Holding out for Back to School

With 18 inches of snow still on the ground after last week’s storm, we’ve all but given up on the illusive back-to-school routine. Between weather-related closures, the weekend, and yesterday’s holiday, Gavin and Arwen have spent exactly one day of the last week in school. That has translated to lots of unstructured play and time together around here.

Chad managed to miss out on some of the fun at home by taking on some of his own with our friend Brad who was completing the family’s move. Delayed by the storm, they set off a day late for Texas, spending 30 of 36 contiguous hours on the road to arrive in time to unload the car and get Chad to the airport for his flight home.

In the moments I’ve stolen Gavin and Arwen away from Legos and Wizard 101 we’ve enjoyed reading aloud together. The other night we were up late finishing Bridge to Terabithia after I made the mistake of reading right into a critical twist of plot at bedtime. While the book sparked some difficult emotions for the kids, it is beautifully written and generated some meaningful discussion for us all.

One of my own few official resolutions this year is to read more on my own. And I got more help than I bargained for from a book club friend who selected Gone with the Wind for this month’s discussion. What a long yet enjoyable read, not to mention a great source of insights on women’s lives in the South. I managed to finish the book and the movie with five minutes to spare before last week’s get together. While I enjoyed the movie, as is often the case I got so much more out of the book. Unwilling to let go at the end, I found myself reading article after article about the various sequels. If you’ve read Scarlett and/or Rhett Butler’s People I would love to know what you thought. As much as I want to read more, I’m having a hard time picking up a tome of equal length without a glowing recommendation.

Sunday we had our traditional Martin Luther King Day dinner with Nancy, Ben, and kids. There’s something amazingly stabilizing about family traditions – celebrating the same holiday with the same food and amazing company year after year. After studying the involvement of women in the Civil Rights movement last semester, this year I was inclined to broaden the circle of appreciation to the thousands of others who helped sculpt the increasingly integrated society we enjoy today. Also to reflect on the blessings of having Gavin and Arwen attend school with such a diverse group of students in an environment “where uniqueness is treasured.” Here’s to hoping they’ll be back there tomorrow!