Track 8

Well friends,

This unexpected hiatus has not been for a lack of trying. On Friday, last week, I learned that the teacher that I had been planning to take over for so that she could take her maternity leave was having her baby.

Translation: Katie and I had to discuss whether either of us was prepared for me to be away during the day.

Prior to people having babies ahead of planned due dates, Katie and I had prepared for me to begin this prolonged subbing assignment at the beginning of April. At first, both of us leaned towards no way, but as we considered more we started to realize that the tight family bubble that we were living in would eventually have to expand.

Monday morning I woke around five in the morning, not because Noble was calling for attention, but instead because I needed to get ready for my day. From 7:30 to 2:30 I now devote my attention to 22 slightly older children in what will be my fifth grade class for the remainder of the school year. What this has meant, is that I have had to break myself back into the flow of a job where I am not my own boss who makes his own more reasonable hours. Really what it has meant is that around 4:30 or so in the evening I have felt whooped.

Katie and Noble are doing wonderfully, enjoying their days together. Noble is being pretty awesome through the night, only waking mom really when he needs to eat but otherwise sleeping well. (If you are reading this now please knock on wood for us.)

Track 8 came to us unexpectedly. One of the things that I was advised about for surviving a newborn was that I should be prepared to succumb to a lot of stupid TV. There was a bit of truth to this, especially in those two weeks where Katie and I were home with him 24/7. Somewhere in the midst of that I fell into a PBS wormhole. We found a very cool show called A Chef's Life, which I just not so subtly plugged, among other things and the best part was we didn't feel as guilty. The other thing that we came across was the Austin City Limits catalogue, where I found this:

http://video.pbs.org/video/2365424512/

Some of you may be familiar with tUnE-yArDs. I discovered them on NPR a few years ago and purchased an album which I fell asleep listening to and it did some very interesting things to my brain. Not sure that I can explain exactly what that means, but there you have it.

8. Bizness                             tUnE-yArDs

I love the percussion. I love her voice. It is raw and filled with energy and I hope that Noble will be able to have in his life the freedom of self confidence to let himself go for an art like this. If you weren't familiar with this music, then I hope you enjoy.

Cheers.