Friday, January 29, 2010

The Daily Nap Time Dilemma

As you most likely know, I have six marvelous children.  While four of them are getting educated in one of our nations "Blue Ribbon" schools, two of them are hangin' out with Mom.  On a regular (decent) morning, we clean, we read, we play reading games on the computer or we go on walks or errands.  Lunch time happens around 11:30 and then, with great excitement, I send them off to find one nap time reading book and to go potty.

The nap time ritual has evolved through the years, but lately we end up on my bed with me in the middle so that each child can see the book.  I read, occasionally I sing, and then we close our eyes.  Nine times out of ten I fall asleep.  When I wake up I have this sense of freedom.  Computer?  Usually.  Book?  Sometimes.  What I feel like I should be doing is working on the creation of some great piece of art and sometimes that happens.  But no matter what I choose it's always accompanied by food.

Food is the great nap time dilemma.  I've eaten lunch, right?  I shouldn't need food and I understand that fact on a logical level.  However, my emotional mind craves love and relaxation.  For me that equals food...and more food.  If I didn't have this two hour window during the middle of the day where I eat like a cavernous beast, I would be in top model form.  Well, maybe not, but I would definitely be smaller around the middle...and the bottom, and the top.

I'm not terribly picky about what goes into my largest facial orifice.   It just needs to taste good and last longer than a couple of minutes.  I'm an awful good baker sometimes (sometimes not) and here I am in a house, mostly alone, with fresh homemade bread and soft real butter sitting on the counter.  I will not totally shame myself by admitting to how much I can down in one nap time session.  Let's just say it's a lot.

This is a conflict without a resolution, as yet.  There have been days and even weeks when I have overcome the beast within and even lost some weight.  I guess you could say that it was in remission.  But it keeps coming back.  If I get it figured out I'll let you know.  Until then...

...Sorry, went back in for another slice.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Getting Edited

My husband hasn't found this Blog yet.  Actually I'm not sure, but he hasn't offered to edit it yet.  I'm feeling some feelings of humility because I believed that I was a good (sometimes great) writer and now I don't feel that way anymore.

It started out with his comment to me on eHow.  "I will edit your article for a backrub."  Or some such.  He's brutal and thorough.  It's good for me though, really.  I do want to write...and draw, and paint, and bake, and sew...  He is a realist with some very good tools in his belt.  I am a dreamer with a few great stories to tell

I came into the office to check emails and wind down for bed.  He beat me to the office chair and promptly pulled up my eHow account.  I sat on the floor like an humble follower and tried not to cringe when he highlighted whole phrases and moved them or deleted them entirely. 

I am grateful for his efforts in my behalf.  Someday I hope to know where to put the commas and how to be confident when I say the word "parentheses."