Here we are, heading to blast-off! Three more days till second grade, four more till kindergarten. We celebrated the day today by going to Chuck E.'s, where the prizes get more and more chintzy every time we go. On the bright side, I got my all-time high score in skee ball - 290,000! I was on today, man.
Now we're having a quiet afternoon at home, with possibly some swimming later if the clouds hold off. Tomorrow, playdate (one that's more for Mommy than for kids, however, so I'm feeling a bit guilty about that), and hopefully Canobie Lake on Weds.
Then the fun really starts!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
book reviews
Ian Rankin, Black and White. I first heard of Rankin, and his detective, John Rebus, when I saw the BBC version starring John Hannah. The show was interesting, so I picked up a Rankin book next time I saw one. On the opening page, Rankin quoted James Ellroy, so I figured we were in like Flynn. But as I got into the book, I found it overall disappointing. It wasn't a waste of time to read - the dialogue was witty, the glimpses of Scottish life interesting - but it just didn't grab me. Let's face it - alcoholic detectives living on the very edge of respectability are a penny a pound. At the end of the day, Rankin's wasn't much different from the next guy. At least, not enough so to make me curious about what happens next. I believe this will be the end of my literary relationship with DI Rebus.
C.R. Athearn, Boston in Seven Days. This was a Christmas gift from my brother-in-law, and I thought it was an interesting idea - reading what's essentially a guidebook from 1920s Boston. It's an account of a man guiding a young couple through town, a different part of the Boston area each day for a week. Unfortunately, it didn't really live up to my hopes. A bit too wordy, a bit too preachy, too much exposition and not enough description. The end chapter was on Plymouth, and I found it so short and meatless I was bitterly disappointed. A nice idea, but not so exciting in the follow-through.
Sy Montgomery, The Good, Good Pig. This tale of life raising a pig from runthood to his eventualy death at age 14 was reasonably interesting. (It was a book club selection, one of the more enjoyable ones.) The narration was a bit all over the place - stories stuck in randomly here and there, characters introduced and written out in a matter of pages without any sense of how they continued to fit into the life of the pig and his owners, lots of jumping around in time with supporting characters while attempting to give a fairly linear account of the pig's life. A good tightening could have done wonders. In the long run, an enjoyable book, but not really a keeper.
Charles B. Haydon (Stephen W. Sears, ed.), For Country, Cause & Leader. Now, I've read a fair number of Civil War journals. But this one, for breadth and depth, thoughtfulness and narrative, is head and shoulders over all of them. (Including Robert Hale Strong's A Yankee Private's Civil War, the book that really launched my interest in the era.) Haydon was a thoughtful and articulate young man who had put his entire heart and soul into the cause of soldiering on until the war was over. His descriptions of camp life, discussions of the lower echelon of rank's view of the big picture, view of the machinations involved in what to do with various regiments and their officers, and commentary on other soldiers' actions was some of the most interesting Civil War-related reading I've ever done. Which is saying something. Definitely a keeper, and I suspect one I'll be referring back to over and over.
C.R. Athearn, Boston in Seven Days. This was a Christmas gift from my brother-in-law, and I thought it was an interesting idea - reading what's essentially a guidebook from 1920s Boston. It's an account of a man guiding a young couple through town, a different part of the Boston area each day for a week. Unfortunately, it didn't really live up to my hopes. A bit too wordy, a bit too preachy, too much exposition and not enough description. The end chapter was on Plymouth, and I found it so short and meatless I was bitterly disappointed. A nice idea, but not so exciting in the follow-through.
Sy Montgomery, The Good, Good Pig. This tale of life raising a pig from runthood to his eventualy death at age 14 was reasonably interesting. (It was a book club selection, one of the more enjoyable ones.) The narration was a bit all over the place - stories stuck in randomly here and there, characters introduced and written out in a matter of pages without any sense of how they continued to fit into the life of the pig and his owners, lots of jumping around in time with supporting characters while attempting to give a fairly linear account of the pig's life. A good tightening could have done wonders. In the long run, an enjoyable book, but not really a keeper.
Charles B. Haydon (Stephen W. Sears, ed.), For Country, Cause & Leader. Now, I've read a fair number of Civil War journals. But this one, for breadth and depth, thoughtfulness and narrative, is head and shoulders over all of them. (Including Robert Hale Strong's A Yankee Private's Civil War, the book that really launched my interest in the era.) Haydon was a thoughtful and articulate young man who had put his entire heart and soul into the cause of soldiering on until the war was over. His descriptions of camp life, discussions of the lower echelon of rank's view of the big picture, view of the machinations involved in what to do with various regiments and their officers, and commentary on other soldiers' actions was some of the most interesting Civil War-related reading I've ever done. Which is saying something. Definitely a keeper, and I suspect one I'll be referring back to over and over.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
the youngest person in the room
That's generally me, in case you're wondering. Or, at the very least, the youngest adult in the room. Now, I'm usually okay with this, but last night at book group was a very unusual experience.
You see, my book group is largely made up of women who have been attending for 20 years or more. There are two other women who have kids the ages of my kids, but they're both 10 years older than I am. As far as the rest of the women go - most of them have kids who are about my age. Last night, neither of the two 'younger' women (still a decade older than I am) appeared, so it was me and all the older ladies. Mostly retired. So the conversation largely revolved around golf, and grandpets. Yes, I said grandpets. These women were discussing their children's dogs and cats with the enthusiasm you'd expect them to be using regarding children. Frankly, I don't talk about my kids this way, for fear of being boring.
Mostly, I was seized with a longing to have a dog. But I also couldn't help being amused by the vast difference in life location between me and the rest of the women in the room, and wondering what they were like when they were my age. Well, and enjoying the view of where I'm going. It looks like a fun place!
You see, my book group is largely made up of women who have been attending for 20 years or more. There are two other women who have kids the ages of my kids, but they're both 10 years older than I am. As far as the rest of the women go - most of them have kids who are about my age. Last night, neither of the two 'younger' women (still a decade older than I am) appeared, so it was me and all the older ladies. Mostly retired. So the conversation largely revolved around golf, and grandpets. Yes, I said grandpets. These women were discussing their children's dogs and cats with the enthusiasm you'd expect them to be using regarding children. Frankly, I don't talk about my kids this way, for fear of being boring.
Mostly, I was seized with a longing to have a dog. But I also couldn't help being amused by the vast difference in life location between me and the rest of the women in the room, and wondering what they were like when they were my age. Well, and enjoying the view of where I'm going. It looks like a fun place!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
solitude on the prairie
I just finished rereading By the Shores of Silver Lake, the fifth book in the Little House series. I haven't read this one in years; growing up, it was my least favorite of the series, and my copy of it from my original set (given to me for Christmas when I was less than a year old) was lost when I left it behind in a previous move. So I think the last time I could have read the book was when I was 19 or 20. Obviously, a few things have changed since then! Enough so that in rereading the book last week I found it surprisingly powerful in a number of ways.
For one thing, this is the book where Laura transitions from child to woman. She rebels against it - the book is filled with references to her desire to be running free on the prairies like a little girl again - but with her older sister having gone blind, Laura has been promoted to the oldest helper in the family. Nothing to be done about that. (Interestingly, especially given my thoughts and discussions on childhood from yesterday, in BtSoSL Laura is 13, and beginning to be considered the third adult of the family.) Laura's responsible for her blind sister, for helping around the house, watching out for the younger children, assisting her father, taking care of the cow ... the list goes on and on.
I've been giving a lot of thought to her portrayal of her sisters in recent years. Grace, obviously, is too young during the series to be much a part of Laura's life, and indeed, Laura seems the least involved with her youngest sister of the whole family. Carrie becomes a more pivotal figure later, as she grows older and into Laura's sphere, but is largely portrayed as delicate, over-sensitive, and too easily frightened, especially as compared with Laura, who is bigger in age and bone structure and strength, and who covers her fears. Mary has a similar one-note treatment - bossy and over-perfect before she goes blind, sweet and good and nicely perfect afterward.
