In .. out ...

Time goes fast.

It’s a cliche, I know, but it’s also very, very true.

It’s January, and you turn around and suddenly it’s November and everyone is talking Christmas.

You have a baby, blink, and he’s seven.

I try not to think about it too much, because Patrick is doing what he’s supposed to do - growing up, going to school, making friends, being curious about the world, asking me about who controls souls (yes, really) … that kind of thing.

One of the things that he’s still … wee? small? young enough to want are big, big cuddles. He comes up to me with his big blue eyes, and his spray of freckles across his nose, and says “I want to be on you, Mummy.”

And one day, one day in the not-too-distant future, I’m going to turn around, or I’m going to blink, and I’m not going to remember when the last time was he asked me that question. Asking to be lifted up on to my lap for a cuddle, even though he’s only a head shorter than me now. When he does do that, my favourite thing for myself to do is to spread my fingers over his ribcage, and feel him breathing, in … out … in … out

I think about how I grew him. How I pretty much fell in love the second I saw the positive test, and how, when I finally held him for the first time as a baby, I realised that here was the person I would die for if I had to. I would walk in front  of a train for him without thinking.

It’s a profound, and terrifying thought.

Now, he’s seven, and has his own quirks, and charms, and interests. But he’s still small enough to need to crawl on to my lap; still young enough to need the reassurance of my arm around him, still wee enough that I can spread my hand over his ribcage and feel him breathing, in … out … in … out

The day will come that I no longer get to do that. He’ll be too old, too big, too eager for bigger things.

Meanwhile, I hold on to what I can, without holding him back, I hope.

I put my hand on his ribcage - a ribcage that I formed - and I feel him breathing. In … out … in … out

Readathon and also stuff and maybe things

I'm about five hours early but I've only read about 120 pages total and I'm so distracted, ugh.

Next time, back to cheerleading. I like cheerleading, it's fun, and I get to "meet" new bloggers. I love meeting new bloggers.

My attention span is so short lately, and I blame the other love of my life, my iPad Mini. (Patrick being a given, my Mini is what I'd save in case of fire). I can play games on it that take little mental acuity at all, and it contains all of the social media.

I love social media. By which I pretty much mean twitter. Little bit of tumblr. I'm "eh" on facebook, but I have it so I know what my brothers and sisters are doing - lol.

Anyway. Cheering for next readathon, yes.

I have this week off before heading back into the wilds of the office, and my plans are pretty simple: Finally watch American Horror Story: Asylum because Coven, do some cross-stitching and revel in a bit of alone-time as Patrick goes back to school tomorrow.

I started Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin, so hopefully I might have that finished by the end of the week as well.

... let's not get too carried away though. There are still zombies that must be killed by plants  out there ...

Miscellenae

Been a few weeks hasn’t it? Hrm.

I haven’t been doing anything out of the ordinary that I can think of …

Let’s see. What in-the-ordinary things have I been doing?

Well, reading, obviously, although I’ve only finished a couple of books lately and I’m not feeling the reviewing mojo at the moment.

I read 11-22-63 by Stephen King which, for me, wasn’t up there with his best. It was readable and the premise was interesting but I found it very easy to put down and walk away.

I also read Engines of God by Jack McDevitt – I seem to be entering a sci-fi reading phase which happens once in a while. It’s the first in a series of books featuring pilot Priscilla Hutchinson (Hutch) and I really loved the premise, which was about finding alien artefacts on long-abandoned worlds and what responsibility do human beings have to long-lost alien cultures?

I really enjoyed that one and I have the second one in the series out of the library.

What else.

Patrick is enrolled in school. Which is a huge shock to my system and he’s not even starting officially until May – lol. He’s having school visits twice a week from now until then, though, which I actually think is a really good idea. He’ll get to know his little classmates and it won’t be such a shock to the system.

His first one is meant to be Tuesday but he’s got an ear infection at the moment that seems to be coming and going so we’re keeping him home tomorrow and Tuesday and taking him to the doctors as early as we can get him in. I’m probably being over-protective but that’s how it is. I’m the mum, therefore what I say goes. :P

I saw Midnight in Paris at the movies on Thursday and oh my gosh what a lovely movie! Even before it had finished I knew it had to be mine because as soon as it was over I wanted to start watching it again – lol. By virtue of Invercargill being a large cultural wasteland, it’s already out on DVD and therefore it is MINE ALL MINE.

I’m working – slowly but surely – on my room; turning it into a kind of escape from the boys/cats where I can just come and kick back and read. It’s getting there, but I have a couple of corners that still need to be cleared out. I cleaned off my dressing table and I now have only seven things on there so my brain is going “hmmmm … minimalism” (that’s very minimalistic for me. I have crap everywhere).

I’m musing on whether I can pare everything down and just have three bookcases – two for books and one for DVDs/cross-stitch stuff/sundries. I’d really really like that but it means getting rid of a fuck-ton of books.

My cross-stitch rotation is going well although I haven’t done much lately – mostly lately at night I’ve been mooching on twitter and watching crap TV. They both have their place but you can overdo it and I do believe I have.  I have Stuff To Do.

I started Clash of Kings and I’m loving it – just waiting for the body count to start tallying up. It can’t be long now – I’m already about 100 pages in. I’m still picking away at Bleak House on my eReader and it’s still fascinating, even though I truly have no idea what’s happening. I’m also about to start Taken by Robert Crais – it’s a review book for work so that’ll become my lunchtime read. 

I do believe that’s all I have. How’s it hanging, blog-world? :D

Readathon

Okay. I've been scattering comments like a person at a lolly scramble. I know I've missed some, but it's getting a little late here, so I may not be able to give you all the individual attention you undoubtedly deserve. :) It'll finish at 4am Monday morning my time, at which time I expect to be sound asleep, dreaming of sugar plums ... wait, that's Christmas (what is a sugar plum?).

Anyway. Keep up the good work and all that jazz.

And here's Patrick; standing on his own (with a little help) for the very first time today. You can't tell from this photo (he automatically smiles when he sees the camera) but he was in a *bad* mood today! Happy reading! :)