Ok, what day is it? The ninth? The boys are downstairs watching tv. T is ill, wrapped up in blankets on the couch, and his brothers are near him watching (last I checked) Phineas and Ferb. Mack and Pete are most likely chewing their bones. M is on the phone, talking with someone from her family, from what I can tell, because the questioner seems to be grilling her on all that is bad in the Wisconsin winter. I do wish my wife would not apologize for where we live, but apparently that’s too much to ask.

I’m on the Wii room floor. This week was busy but productive. I’ve learned to pace myself the weeks before the start of the semester. You want to prepare effectively, so the first few weeks are easy and stress-free, but you don’t want to burn yourself out preparing before the intensity of the first few class sessions. Let me think…I was in the office four days, all but Thursday, which I skipped primarily because of a snowstorm that rendered traffic unappealing. All my syllabi and the first week’s handouts are on the shelf. Most of the little tasks leftover from last semester are completed but I still need to send a few notes and grade portfolios. Those should be easy on Monday morning. I’m in meetings all day Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Yay.

What else is going on this week? I’m 90 pages into Nabokov’s Invitation To a Beheading. The writing is strong but the novel feels like homework, perhaps because I’m reading for a book club. N started Taekwondo and appears to like the sessions. He’s nervous, of course, with a new activity but he takes it seriously and tries his best. N’s had such a great year at school, all the boys have, really, and I’m glad he’s finding his own activity outside his brothers. T’s geography bee was canceled and he insisted on attending school on Friday even though he was sick because he didn’t want to miss Science lab. Nerd. S’s basketball session starts in an hour. M does Zoomba and shames me by eating salad. At least I work out more than her. Oh, yesterday I did pilates and yoga from the exercise channel and holy hell, both whupped my ass. Today I might try kickboxing. My hour of YMCA cardio is getting boring. I’d run outside, maybe, but the temps are still in the mid-teens. What else? The boys are obsessed with Ace of Cakes so I checked out a couple cake decorating books from the library and tomorrow we might try snowman cupcakes made of marshmellows and pretzels and the like. Pics to follow.

I’m in a pretty good place. My legs are tired, but I need these long, social-eventless weekends for my psychological health. Others need to be around people and go to parties or whatever. Not me, thank you very much. Have a great weekend, whatever you choose.