is STILL only half painted, but, EH, I did hang new curtains in the living room last night, sheer curtains that are more for effect and less for light blocking or Eco-Conscious thermal purposes.  I think they are pretty and I even rearranged the furniture to make the room feel more comfortable.

So I've given myself a big old PASS for this week. On the issue of productivity I have to saw, Pffft!  I didn't get done any of the writing that I had hoped to get through.  On Wednesday, beside keeping my child alive, I managed to list three things on Ebay. Woo- freaking- Hoo ...

T-8 hours until Marc arrives home.

I'm going to read a book. And maybe nap. 

Grace in small things, 10 of 365

1. I am so freaking grateful for Baby Einstein.  It is saving my sanity right now, ya'll. EDITED TO ADD: was recommended by THIS PERSON.
2. Cool whip in a can. Oh? I've said that before I think. How about Crystal Light in those mini-one-use packets?  LOVE THEM ... they keep me drinking water all day long.
3. New books arriving in the mail.
4. A quiet house at 4:15PM.
5. Accepting that it is 4:15PM and I have not showered or bothered to do something about my hair today. This hair ...

 

I'm sorry, I cannot let you see the bags under my eyes, we don't know each other THAT well.

Grace in small things, 9 of 365

1. Watching snow fall out my window.
2. Shoveling said snow off the front step.
3. Making homemade chicken nuggets for Noah and his friends.
4. Girlfriends and kids coming over for an evening play date -- snow involved!
5. Staying in my fleece pants all day.

Parallels

I find it dually fascinating and frustrating how two siblings who experienced the same event can reflect on it in such different ways and allow past events and crisis to internally manifest in such vastly different ways. 

My brother enjoys sky-diving, base jumping, flitting off to Italy each summer to work on an archaeological dig, and the occasional jaunt to second and third world nations that are home to some of the most magical wonders and man-inflicted dangers of our planet, Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey and New Zealand while I prefer to sow the roots of family, children and cozy evenings at home.  A glass of Cabernet, a good friend and an uninterrupted night of sleep are enough to fortify me for days to come. 

I just finished a book, Who By Fire, written by Diana Spechler, that had so many parallels to my own life, more in theme rather than specifics that I couldn't help but feel that this book feel into my lap for a real purpose. (Beyond the fact that I am participating in Book Club Day for DC Metro Moms, more on that here.)

In the story, Bits, the older sister tries to rescue her brother Asher from his chosen life at Yeshiva Hillel in Jerusalem.  Granted, she wants him to come home for their sister's funeral but her greater purpose is to rescue him from the isolated and seemingly cold life of an Orthodox Jew.  Likewise, Asher is critical of Bits' life that is lived on the fly, dating, frequent sexual partners, shopping, friends, a life lived without God; he doesn't understand how she can stand herself in this life.  Interesting to me is that I don't understand, although I don't criticize, why my brother enjoys these activities that carry such a life threatening and injury factor.  The back side of the coin is that my brother sees no reason to "settle down" and live a life that includes insurance, children and seat belts.  

Our relationships with our siblings haunt us and follow us wherever we go in life.  Our siblings are genetically closer to us than anyone else in this world, but the most minute twist of a strand of DNA can cause a completely different person and outlook on the world.  We expect them to be exactly like us because in so many ways, they are, but the life they live is their own, their own experiences and challenges. 

One final note about the book, I am Jewish, as is the family in the book.  Although my religious practices are more along the lines of Bits, rather than Ash.  I was able to understand some of the points in the book and it taught me a lot about Torah and Orthodox life that I didn't know before.  If you are up for analyzing some familial relationships this book is a great read! 

The raw material for his college entrance essay

Dear Noah,

You were born into a world that has war, famine, hatred and far too few moments of pure humanitarian kindness.  There is a lot of room for improvement.  My hope for you personally is a life filled with happiness, surrounded by family and friends who fulfill you, enrich you and challenge you to be the best you can be.  Success is not measured by your income, the size of your home, the car you drive or where you work or study.  Base your measure of success on the size of your heart, your ability to love, give back to your community.

This week, our country broke many records and celebrated many firsts.  You are lucky that you will never know a world where presidents are only rich white men.  I may be a cynic and chances are you will inherit that trait from me, but at least I'm not the one who gave you the genetic-middle-finger of back hair. You should know that today, right now in America there is a not-so-fleeting sense of hope and encouragement about our future.  Your future.

You are too young to know what was going on, but just in case it really matters one day and this was THE turning point in the world, your world, here it is, show your grandkids and be sure to tell them that your mother was the hip, happening gal who snapped this photo for nothing but posterity's her blog's sake.

Please, let me be the one to tell your kids that you tried to change the channel and then walked away.

This here son, is a newspaper.  It contains day old news and stuff, it gets delivered to our door every morning.  Go look it up in an encyclopedia. Oh, huh, those don't really exist anymore either? Wikipedia?  Well, then go ask your father.

Love,
Mama