Hello again, Part 1

Remember when I started a blog and then fell off the face of the earth?

I suspected that might happen occasionally, and it’s just going to have to be ok. Blogs that have content five days a week probably come from people with more consistent structure than we have, and it’s foolish of me to hold myself to that same standard. I’ll write when I have time and something to say; forcing it will only make it (yet another) chore.

So, why did we disappear for two weeks? Several reasons, I think, not the least of which was post-show let down! I was so sad to say goodbye to Figaro. It was an amazing experience on so many levels: a great cast full of friends, old and new; a wonderful director who challenged and brought out the best in us; a fantastic and supportive company; and a tour experience, singing 8 shows in 3 cities over 4 weeks. A memorable two months. Thank you, Virginia Opera!

(Have I posted pictures here yet? I don’t think so! I put up quite a few on our Facebook page; I’m so happy with how they turned out.)

But we move on. We have another couple weeks of here-and-there life before B starts his summer work in St. Louis. Henry has been drowning in grandparent love and affection, enjoying tractor rides in Virginia and preschool with “Bambi” in South Carolina. He has also somehow managed to potty train in the middle of all this upheaval. I’m so proud of him - and not at all sad to say goodbye to diapers! 

We’ve also been trying to get back to our preferred diet of Real Food  and not too many sweets; we all feel better and behave better when we can stick to that way of eating. Unfortunately, like so many things worth doing, it takes time and organization, two things I have a hard time finding on the road. It’s just so much easier to grab processed foods! One of my goals for my time as a “stay at home mom” while we’re in St. Louis is to make more of our favorite treats at home. Pinterest is awash with clean eating recipes; I’d like to pick one a week and make it with Henry. Do you have a favorite “make it yourself” recipe, something you make instead of buy? What diet guidelines does your family try to live by?

B & I are in the middle of a little fitness challenge, mostly just competing with each other to get ourselves back in the habit of exercising. I gained a few pounds after the Figaro rehearsal process ended because I kept eating as if I were still rehearsing Susanna six hours a day! It’s been nice to get back into a yoga groove and see my muscles peeking out at me after several years of disuse. B is currently in NYC for a gig and an audition, taking advantage of the NYC Workout Plan, aka walking walking walking! I am desparately waiting for spring to really show up so we can start taking family walks and bike rides and hikes.

So you see, we may be in the middle of regularly scheduled chaos, but we’re trying to keep it together, trying to grow and improve and enjoy this crazy life. One day at a time...

Order out of Chaos, Part 2

(After I wrote this post, I realized it is a partner to this post. So let’s call it a series, as I have a feeling I’m going to be talking about “the R-word” a lot here on this blog...) 

I don’t know why I always couch discussions of our Routine in terms of Henry’s needs; I crave structure and routine just as much as he does, if not more. And not just routine, but order. That whole “a place for everything yada yada yada” is hard to live by when the place is different every 3-6 weeks. I feel like my life is comprised of nothing but packing, unpacking, organizing, cleaning - and then repacking and starting it all over again. 

For the past week we’ve been staying with B’s folks outside Richmond, which meant we had to commute up to Fairfax for performances over the weekend. We spent the night on Friday, so we packed up a small overnight bag. No big deal, right? But! In order to clear out a suitcase to take, I had to empty all of Henry’s clothes onto the extra bed, and I had to take a few things from this bag and a few from that and where is the phone charger? and don’t forget your music and on and on. Now the weekend - 12 hours of driving and 8 hours of performing - is over... and everything needs to find its way back to Order.

How I wish I were the kind of person who thrived in chaos! As a military “brat,” I had the luxury of reinventing myself every time we moved. I remember distinctly deciding, the summer before 5th grade, that when we moved in the fall I would turn over a new leaf and get organized. Until that point, I had regularly been That Kid, running screaming for the school bus, “wait for me!!” because I was slow and disorganized and dawdled over my breakfast. I was ready to gain some control over my environment, so when we moved to Maine (way, way up north), I became “a neat freak.”

B said he understood this aspect of my personality when he heard an interview with Stephen Sondheim. He likes to do crosswords every day, and when the interviewer asked him why, he said that he likes to “make order out of chaos.” Order out of chaos. My constant desire.

It’s really about control, isn’t it? As a military brat, I had very little control as my environment shifted every few years. Now, as an itinerant musician, it’s the same. I’m not in my own kitchen, bedroom, closet, bathroom for more than a few months out of the year. I feel displaced. So I try as best I create a feeling of order, of Place. Sometimes it works, but...

These days I’ve got three people’s stuff to order. So much stuff!! How I also wish I were the kind of person who could pack three pair of pants and five tops and call it good. We are NOT light packers in this family. Clothes and toys and extra sweaters and books and kitchen supplies and more clothes and toys and books.

Hmm. I might be on to something here. I’m fighting this problem from both sides! Maybe the key to each is in the other. Pack less, have less chaos to control. 

I’ll have to work on that...