January 14th, 2025
Yali, screaming for the eggs (as if he is one of the eggs), as they boil in a pot of water that morning, induces Puck to emerge from his room, barking at him to stop... kicks off fights between Yali and Patience in math class...
dominoes...
...during this time Yali covers his head with a Grave Digger Monster Trucks mask and Patience begins staring off into the air while putting on repeated layers of lip gloss as I attempt to guide them back to basic geometry...
...and Puck grumps down the stairs to the treadmill...
Before ten o'clock all fights and grumps are forgotten as I bus Yali and Patience to their Y.B. group, beginning to memorize all the new potholes created since the big freeze, as they will do every winter...
Back home... organize school papers/work sheets for Wednesday, spend way too much time trying to find Puck's elusive clean socks (order another pack of socks, and foaming hand soap in “geranium mint”... which sounds a little intense), wash the dishes, run over to the ATM to deposit Oxbear's pension check, clean up and sweep the house (in parts), on a quick break : discuss perception of time/value in the U.S. versus 3rd world countries with Oxbear (as he removes a cat claw from the dog's face; she never learns not to chase...), explore the ARKEN Museum on Contemporary Art in Denmark, and some biographies on Agatha Christie, grab a handful of Hershey's milk chocolate Treasures for lunch (bad!), back to work : fold three loads of laundry while watching a Rick Steves travel documentary on Dresden and Leipzig (never had an enormous interest in Germany, but always more to learn), there's a foiled video call in the early afternoon (troubleshooting doesn't solve it), and...
...shortly after Puck leaves for work, I also leave to grab the kids from Y.B. ... they're energized from tons of snow play... growing crystals in cups, paper snowflakes, birthday cake, the Bermuda Triangle, puzzles, Fats Waller, observation of jam making (blueberry, violet, and pecan), etc., etc.
Patience gets out her quill and ink set to practice for awhile, then asks for help to coordinate the Medieval Hungarian piece “Rókatánc” (fox dance) to some Irish dance steps of her own choreography...
Yali meanwhile creates a LEGO sea floor complete with aquatic plants, fish, and wreckage to accompany his new JAWS set, adding ocean depth perspective with furniture and blue bed covers...
Throw together spaghetti for dinner before Patience and I leave for the studio...
Driving east on frigid streets, yellow lamp of a big fat moon hanging in the sky, listening to a long Saint-Saëns cello concerto on the radio, Patience has lots of thoughts... we discuss : the game she made up with her dance buddies – “Milk”, the art of paying attention, sushi, and why people often seem to stare at her when we're out together (one theory : it's fairly uncommon to see a white mom with an indigenous Chinese daughter)...
Two hours on the parking lot reading “Rescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys”, proof a legal document for Sally...
Back home, in the mailbox : my third jury summons in six months... no, I can't serve on a jury right now; I am this school's one and only teacher... “I am requesting an excusal until they are old enough to no longer require my presence as their daily teacher...” ...“Your request for a postponement of your jury service has been GRANTED. Your new jury service date [will be in three months]...” every time... someone isn't reading their paperwork...