And the parents' attitudes toward the sisters are very different as well. Pa gives Laura all these pet names - flutterbudget, half-pint - but nowhere in the series does he refer to any of the other girls by a pet name. His relationship with Laura seems closer and more companionable than his relationship with any of his other daughters. They're portrayed as being very similar spirits, but it begs the question how much of that is Laura's view of the past and how much of it was actual? Given her position as oldest helper, her general lack of interest in the more gentle womanly indoor tasks, her physical strength, and her love of freedom and the outdoors, I can easily believe that she was his designated helper, and a certain level of closeness would have come with that. But I wonder what his relationships with the other sisters were like.
For one thing, this is the book where Laura transitions from child to woman. She rebels against it - the book is filled with references to her desire to be running free on the prairies like a little girl again - but with her older sister having gone blind, Laura has been promoted to the oldest helper in the family. Nothing to be done about that. (Interestingly, especially given my thoughts and discussions on childhood from yesterday, in BtSoSL Laura is 13, and beginning to be considered the third adult of the family.) Laura's responsible for her blind sister, for helping around the house, watching out for the younger children, assisting her father, taking care of the cow ... the list goes on and on.
I've been giving a lot of thought to her portrayal of her sisters in recent years. Grace, obviously, is too young during the series to be much a part of Laura's life, and indeed, Laura seems the least involved with her youngest sister of the whole family. Carrie becomes a more pivotal figure later, as she grows older and into Laura's sphere, but is largely portrayed as delicate, over-sensitive, and too easily frightened, especially as compared with Laura, who is bigger in age and bone structure and strength, and who covers her fears. Mary has a similar one-note treatment - bossy and over-perfect before she goes blind, sweet and good and nicely perfect afterward.
And the parents' attitudes toward the sisters are very different as well. Pa gives Laura all these pet names - flutterbudget, half-pint - but nowhere in the series does he refer to any of the other girls by a pet name. His relationship with Laura seems closer and more companionable than his relationship with any of his other daughters. They're portrayed as being very similar spirits, but it begs the question how much of that is Laura's view of the past and how much of it was actual? Given her position as oldest helper, her general lack of interest in the more gentle womanly indoor tasks, her physical strength, and her love of freedom and the outdoors, I can easily believe that she was his designated helper, and a certain level of closeness would have come with that. But I wonder what his relationships with the other sisters were like.
In contrast, Ma seems to view Laura as a bewildering challenge. In comparison with the other three girls, all portrayed as being very amenable to ladylike interests and tasks, Laura refers to herself as a 'hoyden', and the underlying thread in her dealings with her mother is that the two women never quite understand each other. They grow to appreciate one another as Laura grows older, but the essential difference between them never seems to diminish. In BtSoSL, Ma is very much the catalyst for a lot of Laura's feelings of repression and longing to be free, as it's Ma's gentle but firm hand that keeps trying to force her into the "ladylike" box into which she just doesn't fit.
The other thing that struck me while reading BtSoSL was the description of their winter on the prairie in the surveyors' house, much of which they spent entirely alone. Firstly, again in conjunction with some of the parenting discussions I was involved in this week, I was struck by how few people these days would trust themselves so far from any kind of human contact. No doctors, no hospitals, you name it. Not another soul within 40 miles - which in those days was a more than significant distance. But also, I was intoxicated by the thought of the quiet and the solitude. I know myself well enough to know that I wouldn't actually be happy all alone with no one to talk to for a whole winter, but the idea of being all alone in all that space for even a few minutes sounds breathtaking.
Laura's books are run through with the thread of her longing to keep moving. I sympathize with that desire. My biggest struggle with my (very good) life as I get older is the dichotomy that I want badly for my children to grow up involved in a community, to have that support behind them and the comfort of the familiar ... but I also don't want to give up the intoxicating speculation of what life might be like beyond the next hill. And I know the second has given way to the first, much as I try to pretend the possibilities lie out there. So I respond strongly to Laura and Pa's joy in packing up the wagon and being on the move again. And I appreciate that I can go with them in my imagination while staying put in real life.
The other thing that struck me while reading BtSoSL was the description of their winter on the prairie in the surveyors' house, much of which they spent entirely alone. Firstly, again in conjunction with some of the parenting discussions I was involved in this week, I was struck by how few people these days would trust themselves so far from any kind of human contact. No doctors, no hospitals, you name it. Not another soul within 40 miles - which in those days was a more than significant distance. But also, I was intoxicated by the thought of the quiet and the solitude. I know myself well enough to know that I wouldn't actually be happy all alone with no one to talk to for a whole winter, but the idea of being all alone in all that space for even a few minutes sounds breathtaking.
