Mrs. S noted a few weeks ago that seeing the image of a dead parakeet when she clicks on the blog is becoming a touch bleak. I guess we have sufficiently mourned Peeper at this point, so I will start blogging again. It is always very overwhelming to know where to start when I've stayed away so long, so a list is probably in order, though the events might not be in actual chronological order, because that is hard.
1.Harvey the Hurricane happened. Our streets were very flooded and impassable for a couple of days, but our house stayed dry. The husband was home from work for a week, and the kids missed two weeks of school. I watched way too much news coverage, and also ate way too many Kettle chips and peanut butter M&Ms. The grocery stores were closed, and then when they re-opened, there were lines to get in, and not much to buy. The kids ate countless grilled cheese sandwiches and built entire empires out of Legos. They also played lots of video games and watched cartoons aplenty. We stayed home for 10 days straight, I think. We have several friends in other parts of the city whose homes were flooded, and there is still so much debris in front of houses. It is all very sobering. On the second day after the flooding, Harper and I were sloshing through the neighborhood and she saw a catfish swimming in the street. So, naturally, she took off her Birkenstock and caught it and released it into the storm drain.
2. A week or so before Harvey, we finally put our house up for sale. Making it a matter of course to leave everything tidy and clean (and flushed) before we walk out the door, just in case complete strangers want to come traipse through, has been challenging. Also challenging: the neighborhoods where we are looking to rent if our house sells got hit really hard by the flood. I find that my attitude about all the driving I do has improved, because watching people deal with their flooded homes has created profound gratitude for a dry one, even if it isn't optimally located.
3. Four days before Harvey, we started back to school. And that 'we' is literal. I am working at the kids' school this year. I am an aide in a kindergarten classroom and in P.E. and am also teaching a second grade drawing class. It is going fine. My kids are increasingly independent on our home days, which means those days are not as energy-sapping as they have been in previous years. Though last Wednesday, after being gone from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. I walked in the door, made the kids' dinner, went to bed at 7 p.m. and slept until 7 a.m. It is all an adjustment, but being around all the great kids and grownups at our school two days a week is going to prove to make me a better human, I am sure of it.
4. Get out a map, because this one is fun! My friend Lina, who is from Lithuania, whom I met when I was teaching in Hungary, and who currently lives with her (Hungarian) husband in Scotland, came to Houston and we got to spend a few hours catching up on the last 20 years. It was one of those reunions you don't necessarily anticipate this side of heaven, and it was wonderful to see her and hear about her fascinating life.
5. The kids and I are just finishing up two series. I have read the Wilderking trilogy by Jonathan Rogers aloud at night, and we have listened to the spectacular audio of the Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander in the car. We have loved them both, and I HIGHLY recommend them. They go together like peas and carrots, though I didn't know that when we started. The audio cds each have an intro read by Lloyd Alexander at the beginning and he sounds as though he was around 145 years old when it was recorded. It's like The Ancient of Days telling you all about his books. I really do recommend the audio book for that series because there are so many diverse characters with crazy British accents and strange names, I think it would be challenging read aloud. Though, not to brag, but I have actually rather perfected my Feechie accent for the Wilderking books. It's kind of Welsh-Scottish-Southeast Texas.
6. Sasha would like to state that she hates numbers 1-3 on this list. She hates Harvey. She hates the Mommy at school business. She hates the STRANGERS IN HER HOUSE SHE IS IN HER CRATE THE MOMMY IS NOT EVEN HERE THE WORLD IS CLEARLY ENDING selling the house business. She sleeps to forget.
Well, I think that is enough to prime the pump. I'll be back soon!
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