Book Bag - no. 20

So we are back in Cambridge and I feel like I'm dreaming.  With summer, and bikes and the library; words cannot express the change I feel about this next chapter. Yesterday I met an old friend at the library. We talked and swapped our latest family favorites while the kids got lost in the shelves.  It felt indulgent.  For a couple of hours, I think I experienced what I have heard called the "sweet spot" of parenting.  As annoying as that sounds, it is a little bit true. Translation:  I didn't know the precise location of my kids for a time, and I finished my ice coffee on my own terms.  

Today the parenting story is a bit different. The highs and lows are present every day, but really how low can they go? It seems as though summer tempers and moving box chaos have tested that limit.  I want to determine myself to set the highs as a back drop for our dips.  I am not great at this.  When I am in the midst of a struggle, I reach despair rather quickly, helping no one.  For example, when today it was hard to find a trace of empathy in my son towards his younger family members, it doesn't mean that yesterday's kindness no longer counts. It is like everyday I am trying to set the world record for consecutive days of sibling harmony, and failing.  Is this the long winded and awkward way of saying, life is not a zero sum game? Probably. 

Tomorrow morning we are headed to Concord for an outing with a picnic.  We hope to rent a canoe, and paddle away our worries.  The treat of being able to do this in twenty minutes was basically why I moved. Sort of. I love this town. It really is a thrill to drive by Louisa May Alcott's old, brown house.  I think this year the kids are ready for the actual tour. Especially after rereading, Alvin Ho.  It is his hometown too, you know.

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Remember, The Great Brain? Myles finished it yesterday and said it might be his new favorite book. I love new favorites.