Fresh Start Fragments

It's been a good while since I've caught up with my imaginary readers on this crazy thing called life, here's the latest.

Yeah, we finally moved and all went well. It still feels like someone took all our stuff and we live in someone else's house. It will take awhile to feel like home. I have driven back into the old neighborhood on accident a few times and reach for a string for the closest light that is no longer there.  Still, I like the new house. We got some space now and we ordered a foosball table. Oh yeah. That's a dream come true.

We were driving to dinner out one night and as we passed a sea food place, I was like, "Hey, how about sea food?" and H, our 7 year-old said, "Oh, I hate sea food, except fish, I love fish".

Here's some more kid updates:

C is in 8th grade and amazes me all the time with her humor and heart. She's so talented at playing flute and she's always working on a novel.

E is in 5th grade and getting too old. I love being weird with her, tonight I told her that when you meet someone with the same name as you, you exchange boogers and place their boogers in your nose. She didn't believe me. She's doing great in ballet and is in musical revue at the church theater this spring.

H had a hard time adjusting to the new house but is doing better now. He's loving our new neighborhood is full of boys and having fun playing outside. He's getting obsessed with football, but he knows he is not playing in middle school or high school. We're getting a Switch soon and I am very excited. 

I started binging The Twilight Zone on Hulu (yes, the originals from the 60's). So good and weird and sometimes cheesy. Maybe I'll post my top ten when I'm done. Don't hold your breath.

Lots of excited stuff going on at work but I can't really share it here as I would prefer to remain as anonymous as possible (ya know, just in case some creeper is looking for me, still pretty sure if someone was actually motivated, you could figure out who I am).

Finally, I just realized in April, I will enter my tenth year of blogging. That's nuts. I'll list my favorite posts and have a proper retrospective when the time comes.

That's all for now, kids. Don't forget to double-knot your shoes and drink plenty of water.

Poem For My Children

Advice is a dangerous thing. It's usually given for free and circumstances and individuals can vary wildly, rendering given advice useless.

Anyhoot, I am throwing caution to the wind. The poem came to me in two separate pieces over a 48 hour period. It might be a little smug and cloying but it comes from the right place, I hadn’t intended for it to be written for anyone in particular but it became “advice-cy” driven and halfway through, I knew what it was.

As always, your mileage may vary.

For My Children 

When the world calls out, with her sirens calling,

hold tight and laugh at her insignificance. 

This meaningless piece of dirt has nothing on you.

When money whips you with its displeasure, 

smile at its weakness, for all it can buy is future trash.

When the red tide comes in, give it the finger, 

because there is good in this world and it’s easy to miss.

The chemicals buzzing in that brain of yours are as real as love, 

as real as you and me. 

Reality might be twisted in knots and puzzles, 

but its mazes have their own rewards. 

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found my way out,

so I admit, I’ve been lost more times than I can count. 

I can’t tell you how to live with the knowledge of your impending death,

only that you must balance knowing you will die with living fully until that time.  

If you wonder why things are the way they are, then you’re on the right track,

and if you know it’s better to be kind than right then I tip my hat.

My children, I only wish for sunlight on your days and moonlight on your nights.

May you dream with your eyes open and sleep with your hearts held tight.