Well, it has happened--I got computer help from my nine-year-old son. After seeing me struggle for a little while on the computer, Todd came in and fixed the problem for me. Don't ask me how it happened, but the desktop was rotated 90 degrees. Which means that working the mouse felt off as well. I'm still not sure how he knew the solution so quickly, but I was grateful that he helped me out before I got frustrated.
I was also paid a nice compliment on Ryan's behalf at school last week. The mom who comes in for Smiley Math (a once-a-week volunteer-run program that gives kids the opportunity to earn points by working out logic problems, etc.) chatted with me in the library. There was a calendar-related problem on their last worksheet, and she was impressed with the unique method Ryan used to solve the problem (relabeling the days of the week to calculate the question more quickly). She said Ryan was the only one who approached the problem differently and it really showed "thinking outside the box." I often get frustrated that Ryan goes through his work so quickly (and sloppily). She pointed that his desire to get done quickly helped him come up with an easier (and still correct) solution. It was a good reminder for me to look for the positive qualities in my children and not just be quick to criticize when things are not done my way.
I am finding it hard to eat up the food in the fridge and freezer before summer. I am simply not cooking like I do with you at home. (I would miss cooking more if it weren't for the baseball schedule.) My lazy protein has been cooking with eggs, quite often. A typical late breakfast or lunch for me is an open-faced fried egg sandwich with Cheddar on an English muffin. Mmmm. I have also been known to cook that for dinner when the boys eat at your mom's. It's also good as an after-the-boys-are-in-bed supper. It's good anytime of day!
I missed the roses blooming on the side of the house this year. I just didn't take the time to check on them. I didn't miss out on the hydrangeas. They are full of blooms and I have enjoyed cutting them and keeping a vase of them in the kitchen. I have vase full of beautiful blue blooms right now. I love them! I am also enjoying the gardenias. They don't last too long before they start wilting (inside or out), but they smell so sweet. I love them, too! I also love my pink Gerber daisies, though they are not producing as many blooms these days. I started quizzing the boys on the flowers I kept inside, just so they would know what some of Mommy's favorites are.
You'll never believe what I saw about two weeks ago: I drove by a young man rollerblading on Forest Rd. with his dog! After ten years of rollerblading with my dog in this neighborhood and a few more years in our previous neighborhood it was fun to see someone else enjoying this form of exercise.
I have been more cautious with Copper, though he has run off a few more times. Once, he ran off in the rain?!? But this last week has been good. I have also been trying to play Frisbee with him more, now that he will finally run for me. He gets so excited when he sees his toy come out. He doesn't even mind if the boys play too.
The wrens nested again in the very same spot. The babies just left the nest this afternoon. I think there were three fledglings. They were making a ruckus during my piano lessons. I explained to Todd and Ryan the conversations that were taking place between Mommy or Daddy Wren and the babies.
Mommy/Daddy Wren: Dinnertime, dinnertime, dinnertime. Where are you? Where are you? Where are you?
Babies: Food! Food! Food! Here we are! Here we are! Here we are!
Of course, it was much cuter when I was using little birdy voices to act it out. Todd, especially, liked it.
I was a little afraid of opening the garage door and moving the car out to go to baseball practice this afternoon. I didn't want to run over one of them. So I had Todd keep watch for me, and I think it worked out just fine. I have enjoyed watching the wrens this last week and it really made me miss you.
Showing posts with label Copper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Copper. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Friday, May 4, 2012
For Brett, From Becca (5/4/12)
This week has flown by for me. We continue our day-to-day routine. This week has been busy with field day activities for the boys. Todd was able to participate on two different days: once for third grade and once for fourth grade. Both boys participated individually in the hurdles. Todd got first place in the Third Grade boys race and Ryan got second place in the First Grade boys race. All of the classes were very competitive when it came to the Tug-of-War. That is my favorite event to watch. The three-legged race has always been favorite event to participate in, and I was pleased that both of the boys let me race with them during the parent participation portion of field day. I would even say that we did a pretty great job (except when Todd paused to say to hi to his spectator brother and friends when we were turning back around).
