Little Kite Girl

He pushed puzzle pieces around on his truck while I cleaned. It was super cute.

So, we are in a state of less flux now.  Still fluxy, but…less so.

Yes, I quit Target.  Whoa a lot of people responded to my little overnight experience.  I also read an article the day after the working experience which I found relevant to the whole situation.  I’m grateful that my little escapade into that kind of working environment was spurred on my wanting a little more wiggle room and not by absolute necessity.  In our bank account it’s a matter of dollars, honestly, but for what’s it worth…well…it wasn’t worth it.  But there are many women and men who are severely underemployed right now, and honestly…I don’t have the answers.  I just found the article and my experience compelling- and I’ll tell you that I’m now looking for ways to live a more provident lifestyle.  Like for example: this week we used coupons for our Secret Nugget runs to McDonald’s. (Yeah, I know, we need to do better than that.  Working on it!)

John has started his new position.  He was hired on as an Internal Auditor/Loss Prevention somethingorother for Kmart.  Again, underemployement (welcome to the area that we live)…but much more flexible underemployment.  And he gets his own office.  And doesn’t have to wear any kind of uniform.  And with about half the driving time as the job in Albany.  Hopefully this interesting new position will afford him more time with us and more time to work on his degree- and spend less time listening to people call in a complain about past sexual partners and their inability to support their offspring.  I mean, someone’s gotta do that job, but the turnover is high because it is not exactly uplifting work.  We’re both grateful for that to be over.  As soon as he gets a more set schedule I think we’ll fall back into a routine and life will be happy again.  He is also scheduled to take teacher licensure tests soon.  We’ve got some plans in that direction- and I think we’ve finally figured some crap out about ourselves and what we need to do to feel good about work.

Now if the economy would just capitulate…we’d be ever so grateful.

Our favorite conversation this past week has been all about China.  We want to go to China.  We’re fostering some serious dreams about teaching English, having Camper know more Chinese than Kai Lan, and coming home with another child.  We’re not all Angelina Jolie about it, but we’ve both always (even before we met) wanted to adopt at least one child.  We don’t anticpate this happening any time soon (definitely not before John finished his master’s degree) but I love talking about it.  Picturing it, although I have no idea what living in China would be like.  I remember when I lived in England I was surprised at how different things can actually be.  Grass, sidewalks, stores, food, even public toilets.  Coming back after being gone for almost two years was the same.  Odd, more different than I thought.  (The biggest difference was that everyone said: “CAN YOU SPEAK UP? I CAN’T HEAR YOU!”  Geez Americans are loud.) It was a sincerely expanding experience.  And we want that together as a family.  (Honestly, I don’t even think we’re that picky about the country.  Just one with decent medical care and stable government, and we’re there given the opportunity.  As long as you need a passport to get there.)

In other random thoughts: I’m starting to rethink my commitment to different public playgroups this winter.  I’m definitely going to do Music Together, but other than that and something that I think I’m going to try and organize through church, we might just be homebodies.  I realize that all this flu stuff isn’t as scary as some people are making it out to be, but I think staying home and working on projects and playing outside in the snow and occasionally hitting up the YMCA pool might be enough to keep us sane.  And less sickish.  And less poor.  The past three days with a cold/flu/teething baby (post vaccination nastiness) has made me want to work even harder on keeping us healthy this winter.  Doing things that I should be doing anyway will keep us pretty busy.  Cooking good food, maybe even baking bread.  Cleaning our home and taking care of our kid.  Teaching piano brings kids into the house that Camper loves to play with.  I think that I just need to redouble my domestic determination.   Sometimes I do SO GOOD and feel SO AWESOME about the nutritional/educational/spiritual nourishment my family gets.  This past two weeks Camper’s schedule is ALL over the place- and I’m not much help.  Last night when he said, “Mom, I really don’t feel like going to bed, can I stay up and watch Glee with you on the DVR?” I was all, “Eh, ok.”  Snacks are happening more often lately, less planned meals.  More nuggets.  I think the ONLY thing I’m consistently getting right is the whole cuddle-on-demand situation we have going on around here.  But our little family needs more.  I realize what schedules and meals are worth and need to put in the proper effort. Remember?

Unfortunately, we fall behind.  And forget.  And YO I JUST CAN’T COOK THAT MUCH.

(Just for the record, I didn’t write that.  But I echoed the sentiments precisely.)

But it’s time.  It’s time to get cooking again, start getting rid of unnecessary things and work on some good habits.  So yes.  This here blog, some good TV, my role as wife, mother and piano teacher.  Maybe some exercise if I can figure it out.  That’s my plan this winter.

Also, today I moved Camper’s room around…AGAIN.  Holy crap this time I used a SCREWDRIVER. (Hopefully better than the last time I got out some tools and ended up killing the phone line by wadding up the phone wire things and taping them together before getting them out of Camper’s reach.  Yeah.  I rock.)   I think I’ve FINALLY MANAGED to make it safe enough that if he were to…I don’t know…start to use a toddler bed type situation…I’d be confident in his safety.  I don’t know why I was so obsessed with that, but I was.  And now it’s done.  Well, it will be as soon as John can get around to making the closet door close.  Darn New England houses.

And if that’s not a disjointed entry for ya, I don’t know what is.