Cabin Fever

February has sunk its claws into our household, and I am going crazy.  Thankfully, no one in our house has been sick.  However, bugs seem to be landing in other people's homes with some frequency, leading to many cancelled play dates this past week.  Annika and I have been spending too much time at home, playing with toys and getting stuff done and being generally chill.  And by the end of an isolated week of chilling in the house, I'm finding myself with far too much energy and far too short of a fuse.  No doubt, those hot cups of tea and coffee are not helping.  Cabin fever is making me crazy, and leading me to seek out new projects.

The funny thing is that our temporary status here rather precludes me from many projects.  The apartment rarely needs cleaning, we keep the pantry scant enough that I only bake when I've planned ahead, and classroom volunteer positions were all snatched up before we arrived in town.

Annika is enjoying this slow pace, where she can paint with me for a while, eat some lunch and then go off and play on her own until Dinosaur Train comes on.  And so I've been seeking out constructive ways to pass my time from our 18th floor apartment.

Last night, we shared dinner with another family on their way to Jakarta.  Like us, they will arrive this summer.  And like us, they have young kids.  Our kids raced around their house while we chatted and got to know each other.  I left the evening excited about these new friends, and much more interested in Indonesia.

Dave thinks I should begin studying Indonesian language, and he is probably right.  But until we find a tool that only takes half of my attention, I'm afraid that full-on studying is unlikely.  However, I have found myself reading a lot over the past few weeks.  And so I've decided that its time to begin studying Indonesia.  I've got a few books on my nightstand already, and I've just ordered a few more.  Project for February: Indonesia 101.