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Tuesday
Feb262008
Today was a long, weary day.
February 26, 2008
However. I won it over and made it mine. I pinned it down and tickled it. I slapped it in the butt and made it laugh. I was bigger, somehow, than the day that almost overcame me.
I woke up to the sun, which would have been lovely after yesterday's storm, except that the sunlight stabbed me in the eye, where a large snake curled around my skull. I have had this headache for a couple of days, and it doesn't leave me. I can feel it pressing on my cheekbones and it hammers me in the temple when I stand up.
But I dragged myself out of bed. Point one.
Then I snuck out of the house for my appointed writing time, leaving before anyone was awake and returning when my husband needed to go to work. There were cherry trees blooming. At a local cozy coffee shop I had mediocre tea. But my breakfast was a naughty and much needed chocolate chip scone. And I had a nice conversation with the owner about Bill Bryson. Point two. I wrote as much as I could before my headache threatened to crack my skull. Point two and a half.
At home I finally gave in and took some tylenol. Usually I have no problem with pain medication, but I tend to hold out a little longer when harboring a fugitive in my uterus. I was grumpy because the house was messy and it was past time for me to start working on school stuff with the kids. And there were crocodiles slashing at each other with their teeth in my head, which also made me grumpy. I barely said goodbye to Chinua, but at the last minute, we shared a long hug. Then I said, "Did you know that the guy who played the brunette Mormon brother in the Ocean's Eleven movies is Ben Affleck's brother?" because 1) I'm slow to catch stuff like that 2) I watched the Academy Awards at my friend's house last night (Did you notice that Denzel shaved his head and grew a handlebar mustache? What's up with that?) and 3) I'm deep like that, in hug sharing moments. Score point three for hugging my husband and no nagging.
I notice that the kids are playing really well. They want me to help them build a fort in their room, and then they sit and read library books in there for a long time. Instead of starting school, I take the opportunity to slowly and meditatively clean the house. My headache starts to fade. My home becomes more peaceful. I light incense and make sure all the blinds are as open as they can be. The kids are still in their fort. Kid A is reading to the other two. I drink a second cup of tea-- totally not mediocre this time. Four points for me.
When they and I are done, we sit down to do reading. Kid A reads to me and YaYa and I go over a vowel song to the tune of Old MacDonald. The vowels make the sounds, instead of animals. We are all singing, even Leafy, and I realize that although it seemed unlikely before, we are all having fun. Point five.
Lunch is nutritious. Point six.
After lunch I fold laundry and vacuum and then we do some math work and I knit a few rows in the sweater that I am making for my mom. Leafy is taking a nap. It's really the best time in my day for knitting, since Kid A still needs me to sit beside him and encourage him in his work. He finishes the last page in his math book. Tomorrow he starts another one. I tell him that he's halfway done with kindergarten math. He makes his eyes real wide in that way that he does. He works on a bit of handwriting, and then he and YaYa sit at their little table and play with Play Doh. I totally wasn't going to buy them Play Doh, but it was YaYa's heavily influenced choice for her "stop-sucking-her-fingers-reward". I say heavily influenced because I kind of steered her that way when I realized she was leaning toward Disney Princess stuff.
I knock some stuff off of my to do list while they roll the coloured dough into worms. They are a little obsessed with worms these days. Later I stick Charlie and Lola on for them while I knock even more stuff off my to do list. I'm on a roll. More points. I've lost count of points by now.
Around dinner time everyone begins to melt into the carpet. I realize that it's because they all have low blood sugar because I didn't give them a snack in the afternoon. We sit down to eat, and Chinua is working late and I don't complain. Another point. I try to convince the whiny kids that if they want to be happy they had better eat because their bodies are saying, "We don't have enough food to make us happy." When Kid A continues to be sad, and more sad, and whiny, and more whiny, I try an old trick of Chinua's, making my hands into ducks who talk to him. He turns his head away and says "Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb," and instead of telling him that HE'S the one who is being dumb, I just start washing dishes. Then I grab him and sit with him on my lap and we are quiet and swaying for a long time, until suddenly he is happy again. Endless points.
