Liking This Not-Working Thing



This is what I get to experience 5 days a week as I retrieve my son from 4K. He's made a block of friends — boys — and they play basketball, soccer, or clamor around the playground immediately upon leaving the building. But each candidate for try outs much prefers the men-who-run-with-wolves approach: a bonanza of arms, legs, feet, growls. This group of boys has discovered the great male pastime of the ages otherwise known as tackling — a sport which nature seems to have intended for nascent males.

Lucky for you the actual guttural sounds have been removed. You wont have to listen to the high-spirited cries and roars of these savage beasts.

What will I do when I get a job? I wont get to witness this male-blustering hilarity of developing testosterone.


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We've been pretty busy around here. We picked up a tree for Oliver's room this year not much taller than he. Peanut was beyond excited to decorate it with a multitude of colors and ornaments. 

tree

My pops and Dotti were over that night, and everyone helped Oliver in some capacity, but the job was completely run by him. Once the tree was done, Oliver ordered everyone to "step back now" and admire his work from afar (about 4 feet away). We stared at his little creation in all it's glory.

That night when he went to bed, he fell asleep gazing at the tree.

sleeping 4 yr old child

He seems so grown up now. When I checked on him this evening, he looked so angelic (he is really sweet) and toddler-ish. I'm hanging on to his innocence, savoring every last moment of his 5th year on this planet.

sleeping 4 yr old child

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As for me, I'm doing well. Last Tuesday I awoke and decided that I was no longer going to battle. I will stand up for myself and my son, but I put down my armor, my weapons, my fight-plan. I'm so done being angry, hurt, pissed off, hopeless, depressed. I dusted off the dark cloud, cleansed my addled brain, and moved on.


I have a lot in front of me that's great and wonderful. I've lost a lot, and all I can do is learn from it. I'm not going to recoup my losses. I'm picking myself up by my 4-inch-heel-boot-straps and moving on, looking toward the next chapter of my life, while walking thru this one.

It feels damn good.

©1960 United Feature Syndicate, Inc

Standing tall and (mostly) worry- pain- grief-free. Just for today.


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Tackle After School - Take 4

Here's another must-see video if you have any interest in watching jovial 4 year old boys attack one another with the energetic enthusiasm of 10-week old puppies.




Comments

  1. Love the home-movies and the Charlie Brown comics. How appropriate. I guess we can only feel sad for so long and then it just becomes unbearable because the world moves on anyway, without us.

    Thanks for the inspiration.

    ~R

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  2. Happy to hear some life back in your voice, Andrea. Have been praying for you and hoping that you'll dig through the hurtful stuff and find some joy this holiday season. You are loved!
    Kelly

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    1. A little late in replying... thanks Kelly! :) We ARE doing well!

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  3. Those boys are something else - they are like the Keystone Cops in the first video. I love how they purposefully fall down. I love the Christmas tree, and I love to hear that you are standing tall today.

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    1. Keystone Cops! That's AWESOME! Hilarious!

      Thanks!! :) :) :)

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  4. Found your blog, and before I knew it, I had read several pages. Wanted to take a moment to say my heart goes out to you. You're a great writer, and I will continue to read!

    Have a great week!
    Deb

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    Replies
    1. Deb,

      Thank you! I'm happy to know you are out there. :) I appreciate readers and the comments they leave. I just checked out your blog and love it! Especially the latest post on Instagram! Luckily my son is only 4 (for now)!

      :)

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