Thinking about how our family has played out so far, it seems only right that I jot down some thoughts periodically for posterity; these occasional snapshots are also quite therapeutic for me; so a selfish motive in the mix for sure. It’s all good.

So just now as we start our fifth year as a two-house family, we’ve weathered much but overall, it seems we’re keeping up ok.

As a parent I continue working to adapt to the kids getting older — in a month we’ll have 14, 12, and 11 in the house — and I remain reliant on Susan for leadership, direction, and wisdom. Being divorced hasn’t changed that.

Beyond our immediate family there continues to be elder care (arm’s length) with “Grammy”, my mom who’s in a board and care home about a mile away. This is her ninth year there, and the team there does great work taking care of her. I see her a couple times a month, and talk to her maybe a little more. Managing her affairs is my primary responsibility.

Just before Thanksgiving last year my aunt (my mom’s sister), fell at home and now needs similar support to my mom. And she’s fifty miles away in San Francisco. Quite the dynamic.

We’re still on the front-end of setting up the channels so we can properly support her; financial and medical institutions are quite the bureaucratic entities and it’s not quick to move through them.

As a parent of three kids 50% of the time, and a full time job that requires active daily engagement, the demands are significant.

Lionism — my membership and activism in a local Lions club — has moved to the back burner this year, as we navigate elder care, kids care, work, and the rest of life.

All that together, for better or otherwise, that’s a bit on the current state of affairs.