Putting it all on the table
“DADDY! THERE’S A DUCK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.” Little did I know the effect this simple declaration by my 10 year old before she went to dance class would impact my Saturday. At the end of it I was still in my PJs, soaked from head to toe, covered in dirt, but with a couple happy families. And I had more knowledge of storm drains than anyone really needs.
THIS WILL BE THE GIRLS’ LAST MONTH IN A TRADITIONAL SCHOOL. Starting in May, Marcy and I have decided to homeschool both Bella and Kaylee. It wasn’t the easy choice, and for as many people as we know who homeschool, we always said that would never be us. Never let it be said that learning isn’t a lifelong experience, because we have gathered new facts, done our research, and changed our minds.
WE’RE ABOUT TO MAKE ANOTHER HUGE CHANGE FOR OUR FAMILY. Many who know us know that we have had a contentious relationship with the public school system, and this has been the last time I will try to make it work. We always thought that we should make public school work, because both Marcy and I went to public school and we turned out fine. We always treated private schools as a second choice for when there was a serious problem. It has become clear now that public school is not what it was 25 years ago, and it still...
I’M NOT SURE WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR, BUT AT LEAST I’M CLOSER TO KNOWING WHAT IT IS NOT. I’ve often had a bit of a tortured relationship with my career. More so since I became a husband and father, I’ve been taking a more critical look at my life because some days I think it’s OK, but most of the time it seems like there’s something wrong. I know it’s not my wife, and it’s not my kids: those are things that are definitely right. It’s hard to put my finger on, because by most measurements I should be happy...
I BELIEVE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. I think it can succeed, educate our children, and be the best choice. But what we have now is just a political leftover: something they slice a little more off of whenever they need to reduce a budget number and something the affluent, which most of our politicians are, rarely remember is not a choice for most people. I was educated in a public school system, but my children will not be after this week.
I’M NOT SOUTHERN, BUT I LOVE FRIED TURKEY. My father-in-law (and hence the wife), turned me onto this many years ago, and now we typically fry up at least 3 turkeys every fall and winter. I took the instruction that Jim gave me in this art, refined it over the years, and have put it all down in writing so that I can pass it on. Fried is better than any roasted turkey I’ve had, and we’ve brined a few and roasted them. And it is not hard to do it safely, as long as you follow some basic procedures....
I HAVE A BAD HABIT OF BUYING EVERY NEW TOY I WANT. I’ll decide I want to get into something, and buy the best gear I can find (within reason) and all of it at once. This time around, it’s photography.
WE ARE A FAMILY OF SCIENCE GEEKS. Weather, physics, computers, cooking… we just love to figure out how things work and try it for ourselves. This year is shaping up to be extra scientific between classes and trips and Bella getting more inquisitive. I even worked in a trip for just me to go see where they smash tiny things together very quickly!
GTD HASN’T (YET) SAVED MY LIFE, BUT IT DID SAVE MY SANITY. Without the discipline of Getting Things Done, I would in a world of hurt right now. Last year, when we decided to close down Dream Dinners, the choice was incredibly easy because I was able to look at my horizons of focus and instantly see that the business no longer fit with my 40k and 50k horizons. GTD also allowed me to keep track of all the work of closing down and moving. Without that I would have, quite literally, had a nervous breakdown.
I HAD NO IDEA THAT ONE YEAR LATER, I WOULD BE WHERE I AM NOW. No longer a business owner, no longer a homeowner, and happier than I have been in quite some time. The only real constant has been my job. Even the family has had an addition and several subtractions. To describe the last 9 months as crazy is an understatement. Best to start at the beginning.
