Based upon the last post, you might be tempted to believe that the most extensive craft that happened here at Casa Mir during Chickadee's visit was the Great Vision Board Extravaganza. It was certainly the craftiest thing that I, personally, did, but it wasn't the craftiest thing overall. That saying about absence making the heart grow fonder was never more true than it has been for my children this year. Monkey doesn't so much wear his heart on his sleeve as he just walks around in a giant Monkey-heart-suit, gushing blood and hugs everywhere he goes. Every single time Chickadee was...
Was it a successful Christmas at Casa Mir? I think it was. No one threw up, no bones were broken, there were no car accidents or kitchen fires or other disasters. I mean, sure, I discovered mid-afternoon that somehow my father has never seen A Christmas Story, but that was easily remedied. Even as Chickadee loudly and frequently proclaimed that this was "the dumbest movie ever," I noticed that didn't stop her from watching it with us. Because really, no matter how you think you feel about it, once you happen upon this movie on the television on Christmas day, you are legally obligated to...
First: Thank you for your kindness and enthusiasm on Chickadee's post. Her head no longer fits through doorways, and she has proclaimed every one of you to be "totally cool." Second: I am rightthissecond eavesdropping on a giggle-filled sibling session of LEGO Lord of the Rings on the Wii. Maybe I'm over-romanticizing because I've missed these sounds so much, but I really do think the kids hadn't realized how much they missed each other. I want to freeze this moment in time, even if it is punctuated with Chickie screeching and Monkey laughing so hard he keeps doing things like accidentally...
She's home! SHE'S HOME! I shall love her and hug her and squeeze her and call her George Chickadee. Oh, wait. I already did that. And then, she wrote you this post. MAH BAYBEE, growing up and stuff. Enjoy! ---M What have I missed most about being home? Is it the home cooked meals, or the dog licking my tonsils every time I open my mouth to talk? Or maybe it’s the higher-than-30-degrees weather? No. No, it would definitely have to be my brother waking me up in the morning by repeatedly hitting me in the face with my own dirty sock. Ah, home sweet (er, smelly) home. After that lovely...
Despite my insistence that time SLOW DOWN ALREADY, life continues to zip right by at a maniacal pace. And now we can all stop and consider that statement and laugh at my fickleness, because wasn't I JUST wishing for 2013 to get here? And now I'm complaining that the year is nearly over and I'm not ready? I am nothing if not illogical. (No, YOU!) It's not clear to me what I feel the need to DO or FINISH this year---I mean, other than the usual sort of "everything!"---but here I am, feeling like time is spinning by and I'm on a deadline. What or when that deadline actually IS remains a...
I knew, but didn't really know, that the holidays would be hard this year. I knew intellectually, but didn't really grok how it would feel. It felt wrong to have Thanksgiving without Chickie---as thankful as I am for so many other things---and although we usually do the tree and the decorations the weekend after Thanksgiving, I didn't say anything, and neither did Otto or Monkey, so we just let it go. There's plenty of time. She'll be home in a few weeks, for a bit, and we'll try to figure out how to cram in all of the family togetherness we need around this year's unprecedented weirdness....
Today's post over at Feel More Better is dedicated to Monkey, the child I never could've imagined, before he came into my life, but who has patiently taught me to be a better human being. Both of my kids have done this for me, of course, but Monkey brought Hippie School into our lives, and the lessons there ripple outward and touch our entire family. So today, it's for him, for me, for every non-round peg who ever tried to be something else. Square pegs are awesome. Other shapes, too. I only wish it hadn't taken me so long to figure it out. (I'm a slow learner... thank goodness my kid is...
A couple of years ago, Titanic Pigeon Forge opened and my darling husband said to me several dozen times, "We should totally go see that." The only thing Otto likes better than cars is other big vehicles, like boats and subs and airplanes and stuff. Apparently a really big boat that hits an iceberg is WAY up on the list of Cool Things. Being the loving, supportive partner than I am, I responded with, "Mmmmhmmm," and went back to whatever it was I was doing. But then one day we all got an email from Merry that said, "Hey, I was thinking it might be a really cool Hippie School trip for us all...
I don't know that I've really stopped to give proper thanks and praise when it comes to pretty much the ONE thing in our lives that hasn't been worrisome or catastrophic this year. In the midst of the various Sturm und Drang, we have one shining beacon of progress: Monkey. You remember Monkey, right? Short goofy kid with the dimples that'll melt your heart? I don't know if you know this, but he's kind of awesome. We were warned that autistic kids often come in to a whole new set of hurdles as they enter adolescence, but I have to say that---so far, at least (knocking on...
