This is the happening : 2024
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December 01
November 30
November 29
November 28
November 27 The Favorite Part (a 7-yo)
He has discovered a newfound joy in reading…particularly with reading aloud for worship from a children’s Bible…
…and quizzing all those around to make sure they were listening attentively.
November 26 A Tuesday
Tough convos, lining up window and gutter financing, trying not to ghost insurance brokers and doing so anyway, consult (writing narratives, seed dispersal patterns, me arguing with roomful of teachers about when Christmas season begins), Trader Joe’s and Goodwill run through with boys, Hot Frosty and birthday celebrations with beloved mother/grandmother, SNL clips pre bedtime
November 25
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November 01
October 31
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October 25
October 24
October 23
October 22
October 21 a Monday
So wet. Boys so happy merging action figures, wood blocks, and LEGO structures. So many of our conversations these days are about the Marvel universe. We finished Captain America: the Winter Soldier and I continue to be impressed at how well they’ve held up. Schooling, grocery outing in soaking rain, then off to college fair, where we wandered from table to table, gleaning information and insights about schools all over Washington. I have so much pride and affection and confidence in this seventeen year old. So excited as she heads to…the unknown.
October 20 a Sunday
Helping old friends move in the morning. Fixing chainsaw in the afternoon. Using fixed chainsaw (new bar, new chain) to butter through a dozen old trees and limbs as evening fell.
October 19
October 18
Carnival at school. Fun times. More importantly: our daughter back. We are complete again.
October 17
October 16
October 15
The rain is here, and our daughter is not. Counseling outdoor schoolers. Missing her. Full day of in class and consult, then salamander hunting on the mountain. Successful. Two happy boys. Loads of dishes and supper prep soundtracked by The War on Drugs. Closed out with watching My Octopus Teacher. Really enjoying.
October 14 a Monday
Fresh groceries, tree transplanting, two boys making up outdoor games with a hula hoop and chasing their newest friend, a cicada, around, soundtracked by whoops and shouts. They got filthy. Trying to winterize and declutter. And get stuff out of the rains coming soon. Later: burritos, a 14-year old with bad stomach pains, editing a senior’s paper analyzing several seminal 17th-19th century American documents.
October 13
I decided recently I’m trying to go the rest of the year without asking anyone: what do you do? It is such a boring and difficult and loaded question for many, including myself sometimes. And why do we tie up so much of our identity with work?
We join a local Apple Festival - the fruit, not the Tim Cook company - for booth-hopping, people running-into, and nachos. The kids slide, jump, and swap out tickets for fun.
October 12
October 11
October 10 a Thursday
My Uncle-in-Law Kirk, for a second consecutive Thursday, came by to help me finish up putting in patio door and provide a list/plan for me to finish up siding and deck. I’m very grateful for the time he spent in giving me a big boost with getting through a difficult part of this…remodel? Not so much remodel as flat-out necessary fixing.
There was ballet class for one, Goodwill costume shopping for others, Becca babysitting a precious little niece with our two youngest, plenty of studying, and a missed Judas Priest concert for me. Had really been hoping to go see War on Drugs last Thursday and…Judas Priest tonight. Neither happened. Next time.
October 09
October 08
October 07
October 06
October 05
October 04
October 03
October 02
October 01
September 30
September 29
September 28
September 27
September 26
September 25 : You can’t change what you don’t measure.
See: one week previous, the 7pm hour.
It’s easy to feel inspired in the moment, the present.
But to keep it going; to execute a plan, a great plan, and make it a process, a ritual, to commit…
…that’s what’s challenging.
September 24
September 23
See: one week previous, the 7pm hour.
September 22
September 21
September 20
September 19
My beloved joins the second half of her decade. I love this girl and this life we’ve built, through the many roads, mountains, and weathers.
September 18
See: two days previous, the 7pm hour.
September 17
Is this to be our new vehicle? What a process this has been: and this is the date we’ve waited to check it out. Still bull-ish. Still looks like it’ll happen. Crossed fingers. Gonna feel good to be in a family vehicle again that runs well.
September 16
We shall embrace learning, knowledge, and growth, including in the areas of personal finance, even when they’re deeply inconvenient at 7pm on a weekday.
September 15
22 years. Whoa.
September 14
We descend upon our friend Sue’s art show - art booth - in Battle Ground. We come away with a big lovely canvas of sea life. Later, our daughter joins a birthday party with a group of neat peeps.
September 13
The year continues with a new ritual: scheduled grocery shops. 10am. Still getting used to it.
