Reading is Fundamental... so i have been told.

any of you know from reading my blogside rants, 

that i have a husband,

a dog,

{he is pampered and often warm}

and three unruly, funny kids, 

two girls and a boy specifically.

{the boy and his bff}

{the youngest feels her right to express herself fluently.} 

{her sister is trying to manage the situation.}

{ we all gotta do what we gotta do.}

{ sigh.}

the youngest reads this blog only when she feels she has a legitimate stake in it. 

in other words, if it is about her. 

i dare not really rant on about my eldest either,

 since she retaliates with an extra sharply honed wit on her own blog. 

and i am NOT allowed to read it. 

the boy, does not care one way or another. 

pretty much about anything... he tends to be the most easy going of us all. 

this is a preface to my husband and his latest hair brained scheme. 

he likes to throw these ideas of his down in front of me at really inopportune times. 

like after he has been wretched to live with for a while. 

or after he hasn't spoken about anything meaningful...

and complains that i made the wrong choice on everyone else's behalf.

{all i can say is," weigh in my dear, weigh in"}

in speaking with one of the most happily married women i know yesterday, 

my friend said all the same things about her husband.

that was both refreshing and a relief!

i guess i just get more wound up than most folks do. 

and i let the inmates of this house have their ways with my attentions.

in the past couple of years,

 it has been my goal to ignore these provocations and just try to stay calm. 

it is my goal to pick a better time to deal with problems

 than when someone is cocked and loaded.

if it is at all possible, i also like to be calm when i need to cover some ground. 

a tall order, as i am prone to making a lot of chatter when i am stressed. 

and really doesn't the title of mother come with a stress magnet?

so anyways, here is hubbie's latest. 

he has gone to new hampshire to go camping off season. 

by himself. 

in the woods with raccoons and bears.

to sleep in the cold 40 degree tent.

with a fire and food nearby.

even though all winter, the thermostat is set at 70 for his thinned out blood. 

all for the express reason of fulfilling his fantasy. 

he has been unsuccessfully trying to read 

"the last of the mohicans" 

for four years. 

evidently,

 he is unable to stay focused long enough to get any traction on reading this book. 

 for him, he feels the only real way he can feel happy trying is at a campfire

with the flames licking the soles of his boots. 

the boots that stink up the whole house as he enters with them on. 

also, it seems quite silly to keep trying against all odds to try to keep reading a book that he has no genuine interest in. 

if he did, he would already have read it.

i think he may be dancing partially clothed around that fire pit and burning the shopping bag of old paper bills he brought with him. 

effin' crazy i tell you. 

i asked him if he needed to apply for entrance in the 

"RIF: reading is fundamental " program. 

i am unsure a jury of anyone's peers would have understood his answer. 

i get that he feels pressurized to work all the time...

but all work and no play make the old bean 

a lot less productive and a bear to be around. 

so he has now lifted off to day one of campfire living and his book. 

i am enjoying the lightest and airiest time at home in his day or two of 'freedom'. 

the dog has had an extra 20 minutes of off-leash squirrel hunting, 

the youngest has made it to all her assorted field and ice hockey practices and games 

and i am feeling just a little more than normally relaxed. 

so if i need to send him outta town to get some literacy on, 

and finally let my hair down, 

i am gonna do it. 

i guess i better warn the bears next time though. 

xo. w.