Ryan begged me to check him out of school after field day today. Many parents check their kids out. About half his class was gone. But I had things that I wanted to do at home. And I honestly think those low-work days when half the class is gone are some of the best. Ryan came home off the bus so cheerful and happy. He clearly had fun this afternoon. It made me feel good to hear him say, "Thanks for not checking me out from school." They celebrated Cinco de Mayo with some snacks and got to watch a movie. I am sure he wouldn't have had so much fun at home.
I enjoyed meeting with Todd's teacher about completing the Fourth Grade math book this summer. It may mean more work for me keeping up with his assignments and tests and encouraging him to continue to make progress. But what else will I be doing? I am also going to try to keep the boys reading this summer. They usually do a good job, but being away from home we will have to make a point to plan reading time into our activities. Vacations are great, but I don't want them to regress too much. And it would be great if they could advance even a little.
I finally had to turn on the air conditioner this week. I held off for as long as I could. There are some times of day when it's not so bad, but it's getting humid also. Today was especially humid. The sun wasn't so strong during Ryan's field day, but it was so humid that I still felt like I was melting.
We had a bit of a downpour last night. I had already been thinking it was time to check the gutters again, and last night confirmed it. Actually, last night I realized that I should have checked the gutters last week. I will work on cleaning them out this weekend. It will be a new experience for me.
Besides being here to clean out gutters and do all the rest of the outdoor maintenance, I also miss being able to call on you to be my bug killer. I had to kill a cockroach last week in the bathroom. I'm sure it would have been very funny to any onlookers. Although, if there were anyone around watching (and laughing) I am sure I would have enlisted their help.
The sago palm is starting to look kind of freaky in an almost obscene way. I'll post a picture later. I'm sorry if you are disappointed about it splitting.
Yesterday the boys and I finally reached our goal of reading scriptures 20 days in a row (110 days this year). We almost didn't make it a couple of times, but we were determined to succeed. We've only reached 20 days in a row once before. We reached our 10 days in a row goal twice before, and I rewarded the boys with a Dairy Queen trip. This time I told the boys they had to reach 20 days before they could earn their DQ trip. If we make it to 25 days in a row they will earn a movie night. On our way for ice cream yesterday I remembered the new frozen yogurt store, Top This. The boys were excited about trying it. It was not as "heavy" as DQ and the boys got to pick out their own toppings. It totally hit the spot.
I made some lentil soup this week. It was so delicious. Ryan loved it too. I will definitely be making it again. Do you think you would eat it? I also made kale chips. They kind of taste like a broccoli, but are light and crispy and almost disintegrate in your mouth. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it.
Copper ran off on me again this morning even though he got a nice golf course run last night. This is the first time he has run off when I let him out for his morning pee before school. He didn't even wait for us to take him to the bus. I was scrambling to get the boys ready for school and I was trying to get myself ready to attend field day. I couldn't start looking for him until after I got the boys on the bus. I drove around the usual streets with no luck. I asked Mark if he could keep an eye out for Copper while I was at field day, but I decided to stop by the house again. I was just in time to receive a phone call from a woman on Kildare who found him. I don't know what he was doing over there or what prompted him to leave this morning.
I picked up a German book from Goodwill about two weeks ago. I've been flipping through it from time to time. I would love to be able to teach myself enough German to be able to get by on my next trip (2013??).
I'm happy to hear that you seem to be doing a little better on the trail. I really don't want you to give up. I think it you can just get through Virginia it will be a little easier. I'm so proud of you!
Ryan begged me to check him out of school after field day today. Many parents check their kids out. About half his class was gone. But I had things that I wanted to do at home. And I honestly think those low-work days when half the class is gone are some of the best. Ryan came home off the bus so cheerful and happy. He clearly had fun this afternoon. It made me feel good to hear him say, "Thanks for not checking me out from school." They celebrated Cinco de Mayo with some snacks and got to watch a movie. I am sure he wouldn't have had so much fun at home.
I enjoyed meeting with Todd's teacher about completing the Fourth Grade math book this summer. It may mean more work for me keeping up with his assignments and tests and encouraging him to continue to make progress. But what else will I be doing? I am also going to try to keep the boys reading this summer. They usually do a good job, but being away from home we will have to make a point to plan reading time into our activities. Vacations are great, but I don't want them to regress too much. And it would be great if they could advance even a little.
