The catchup hangup October 24, 2007

This post. This is why I haven’t blogged in a while. The maybe-I-should-just-scrap-it moment, because writing that first post after being away forever is a black cloud for me. But right now I’m in a phase of trying to get rid of the things hanging over my head, and since I do like having a place to post what’s going on in our lives, I’m just going to dive back in.

So what made it such a long time since I posted? September is always a busy month, but this year August got jealous and took cuts. In that 2-month span:

• We took a family vacation in New Mexico. This Grand Hyatt resort where we stayed is located on an Indian reservation and was one of the most relaxing places I’ve ever experienced – with some incredibly, deliciously clean air.
• I went through a big transition with my job, complete with a more intense pace, move to a new location and an accompanying real commute. Audiobooks are my new travel companion!
• Brian went through an even bigger change, leaving his job of seven years to pursue an exciting new opportunity.
• Ben started middle school, which begins in 6th grade here. He’s adjusting to the new responsibilities so well that he makes it look easy, and I have to keep reminding myself that it really is a big deal. He’s loving pre-AP math, and orchestra class where he’s learning the violin.
• Correspondingly, I have come to the end of being able to help my son with his math homework. I want to make excuses about new math and the very specific teaching methods they use, but let’s be real. I stink at math. And I’m glad he doesn’t!
• The breakdown of our old oven gave me an excellent excuse for needing a fancy new one (by our standards). I still purr when I use it and can’t wait to cook Thanksgiving dinner with it (hello warming drawer!).
• We celebrated birthdays for my two favorite people in the world and had great fun with both. And then my son hits me with,”Mom, just 364 days til I’m a teenager!”
• I have rediscovered my love for juvenile/young adult fiction and jumped in with both feet. I find I’m reading more than ever now because it’s pure enjoyment. Books were my refuge when I was growing up and getting back to this kind of reading warms my soul.
• I finally finished the gargantuan project of reupholstering our dining room chairs, not a fun process at all. Pleased with the results though!
• During all this, we fit in the required errands, cooking and cleaning necessary to keep any family fed and clean enough to avoid hygiene mishaps.

And now we’re in Sweet October. It’s hard to beat this month for us! The weather is starting to turn chilly and that change itself lends a certain anticipation and sense of possibility to the air. My hands starting itching to make and do things, and I take the opportunity wherever I can – cooking dinners and desserts, tackling home projects and embarking on new craft projects (or at least planning them . We’ve had the time to linger over meals longer, enjoy some family movies, catch up on correspondence and just generally have time that is not crammed full.

There, the catchup post is done. One less black cloud over my head (October is good for that too) and no more obstacles to posting my bits and pieces whenever I fancy. Be back soon!