As much as I want to simply dump them into bed, I read. We read loooong books, the kind that I opt out of at times, saying, pick another one, a shorter one. We probably need to just read the long string of words, tonight, and let it draw the kinks out of us. We probably need some good stories.
The day was long and weary. But at the end we prayed together, and sighed thankful sighs, and I kissed them. And you get a lot of points for gentle looks when you are seething, and kisses when you are withdrawing inside. These points aren't exchangeable, and you can't cash them in, but at least you can know that you didn't let the day put it's tire tread marks on you.
I woke up to the sun, which would have been lovely after yesterday's storm, except that the sunlight stabbed me in the eye, where a large snake curled around my skull. I have had this headache for a couple of days, and it doesn't leave me. I can feel it pressing on my cheekbones and it hammers me in the temple when I stand up.
But I dragged myself out of bed. Point one.
Then I snuck out of the house for my appointed writing time, leaving before anyone was awake and returning when my husband needed to go to work. There were cherry trees blooming. At a local cozy coffee shop I had mediocre tea. But my breakfast was a naughty and much needed chocolate chip scone. And I had a nice conversation with the owner about Bill Bryson. Point two. I wrote as much as I could before my headache threatened to crack my skull. Point two and a half.
At home I finally gave in and took some tylenol. Usually I have no problem with pain medication, but I tend to hold out a little longer when harboring a fugitive in my uterus. I was grumpy because the house was messy and it was past time for me to start working on school stuff with the kids. And there were crocodiles slashing at each other with their teeth in my head, which also made me grumpy. I barely said goodbye to Chinua, but at the last minute, we shared a long hug. Then I said, "Did you know that the guy who played the brunette Mormon brother in the Ocean's Eleven movies is Ben Affleck's brother?" because 1) I'm slow to catch stuff like that 2) I watched the Academy Awards at my friend's house last night (Did you notice that Denzel shaved his head and grew a handlebar mustache? What's up with that?) and 3) I'm deep like that, in hug sharing moments. Score point three for hugging my husband and no nagging.
I notice that the kids are playing really well. They want me to help them build a fort in their room, and then they sit and read library books in there for a long time. Instead of starting school, I take the opportunity to slowly and meditatively clean the house. My headache starts to fade. My home becomes more peaceful. I light incense and make sure all the blinds are as open as they can be. The kids are still in their fort. Kid A is reading to the other two. I drink a second cup of tea-- totally not mediocre this time. Four points for me.
When they and I are done, we sit down to do reading. Kid A reads to me and YaYa and I go over a vowel song to the tune of Old MacDonald. The vowels make the sounds, instead of animals. We are all singing, even Leafy, and I realize that although it seemed unlikely before, we are all having fun. Point five.
Lunch is nutritious. Point six.
After lunch I fold laundry and vacuum and then we do some math work and I knit a few rows in the sweater that I am making for my mom. Leafy is taking a nap. It's really the best time in my day for knitting, since Kid A still needs me to sit beside him and encourage him in his work. He finishes the last page in his math book. Tomorrow he starts another one. I tell him that he's halfway done with kindergarten math. He makes his eyes real wide in that way that he does. He works on a bit of handwriting, and then he and YaYa sit at their little table and play with Play Doh. I totally wasn't going to buy them Play Doh, but it was YaYa's heavily influenced choice for her "stop-sucking-her-fingers-reward". I say heavily influenced because I kind of steered her that way when I realized she was leaning toward Disney Princess stuff.
I knock some stuff off of my to do list while they roll the coloured dough into worms. They are a little obsessed with worms these days. Later I stick Charlie and Lola on for them while I knock even more stuff off my to do list. I'm on a roll. More points. I've lost count of points by now.