Laura's books are run through with the thread of her longing to keep moving. I sympathize with that desire. My biggest struggle with my (very good) life as I get older is the dichotomy that I want badly for my children to grow up involved in a community, to have that support behind them and the comfort of the familiar ... but I also don't want to give up the intoxicating speculation of what life might be like beyond the next hill. And I know the second has given way to the first, much as I try to pretend the possibilities lie out there. So I respond strongly to Laura and Pa's joy in packing up the wagon and being on the move again. And I appreciate that I can go with them in my imagination while staying put in real life.
Monday, August 24, 2009
parenting
Lots of topics on parenting have come up this morning - both the "No Homework" blog I was reading this morning and a radio excerpt on raising non-cool kids (the author co-opted the word "GEEK", but I don't agree with her definition, so won't use the acronym) have raised thoughts.
My conclusions?
Well, on homework, I feel that there's a happy medium. A parent should be aware of what her (I'm a girl, I'm using my gender term) children are learning, how they're doing, what kind of gaps might need to be filled in. One way to do that is to be an active presence in the school, which I plan to do. Another way is to help them with their homework. Not to do it for them, or to check over it after they've done it on their own, but to help them with it. My plan is to have a designated homework space and time, so I can work with them. On the other hand, a parent should also be aware of when the homework has gone past its usefulness and simply become a time-, enthusiasm-, and energy-suck - and then to be the advocate for her child with the teacher. No child should be doing homework at 3:15 in the morning, or giving up their playtime and time with their family to spend all night sitting at a desk.
On parenting in general - I liked what a guest commenter on the radio program had to say: "Know who you are and parent the best and most sincere way possible." My ultimate goal in raising my children is to raise adults who I can respect and with whom I want to spend time. Their interests may be different from mine, but I want them to approach their interests with enthusiasm and be thoughtful about them. Most of my parenting decisions are in furtherance of this goal, and I feel confident enough that I don't bother adding parenting books to my to-be-read shelf. Only two people are parenting my kids, and we generally know what we're doing.
In addition ... my parents didn't do a very good job. My mom was great in my early years, but really gave up once I hit my "tweens", and my dad never knew what he was doing. This made for some miserable years in my preteen and teen years. But I turned into someone that I enjoy being with. So there's something to be said for the idea that however parent, your kids are going to turn out to be their own people, for better or for worse.
My conclusions?
Well, on homework, I feel that there's a happy medium. A parent should be aware of what her (I'm a girl, I'm using my gender term) children are learning, how they're doing, what kind of gaps might need to be filled in. One way to do that is to be an active presence in the school, which I plan to do. Another way is to help them with their homework. Not to do it for them, or to check over it after they've done it on their own, but to help them with it. My plan is to have a designated homework space and time, so I can work with them. On the other hand, a parent should also be aware of when the homework has gone past its usefulness and simply become a time-, enthusiasm-, and energy-suck - and then to be the advocate for her child with the teacher. No child should be doing homework at 3:15 in the morning, or giving up their playtime and time with their family to spend all night sitting at a desk.
On parenting in general - I liked what a guest commenter on the radio program had to say: "Know who you are and parent the best and most sincere way possible." My ultimate goal in raising my children is to raise adults who I can respect and with whom I want to spend time. Their interests may be different from mine, but I want them to approach their interests with enthusiasm and be thoughtful about them. Most of my parenting decisions are in furtherance of this goal, and I feel confident enough that I don't bother adding parenting books to my to-be-read shelf. Only two people are parenting my kids, and we generally know what we're doing.
In addition ... my parents didn't do a very good job. My mom was great in my early years, but really gave up once I hit my "tweens", and my dad never knew what he was doing. This made for some miserable years in my preteen and teen years. But I turned into someone that I enjoy being with. So there's something to be said for the idea that however parent, your kids are going to turn out to be their own people, for better or for worse.
