Thursday, April 19, 2012

4/19/12 Catching up

How long has it been since I've missed this many blog posts?!

It's funny, with the kids out of school this week, we have all this "time" (hah hah) to "catch up" !

Which means, we've been busier than ever. Monday, we went to the County Recorder's office to submit our passport applications. Tuesday night, we went to Tuesday Dinner at our longtime moto-friend's Jack's house. I caught up with friends who I've now known pushing 20 years, but our kids were the only kids there. Wednesday, I went out for Coffee and Cheesecake (though a disagreeable GI system ruled both those out) with a different segment of my life, my Mom friends, who I've now known pushing 10 years. Somewhere in there, Dave and I dropped off and picked up our cars for service -- my 10yo car failed smog and needed service; hopefully it will pass this weekend, but even if it passes, it's time to start thinking about car #3 in my life.

So at Coffee with my Mom friends, we decided to team up for a camping weekend this summer! So odd, this intersects both parts of my lives: I used to camp a LOT with my moto-friends, though all on motorcycles and only caring for myself -- now I'm doing it in a car, meeting up with Mom friends, and with children -- lots of them. Both worlds involve tents, but are universes apart!

Recently I've mused about what I'd have been like, who I'd be, if I hadn't been raised in the most urban environment there is in the USA. I really loved the city life as a kid, though of course it's all I knew -- but as an adult, I really gravitated toward the outdoor-lifestyle more easily afforded on the West Coast. What would I have been like had I been raised in the suburbs in the world's most perfect climate, as my children are? And if my parents had been into camping and skiing as much as I am now? Probably very sheltered as my own kids will be -- I'm pretty sure I was raised with harsh reality as a daily partner, whereas my children are just one step shy of the proverbial silver spoon. I really have no idea which is worse or better. My drive to take them camping and skiing competes with an underlying urge to show them what Real Life is about -- but what the hell do I know? And how strong is my desire to show them the rest of the world? Is it just passing talk to make myself feel better about being so comfortable? Sure is easy to claim that I want them to know how the rest of the world lives from my 2-story 4-bathroom home with two well-stocked refrigerators -- as long as we don't get too uncomfortable. I want them to know how privileged they are, but without causing myself any discomfort. Does that make me a total hypocrite?

That said, I'm OK with some "discomfort" planning camping in relatively luxurious Silicon Valley!

4/19/12

Monday, April 16, 2012

4/16/12 Allergies???

Julian has been complaining for a few days that his eyes have been itchy and hurting him, and indeed, they're looking swollen and red underneath. This went on long enough that Dave took him to the doctor today, who said "allergies!" Well, probably. Of course, I was thinking "brain tumor," but we Moms tend to fear the worst. He has no other symptoms, and Dave, who's our resident canary for airborne allergens, hasn't had any trouble recently, so we didn't think of allergies.

Besides, I've been blithely bragging that none of my kids have any airborne allergies -- or any at all, other than Julian's severe penicillin allergy that hasn't emerged since he was 17 months old -- so how could it be that?

Well, despite my bravado and bragging, the doc chalked up his red itchy eyes to pollen -- and I'll easily take that over a brain tumor.

4/16/12

Sunday, April 15, 2012

4/15/2012 Forms, forms, forms

Ugh! I think all I did all day was fill out and prepare forms. Taxes, passport applications, and daycamp applications -- the last of which were the most odious since it wanted me to list vaccination dates. WHAT A PAIN!! To complicate matters, tomorrow is a cleaner's day, which is a few hours of picking up around the house tonight.

All I've really wanted to do this weekend is nap and do some gardening. Katrina and I did some trimming yesterday, and I'm SO enjoying walking around and seeing what's blooming, what's growing, and what's not doing so well, what needs to be cut back. I even planted two of my own plants today, for which I have a pretty consistent success rate: 0%. Pretty much everything I plant dies.

I've also been struggling with a splitting headache today, and am VERY ready to call it a day!

4/15/12