I finally had to turn on the air conditioner this week. I held off for as long as I could. There are some times of day when it's not so bad, but it's getting humid also. Today was especially humid. The sun wasn't so strong during Ryan's field day, but it was so humid that I still felt like I was melting.
We had a bit of a downpour last night. I had already been thinking it was time to check the gutters again, and last night confirmed it. Actually, last night I realized that I should have checked the gutters last week. I will work on cleaning them out this weekend. It will be a new experience for me.
Besides being here to clean out gutters and do all the rest of the outdoor maintenance, I also miss being able to call on you to be my bug killer. I had to kill a cockroach last week in the bathroom. I'm sure it would have been very funny to any onlookers. Although, if there were anyone around watching (and laughing) I am sure I would have enlisted their help.
The sago palm is starting to look kind of freaky in an almost obscene way. I'll post a picture later. I'm sorry if you are disappointed about it splitting.
Yesterday the boys and I finally reached our goal of reading scriptures 20 days in a row (110 days this year). We almost didn't make it a couple of times, but we were determined to succeed. We've only reached 20 days in a row once before. We reached our 10 days in a row goal twice before, and I rewarded the boys with a Dairy Queen trip. This time I told the boys they had to reach 20 days before they could earn their DQ trip. If we make it to 25 days in a row they will earn a movie night. On our way for ice cream yesterday I remembered the new frozen yogurt store, Top This. The boys were excited about trying it. It was not as "heavy" as DQ and the boys got to pick out their own toppings. It totally hit the spot.
I made some lentil soup this week. It was so delicious. Ryan loved it too. I will definitely be making it again. Do you think you would eat it? I also made kale chips. They kind of taste like a broccoli, but are light and crispy and almost disintegrate in your mouth. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it.
Copper ran off on me again this morning even though he got a nice golf course run last night. This is the first time he has run off when I let him out for his morning pee before school. He didn't even wait for us to take him to the bus. I was scrambling to get the boys ready for school and I was trying to get myself ready to attend field day. I couldn't start looking for him until after I got the boys on the bus. I drove around the usual streets with no luck. I asked Mark if he could keep an eye out for Copper while I was at field day, but I decided to stop by the house again. I was just in time to receive a phone call from a woman on Kildare who found him. I don't know what he was doing over there or what prompted him to leave this morning.
I picked up a German book from Goodwill about two weeks ago. I've been flipping through it from time to time. I would love to be able to teach myself enough German to be able to get by on my next trip (2013??).
I'm happy to hear that you seem to be doing a little better on the trail. I really don't want you to give up. I think it you can just get through Virginia it will be a little easier. I'm so proud of you!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
For Brett From Home (4/24/12)
I miss having you around to share my little nothing-happenings. However, it has been kind of fun recording these daily thoughts. Years from now it will be interesting to see what concerned me and what I thought about.
I mentioned on the phone that the sago palm is splitting. It is forming two cones. It isn't the sago palm right by the mailbox as I first told you. It is the one closest to Bobby's yard.
The lawn mower is working well enough that your dad was able to use it today. It still has troubles though. I'm not sure what the diagnosis is, but the motor keeps dying. I blew off the back patio and your dad successfully mowed our yard yesterday. Hooray! Hopefully the oaks are almost done dropping. I will make a point to check the gutters and clean them out soon.
We finally got some good rain last Tuesday. We needed it. It was pouring hard for at least a half hour right after the boys got on the bus. I would like to have been curled up in bed, but no such luck. It was kind of a cozy, snuggle-up rain. I don't suppose you have that same feeling about rain these days.
We got more rain on Saturday. Since then the temperature has dropped, and it has been quite nice, although windy. The wind chimes were so loud on Sunday when Jen was over that she shut the sliding glass door. She said she felt like she had to yell to talk to me. I was thinking about you all day today wondering how cold you have been. I heard that had some snow in New England.
The spring weather has been beautiful lately. There have been a few days (today included) when I would really like to have driven the Mustang. I'll just have to wait until you're back in the fall and make a point to drive it then.
The boys are still not getting to bed with any regularity. It would drive you crazy. There was one day last week when Ryan just didn't wake up on his own. He was completely out of it, and I felt so bad for his tired little body that I let him sleep in until 7:45am. I finally had to go in and wake him up. He was thrown off by the fact that he had slept in past the time that the bus is supposed to come. It made him a little grumpy until he discovered that I had decided that all of the boys would just be car riders that morning.
