November went by in a blur. I think all 4 of us were healthy for a combined 2.5 hours out of the entire month. But, we survived and still had a lot of fun! That’s life with the preschool crowd.
Our family had our much-anticipated trip to the North Shore of Oahu in the middle of the month. We’ve done a lot of travel with the kids, but never before had we experienced sickness quite like what we did during our time in Oahu. All signs point to the norovirus, which is a thorny devil. We each took our turn with it, and finally more than 2 weeks later, we are all starting to return to normal – phew!
We all also got in our first turns of the ski season in November, and I figured out the complex dance that is getting two kids dressed, geared up, and onto the slopes. I am truly my happiest when I am outside with these two and/or their daddy.
If there’s one good thing that comes from a month of norovirus, pinkeye, and strep throat (all of which result in sleepless nights from the little one they hit the hardest), it’s that it leaves lots of time for reading, while I lay awake cradling Jurgen in the crook of my arm. So many good reads this month!
November Reads:
- The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
- Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
- Out There: The Wildest Stories from Outside Magazine
- My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
- The Ambition Interviews
- Why Are Europeans (So Much) Happier than Americans
- How the Outdoors Makes Your Kids Smarter
The two standouts from the month are….
Middlesex was one of the best novels I have ever read…I’d put it in the top 10 for sure, and maybe the top 5. I’m not even going to say anything more. Just read it, you won’t be disappointed.
The Ambition Interviews are from 2016, but were so validating to me as a modern mom dealing with all of the expectations. It’s not just a read for moms – everyone could benefit from reading this relatively short series of articles. One, of many notable quotes, that I very much identify with: “These women hadn’t lost their ambition; instead they’d changed the definition of the word. They saw that ambition takes many forms, only one of which is becoming CEO. While everyone may have started out with lofty career goals, many also had lofty personal goals; ambition doesn’t stay in a neatly contained career-goals-only box. Just as many of our classmates had previously aspired to be the best in their chosen field, they now wanted to be the best mother, the best partner, the best everything else.” Amen! There are so many ways to be successful and I wish our society gave more kudos and respect to those taking the unsung path.
Since I’m writing this in early December, I’m also going to throw in that Klaus Obermeyer turned 100 on 12/2! He still skis (!) and his dedication to the ski industry, and to getting people outside regardless of the weather, has been a huge inspiration to me.
Here’s what’s keeping us happy and sane on the homefront this month when we were stuck inside:
