Marriage has turned out differently than I thought it would. We have too many scares and tears and ER visits, but we also have more flowers than I ever expected, good meals, sitting around together talking, playing dominoes or gardening. I planted herbs and flowers all afternoon yesterday. We sent out for pizza and ice cream, stayed up late watching movies.

But Iowa is on our minds. I never expected, when I first married, that Iowa would become such a big player in our lives, and that I would love my husband’s family this much.

My son is disappointed he’s not there with his grandparents this weekend, in Iowa City, going to the park, playing in the yard, having Pagliai’s Pizza instead of Eddie’s Flat Iron.

“Poppy’s coming here?” he just asked my husband, hopefully.

“No, honey. He’s staying home with the big flood. The road from his house to the airport is closed.”

Cedar Rapids (where we fly in when we visit my in-laws, where my husband’s brother and wife live with their three girls) is a mess. Our family is fine, their neighbors are fine, but whole sections of town — homes, businesses, cars and bridges — are toasted or severely damaged.

My in-laws are stuck on their side of town — no way to get to downtown Iowa City. They have been helping how they can, but how can you stop a river? How can you stop nine rivers?

Steve put up some pictures on his blog — they formed a book brigade to save the books in the main library. I love that library, where my father-in-law worked for many years. I love the campus and the Writers’ Workshop. Kurt Vonnegut and Raymond Carver did, too, along with about a zillion other writers. I love Iowa. The people, the boating, the farmlands and the huge barns. The parks and great schools and my husband’s old high school, City High, where we went for an ice cream social one time when we were back home visiting. Steve teases me when I call Iowa “back home,” but you know, Iowa is not that far from Arkansas, where my mom grew up and all of her extended family still lives. For me, that all is “back home.”

Ice cream socials and huge gardens and my kids, running with their cousins all over the place. Having gin and tonics at cocktail hour, watching the fireflies — that’s home.

We were about two seconds from moving there, but a lack of jobs (and lower wages, if we managed to find jobs) stood in the way. I wish we were with our family right now, but am so relieved that my husband and kids didn’t fly out. (I was staying home to work and wrap up end of school year.)

So, prayers please, and good thoughts and I can’t believe that the next time we go to my husband’s home state to visit, it will be all different. We still don’t know the extent of the damage and won’t for a while.

Here’s to things calming down and an attempt to get back to normal. Whatever that is.

For now, much love and a Happy Father’s Day to my father-in-law, brother-in-law, and of course, my excellent husband.

please send out prayers and good thoughts to my in-laws in Iowa.

wm

Junie B., on trying to stay calm until Show-and-Tell:

“Yeah, only I don’t actually know if I can do that,” I said, “‘Cause I’m already trying to be calm. And this is how I’m turning out.”

— from Junie B., First Grader “Aloha-ha-ha!”

Dear, dear readers,

It is a sad day for a parent when her child outgrows Junie B. Jones and Elmo. (more…)

When’s the last time I wrote a Thursday Thirteen, anyway? Ah, well. And it hasn’t been a “real” year of teaching, it’s only been a few months. If you will recall, dear readers, as of last September we were considering moving across town. Changed our minds, unpacked the cartons, and I got myself a job at our neighborhood school. I’m working in the library, and how I got there is a kind of long story, so I’ll cut to the chase. Here is what I’ve found out in the last few months: (more…)

Do you ever, those of you who are parents, wonder if you’re traumatizing your children? (If you’re not a parent, substitute “co-workers” or “pets” for “children.”)

I, myself, never wonder. Because I know it. I know that every single day I am trying, and failing, to not traumatize my children. (more…)

I was named Awesome Community Member of the Universe on Friday night. Don’t get excited — they gave awards to a whole gaggle of people from the community, not just me. Also, they mispronounced my last name. Because I’m so Cool and Important. That was a little awkward, but whatever. I was still excited anyway because I so love to get attention and free appetizers. And I was a little jealous because the students being honored received the most ginormous trophies, the kind with the huge loving cups on top. (I got a fancy paperweight. Which is cool, but not a loving cup.) (more…)

“The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards.”

— Anatole France, novelist, essayist, Nobel laureate (1844-1924)

PS — whoops, our sites were down all night, apparently. They were tired! Up and running now, sorry for any inconveniences you may have experienced. Here’s a funny clip for you to make up for it.

If you ask my Grandma the secret to her long life (she’ll turn 88 next month) she says (and I’m quoting here):

“I get up off of my butt.”

I love this. Thanks to Ms. Zip for sending it along.

No, you really don’t. Believe me. It involves me getting a migraine and throwing up, then getting over it, going to work and trying to wrap up end of year at two schools (no, three) the two where I work, and the one my children attend. I have two offices at my schools and one at home and they are all three a mess.

A big ol’ mess.

Also, I could use a spa day.

The rest of my time revolves around my obsession/love for Friday Night Lights (Season Two, Now on DVD!) and the Wire (Season Three, scary as hell) and learning to play tennis and being so frustrated because goddamn — how do those pros do it? Tennis is hard. Keeping your eye on the ball is extraordinarily hard. But a good work-out for sure so that is cool.

Also, tennis makes me think of John McEnroe which makes me think of Tatum O’Neal and now, a brief letter to Tatum O’Neal, in regards to her recent arrest for a crack-cocaine purchase in New York City:

Dear Tatum,

love,
wm

Also, why do children “turn up the whine” end of May/beginning of June and then become relentless mosquitoes buzzing until September? All children, not just mine. Why?

Also, a lot of my time is now spent on Wacky Cat 3, who is such a handsome tuxedo-clad boy, but is such a big thug. He non-stop pounds and chews and claws my two older cats. Bad boy, Wacky Cat 3! Out he goes. Then he cries and promises he’ll behave. Comes in, gets a nibble to eat, and starts pounding the shit out of the older cats again.

Internet, can this family get some help, please? Tatum is not the only one having issues here. (Hey! Leave her some love notes in comments, why don’t you? Maybe she’ll stop by and see them.)

See? I told you. Dullsville, U.S.A. Prey for us, wouldja?

love,

wm