Hi.

Oh, blog.  Dear old blog...

I am NOT going to say that I've been too busy - because I do believe that you can find time to do anything that you really want to do - but my days are just so full.
Full of the mundane.
Full of the extraordinary.

I got a job, did I tell you?  Just twenty hours a week, and perfectly timed in the middle of the day when all kids are properly settled in their separate schools.
Also, Max broke his arm recently but is fine, if a little bored.  Kirby is a sophmore, Max in seventh and Lilah a savvy first grader.  And Jer is still king of the throne.  Hmm, I'm sure there's more you've missed...
Oh, but back to this.  A POST.

My days contain a lot of ordinary: packing lunches and making snacks (home), tying shoes (work), dropping this kid off here and then that kid off there (home), playing math games (work), going over spelling words (home and work), counseling bruised egos and smoothing insecurities (home and work).
Today was an especially sentimental day, for no particular reason -other than a possible hormonal imbalance- but there were four, maybe five, moments of which I wish to pause and savor from every angle.

At school, a student who consistently struggles nailing her reading work after a one-on-one session...
a bear hug from literally THE sweetest boy I ever just met a month ago...
my own sweet middle, escorting me on a walk to pick up his sister, talking nonstop about everything under the sun, always with a splash of humor and ample charm...
my baby girl hiding in her dark room at bedtime in an effort to scare me; her forced-deep voice pointing out how very dark and scary it is, then a fit of giggles followed by "I'm still working on my evil laugh, Mom"...
and my night ending at the kitchen table at 10pm, quizzing an utterly amazing almost fifteen year old on monomer vs. polymer, acid vs. base, DNA vs. RNA; toasting the upcoming weekend with our late night shots of OJ...

So that's what I've been up to:  part-time aide and full-time everything else.
And while I must admit that I technically have time to blog, these extraordinarily mundane moments have a way of taking priority.

Oh, and Instagram's not helping ;)
@bubbletoes3
#dontexpectcleverhashtags
#didimentionifellasleepinmygaragetodayat5pm

LOVE
AL