Hooky Day

After a two weeks of sickness, I've finally got all three kids back in school today. The quiet is amazing. No tv, no whining, no noise except Gracie's breathing and the clickety clack of my computer keys. That's a good thing.

I'm amazed at how much I love silence. As a youngster, and even into my twenties, I always had to have some noise... usually music playing, no matter what I was doing. Now music seems intrusive. Although, if I'm creating, I usually have some music on. But for the general good of my mood, quiet is what makes me happy.

It's supposed to be 50 degrees here today. That's downright balmy, folks. We haven't seen 50 in months. I feel like I should go shave my legs and put on capris or something crazy. Crazy like a tank top. After all, it is almost March. We've had a mild winter, but still, the promise of spring always makes me a little giddy.

The switching of the rooms has turned out to be such a good thing. S. loves having her room back in the back of the house, away from all the hub-bub and activity. She has privacy - that all important thing for a girl of nine going on thirteen. But the best part has been having my studio out in the front of the house, just off the kitchen and near the living room. I find myself going in there MUCH more often than I did when I was so far away from the rest of the family. I don't feel guilty disappearing into my room, because I'm still so nearby. I'm getting stuff done, and I'm keeping it clean because I walk past it a dozen gajillion times a day. Bonus!

I'm playing hooky today. I'm supposed to be going in to help out in the classroom at school... which isn't really my favorite thing to do, but I feel like to be an involved parent, I have to do it. Anyway, I woke up this morning feeling like I'd been run over by a mack truck, so I'm taking the day off. Somebody else can stand at the copy machine all morning. I'm crampy and tired and I want to watch last night's Grey's Anatomy.

Isn't that the best thing about being an adult? Sometimes I hear myself telling the kids "No, you can't have candy for breakfast" or "You can't stay home from school" and I revel in the fact that as an adult, I can do those things if I want. I can take a sick day. I can eat snacks all day long if I want. I can watch tv whenever I want. I can take a walk. Or go to the bakery. Or skip a meal. Or
go on a road trip. I don't have to ask permission. I still, after being out on my own for nearly 20 years, cannot get over the sheer pleasure of it all. I really like being an adult. Of course, there are lots of responsibilities, and worries and stuff about it that sucks, but in general, I think it's really cool.

I've decided the whole dog thing is totally detrimental to a clean house. I think I sort of knew that in the back of my mind before we got the dog, but I couldn't really fully understand it. There are forever paw prints on my kitchen floor. And slobber on the coffee table and the windows. And dog toys scattered everywhere. And, of course, there's the poop, which hasn't really effected (affected?) me personally, since it's the kids' job to pick it up, but come nice weather and I have to see it in the yard, it's going to bug me. Oh, and the hair. She's short haired, but good grief. Hair everywhere. And for someone who's not the most stellar housekeeper in the world, it's a challenge, folks. I have to clean it, because it's just gross. But it's not fun for me. I'm not one of those crazy women who derives great pleasure out of disinfecting her home and having sparkling floors and windows. I'm more the kind of woman who without any God-given self-discipline would be living in piles of dog hair surrounded by a month's worth of laundry. Yep, that's me. Still love me?

Okay - I've got stuff to do. Laundry... yea, there's lots of laundry. Some creating. A trip to the post office. Mopping.

Later.