The New Normal, Transient As All Normals Are

[dr_pretentious]

We could be in this liminal stage, our old house not yet sold so that no new house can be bought, for some months, so I'm not waiting around before I set up some kind of life we can live in the meantime. No writing space in the house? Fine, we'll reestablish a Sarah-writes-out night or two per week. We don't know what school district we'll land in? Fine, we'll formally commit to homeschooling for G's kindergarten year. We're all four of us still crammed into Dan's childhood bedroom, but we've Ikeaed the heck out of that space, and reestablished date night. Project Three-Generation Household was never intended to last until February, but it probably can if it has to. Our living with my 81-year-old father-in-law is far more harmonious than anybody expected. So far. Thank the universe.

Since this liminal way of living won't be sustained for as long as a year in any case, I haven't felt the need yet to fine-tune it for sustainability. Weekdays, the kids and I drive all over the county, examining every playground in every neighborhood we might eventually live in. We go to homeschoolers' meetups to find out who and what is out there. We go to museums and science centers and, tomorrow, the county fair. Every day is field trip day, because I'm on full-time parenting duty whether we go out or not, so we might as well go out, and because the school year hasn't started yet. That'll change for Gareth when it changes for his public-schooled cousins--I figure the transition to a more studious routine will be easiest for him if he's not alone in it. Three weeks into living in a new state, the boys also have friends beyond their extended family now, and some of those friendships may, once established, be sustainable.

I wonder what will be possible now that we have some writing time carved out of next week. Anything might happen.

Comments

[jennifer rust lauchlan (from livejournal.com)]

That you are all in Dan's old room is mindboggling. Props to you.

[laradionne.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear that the current normal is going well, and that you will have writing time again soon. Here's more positive thoughts for a quick sale of the old home so that a new home may take it's place!

[kistha.livejournal.com]

You guys are so adaptable. Props and kudos for you all not killing each other, much less living in harmony. Hope the writing goes well - someday I'd love to see the big book finished. Also, did the collected Coven book come out? I know I don't have it on my kindle, or I'd be reading it....

[jasminewind.livejournal.com]

Practical help - my best friend has 3 boys, ages 12, 10 and 6, whom she had homeschooled for several years. She lives in the Aspen Hill area of north Silver Spring and I'm sure she would meet w you to talk about homeschooling and making connections. I think you two would get along. Happy to make the connection if you like.