Seven Quick Takes Friday

 

1.  Writing and Reading with One Additional Person

I promise to get back in the groove, it's been hard since my computer and my life have been not in my control these past few weeks.   I thought I had it back on Sunday, then I thought I needed perhaps a few weeks then I realized, I'm thinking of writing even if I'm not writing and the only way to get better at writing is to go back to doing it on a daily basis, like exercise.  Yes I'm going to start doing that too, but slowly.  I'm out of practice and stairs and driving are still on the restricted list until next week.   But my brain can and should go up and down the stairs to see what's what more often, so we'll start with that and go from there. 

2.  Potty Training

By now, I really should know better than to expect anything but resistance, particularly after bringing home a new person.  But with three in diapers, patience is something of a shorter supply than a full box of wipes.   So every day, I ask, "Are you going to be potty trained?"  Some days she shrugs her shoulders.  Today she simply said "Later." 

We've put a moratorium on McDonald's as an incentive for the first success.  This led to her sister attempting to secretly substitute her own bodily fluids to allow the younger to bask in the psuedo victory of fooling Mom.  She almost succeeded too.  Except I went to get the younger changed from her pj's and discovered the tell tale diaper had not been removed so the evidence had to come from someone else.   "Trust but verify." came to mind. 

Now that I've exposed this charade, one can bet she will try again but this time, I'll need to do DNA testing to ensure it came from the right daughter.   Hopefully, the siren call of the golden arches will lead my three year old to victory before it comes to that. 

3.  Play More

It occurred to me that as a stay at home mom, I never leave my office, and my office never leaves me.  Being that wedded to the domestic tasks robs me of some of the infused joy of being with these people I love 24/7.  So I've resolved to play some every day, whether it's Catan, Magic, the piano or tic-tac-toe or sledding, I need to do something frivolous --I used to be considered superficial back in high school and college, as a means of tempering my temper, just for fun. 

The writing is fun, but it is also singular and isolatory, I'm talking about the joy and pleasure that comes from doing in community --something I have the gift to experience daily and often forget to savor.    This is why I love my husband so fiercely, he plays as hard as he works and never forgets who he loves or why he loves or what he should love doing more.  And he's willing to remind me, that despite my sense of humor, I need to still lighten up even more, to be luminous with the people I am with, because that is what it means to celebrate ordinary time.

5.  Marriage

We've been asked to talk about marriage and I'm really excited that this happened.  My husband and I have talked about what's next and always come back to the idea that we should talk in tandem about marriage and family life, but we've never known where we were to go with that idea, and now the idea has come and found us.  

6.  Split Personality....

Apparently, I am not a Cancer but a Gemini.  I was a creative extroverted loner type, now I'm of two minds, or at least half a mind to tell the new sign, "No thanks, I'll stick with the crab, she's done good for me."  That might make me as stubborn as a Taurus and who knows, if I wait a few hundred years, I might be one of those too. At least then, the duality might make some sense if the faults lie in our stars and not the real enemies, our own fallen selves.  

7. Super Bowl Sunday....

Normally, we hold a Super Bowl Sunday feast that honors the two teams with their home cuisine.  For example, Jumbalaya and beignets for the Saints, Chicago Dogs and dove bars for the Bears, and Buffalo wings and Roast beef with Kimmelweck Rolls for the Bills would be served.  But Green Bay vs. the Steelers....Cheese, Brats, Beer and Pierogies...ugh.  I feel heavy and not hungry just writing it.  Any tips on alternatives for the menu?  Otherwise, I'm breaking with tradition and ordering pizza.