Monday, November 17, 2014

Blogging Frequency

My assumption is that no one reads my blog.  I write for myself; It's kind of like my journal.  Maybe my daughter will be interested in reading about what I blogged about at some point.

I enjoy blogging.  It's like my cheap version of therapy.  I should do it more often.  If it matters, here's what's been keeping me from blogging.

  • Family sicknesses.  I think it's all going to be OK, but there's definitely been some health struggles in parts of our family.  I haven't wanted to blog about it, so I've been trying to get through it in other ways.
  • There's been a lot of divorce connected to us in some way.  1 couple in my family, 1 couple in Scott's family, and 2 couples that we're friends with.  Here's what it's made me realize.  Divorce sucks.  Being in a shitty marriage also sucks.  So, while you're in the marriage, try to ensure that the marriage doesn't become shitty.  I think that a lot of it is about momentum.  And, the couple can make things good or can make things bad depending on their actions and words.  
  • Work is challenging these days.  Not my actual work, but our environment and some changes that we're going through.  Again, I think we'll get through it and I don't need to discuss it here, but it's taking a lot of energy.
And, here's an update of what's going on with me these days.
  • Star is an amazing little person.  She's in her last year of preschool.  She's smart, she's social, she's verbal, and she's figuring out how to read and write.  
  • Scott and I are focused on Kindergarten tours and information nights to try and make a good decision about where she should go next year. 
  • I'm proud of my health and weight loss.  I've made some dietary changes and exercise quite a bit and the results have been showing.  I'm happy to be getting more healthy and fit.  I still have a bit to go, but I'm proud.  
Hopefully, now back to some sort of regular blogging schedule.

Camp Mommy 2014

I'm very delinquent in posting about Star's summer vacation.  Here goes...

Over here, you can see a review of Star's 2013 weeks off from preschool.

For 2014, I mixed things up a bit.  I see myself as her camp coordinator.  Kind of like Julie on the Love Boat.  I don't run the Bingo games, but I encourage people to attend the Bingo games.

She had 5 weeks (plus 2 bonus days, but who's counting?) off from preschool.  Here's what we did.

Week 1 - family trip to Portland.  We had a great time.  We stayed in the Pearl District at a fabulously modern hotel.  We took public transportation a lot.  One day, we rented a car and drove about an hour south to visit where I went to Law School.  We saw some of my old professors, and Star picked out my picture out from my class' composite picture.  Then we drove another hour out to the coast, and then up to Tillamoook and spent time at the cheese factory.  It was at that point that Scott remarked that it was now starting to feel like a real family vacation.

Week 2 and 3 - Camp Gan Izzy.  This is a truly amazing camp for those who are Jewish (or not Jewish averse).  They go on adventures.  They do stuff in nature.  They do craft projects.  They cook.  I honestly don't feel like I have as many hours in the day as they do in this camp.

Week 4 - A week of camp at her usual preschool.  This was actually quite badly run.  She was split up from her friends and overall, we were not happy with it.

Week 5 - Head Over Heels gymnastics camp.  Overall, we had a good experience at HOH.  The only problem is that the potties are too high for my vertically challenged daughter.  She'd run to the bathroom, get to the stall, realize that she couldn't get onto the potty, go back to the sink area, get a step stool and drag it back to the potty by which time she's had a complete potty accident.  One day, I packed 3 changes of clothes for her which turned out not to be enough.

She then had 2 bonus days where she did a mix of playdates and time at home.

Next summer, she'll be 5 years old and the summer camp options keep getting better as she get older!