Friday, August 21, 2009
in the spirit of fairness ...
5 things my kids want to do before the end of summer! It seems only right to get their opinions:
1. Have a swim party with their friends. (Given that most of next week looks rainy, this seems unlikely. But we'll see how the forecast looks when we get into next week.)
2. Go to a toy store and get a toy/doll. (It could happen. I wouldn't be entirely surprised.)
.... It's like pulling teeth around here to get more ideas. Apparently 1 and 2 are the most important by a factor of 100!
3. Go to Chuck E. Cheese's. (See? I knew it was coming.)
4. Go bowling. (Don't know if I'm going to make this one happen, frankly, especially since it seemed kind of like an afterthought.)
5. (Charles): Go to Burger King with Daddy. (He has six happy faces saved up from the dinner chart. This could also happen, if we can keep Daddy in town!)
1. Have a swim party with their friends. (Given that most of next week looks rainy, this seems unlikely. But we'll see how the forecast looks when we get into next week.)
2. Go to a toy store and get a toy/doll. (It could happen. I wouldn't be entirely surprised.)
.... It's like pulling teeth around here to get more ideas. Apparently 1 and 2 are the most important by a factor of 100!
3. Go to Chuck E. Cheese's. (See? I knew it was coming.)
4. Go bowling. (Don't know if I'm going to make this one happen, frankly, especially since it seemed kind of like an afterthought.)
5. (Charles): Go to Burger King with Daddy. (He has six happy faces saved up from the dinner chart. This could also happen, if we can keep Daddy in town!)
Thursday, August 20, 2009
5 things I want to do this summer
Summer's days are numbered! Two weeks from today, I'll be putting my newly minted second grader on the bus, and two weeks from tomorrow he'll be joined by his even more newly minted kindergartener brother. So here's what's left on the list of things to do before the end of the summer:
1. Teach the boys how to tie their shoes. We're coming along (slowly), but with Greyson's feet rapidly outgrowing the available Velcro options, this is something we need to conquer before I start getting notes from the teacher complaining that she has to keep tying his shoes for him!
2. Go to Canobie Lake Park. Our local amusement park is a pretty good one, and I'm quite shamed that we haven't made it there yet this year.
3. Teach Charles our home info and Greyson how to handle a phone. As an incoming kindergartener, knowing his home address and phone number has been stressed as an important skill for Charles. And I feel that Greyson is old enough to know how to dial and answer a phone and how to carry on a basic conversation with an adult (i.e., a friend's mother).
4. Go to Minuteman National Park. Not sure if this one is actually going to make it, or if I'll save it for a lovely fall day when there's no school, but I love the place, and I haven't been all year.
5. Go to Chuck E. Cheese's. (Okay, this isn't one that I much want to do, but I threw it in because I know it's on all the kids' lists!)
1. Teach the boys how to tie their shoes. We're coming along (slowly), but with Greyson's feet rapidly outgrowing the available Velcro options, this is something we need to conquer before I start getting notes from the teacher complaining that she has to keep tying his shoes for him!
2. Go to Canobie Lake Park. Our local amusement park is a pretty good one, and I'm quite shamed that we haven't made it there yet this year.
3. Teach Charles our home info and Greyson how to handle a phone. As an incoming kindergartener, knowing his home address and phone number has been stressed as an important skill for Charles. And I feel that Greyson is old enough to know how to dial and answer a phone and how to carry on a basic conversation with an adult (i.e., a friend's mother).
4. Go to Minuteman National Park. Not sure if this one is actually going to make it, or if I'll save it for a lovely fall day when there's no school, but I love the place, and I haven't been all year.
5. Go to Chuck E. Cheese's. (Okay, this isn't one that I much want to do, but I threw it in because I know it's on all the kids' lists!)
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
5 reasons I'm glad I don't live in the 1860s
(I think this may be a list week. Stay tuned and see if it keeps up!)
Being a Civil War buff, I can tend to over-romanticize the past. I've been reading a soldier's journal recently (more on that in the next set of book reviews), and it's been a good reminder of all the reasons the past wasn't so romantic.
