By way of explanation, I bought my fantasy life when single, of a house in the middle of the woods in Vermont. I enjoy solitary pursuits like reading, cross country skiing and gardening. The solitude has been shattered by 2 kids, assorted friends of theirs, somewhat sluggish guests and even more Legos.
The house became kind of a trap when they were small, with little kids afraid of being swallowed up by the snow and the drag of hauling them back and forth from the city. It's now their fanatasy place and they fancy a move there which I am still on the fence about. It would madden this housewife in ways the city does not -- I would likely spend my days in the Subaru hauling boy child to hockey practice and girl child to dance or playdates by car. There's only so much driving past the KOA campground on Route 5 you can do. On the positive side, there is an old movie palace that shows foreign films and has concerts for everyone from Suzanne Vega to last Sunday's delight: a performance of the American Legion Band. Nothing like a little John Phillip Souza to get the blood stirring.
The week brought some athletic firsts for all. Old roommate showed up with sports mad boys, proceded to groom the ice on the pond across the way and introduce us all to pond hockey. After overcoming my fear of thin ice -- it was frozen about a foot thick -- it proved to be a marvelous diversion. The sun was setting over the trees as all the kids spun round and round and engaged in slapping the adults on the butt for ice tag. Then took the adventure level up a notch and went out on the river where the guys in camo and triple socks ice fish with Wild Turkey on their breath. Skated around an island I'd only previously explored by kayak and came back when yelled at by my friend who said the bubbles in the ice by the islands was absolutely not a good thing.
Attempted to instill love of cross country skiing in children. Fiery-tempered daughter did not want any help and cried for a solid hour -- and this on groomed trails! It was one of those moments when adults around you give you the sympathy eye -- or maybe it's the "why can't they behave look." She proceeded to come down with a bad flu that night, so it must have been that and not the skiing, or so I hope. Boy child is taking to it, but of course wants to go fast but can't figure out how to go up hills so that you can enjoy down. I've lost friends after making them go uphill on cross country skis, so will be patient with him.
Flu swept through the house disabling houseguest with daughter -- not sure if he would typically be so sedentary, but at day 4 of couch sitting with me playing non-stop board games from my
youth with marginally reading kids -- I was ready to boot him. Guests are only invited back if they haul wood into house for the stove -- no matter what state of health they are in.
Week ended with annual festival of winter -- guy in a mangy snowman suit seemed to be everywhere in town. Missed the dog sled demo but kids got to ride snowmobiles -- and wear a cool helmet. Partook of annual ritual of boiling maple syrup poured onto a bowl of snow. Kids were afraid someone could have peed on it, but I assured them it was of the cleanest sort. The snow turns to a taffy-like, impossibly sweet consistency only cured by a dill pickle chaser. Fed them hot chocolate on top of that and they could have been used as an alternative energy source.
Weekly Body Count:
- Family enjoyment index: 100
- Pond hockey: 100+
- Legos stepped on: 10, we have a larger supply up there
- Loads of laundry: 6, lots of beds changed with guests and flu
- Dryer appeared to stop working; moment of panic: -10
- Non-wood stacking guest: -10
- Amount of actual work done looking for job: 0
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