Month: September 2006

Catherine Newman, my idol. Her past two columns have been so right-on I feel like I’m talking to myself (or to Jess) when I read them.
Read this week’s here and last week’s here.
Seriously, if I could sum up right now, it’s all about the happy-sad season and wrestling with restlessness. This time of year, with its re-beginnings, enforced structure, newly urgent rhythms, and the simultaneously lovely and bittersweet onset of fall really gets to me. I adore the fall; the leaves, the crispness, sweaters, etc, but I hate the very visceral sense of time passing. And the death of summer. Gracie will be four next month. I try to remember back to four years ago, to those dark days that Matt and I slogged through together, and it’s hard. Elizabeth asked me yesterday when the clocks turned back and I told her how I could always remember exactly when because they turned back the very day I brought my newborn daughter home from the hospital. And I’d like to offer that that scenario isn’t very helpful for warding off the old PPD. Suddenly you have a little creature screaming all day, sucking on your body, you have to take sitz baths, and it’s dark at 4:30. Nice!
Well, this is my morning with Whit, so off I go. Lucky little guy is going shoe shopping today – for him, not me. We need to find some kicks for his big appearance in Gloria and Jim’s wedding in a mere 5 weeks!

Sunday night. Always makes me feel slightly blue. I remember pre-children Matt and I got into a routine of going to the movies on Sunday nights, which was a good, albeit temporary, solution. Although now I kind of like Mondays because Anastasia comes back!
Have interesting job interview tomorrow, but job is in Providence … I like to imagine we’ll be moving to Providence but I know it ain’t happening. Also lunch with Kate Leness which should be nice. Has been soooo long since I’ve been to the “big office” downtown (as Amy’s daughter calls hers).
Current quandary: what should the children be for Halloween? Not sure I can top last year’s chicken-and-egg combo.
I close with quotes from my recent restless, soul-searching mood:
“The years teach us much the days never know.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“There is more in us than we know. If we can be made to see it perhaps for the rest of our lives we will be unwilling to settle for less.” – Kurt Hahn

Weekend en famille, and we’re all a little tired of each other. Yesterday we went apple picking at Lookout Farm. Didn’t realize they were having some huge festival with bouncy castles and enormous crowds. Whit made it about an hour before completely melting down; we still don’t know exactly what was going on but it was bad. He screamed and screamed and I finally had to take him to the car on the dinky little train (enduring evil looks from fellow train-riders not enjoying the soundtrack) while Gracie and Matt did some more picking. Last night we had dinner at the Biottis house with the Shachoys, which was lovely – seven children running wild. Jon and Leslie are always such marvelous hosts . Today was a nice walk at Fresh Pond including a long visit with Francie Karlen and her three children.

Chaos tonight at Full Moon. My Lord. May be our last night there. The big kids were crazy and LOUD and Whit kept running for the door … at one point literally one of the dishwashers ran and scooped him up and brought him back to me. Lovely.

Well, here I am! Friday afternoon, thinking I should join Abby on the blog bandwagon. Need to figure out how to post pictures.
Looking at a family weekend … perhaps some apple picking tomorrow, dinner with the Biottis and Shachoys tomorrow night (en famille), Sunday who knows. Kicking off the weekend in 3 hours with Elizabeth & James & Benjamin and Christina & Charlie & Will and at least one or two bottles of wine, which will be good … Friday night at Full Moon!