Persistence

We have just finished move number eight of our 17 year stint with the AF. Although boxes are unpacked, I am still surrounded with piles of books, stacks of mail, miscellaneous furniture, and the odds and ends (like rubberbands and missing pieces to the game that I gave away two bases ago). But our computer is hooked up to the WWW after one mishap with an incorrect power cord. And life is ready to resume it's schedule.

The boys have been off school for so long that I'm not sure they really remember what it is. But I'm in no hurry to hit the books because that is exactly what they are doing this summer. On their own. With no prompting from mom. They are both turning into avid readers. I need to thank Brian Jacques and his wonderful series of books that begin with "Redwall." They are immersed in fighting mice and spying hares and loving every minute of it. It also means that their comfort with the written language is also improving - they are more apt to pick up a magazine and read an article just for fun. Ryan saw an article about Harry Potter in the New York Times and decided to read it, definitely something he would not have done on his own a year ago.

So this year we plan to battle writing. Hopefully it won't really be a battle, but the Redwall language is leaking into our daily life! My first goal is to write more myself. I used to write a lot and have found that years of motherhood had sapped the writing bug. The boys have always stepped up to the plate when they've seen either myself of their Dad doing something. They willing workout because Dad provides a great example (Mom tries to follow). They eat healthy food because they see us doing the same. They read books because we read a ton. They limit TV viewing because I make them. But hopefully they'll remember all the time they had to do other things - like play war outside after dinner with friends or spend an hour on the computer playing their latest round of Civilizations. So maybe, just maybe, when they see me spending time writing, they'll be reminded of the importance of it.

Reading hasn't been the only lesson learned this summer. The greatest lesson of all has been persistence. They've watched me persist in finding an organic grower to supply our vegetables, a farmer's market to buy more vegetables as well as meats, cheeses and breads, and an affordable health food store. They watched me for hours on the phone waiting to speak with people to get our phone turned on and our internet service working. They had to stand in line with me while waiting to turn in passport applications and learned all about bureaucracies. Luckily the latter didn't require a lot of persistence, just patience. And, finally, they are watching me persist with this house. It can be pretty daunting to wake up each morning and know that there is still more to be done to make a home livable. And as much as my boys have helped (and they have), somethings only I can do (like set up office files and help lost game pieces find their way home).