I have also not been going to bed well (big surprise!). I am not staying up past Midnight; my bedtime has been more like 11:30pm. But the six or seven hours of sleep I get each night just hasn't been enough. It is starting to wear on me. In fact, last week I had a dream where I came across an alligator snapping turtle (which didn't look like a real alligator snapping turtle--its shell was covered in fuzz...). I knew that the turtle was quick and vicious and I had to move it out of the road (I'm not sure why...). But I was simply too weak and tired to get it out my way. I wasn't just tired in my dream. I was weak and tired in real life, even though I was sleeping, and it carried over into my dream.
In fact, I have been remembering a lot of my dreams lately. Some of them are good dreams. Many of them are spurred by real-life situations. (Anne had recently told me about coming across an alligator snapping turtle in the middle the road.) I had a dream where I attended an end-of-the-year function at the elementary school. There was some drama in the dream, but what stuck out to me was the table of desserts we got to sample. One of the desserts served was pineapple upside-down cupcakes. I had recently seen a recipe for them in my recipe binder (in real life and in the dream) and was so excited to be able to try them. I woke up wanting to bake them, but have had to hold off because we still have too many sweets around the house from Easter and now Todd's birthday.
Monday was Todd's birthday. It may take me a while to get used to him being NINE years old. We celebrated yesterday and today. I will probably let him invite a friend or two to do something fun this Saturday as well. On Friday your dad took Todd and me out to dinner (Chinese) for our birthdays (even though mine is still a month away.) On Sunday we had the whole family over for cake and ice cream. Todd got a few presents from the family. Yesterday morning I let Todd open the few presents from me before breakfast. I made him orange ricotta pancakes, which he had requested the night before. And I baked chocolate chip cookies for him to share with his class at school. The boys had baseball after school and I had chorus practice tonight, so we didn't really do anything to celebrate in the evening. All in all, we kept it simple, but I think Todd was really happy with his birthday.
Baseball is still going strong. I feel like I haven't seen very much of their games. Last week I stayed home from Todd's two games in order to put Ryan to bed earlier. When your dad took us to dinner on Friday he told me that Todd had been hit by the ball during his game the night before. I asked Todd to show me. He has a huge bruise on his thigh! He never mentioned it when he came home that night. (It was so late that I had to hurry him along just to get him in bed before 10:00pm.) And he never mentioned it the next morning before school. Poor tough guy.
Last week it seemed like Copper was not keeping up with me very well on his walks. Last night was a completely different story. He was so full of energy. I asked your mom if we could give him a run yesterday evening just as it was getting dark. Copper ran harder than I have seen him run in a while. When I got back I told your mom that I was sure that he would have run away last night without that run. This morning he was in the mood to run as well. I'm glad that I was able to give him his morning roller-blading run. He had no trouble keeping up with me. Since the morning was crisp and beautiful I made sure that I went a little longer for him.
The other day I mentioned smelling the honeysuckle vines on the golf course. The flowers smelled so sweet last night that I commented on them. Todd corrected me and informed me that they were jasmine. I looked it up on Wikipedia last night. He was right, of course. And clearly I know nothing about flowers!
I am looking forward for your return for Copper's benefit possibly more than mine. We sure try to do our best with him, but it's not the same. On Sunday he did something that he hasn't done in a very long time. I had gone to Publix the day before and bought a baguette. When I came home from church all that I could find of it was the plastic bag it came in torn in pieces. He ate the entire thing. Luckily it doesn't look like it made him sick. Thank goodness he left Todd's birthday cake alone. It was cooling on a rack, covered with a dish towel.
I have been getting my fill of chick flicks while you have been gone. Lately I have been crushing on Zac Efron. Yes, he is quite young and was a star on Disney's High School Musical. But he has grown to be quite the good-looking man. I'm looking forward to seeing the latest chick flick he starred in.
Wishing you were here to hug and kiss on. Hope you're doing well.
Much love from home.
I mentioned on the phone that the sago palm is splitting. It is forming two cones. It isn't the sago palm right by the mailbox as I first told you. It is the one closest to Bobby's yard.
