Tuesday, December 11, 2007

What To Do?

John is coming home from school next week and Miss Mary and I are baking cookies on Saturday. What more does one want than two happy healthy children who sort of like to hang around with me still?

Would you rather a chocolate kiss on your peanut butter cookie or would you rather have a real kiss followed by a peanut butter sandwich?

Monday, October 29, 2007

Catching My Breath

How does life get so busy? Mary and I returned safely from our college trip - a trip that was fun and informative and bonding for us. I went to Texas for a school/work conference on something called Disciplinary Literacy right after I got back from the college trip. It was hard work and enlightening and it was difficult to go back to work after both trips and try to figure out the day-to-day stuff. Then I watched a movie called Blood Diamond and am in the middle of reading Into the Wild and I feel like I should be putting it all together and changing my life in some meaningful way. It seems like I'm getting hints at what turn to take next - but the voice is not quite loud enough. Am I too tired to hear it? Does it seem like too much work? Maybe I'm just not ready. What is it I'm trying to get ready for? It's true - I have been blessed to be born into the life I have. I know that and I feel a heavy obligation some days and other days it feels more like hopeful optimism.

A couple of weeks ago, John paid me a surprise visit from his college far far away. I was thrilled to see him, tears were shed. What a good boy! In the car ride on the way to the airport he said, "I am so confused about life. I mean, what am I supposed to be doing?" I told him he was to be doing exactly what he was doing. Being confused, muddling through, figuring it out, being 19. He's doing a fine job.

Mary applied to 4 schools yesterday. She wrote a couple of heart warming essays and cranked out the answers to the usual questions. It was taxing but she stuck it out. What a good girl! She is on the cusp of the confusion. I think she is ready for it.

Would you rather be allergic to socks or your mother?

Friday, October 19, 2007

College Search Extravaganza

In the last two days my daughter and I have visted 8 colleges. Tomorrow we hope to see 2 or 3 more. The colors are peaking or maybe just a little over and it has been a beautiful trip. We have driven through rolling hills and flat cornfields. We have driven through pouring rain and towards a rainbow. Today there were small patches of blue throughout the day. We have had our share of arguments about directions and snacks and who stinks the most - but we always manage to end up laughing our heads off.

Many of the schools on this trip have been complete "unknowns" to us. My daughter has been happily surprised at how much she has liked most of the schools we have visited even though they have been unique. Big, small, urban, rural, specific, general. I think the girl is delighted at the prospect of college. It is really there for her to take and explore. What a cool place to be at 17.

Would you rather go to college or the moon?

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Thursday

I am off to see the world of Wisconsin colleges with my daughter. Road trips are thrilling - there's the snacks, the map reading, the watching for signs, the 20 questions in the car, and the gas station bathroom.

Yesterday I went for a 2 hour canoe ride with some urban 8th graders. They laughed and paddled their way down the St. Croix. How is that trip down the river the same as my road trip with my daughter? There will be times when we are going in circles and worried about getting lost. But there is joy and hope in going with th current and trusting that around the next corner will be another beautiful sight to see or maybe it will be the landing for our final destination.

On a road trip would you rather have too many snacks or too few?

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Tuesday

My first blog. For a Tuesday I'd say this was average. On a scale of 1-10, I would give it a five. I noticed that throughout the day I often think of clever things I might write for a story to be published in say The New Yorker or on a popular blog. But here I am now looking at this daunting empty white screen and all I can think of is the dullness of the day. How to capture the coolness of it?

I spent some time in a training class with educators. I left feeling uplifted and proud that I am a member of that profession. How does one save that feeling and take it out in the midst of a difficulty? How can I reframe the crap I deal with every day and lift myself to the light and joy and challenge of the work?

Hang around people like Iverson and Kopicus and Blue and see the beauty in the energy of adolescence.