ABC Thursdays: volumes A & E

Remember this project? I took a break from this baby for this holidays and this week I took out the album and looked at what I had done so far. This project is mostly about writing: lots and lots and lots of writing. But flipping through, I liked what I had written. I liked how it was coming together. And I am well over halfway done, so I decided I would continue on. I really want to complete this sucker.

Then I made a list of the letters I have left and the things I want to include and did some alphabet magic to make it all fit. I want to write about MadMen, but M is taken. But U is not. Fortunately there are lots of creative ways to make MadMen start with the letter U. ;)

Anyway, here's the new stuff:

Andrew
Andrew is 5. He is in Kindergarten. He is one great kid. He loves mazes, legos, marble tracks, blocks, train tracks and puzzles. He is smart, smart, smart. And he is busy, busy, busy. He is always tackling some project and getting something built. He throws his whole self into his projects and it’s hard to pull him away. He loves his Daddy. And, maybe even more than that, he loves Daddy’s phone. On Daddy’s phone he plays “Plants Versus Zombies”, he records his own voice saying crazy things, and he even makes phone calls. He loves to eat pickles, olives, apples, grapes and hot dogs. He goes to bed every night by 8 and often at 7, when I am waking him up in the morning, he tells me that he is still, actually, quite sleepy. I love this kid more than my heart can hold. He is, in every sense of the word, the Bee’s Knees.


Attempting Kindness
Sometimes I choose a word to focus on for the year. Instead of a New Year’s resolution, I have a word in mind that I want to think about through out the year. This is, in no way, an original idea. There is whole creative community that embarks on this mission every year. Anyway, this year, 2011, my word is kindness. A lot of things have unraveled with the boys and the services they need. I find myself on the phone a lot trying to sort things out and make good things happen. And I find, when I am successful at approaching those tasks with kindness, I feel great afterwards. I want kindness to help me to be assertive, straightforward, persistent. I want it to help me follow through. I want it to help me let go of perfectionism. Adjust my standards. Be present and gentle with my family. I know I can’t always be kind…but I’d to be kind more often.

Extroverts, oh to be one…
I am an introvert, through and through. I am quiet in groups. I am quiet with new people. I love my time alone. I like leaving parties early because I need to collect my head and it can take my mind a long time afterwards to unwind. I communicate much better in writing than speaking. I can even be a tad socially-awkward. I learned about my introversion a few years ago and it was a startling discovery. I thought I was just a weirdo, and it was empowering to learn that it’s not just that. I am a weirdo for sure, but also an introvert. And lots and lots of people are introverts. There is a lot I like about being an introvert. I like writing and finding my voice that way. I like being alone to recharge. And I like having a small, but super-intimate circle of friends. Still though, there are plenty of times I wish I was more extroverted. A lot of things seem easier for extroverts. Like talking on the phone. I can be at my most awkward on the phone. Thank goodness for email.

Email
The person that invented email had me in mind. They sat at their computer one day and thought, ‘how can I make communicating and staying in touch with people that live far away (or even a few blocks away) easier? How can I help quick messages get back and forth between professionals? And how can I design it so that the messages can be received, thought over, and responded to as the receiver has the time to do so? And how can I help stay-at-home moms not feel isolated and alone? I know! Email!’


on a side note: today is the day of many birthdays, it would seem. Not only is Marti (Firefly) celebrating her big day today, last night I got a call from Susan that her baby, Gregory, is on the way. She called me on the way to the hospital and I couldn't help but ask, "Susan, um, are you SURE you are in labor? You sound so calm and normal." But, this is her forth. I think she may know what she's doing. Cake all around!