I think Leap Day is cool. No matter what claim any other day can make, no day is more rare — we’ll all have fewer February 29ths in our lives than any other day, and we’re currently experiencing one of them.
Category Archives: Kids and Parenting
Dreaming of the beach
It’s cold, rainy and windy (very windy) here in Vienna. My boys are sick. (Liam’s diagnosis is two separate viral infections at the same time — one causing diarrhea that he’s had for 10 days, one causing croup. Lucky kid.) I’ve been in the house, nearly constantly, for a week. Benjamin *might* go back to school tomorrow. Maybe.
Fevers and fussiness
Every day for over 2 weeks we’ve had at least one sick kid. Not anything simple like sniffles, but energetic vomiting, explosive diarrhea, high fevers, coughing that keeps them up at night (thankfully, not all of those symptoms at the same time). There was exactly one day (last Saturday) that both boys were well at the same time. It was a nice day.
Someone still loves a Christmas tree
If there’s one thing I learned today, it’s this: if you leave your Christmas decorations up until the end of February, your children will continue to celebrate Christmas. At least, mine will.
Wholeheartedly overfaced and reluctantly enthusiastic
I am probably harder on myself than anyone else. (I know I’m harder on myself than anyone else is to my face.) I set a very high standard in just about everything that I do and then, if I don’t measure up in my own eyes, I’m very self critical. This perfectionism got me great results when it came to grades and test scores in high school and college, when I was competing in horseback riding or in ballroom dancing, and it’s part of what brings me back to the computer to write my blog every single day. It has some very positive, practical applications.
(Re)discovering reading
I love to read. I have for as long as I can remember. I have distinctly fond memories of the library and the book sales from as far back as elementary school. I would lose myself in books, and I’ve always been someone who returns to her favorite books again and again — I don’t feel like just because “I’ve read that” that I can’t read it again. Reading is one of my favorite things to do when I’m not doing anything — on vacation, by the pool, on a trip, late at night.
Accepting what is
One of the many things I’m working on in my life right now is accepting what is, instead of agonizing, worrying and stressing about why it isn’t something else or how to get it to be something else. There are certainly times to work on changing things, but before I can act towards something I want, I need to truly understand and accept where I currently AM, regardless of whether or not I like it.
Riding the rails
Today was Pam & Joshua’s fifth day in Vienna. Their trip has, unfortunately, been interrupted frequently by various members of our family getting ill. Even though Liam is still sick (our pediatrician made a house call today to see him) and Dan & I are still not yet quite well (but we didn’t require house calls today), I decided to help poor Pam and Joshua beat cabin fever today, so Benjamin and I took them out.
Eistraum
From January until March, Vienna transforms the park around the Rathaus into a hugely elaborate ice skating rink. The paths and walkways typically occupied by people strolling around the town hall are made into winding ice paths through the trees. It’s beautiful and looks like it would be a ton of fun . . . if I knew how to skate. I’ve been a few times (mostly birthday parties in elementary and middle school) but I have neither particular skill nor talent for it.
Poop
There aren’t many friends you can talk about poop with. I don’t mean as a mom, talking about our kids — that’s something moms do pretty easily. From the time we bring our little ones home from the hospital, we are willing — enthusiastic even — to discuss all aspects of things that come out of our children: color, volume, timing, consistency. The only thing that holds us back is some sense of preserving modesty for our children, and the desire to not be known as “that mom who only talks about poop”.