Monday, March 10, 2008

wow. i am really good about keeping up with this.

Ben and Daddy sharing a little love a month or so ago.....
here is a photo of Lua at Gymboree a few weeks ago



well cut me some slack would you? Because i have had a lot going on around here in these past two years! geez!

seriously though, it boggles my mind that i could get so caught up in life that i couldn't find my way back here at least once a year to check in and say hello. I mean, i have comments on photos that i didn't read for more than a year. How pitiful am i?

well, the problem that i run into here, and the thing which has, to this point, kept me from ever being successful at keeping up with journaling to any extent, is that i am totally obsessive about writing. "what???!!!" you say incredulously. "How could you be obsessive about writing and not have written anything for almost 2 freakin' years??!!". well, the answer is this; when i write in a journal, or the kids' notebooks or baby books, and the little bit that i have written in this blog, i need to fight against the VERY strong impulse to share every bit of everything that has happened, been experienced, thoughts that i have thunk ;o) between one entry and the next. The result is that i feel overwhelmed and frankly inadequate to write anything.... because i know that i will leave out a million important things, and events and feelings... and so then i just don't write anything.

This is ridiculous, and i know it is ridiculous. i must fight against this obscene and unrealistic way of writing, journaling, blogging etc... because if i do not, then i will end up never writing or sharing anything because i will feel like i can never do an adequate job of it.

so i have a resolution just to do it... even if it is only now and then, i will try to write something... i am not responsible to chronicle every word that the baby says and the funny way that she says it. i am not resposible to write down and explain in detail every amazing milestone that my children reach and then reach past... i do not need to share every thought that ever comes into my head or talk about every activity we participate in, it is not my job to keep up with it all and write it down for posterity. i am saying all of these things to give myself permission to just write something-- and to try to grasp hold of--nay, EMBRACE the idea that writing SOMETHING is better than writing NOTHING goshdarnit!!!!!!!
so, in the spirit of writing something... let me, in brief, give you a little point form list of things that have happened in the last couple of years, in no particular order of occurance or importance, and not trying to think of everything. I share with you then a little taste of what life has been like since the summer of 2006.

-our baby girl has grown into a very sparkly, beautiful, tender-hearted, silly, funny and strong willed little girl who turned "terrificly two" anout two weeks ago. She is a delight and a challenge and the light of our lives!
-the other light of our lives is our little sonshine- our boy who is four and a couple months old... articulate and funny as all get out, sensitive, loving, endearingly charming ... with a keen sense of wit and humor and a probing little brain.
-Ben started school this fall- at Arbor Montessori here in Atlanta and is absolutely shining in the program! His teacher Marian often brings me aside to tell me some funny anecdote about something that our small man said or did in school.... recently, some of the other parents have started to pick up on some of his hilarity and "wisdom" and have shared little things with us.

... the other day , the teacher's assistant, who is from Bulgaria, i believe, told me that Ben told her she sounded like a Teletubby when she spoke. she was laughing when she told me, and i laughed too, but i also felt very apologetic and was saying "oh, i am so sorry" and she said no, not to worry, he said it in a very respectful and matter of fact way saying something like "we have a program at home that Lua sometimes watches and you talk a little bit like the characters on the program. It's called Teletubbies". phew. what can you say to that?
-Our Baha'i holidays were last week.. Ayyam-i-Ha - or Intercalary Days lasted for 5 days this year because it was a leap year. We had a nice time preparing for the season of giving with Ben and Luas' Grandma and Papa who were here for a few weeks. We made paper chains, and radiant hearts and brilliant star cookies, and Ben and Grandma did a little service project for some of our animal friends by making dog biscuits which Ben handed out to classmates at school.

-The Hofert Grandparents were also here for a visit a couple weeks ago, and for the first time were here for one of the childrens' birthday celebrations. We, as usual, made a silly big deal out of Lua's birthday, and had a big butterfly birthday party with lots of friends, and food and a crazy cake and lots of decorations. It was a lot of fun, and nice to be able to share with John and Priscilla. My folks were also here so we all had a nice visit together, as the grandparents' visit overlapped by about 5 days. a rare and very nice treat.

-Uncle Jef also came for a few days while my folks were here and has made the decision to come and join us here in the ATL for a few months and try his hand at the world of renovation etc... here in the South. We have invited him many times before, but the time is right now and he feels excited for the change. I have a good feeling about what being here will mean for him, and suspect/ intuit that the time and experiences here will be wonderful for his life. He bought Dan's old truck and drove it back up to Maine to load up with tools and gear and is heading back down in a couple of weeks
-Dan has been working out of town in North Carolina for the last 5 months. It has been a very difficult time for all of us. I miss him like crazy, and the kids even moreso i think! not to mention how homesick he must feel. At least he has work to keep him busy, and, thank God, he is home every weekend. The weekends go by quickly though- as you can imagine! He has about 3 (or so) months left on this project and should be home again after that. We are keeping our fingers crossed that the next project he gets is a local one... because if it isn't, he may be looking for another line of work. that, or another wife..... just kidding. sort of.
well, my wrist is starting to hurt, and i haven't shared that much yet about what is going on, or about the kids, or anything about me... but that is the beauty of my new resolution! i can log in again sometime soon (or not too soon) and write about something else. no obligations man.

have a great night.
it's nice to see you again.

1 comment:

Sevda and Michael Teske said...

I was glad to discover your blog Charity. We live in Jasper, GA and met at the BUC few times. You have beautiful children, and I loved the pottery pieces that you posted, wow! Sevda and Michael