Not much to tell

I feel like I haven't had anything worth saying recently, so I haven't been posting much. Since I hope, however, to have interesting thoughts again someday I don't want to fall out of the habit of posting. So here, I guess is a filler, random post.

If you've never utilized the "Next Blog" option at the top of the page on Blogspot blogs, I recommend it; it's fascinating. Be warned, however, that it just cycles you through random blogs. I can't quite tell if it has some sort of ratings filter or not, but I have come across a few blogs (or at least posts) that I wouldn't want to open at work. It's a crazy big world we live in and it's enlightening to use the "interwebs" for finding out more about its people. Even if it is slightly voyeuristic.

Megan is most of the way through her first semester of grad school. Poor woman; she's having a very frustrating time with the fact that some of the faculty are less than helpful. She's going to do great, I know it! Still, it's too bad to watch her tear her hair out just asking for the same respect that she gives her students. I'm proud to say that Megan is a college instructor with "only" a BFA, teaching kids at "only" a two-year school, but she is dedicated to her work and to her kids and cares enough to make a difference. Too many (and working in higher ed we see this) people believe that once they tack that PhD on the end of their name they no longer have to give a rip. Megan will never be that person. She believes in people. She's always used a quote attributed to Anne Frank to describe her point of view: Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart. I'm proud to be married to such a person, dedicated to all things good. It is this goodness of heart that has served and will continue to serve her well.

Maggie is doing well I think. She's often a hard kid to read. She's got a flair for the dramatic and seems to enjoy injecting melodrama into a given situation to up the ante. No disciplinary conversation is ever straightforward with her! She's a prolific artist and really quite skilled. One of these days I'll get some of her art on to this blog. She's an empathetic soul, but a typical older sibling (or I should say, typical of my behavior as an older sibling) to her brother--always annoyed by him. She really wants to get a Nintendo DS, but has to earn it. This summer we gave her the goal of learning all of her multiplication tables through 10s, but that never happened. Now she's challenged herself to earn all "E"s and "P"s on her grade cards at the end of the semester. If she can do that I'll gladly get her a DS! She's playing the part of Cindy Lou Who in the school Christmas program, which obviously is "The Grinch." She sings all the time and I think is going to be another fine arts person. No big surprise there. Everyone knows Megan studied and teaches theatre, but maybe everyone doesn't know that I displayed some theatrical talent earlier in life, as well. Beyond that, Megan is an excellent artist and I play a fair guitar with bit of a singing voice. Look for the kids to be encouraged in musical directions this Christmas!

Lennon is something. He is like Maggie, especially in appearance, but so much his own person. I don't have a good feel for my public image, but Lennon feels to me like a personality entirely unique in our family. Ornery doesn't begin to touch it. He's completely haphazard, totally contrarian, always energetic, a know-it-all, constantly talking, devilish, adorable, winning, etc., etc. I don't mean to gush, but he's just a cyclone of a human being. He completely idolizes Maggie and wants to be in the middle of everything she is doing. (It seems worth interjecting that, as I type, the kids are pretending to be poor, homeless street musician kids who sit on the corner and sing Beatles' songs for food money. Really, they are.)

I love watching these two grow (an inch since July, each) but I know one of these days I'll turn around and they'll be grown. What a life. What a world.