1. Air conditioning. It's 96 degrees out today - need I say more?
2. Electricity. Every time I have my post-apocalyptic vision, I struggle with the electricity issue - how to handle having no light at night, and no power for stove, TV, music, computer, etc. I mean, I love books ... but no music? Ack! And imagine all the firewood. There'd be no time for reading!
3. Internet. The rapid advance of the internet has been nothing but a blessing as far as my life is concerned. It makes pretty much every aspect of my life easier (well, unless you consider the time management part ... but that's my fault. If it weren't the computer, it would be another distraction!).
4. Access to the arts. People may disagree with me that television is "the arts", but it's a heck of a lot more than people used to see regularly. Books ditto, and music. The fruits of other people's imaginations spill out as from a cornucopia, and I think that's one of the most underappreciated improvements we enjoy over the past.
5. Shopping! Considering the highlight of most people's shopping experiences in the 1860s might have been a new piece of dress goods every six months or so, every trip to Walmart is bathing in riches ... going to good shopping places, or eBay, is downright opulence.
Being a Civil War buff, I can tend to over-romanticize the past. I've been reading a soldier's journal recently (more on that in the next set of book reviews), and it's been a good reminder of all the reasons the past wasn't so romantic.
1. Air conditioning. It's 96 degrees out today - need I say more?
2. Electricity. Every time I have my post-apocalyptic vision, I struggle with the electricity issue - how to handle having no light at night, and no power for stove, TV, music, computer, etc. I mean, I love books ... but no music? Ack! And imagine all the firewood. There'd be no time for reading!
3. Internet. The rapid advance of the internet has been nothing but a blessing as far as my life is concerned. It makes pretty much every aspect of my life easier (well, unless you consider the time management part ... but that's my fault. If it weren't the computer, it would be another distraction!).
4. Access to the arts. People may disagree with me that television is "the arts", but it's a heck of a lot more than people used to see regularly. Books ditto, and music. The fruits of other people's imaginations spill out as from a cornucopia, and I think that's one of the most underappreciated improvements we enjoy over the past.
5. Shopping! Considering the highlight of most people's shopping experiences in the 1860s might have been a new piece of dress goods every six months or so, every trip to Walmart is bathing in riches ... going to good shopping places, or eBay, is downright opulence.
Monday, August 17, 2009
5 things that make me happy today
1. Lazy, happy kids. They're all in good moods and the heat has them a bit lethargic, so they're kind of sleepy and kind of happy and altogether pretty enjoyable.
2. Modding the Sims. (Or, rather, using other people's mods!) Custom content makes me happy!
3. Laundry. Finally getting caught up today - summer has definitely messed with the system.
4. Quiet days when you can really work on your to-do lists. I am never going to be one of those go, go, go all the time people - nothing would ever get done around here!
5. Hot summer days - very glad to have reached these at last!
2. Modding the Sims. (Or, rather, using other people's mods!) Custom content makes me happy!
3. Laundry. Finally getting caught up today - summer has definitely messed with the system.
4. Quiet days when you can really work on your to-do lists. I am never going to be one of those go, go, go all the time people - nothing would ever get done around here!
5. Hot summer days - very glad to have reached these at last!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
book reviews
Jules Verne, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. I have to admit, I didn't like this one. Didn't care for the narrator; was bored by the rhapsodies about undersea life; was underwhelmed by the ending, such as it was; generally found it pretty tedious. Not a keeper.
Jim Kjelgaard, Wild Trek. I think this is only the second time I've read this one, but it's really good. The plot moves along and is interesting, the characters are richly detailed, and it's very thoughtful and informative. Not bad for essentially a young adult book!
Farley Mowat, Owls in the Family. This is a young adult version of the tale of Mowat's owls told in The Dog Who Wouldn't Be. As such, it's a bit watered down. But still quite interesting. I read it to the boys, who weren't passionate about it, but seemed to enjoy it.
Hugh Pentecost, Murder in Luxury. I felt this plot hinged on a fairly loose thread, but it was pretty well tied together, so I could overlook it. Not a bad entry, all things considered.
Jim Kjelgaard, Wild Trek. I think this is only the second time I've read this one, but it's really good. The plot moves along and is interesting, the characters are richly detailed, and it's very thoughtful and informative. Not bad for essentially a young adult book!
