1. Yes, yes, blogging has been sparse lately…again. I basically have about an hour and a half to myself during the day, during Annika’s nap. Since we returned from the States, Annika has slept through the night maybe two or three times. Last night, she cried briefly at 1 am and settled back to sleep before I got to her room. Score!
Then Katrina woke up at 4 am after having a nightmare (which is pretty rare for her). I swear,the children plot with each other to give the parents maximum sleep deprivation. And no sleep = no brain power to write blog entries.
2. Katrina didn’t tell me what her nightmare was about, but I shouldn’t have been surprised. Yesterday it was announced at school that the mother and sister of a former student (who rode on Katrina’s bus last year) had been killed in a car accident. I didn’t really know the family except to wave at the bus stop, but I couldn’t stop thinking about this lovely little girl, about 10 years old, who is now without a mother and little sister. Katrina said that they would be writing letters later in the week. She composed some thoughts out loud in the car: “Dear J., I’m sad your mum and sister died. I hope that you can feel better about that.” And isn’t that exactly the sentiment that adults try to express, but more indirectly and with prettier words? Please keep this family in your prayers. I think it will be a very long time before anyone “feels better".”
3. I’ve been a bit addicted to Hillbuzz, a political Web site run by five gay guys from Chicago. They supported Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries and were so upset at the way she was treated by the Dems that they jumped ship to work for the McCain/Palin campaign. They don’t like Obama or the health-care bill. I don’t always agree with them, but they tell it like they see it, the writing is good, and they often have interesting ideas as well as stories about their lives.
4. Annika is walking…and climbing. Katrina wasn’t a climber, so imagine my surprise to look over and see my baby on top of the open dishwasher door…standing on the biggest dining room chair…kneeling on the top step of the step stool…
5. She also likes to “help” Mama by pulling utensils out of the dishwasher and handing them to me to put away. It is a fun way to start the morning. Unfortunately, she also wants to help in this way anytime the dishwasher is open. I have not yet made her understand that we take out utensils only after they’re clean.
6. After living in Germany for four years, I’ve gotten used to many little cultural differences. But I still cannot get used to random (to me) people knocking on my door and coming in to check stuff. Today, a guy in a car with a chimney sweep logo on his car showed up at the door to check the flue from the wood fireplace. I questioned him a bit, because we had had no fireplace at our old house. The gas people show up out of the blue once or twice a year (the meters are inside the house), but this was the first chimney sweep I’d seen. I wasn’t sure if he was official or just trying to drum up business. But he explained that it was a state law that the flue had to be checked each year. Alrighty then.
It sounds like the beginning of a MacGruff the Crime Dog PSA. But the guy came in, went up to the third floor, checked what he needed to check, and left. There you go.
7. “Glee” has finally started here. I saw the pilot on Hulu over the summer (Hulu does not work outside of the States, by the way. Curses!) and have been eagerly awaiting it’s arrival here. Love it…or at least the pilot and the first episode. After all, I was in show choir for four years in high school. The surprise is that my mostly nonmusical husband likes it, too. Although? Singing a song perfectly, the first time you see the sheet music? I don’t think so.
And I’m waiting for the all-day choreography session. Jazz hands!
For more Quick Takes, see Conversion Diary.
