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Monday, October 4, 2010

Finally Fall!


Ok...so....it seems a bit funny that every time I have a wee moment to post I find a whole month has passed...Ooops.
I do have a jolly good excuse though....Koine Greek has to be the MOST time consuming thing ever. It involves hours and hours of memorizing endings to nouns. For me, there is nothing to help me remember...no sense that I can hook it to...I just have to remember! This doesn't seem to be working too terribly well. Last week's quiz I think I only got one right.... And the word I got right was "amartia" which is "sin"...so ....I've got that going for me anyway! Which I suppose is something!

This weekend....which should have been all about parsing Greek nouns was only slightly about parsing Greek nouns because I was at Cub Camp. I did spend Saturday afternoon in the back of the van parsing nouns, etc....but the morning was spent following the guys around as they did scouty things. This is where my life gets tricky. I don't want to miss the few years left of my boys'childhood; the silliness, and newness, and foundation on which they build the rest of their life experiences. Coll is already an adolescent. My being gone all the time is annoying for him, but he can build a Tesla coil in the garage without me. He doesn't look up from his work and expect my smiling approval anymore. He might still like it, but he doesn't need it. Caoir still does. My choice this weekend was between the Theology reading and the Greek translating, or the nine year olds with their constant "Bazooka Bubblegum" song, and sniggering every time they heard the word "duty", and pretending the large acorns are grenades. Next year, they might not want me around as they travel the trails of Citta Scout Reservation as a pack of Webelos....they might have comments they don't want a middle-aged lady to hear, and not need my cheers and snap-shots from below the rope bridge as they cross on wobbly, skinny legs. That might be so "fourth grade" and babyish! This is my only chance to do this. Next year, they will be darker haired, and huskier, and tougher, and more independent...as it should be.
Thinking back over what I've just said it seems very much like I'm asking for permission to not parse....or to read less....and that's not the situation at all.
I'm just not about parsing...or reading...or writing. That is all part of what I do, but it's not what I'm about.
Those kids come first, and they have to know it. It might not always be the "first" as they think it should be, but they need to know that the bottom line is that they end up in a good place...loved and supported and enjoyed before all other things.

On that happy note. I shall go parse and translate and read and write...er....after I get out the Halloween decorations. I want them to be happy when they get home from school today! I won't see them until Wednesday! Oh well! Life just keeps getting in the way!