September 12, a Thursday
We sleep in. All of us. Not a one of us up before 7am. Can’t remember or imagine the last time that happened. It has been an intense week month year. There was general jolliness early on, and a morning devotional about the importance of saying “I love you” as much as possible and of the importance of recognizing the triggers and signs of dust-ups or conflict coming on. There was schooling and reading in generally good spirits, and my precious niece has a terrible series of breakout-bumps that I feel so bad for and my Ambassador Brother had a Jetta back up - yes, back up - into his car on the bridge this afternoon, then take off, and…oh yes, we had corn dogs, which is something all six of us are delighted about. There were some emotional ups and downs and difficulty with two younger ones winding down, a girl getting accidentally kicked in the face by her 7yo brother, and a 14yo writing his own versions of Eminem tracks and sending me into paroxysms of laughter with his impersonations of various people. A boy has a follow-up doc appointment; he’s accompanied by younger bro and mum; they take a Goodwill run on the way back and return with Thanos and Anakin Skywalker. The Olders work on the farm. I talk with my music producing brother about investing: Motley Fool funds are generally a good bet choice. We watch Brooklyn Nine Nine season 6 Heist episode. The Halloween-at-Cinco de Mayo one. We laugh. I love this ritual. Also, we are going into winter without the house issues taken care of I swore would be taken care of before winter.
September 11
I reluctantly take a political survey over the phone. My daughter does ASL translation and models for a photo shoot with Jonny. We spend a big chunk in classes: Nature, Dance, Health, Photography, consult for 9th grade.
September 10
September 09
September 08
September 07 : 5, 14, 7, badly.
A boy who wants badly to go to a candy shop.
A boy who wants badly to go to a track.
A boy who wants badly to go on a hike.
One might be possible,
or none.
September 06
September 05
September 04
September 03
September 02
September 01
August 31
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August 26
August 25
I help our daughter map out a timeline for being able to juggle the demands of caring for animals who need support of both the feeding and medicinal type as well as the emotional sort, as contained on a very specific schedule, that will also allow her to do things such as prepare for school and play tennis. Life is doable when you can draw a diagram and make a list. :)
August 24
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August 21
August 20
August 19
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August 17
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August 15
August 14
August 13, a Yumm Tuesday : Sneak attacks on Adonis, reverent mantises, Pop-It and hard convos.
Two boys on a couch, reading an old hardback edition of The Guiness Book of World Records. Yes, we’re the people who keep those old editions around. As long as they get picked up and read, we’ll keep them around. They move from house to front porch bistro table to slurp breakfast cereal while thumbing through.
I talk with a 7-year old about…life. Matters of life and respect and being a good sport. It is not a conversation he is excited about. Nor am I. But that is how it goes. Thou shalt be respectful and kind, and when thou art not, thou shalt engage in extended mandatory dialog with thine father. Lowercase f.
Four children play Pop-It together for the thousandth time, a 17-year old does dishes, there is dancing, a pair of danger devils attacks their Adonis brother, age 14; he fends them off with relative ease…but less ease than yesterday.
Becca and I take a shopping trek to scope out flooring for a much-needed bedroom. A bedroom that will be a release valve for three boys living in a small room. We decide to knock the socks off our kids and splurge on a twenty dollar bottle of Yumm sauce on the way back. No joke.
We return to some individuals interacting with a praying mantis, and then heading to the dry hot ground to find more. A teen helps his mum make supper while his brothers munch on apples outside; fruit in one hand and bugs in the other. Later, a scrumptious supper of salad, green beans, black beans, sauerkraut, and…Yumm sauce. Then: more Pop-It. It was a summer day.
August 12
August 11
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August 01
July 31
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June 22
June 21 Movies to watch with different combinations of kids this summer:
Batch 1: The Goonies, Captain America, Solo, Big Fish, Secondhand Lions
Batch 2: Despicable Me, Kung Fu Panda, The Sandlot
Batch 3: The Quiet Girl, The Dark Knight Rises, possibly Wolverine?
June 20
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May 31
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May 25
I feel like there are four traits I’ve had in abundant supply for much of my life: self-confidence, humor, patience, thoughtfulness. I feel right now like I have one of those, and the others have slipped away. I need to find them again.
May 24
Two boys played and played and played and played, both wearing backpacks. “Where are you going?” I asked as they scurried down the hallway. “To school,” the elder answered over his shoulder, and then clarified: “…not your school. Spy school.” “Yeah,” the other chimed in, “we’re going to Spy School, and then Outdoor School, and we’re going to learn about the outdoors while we’re inside.”
The lead-up to the next show and its accompanying auditions, stresses, dynamics, and relationships. A 16-year old is going after a part. So are others. One will get it.
Sneaked in some 2019 Springsteen and 2011 Amon Amarth.
May 23
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May 12
May 11
May 10
Looking at Google 165/170 calls for Sept-Nov.
9/20 170 - $1085
10/18 165 - $1490
11/15 170 - $1435
May 09
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May 07
May 06
May 05
May 04 in which I confuse myself yet again
I frustrate myself sometimes. It’s called being too clever for your own good and it goes something like this, and also it’s something where I haven’t learned my lesson.
