Sunday, April 13, 2008

Cold feet

That title actually has no hidden meaning - I have really freaking cold feet. It's, like, 55 degrees in the house and I refuse to turn on the heat as it's supposed to be in the 60's by Tuesday. Refuse! So all of us are sleeping in piles of clothing and blankets...I've been reading the girl child the Little House books lately (we are on chapter 14 of Little House on the Prairie); this can give her a taste of 19th century life. It's actually been quite fun (reading these books, I mean), revisiting a family I loved as a child. The first several chapters of Little House in the Big Woods describe stocking the house with food for winter. They skin and smoke venison, and they describe the entire process of butchering a pig. I'm reading about the joy of blowing up the pig bladder and batting it about like a balloon, when I look up and ask the Girl if she minds what I'm reading. She looks at me like I'm crazy and replies, "it is where meat comes from, Mom." O-K. My daughter apparently will not become a vegetarian anytime soon.
So I've been worrying a bit about the Monkeybutt. I mean, he's doing well enough in school, he's playing baseball and loving it...but he has very few friends. He had a bit of a falling out with his best friend, and they are not hanging out anymore. And I don't have any problem with that. This "best friend" has become rather sneaky and mean lately...he likes to see fights develop, he'll ditch MB if someone more interesting comes along, and he's become rather into "cool". I think MB's better off without him, honestly, but that leaves him with nobody in the neighborhood that he gets along with. I'll be honest, my kid is not always the easiest kid to get along with, he has no interest in being cool, and he's never been the sort of kid to have a ton of friends. He does have a few kids at school he hangs out with, he gets along well with his baseball team, and he and this guy from his old school still hang out on days off - but none of these kids are a bike ride away. And his best friend is in Texas. How do you teach a kid to be a bit more social? Should I be worried? I've freaked out about this before and things got better - but he's older now, and...I'm just concerned for my kid's happiness. I hope this all calms down.
Yesterday my mom took the kids for the night. Studmuffin and I did the grocery shopping, cooked dinner, entertained each other for a little while (wink wink)...and then nothing. He watched TV upstairs and went to bed, I scrapped a little and watched TV downstairs. I found myself missing the kids. It's not like we had nothing to talk about or anything, but we haven't been alone, in the house, for over three years. Perhaps it will just take some practice?
Anywho, I must be on my way. Get my freaking freezing feet under a blanket somewhere...third pair of socks...

No comments: