What I’ve Learned Lately

I woke up this morning to temperatures in the low 70s and low (for us) humidity, which gives me hope that fall really is just around the corner. It feels like school started a couple of days ago, but we’re almost six weeks into the new year already. I haven’t been posting as much lately (you’ll learn why if you keep reading), but I have been continuing to make notes for future posts and keeping up with what I’ve learned. Following are a few of the things I learned in September and August.

1. I don’t just forget books after I read them, I FORGET them.

In my last What I Learned I mentioned that I forget a lot of books quickly, but that fact was hammered home in a big way a few weeks back. I read Bel Canto by Ann Patchett earlier this year and really enjoyed it. The book has an unusual premise, so it should have been memorable. Then a few weeks ago my Timehop app shared with me that I had posted on Facebook several years ago about finishing the very same book, including a comment about how great it was. I’ve started a book before and realized a little ways in that I had read it before, but Bel Canto? Never once did I think anything in it sounded familiar.

2. Nathan can outlast me in the stubbornness department.

I decided to use the three open weeks between the end of our summer activities and the start of school to try (again) to get him (finally) fully potty trained. He went bottomless and/or undies only all the time unless he was asleep or at church. I didn’t take him much of anywhere else (except for one day when we went to the beach to see friends from out-of-state). IT DID NOT WORK. Not only did it not work, but he made himself sick – details I will refrain from sharing.

3. A lot of things I want to write about here…I can’t.

When the kids were younger I wondered why there were so many special needs blogs by moms of younger kids but very few by moms of older kids. Now I know. Eventually you get to the point as a special needs mom where you can’t share All The Things anymore because there’s a chance your child’s peers may read it, or because it feels like an invasion of their privacy, or the issues are just too complex for a 700-word blog post. So if you’ve been wondering why my posts have been fewer and farther between, that’s why. But that’s not the only reason…

4. I can’t let myself get run down. Ever.

Technically, I’m not learning this fact now; it’s something I’ve known for almost two decades, but have had to relearn recently. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia not long after Mr. Andi and I got married, and it took awhile for me to figure out what worked for me to keep me healthy and (mostly) pain-free. Regular exercise is one of my Must Do Items (my commitment to walking, then running, is what got me into marathons), but adequate rest is also important, and that doesn’t necessarily mean eight hours of sleep. Recently, though, I pushed too hard for too long and it took me out for the first time in a long while.

5. Virtual school impacted a part of my day I wasn’t expecting – lunch.

I’ve used weekly meal plans for dinner for a long time, but never for lunch. In the past, we usually had one serving of the previous night’s leftovers that I could eat for lunch, or if we didn’t, I could scrounge an omelet or protein shake. Now that Sarah Kate is home every day, I’m in desperate need of some quick, easy, tasty, non-sandwich lunch ideas for the two of us. We’ve gone out to eat a few too many times since August 22. I’m taking suggestions! Speaking of which…

6. A six-hour school day is nowhere near six hours of instruction.

I knew it already, but Sarah Kate’s virtual school experience so far has shown me just how much of her school days were unnecessary fluff. That’s not a judgment, just an observation. I’ll have a lot more on the virtual school experience in an upcoming post in mid-October.

7. Hairspray LIVE is coming to NBC in December.

Sarah Kate and I are absolutely over-the-moon excited about it. We both loved Grease LIVE and the Hairspray movie (musical version, not original) is one of our favorites. I can’t wait to see Kristen Chenoweth as Velma Von Tussle, although I’m not sure anyone can live up to James Marsden’s Corny Collins. Can’t wait!

8. A few months can make a tremendous difference in a child’s maturity.

After the first t-ball practice, Mr. Andi told me how well Nathan did – he paid attention, didn’t get distracted, did what he was told, etc. I reminded him that practice is not the same thing as a game because they are kept busy the whole time during practice. Well, the first game was this week and I was stunned at how well he did, and the same could be said for one of the other boys who was on his team last fall and spring. His mom and I were both surprised and chalked it up to being a little older. I’ll have more on the beginning of fall ball next week.

Now it’s your turn to tell me – what have you learned lately?