Seven Quick Takes

-1-

First out of the box this week: I am collecting “hilarious/awesome/tear-jerking things kids say about faith/God/religion.” Please, pretty please, share your kids’ in the comment box?

-2-

Updates to last week’s medical drama: a) Julianna is well, but still tires easily. b) I went to the massage therapist, who found that what I have is not plantar fasciitis but two of the “mimic” conditions. The problems lie deep within my calves and after one session yesterday I can already feel an enormous difference. Hopefully in another week–or less–I can start back to impact exercise. c) Nicholas came down with strep throat. A first in our house.

-3-

At 5:55 on the morning after his fever presented, I was working on the computer when I heard him whimpering as he went into the bathroom. I went up to him, and he wrapped himself around me. “When do we go downstairs and open our presents?”

“Uh….” I said. “It’s not Christmas, honey.”

“It’s not?”

“I think you were dreaming,” I said, and went on to remind him of all the exciting things still to be lived before we get to Christmas. He was crushed. To be honest, his forehead was so hot, I worried for a moment he might be hallucinating. Still, we got a chuckle out of that one.

-4-

This week was Michael’s special ed evaluation. He was tested at 34 months, so in order to qualify, he had to have a speech-language-communication “age” of 22.6 months. His “age” was 21 months. They decided to put him in a preschool classroom that was created basically, though not in name, for kids with apraxia. He’ll go four days a week for 2 1/2 hours beginning on the first of December. We’re meeting his new teachers later today.

I shared all this with my family by email and got at least two responses that were attempting to buoy my spirits for the depressing news, and I thought, No, no, you’ve got it all wrong. FOUR MORNINGS A WEEK with no kids in the house???????? I’m going to get so much done!

Ew. That makes me sound like a bad mom.

-5-

I have been doing National Novel Writing Month for the past seven days. I have mixed feelings about NaNo. This is not how I write, especially a new project. A book starts to flow when I know the characters, but I don’t get to know the characters until I’ve written them for quite a while. It’s kind of a catch-22. I don’t expect to “win” for a number of reasons, but I am trying to work for the moment as if I do expect to win, and I’m feeling the pressure. It’s high anxiety. Which is ridiculous.

-6-

And then I had a conversation yesterday with a friend who also writes church music. It was a wakeup call for me. I love writing essays and stories, and it energizes me–but I’m telling you, every time I sit down at the piano and write music, I get up feeling twenty pounds lighter. It’s like my whole body and soul comes alive. Once before, I did a major priority shift in order to make time for writing fiction. I think it is time for another one to allow me time to write more music.

-7-

Finishing up with a grrr for extremely, extremely exciting things I’m not allowed to talk about. Sigh. I know. As I would say to my children, “Your life is soooo difficult.”

(No, I am not pregnant!)