This time of year…
So it’s no secret that Rochester is an incredibly grey,
gloomy, cold city. Winters are brutal and long. Unless you have some superpower
of retaining high levels of Vitamin D and prefer sub-zero temps, February and
March suck. But we all know it, and
we’re all prepared. We stock up on soup supplies and wool socks. We choose to
emphasize the glories of homemade hot chocolate, fireplaces, and hot showers
and look past the misery. We get to practice a lot, every year.
But you know what always, always, seems to catch us off guard?
Right now. Early May. Or late April. Or late May. That
inevitable brief season, the opposite of Indian Summer, when the trees have bloomed
and the yard has been mowed and people have walked up to Netsins for ice cream
at least once, but then the temperature dips back into the 40s (30s) and it
rains for ten days straight. And people Lose. Their. Minds. My children have
been cooped up inside after tasting the glories of spring. I haven’t been on a
long walk in over a week. My private students are distracted and ill-prepared.
Teachers are complaining about classroom behavior. We’re all so very short-tempered and crabby.
I don’t really have any solutions. But I’m naming it. And
that, for me, is half the battle. Stay strong. Have an indoor picnic. Make an
icy fruit smoothie and drink it in the warmest room of your house. Get out if
you can. Tickle your kids instead of yelling and pray for patience.
Speaking of praying
for patience…
Owen has decided that sleeping is for wimps, even if you’re
in an awesome big-boy-bunk-bed. We’ve chosen to address this by giving him a
gentle but firm talking-to about staying in bed, but once we catch him out
transferring him back to the crib (which Roy reattached the front to because he
was hopping out there too). Yesterday I went up after an hour’s worth of rest
time and found:
·
Owen standing by the door
·
Climbed out of his crib
·
Thrown every pullup over and into his crib
·
Climbed up on top of his changing table (!)
·
Pulled out 200 wipes and made a “big big pile.”
·
Filled his diaper with a special gift just for
me
In case you were wondering, I didn't tickle him...
If you read one
thing today…
I should begin by saying that Baby Boy #3 got a perfect
checkup yesterday and seems to be cooking beautifully. But this topic is near
and dear to my heart, and probably to yours too. We all know someone who has
lost a child. Or somebody who will. Read this. Bookmark it. Save it for when
you need wisdom and/or comfort. It's brilliantly written.
Peace Dear Ones.
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