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Been a little busier of late, which is why I haven't been blogging as much.

Kids are finishing school - big priority - 8 real days left - much studying and learning - I am staying on top of them, without becoming a kyoikumama.

Leslie just finished a week or so of pre-Toy Fair prep. She would leave the house by 7:30am and not arrive home again until almost 11pm. So there was extra busy work for me, just to help her stay focused on her mammoth, nigh-Sisyphean effort. Bless her heart for bearing up under the stress - she's a role model for me. Anyway, lots of extra stuff during that time, extra chores, extra kid-time, buying Leslie flowers and her favorite coffee and stuff like that - busy, but worth it - I find providing for others very nourishing.

Then, when all of that is dealt with, I am focusing on how I spend my non-work time. Certainly GNMParents is on the fence there, as it's not a have-to in the same way as it is to stay on top of the kids' academic progress, but yet I still feel like it's a job. However, it doesn't take that much time each day, maybe a half hour to an hour. That still leaves me with four to eight hours of free-time (as we used to say during Encampment).

That free-time is precious to me. And lately, as the kids are less of a worry for me, I've had more time to think about myself and what I'm doing, a chance to rediscover my priorities.

Now, Leslie and the kids are at the top of the list. If I have a chance, and they are willing, I will want to spend time with them before whatever it is that is second choice. Now, sometimes Leslie is at work (or painting) and the kids are at school or getting their own alone-time (studying, tv, text-messaging, internet)... This opens me up to other possibilities, other choices.

My current choices have changed a little bit, but nothing major. I now spend my down-time reading comic books, playing World of Warcraft, reading about Richard Nixon and about Watergate, reading other history books of the 20th century, reading novels (Survivor is starting off great), composing music, listening to music, reading news and analysis, watching the financial markets, and watching a few films now and again.

Anyway, all of the above is my clumsy way of apologizing to any of you that i have neglected. If you like, put your questions or diatribes in these comments, I'm super-mega-ultra-mucho happy to hear from you.