Around dinner time everyone begins to melt into the carpet. I realize that it's because they all have low blood sugar because I didn't give them a snack in the afternoon. We sit down to eat, and Chinua is working late and I don't complain. Another point. I try to convince the whiny kids that if they want to be happy they had better eat because their bodies are saying, "We don't have enough food to make us happy." When Kid A continues to be sad, and more sad, and whiny, and more whiny, I try an old trick of Chinua's, making my hands into ducks who talk to him. He turns his head away and says "Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb," and instead of telling him that HE'S the one who is being dumb, I just start washing dishes. Then I grab him and sit with him on my lap and we are quiet and swaying for a long time, until suddenly he is happy again. Endless points.
As much as I want to simply dump them into bed, I read. We read loooong books, the kind that I opt out of at times, saying, pick another one, a shorter one. We probably need to just read the long string of words, tonight, and let it draw the kinks out of us. We probably need some good stories.
The day was long and weary. But at the end we prayed together, and sighed thankful sighs, and I kissed them. And you get a lot of points for gentle looks when you are seething, and kisses when you are withdrawing inside. These points aren't exchangeable, and you can't cash them in, but at least you can know that you didn't let the day put it's tire tread marks on you.
Reader Comments (12)
This is a lovely post. I have no idea how I got here, to your blog, but I'm glad I did. It made me smile. It reminded me of this Mary Oliver line:
When it's over, I want to say: all my life I was a bride married to amazement. I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms...I don't want to end up simply having visited the world."
I wrote about my kids this week too. www.kimmcmechan.com/sblog
I hope you get a good rest tonight!
-Almost anything is better than the Disney Princess stuff. (In my opinion.) Even store-bought Playdoh with that funky smell that ends up in little balls all over the floor.
-The power of books is amazing. Sometimes, but not as often as I should, just stopping to read to them can change all of the not so nice attitudes.
-I've taken more tylenol this pregnancy than the others. With Peregrine I was diehard- of course if I felt a headache coming on I could just lie down in a quiet spot and relax and rest. With Poppy I took it a few times. And this time it's been several times. And I don't even feel guilty.
Bless you my friend!
Rebeca
Oh, good for you....victory indeed...
Mary
Thankyou. Visiting your blog is like visiting a neighbour's garden. I shyly walk up the little path, and every day I notice something new. Oh, look, today the seedlings have come up. Or....wow, that fern really loves that shady corner...or...I see you're weeding today. I want to get down on my knees with my hands in the soil and help you, but I live on the other side of the world, with a very different garden to tend, so I shall leave you this comment, as a token of my appreciation.
You did win. Well done.
I love this sentence. "We probably need to just read the long string of words, tonight, and let it draw the kinks out of us."
I never thought of it like that, but sometimes you are very wise.
what a sweet spring day,
i liked hearing about your morning you time,
that is special time, and i could see the cherry blossoms even though it's snowing (again) in ottawa.
I couldn't help but giggle at the end because i know what you mean about sometimes wanting the shorter story, and then when i let the long story cary me away it un wrinkles my kinks in a surprise...
maybe your headache is from espresso withdrawl? i get those crazy headaches when i'm off my caffeine program (mate for me, but once in a while coffee)
ahhh kisses and prayers.... ahhhh
Ahhh, can I come over? and check your blood pressure, that can cause headaches too.
What an inspiration. Thanks for sharing your day.
You are a good mama, and growing (in more ways than one)..... Quiet times with the kids, with them in your lap is such fun, and reading to them is as well. I can hardly wait. Perhaps I can take over some of that in April.
You are an awesome writer - you twist and turn words, and enable them so that every sentence with you one waits in anticipation to see what you are going to say next!
You did win, like Carrien said..... one day at a time sweet Jesus. Remember that song?
I feel like I need to read those long books today. Sometimes it is best to say yes.
I admire you far more than you can realize.
This brings back so many sweet memories with my own children. How blessed we are that we can teach them at home and oversee their educational journey. I will forever treasure these days in my heart.