We have a giant whiteboard, right? I use this whiteboard for all manner of communications and communiques and teaching lessons and outlines and definitions and lists and so forth. I am a scribbler, a notetaker, a list maker. I also have children who are quick to the scent when it comes to me hiding anything. In this case, I had a stack-up of films on my mind at different points that I wanted to remember to watch. As with many things involving children, I knew if I simply wrote the titles down, I would find myself in dreadful trouble, and unwanted opinions would begin to pour in.
So I, in clever fashion, grabbed a dry erase marker and scrawled out cryptic references for me to remember and log on our viewing list. Unfortunately…I didn’t do it soon enough and began to lost track of which films I was referring to. I’ve deciphered some. It shouldn’t be difficult. But it suddenly is. What was I thinking? I’m determined, over time, to translate these, so I’ll come back and fill in as I figure out. And maybe I’ll learn my lesson sometime.
BoS = Bridge of Spies
EV: ASo = ????
LNT = Leave No Trace
KR = ????
BH = ???Z
tV = The Village!
Eq = Equilibrium, I think
Vocal Auditions:
They sang
far out of their comfort zones
they did so, so good.
May 03 Vocal Auditions
They sang
far out of their comfort zones
they did so, so good.
May 02
May 01
April 30
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April 22
April 21 a Sunday
I never tire of their excitement over building with the dozens of wood blocks I cut, sanded, and painted over the years. I cannot count the permutations of ideas they’ve come up with. Currently they are into stacking them into these ornate, Stonehengian-mystic architectural designs and then inhabiting them with combinations of toy animals and small dolls. It’s really neat.
Becca multitasks drinking coffee and reading A Series of Unfortunate Events to our Youngers while Olders do chores and make pancakes. We breakfast together and the cleanup, post syrup and bananas and peanut butter, is significant. Later, there is more chores, for after all, it is Sunday, a day that has sadly brought dread upon much of the family for the responsibilities and necessary tasks it brings. Vacuums and brooms are pulled out, pileups of shoes from entryway are dragged into daylight, and spirits fight to stay strong. I try to keep moods good with some Bishop Allen and George Ezra popping loud. On AirPods, I later crank Amon Amarth, because Swedish death metal is what my spirits need. Simultaneously, boys combine G.I. Joes, Fisher Price, and a doll house set. The incongruousness and juxtaposing convergences of our pastimes and listenings is what makes our family favorable and flavorable sometimes. Later, the boys shift to playing their own version of the board game Clue. My father in law, bless his pea picking pancreas, mowed our back yard, as my mower is still…not functioning. The flowers are beautiful, the sun is out, I run some LP, Adrianne Lenker, Jenny Lewis, and Spoon to close out the afternoon. Kids shift to homework, others shift to watering out of a leaky watering can and watering…the grass, and potential seeds we planted recently, though my hope is small. After that, they set up a slide going off the porch onto our driveway, a setup that does not give me comfort. Later, they add a skateboard and various dolls into the mix.
Eventually, we wrap it up and eat in front of the telly, watching The Last Jedi. Not so bad, as Sundays go these days.
April 20
April 19
April 18
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April 12
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April 01
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February 29
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February 22
February 21
February 20
February 19
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February 17
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February 15
February 14
February 13
February 12
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February 10
February 09
February 08
February 07
February 06
Am I proud of my wife and the care, concern, compassion she gives to her patients? Yes. I have difficulty imagining too many health care professionals speak - in HIPPA-compliant, privacy-respecting ways - as positively about their patients, behind their backs, as her. That being said, I grow weary sometimes of the shifts she covers for fellow colleagues. Especially 12-5 on this February Tuesday.
February 05
February 04
February 03
Somehow, I find myself a spectator in a sport I’ve never spectated: chess. My son, a competitor on crutches, thought from a different sport. Fourth place in SW Washington. Think he feels good. As he should. More importantly, I had a great time with him. Love that guy.
February 02
February 01
January 31
January 30 Far away, Joe
A beloved day in our annals of family history and existence; the entrance of a bright light to many with her impish presence and witty intelligence. How I love to banter with this now 14-year old. Wow. Fourteen. Unbelievable.
January 29
January 28
January 27
January 26
January 25
January 24
Twenty-four days into the year, and we’re already into high school forecasting for next school year. Crazy.
January 23
I would not exist, as would not my six siblings, were not a certain special someone born upon this day once upon a time. Much love, as we celebrate in various ways with schooling, feeding goats, reading books in the woods, and drawing in the forest.
January 22
January 21
January 20
January 19 - the casualties of storms, volume 2
Winter Formal; a looked-forward to event, off the platter for now.
January 18
A beautiful being born at the dawn of this decade and…much as we like snow, we don’t like its cousins: wind and ice; the things that get in the way of being with those you love and want to celebrate with. Love this person whose giggly and earnest presence is a highlight for all of us. Ice, go away!