11/2/12 The Vaccum

My Mom, being the best Mom in the world and all, got wind of a recent discussion I'd had with my friends about vaccuum cleaners -- and given that I had new cleaning challenges with cats and all, sent me a superior model. Thanks Mom!

But did anyone really think for a moment that I would bother with drudgerous chores, when there's a perfectly capable mercenary kid around?!

In fact, I'm using the delightful little appliance quite a bit, but I'm still happy to leave the heavy lifting to greedy little boys :).

11/2/12

10/31/12 Halloween Recap

As always, it took some doing -- but the night before Halloween, the kids had their costumes! Gabriel was a pilot, with a costume hijacked from a policeman, with some emblems and a hat added, but the other two had straight store-bought costumes. I have to admit some guilt about that, as well a sadness for missed opportunities -- I used to love making their costumes!

But frankly, of all the things I have to deal with in their lives, I'm afraid that sewing and gluing homemade Halloween costumes have been pushed out of the Top Ten.

This year, Julian was a gladiator (which was great), Gabriel was a pilot, and Katrina wanted to be a cat, but had to settle for a tiger.

Among countless others, the major-est event was the school costume parade.

Somehow, Julian and Katrina's teachers conspired to be the same thing: my new favorite costume idea: a bath squoosh-sponge thing!

This year, the school had a "surprise" for the parents: a flash mob!!

Julian and Katrina let on that there was a "special surprise" for parents, so with their poorly concealed "hints" I was able to to piece together that some brave soul at the school had somehow taken on the monumental task of coordinating five grades of four classes each, into a dance routine!!!!!!

It's impossible to see in the photos - and especially hard to take photos with all the parents blocking the view with massive video cameras (what will they do with all that video??) -- but this was pretty cute to watch.

I was barely able to see Katrina's half-hearted motions, and Julians "all-OVER-it!" sincere full-body performance, as though he was the STAR of the whole show -- but still, it was a huge experience and total fun for them. And me!

It's fun that the whole school shuts down because of Halloween, but, GEEZ, wasn't Halloween just a DAY once in long lost years afore?

Well, I'm not complaining -- employment challenges notwithstanding, and though the Halloween parade is so massive and chaotic, it'd break my heart to miss the moment. And who can pass up a flash mob?!

10/31/21

p.s. lighthearted post notwithstanding, what's really on my mind is that I haven't been able to call my Mom, who lives in now-Hurricane-ravaged lower Manhattan for days. I've been trying many times a day, but Mom's phone isn't working yet. Thank goodness for my dear brother, who's keeping me posted and has assured me that Mom and Paul are well! He's also assured me that my sister and her family are well, or I'd be fretting about them too. Thank you Ronan!

10/31/12 Postponing Halloween?

I should be posting about costumes and candy and parades, regular Halloween stuff. But the more I see in the newspapers about Hurricane Sandy's devastation, the less I can think about that stuff.

It's amazing what's happened on the East Coast, and how many people lost their lives doing ordinary things that my mother could easily have been doing. I haven't been able to contact my Mom for a few days (hi Mom, if you're finally able to read this!), though my brother tells me via texts that she's fine (and thank goodness for him!). Still, I know this is a stressful and scary experience for her and Papa Paul, and I wish I could be there.

And then the governor of New Jersey postponed Halloween! The final straw!

Anyway, just so you East Coasters out there know: I'm thinking about you constantly. Costume and school-parade photos of kids will have to wait, I'm afraid.

10/31/12

10/29/12 The weekend

Whew...almost over. My 2nd weekend alone without my children. I'm amazed how much I miss them.

I was always really low on the "on" scale as compared to most moms....I never do much in the way of sitting and focusing my attention on them. It's more like I miss just having them around -- grouching at them not getting dressed, intervening in the boys' numerous fights, sprinting to rescue Katrina from some-or-other torture from her brothers...and sometimes hearing them happily play, and occasionally even involving myself in it. But there's so much ambient amusement and interaction from us just being together too, and I so miss that.

On the surface, this weekend-to-myself thing seems like what most moms are anxious for. I get to do things in big blocks of time, I have lots of time to myself, peace and quiet -- things most moms can only dream of. And indeed, I make the most of it -- I've always been fine being alone.

But I'm sure looking forward to "my" weekend. Sometimes it feels like the kids are just visitors, and like I'm just a half-time mom.

I wonder, do they miss me? I doubt it, kids are much more focused on themselves, and they're not away from me long enough to really feel it. I don't want them to feel like they miss their mother, that's a big deal for a kid. But I sure miss them.

I know we'll all adjust to this new on-and-off schedule, but so far it's a much tough adjustment for me than I expected.

10/29/12