Farley Mowat, Owls in the Family. This is a young adult version of the tale of Mowat's owls told in The Dog Who Wouldn't Be. As such, it's a bit watered down. But still quite interesting. I read it to the boys, who weren't passionate about it, but seemed to enjoy it.
Hugh Pentecost, Murder in Luxury. I felt this plot hinged on a fairly loose thread, but it was pretty well tied together, so I could overlook it. Not a bad entry, all things considered.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
post-apocalyptic
Our house sits well back from the road, hidden from view of passing cars by trees and a long driveway. To the left is an expanse of land with nothing but power lines, to the right a set of neighbors also screened by trees. We can see their house, but you can't tell what's going on over there. Our back yard is also surrounded by trees, and the entire cul-de-sac behind us is also hidden. All of which makes the house feel completely private and isolated. (This is an especially good thing in swimming season, so I can dry off outside and not drip on the floors!)
But the whole thing together inescapably makes me think of The Stand and other post-apocalyptic tales. As I drive or walk up the driveway or I lie in bed unable to sleep, my mind fills with questions such as "How would I get water all the way here with no car?" "The basement would be the warmest/coolest place, but would it be worth all the lighting supplies I would waste?" And other complicated plans that would ensue once some kind of apocalypse left me alone in my home with none of the ongoing trappings of civilization. (It's always me alone, since that's the standard post-apocalyptic bit. Also, if I picture Lou and/or the kids, that elevates it from speculation to potential tragedy.)
I suspect that if an apocalyptic future comes, I'm more likely to be a hapless victim than a lone survivor ... but it's an interesting and unavoidable speculation.
But the whole thing together inescapably makes me think of The Stand and other post-apocalyptic tales. As I drive or walk up the driveway or I lie in bed unable to sleep, my mind fills with questions such as "How would I get water all the way here with no car?" "The basement would be the warmest/coolest place, but would it be worth all the lighting supplies I would waste?" And other complicated plans that would ensue once some kind of apocalypse left me alone in my home with none of the ongoing trappings of civilization. (It's always me alone, since that's the standard post-apocalyptic bit. Also, if I picture Lou and/or the kids, that elevates it from speculation to potential tragedy.)
I suspect that if an apocalyptic future comes, I'm more likely to be a hapless victim than a lone survivor ... but it's an interesting and unavoidable speculation.
Monday, August 10, 2009
peer power
I am always amazed at the power spending time with their peers has on my kids' motivations to learn new skills. This has been most strongly evidenced in the swimming pool.
Last summer (our first with our own pool), the kids were decent swimmers. Greyson and Charles with inflatable "bubbles", Veronica with bubble, pool noodle, and often an adult's assistance. One day, we had one of Charles's friends over to swim, and he brought his two sisters, ages 6 and 5 (roughly). Well, the girls swam like fishes - diving, swimming underwater, etc. After that, Greyson suddenly no longer needed his bubble, and by the next time the girls came over, Grey was swimming proficiently bubble-free. Enough so, at least, to maintain his manly dignity!
This year - Greyson's diving, swimming underwater, and generally confident and comfortable in the pool. Charles and Veronica still in bubbles, Veronica with additional pool noodle. Then one day a bunch of Charles's preschool friends come over to swim. Varying levels of ability, but most of them doing well splashing around and swimming. Next time we go swimming? Suddenly Charles has discarded his bubble and is ready to swim bubble-free ... and Veronica no longer needs her noodle.
Something to remember for the future - if you really want the kids to learn a social skill, invite the other kids over to do it, too!
Last summer (our first with our own pool), the kids were decent swimmers. Greyson and Charles with inflatable "bubbles", Veronica with bubble, pool noodle, and often an adult's assistance. One day, we had one of Charles's friends over to swim, and he brought his two sisters, ages 6 and 5 (roughly). Well, the girls swam like fishes - diving, swimming underwater, etc. After that, Greyson suddenly no longer needed his bubble, and by the next time the girls came over, Grey was swimming proficiently bubble-free. Enough so, at least, to maintain his manly dignity!
