A tale of two weekends

This weekend had its ups and downs. On the positive side, we did some fun holiday stuff, such as reading book selections from the literary Advent calendar. This included the Grinch, and I always love the Grinch. Even better, my 8-year-old decided to read the Grinch aloud to everyone! And the 10-year-old read The Night Before The Night Before Christmas. They are growing up.

My husband, our daughter, and I went to the 10-year-old’s performance of Willy Wonka. He did a great job as Charlie’s father, Mr. Bucket, and he had such a fun time performing. Before the show, my husband and I wound up taking our daughter to McDonald’s, solo, which she found awesome. (The kids occasionally get one-on-one time with one parent, but both? That is rare!)

Some other good stuff: my husband and I made very tasty lasagna together. The cooking was elaborate (we’re talking blending basil leaves into the filling with an immersion blender here) but it was very tasty. And can be lunch for the next few days.

I got a little reading done: Virginia Woolf’s A Writer’s Diary. I like seeing how she sets goals for writing words, being done with a draft by such and such a date, setting a goal for how many extra pages to “sweat out” of a manuscript, and being obsessed with pre-release sales (all authors are obsessed with sales, but since most of her books were published by the press she and Leonard owned, she was more aware than most authors of the economics). She suffers immensely when drafts aren’t going as she wishes, but she’s in such bliss when she’s obsessed with a novel and writing fast. Alas, with Woolf, one knows these aren’t normal highs and lows and her bipolar disorder would eventually do her in. I’m in 1938 now, and I know how this all ends in early 1941, so there’s this sense of impending doom.

I sang in church on Sunday. We went to the Advent craft workshop after. In the afternoon, we went hiking in Wissahickon park with some family friends. The route out on the trail was easy; the return on the other side of the river was a much more strenuous hike! We’re talking boulders and such, and this metal grate bridge over a gap (pictured). We earned our hot chocolate at the end.

I ran both days. I did the chores I set for myself: hand-washing delicates, sorting the mail pile, looking into a possible credit report issue (nothing it seems – phew), and starting the summer camp spreadsheet (some camps offer discounts if you book by the end of the calendar year. Also, beach rentals are going fast – and I wanted the week of July 4th). My husband has taken ownership of purchasing Christmas presents for the children.

But…there was also a lot of frustration. The 2-year-old is continuing to conduct his reign of terror. Lots of willful destruction, running away, fighting things like diaper changes. Maybe it’s the fourth kid thing, but my patience for being kicked in the face while changing someone’s diaper is limited. I know he will grow up eventually, but it is not an easy process.

Photo: Wissahickon, the bridge.