This year - Greyson's diving, swimming underwater, and generally confident and comfortable in the pool. Charles and Veronica still in bubbles, Veronica with additional pool noodle. Then one day a bunch of Charles's preschool friends come over to swim. Varying levels of ability, but most of them doing well splashing around and swimming. Next time we go swimming? Suddenly Charles has discarded his bubble and is ready to swim bubble-free ... and Veronica no longer needs her noodle.
Something to remember for the future - if you really want the kids to learn a social skill, invite the other kids over to do it, too!
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
book reviews
Hugh Pentecost, Murder Round the Clock. This was a collection of short stories - all based around Pierre Chambrun and the Beaumont. Most of them were pretty good. It was nice to see the characters move forward - some pivotal cast changes that had happened between books took place in the stories - and get an overview of the course of the series in microcosm.
Hugh Pentecost, Beware Young Lovers. This one was a bit more personal in flavor, giving the plot an immediacy many of them don't have. The twists were good ones. But it relied a little too much on coincidence and hastily remembered scraps of information, made a big plot leap with no foundation whatsover, and left a couple of threads untied with a broad wink and a nudge as explanation for the loose ending.
Louis L'Amour, Lonigan. A nice collection of short stories. As always, L'Amour's ability to stay true to his genre and himself while making his stories fresh and interesting is astounding. His characters share many similar traits, along with places and times and problems, but there's enough mix-and-match to make each one stand out. A true master craftsman.
Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi. I read this one a long time ago for a class in either high school or college. (Can't remember which.) Picked it up again recently because I remembered it as in interesting book. The reread did not disappoint. The book is the story of a young black girl growing up in 1960s Mississippi - her experiences, her drive to learn and put herself through college and make more of herself than her surroundings, her involvement with the civil rights movement. Now, I'm not sure that I would have wanted to spend a lot of time with the person - she's a bit hysterical and highly strung, a bit arrogant - but her story is powerful. It's a vivid picture of what it's like to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps and the challenges to be faced along the way.
Hugh Pentecost, Beware Young Lovers. This one was a bit more personal in flavor, giving the plot an immediacy many of them don't have. The twists were good ones. But it relied a little too much on coincidence and hastily remembered scraps of information, made a big plot leap with no foundation whatsover, and left a couple of threads untied with a broad wink and a nudge as explanation for the loose ending.
Louis L'Amour, Lonigan. A nice collection of short stories. As always, L'Amour's ability to stay true to his genre and himself while making his stories fresh and interesting is astounding. His characters share many similar traits, along with places and times and problems, but there's enough mix-and-match to make each one stand out. A true master craftsman.
Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi. I read this one a long time ago for a class in either high school or college. (Can't remember which.) Picked it up again recently because I remembered it as in interesting book. The reread did not disappoint. The book is the story of a young black girl growing up in 1960s Mississippi - her experiences, her drive to learn and put herself through college and make more of herself than her surroundings, her involvement with the civil rights movement. Now, I'm not sure that I would have wanted to spend a lot of time with the person - she's a bit hysterical and highly strung, a bit arrogant - but her story is powerful. It's a vivid picture of what it's like to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps and the challenges to be faced along the way.
Monday, August 03, 2009
August and onward!
When I was growing up, August was back-to-school month. So once it rolled around, it was time to pick out the new clothes, the school supplies, and generally start thinking about getting ready to go back to school. My kids don't start until early September ... but that doesn't stop me from thinking that it's time to get back to some kind of routine.
Sounds strange, I know, especially when you consider that "summer" didn't start around here until the very end of June. But after a month of late mornings and later nights, intensive family togetherness, and kicking back and taking the days easy ... well, it feels like time to start seeing our friends, getting back onto a regular sleep schedule, and moving some projects up to the top of the to-do list while I still have the kids around.
(Of course, I say that now. Ask me again at bedtime!)
Sounds strange, I know, especially when you consider that "summer" didn't start around here until the very end of June. But after a month of late mornings and later nights, intensive family togetherness, and kicking back and taking the days easy ... well, it feels like time to start seeing our friends, getting back onto a regular sleep schedule, and moving some projects up to the top of the to-do list while I still have the kids around.
(Of course, I say that now. Ask me again at bedtime!)
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