The lawn mower is working well enough that your dad was able to use it today. It still has troubles though. I'm not sure what the diagnosis is, but the motor keeps dying. I blew off the back patio and your dad successfully mowed our yard yesterday. Hooray! Hopefully the oaks are almost done dropping. I will make a point to check the gutters and clean them out soon.
We finally got some good rain last Tuesday. We needed it. It was pouring hard for at least a half hour right after the boys got on the bus. I would like to have been curled up in bed, but no such luck. It was kind of a cozy, snuggle-up rain. I don't suppose you have that same feeling about rain these days.
We got more rain on Saturday. Since then the temperature has dropped, and it has been quite nice, although windy. The wind chimes were so loud on Sunday when Jen was over that she shut the sliding glass door. She said she felt like she had to yell to talk to me. I was thinking about you all day today wondering how cold you have been. I heard that had some snow in New England.
The spring weather has been beautiful lately. There have been a few days (today included) when I would really like to have driven the Mustang. I'll just have to wait until you're back in the fall and make a point to drive it then.
The boys are still not getting to bed with any regularity. It would drive you crazy. There was one day last week when Ryan just didn't wake up on his own. He was completely out of it, and I felt so bad for his tired little body that I let him sleep in until 7:45am. I finally had to go in and wake him up. He was thrown off by the fact that he had slept in past the time that the bus is supposed to come. It made him a little grumpy until he discovered that I had decided that all of the boys would just be car riders that morning.
I have also not been going to bed well (big surprise!). I am not staying up past Midnight; my bedtime has been more like 11:30pm. But the six or seven hours of sleep I get each night just hasn't been enough. It is starting to wear on me. In fact, last week I had a dream where I came across an alligator snapping turtle (which didn't look like a real alligator snapping turtle--its shell was covered in fuzz...). I knew that the turtle was quick and vicious and I had to move it out of the road (I'm not sure why...). But I was simply too weak and tired to get it out my way. I wasn't just tired in my dream. I was weak and tired in real life, even though I was sleeping, and it carried over into my dream.
In fact, I have been remembering a lot of my dreams lately. Some of them are good dreams. Many of them are spurred by real-life situations. (Anne had recently told me about coming across an alligator snapping turtle in the middle the road.) I had a dream where I attended an end-of-the-year function at the elementary school. There was some drama in the dream, but what stuck out to me was the table of desserts we got to sample. One of the desserts served was pineapple upside-down cupcakes. I had recently seen a recipe for them in my recipe binder (in real life and in the dream) and was so excited to be able to try them. I woke up wanting to bake them, but have had to hold off because we still have too many sweets around the house from Easter and now Todd's birthday.
Monday was Todd's birthday. It may take me a while to get used to him being NINE years old. We celebrated yesterday and today. I will probably let him invite a friend or two to do something fun this Saturday as well. On Friday your dad took Todd and me out to dinner (Chinese) for our birthdays (even though mine is still a month away.) On Sunday we had the whole family over for cake and ice cream. Todd got a few presents from the family. Yesterday morning I let Todd open the few presents from me before breakfast. I made him orange ricotta pancakes, which he had requested the night before. And I baked chocolate chip cookies for him to share with his class at school. The boys had baseball after school and I had chorus practice tonight, so we didn't really do anything to celebrate in the evening. All in all, we kept it simple, but I think Todd was really happy with his birthday.
Baseball is still going strong. I feel like I haven't seen very much of their games. Last week I stayed home from Todd's two games in order to put Ryan to bed earlier. When your dad took us to dinner on Friday he told me that Todd had been hit by the ball during his game the night before. I asked Todd to show me. He has a huge bruise on his thigh! He never mentioned it when he came home that night. (It was so late that I had to hurry him along just to get him in bed before 10:00pm.) And he never mentioned it the next morning before school. Poor tough guy.
Last week it seemed like Copper was not keeping up with me very well on his walks. Last night was a completely different story. He was so full of energy. I asked your mom if we could give him a run yesterday evening just as it was getting dark. Copper ran harder than I have seen him run in a while. When I got back I told your mom that I was sure that he would have run away last night without that run. This morning he was in the mood to run as well. I'm glad that I was able to give him his morning roller-blading run. He had no trouble keeping up with me. Since the morning was crisp and beautiful I made sure that I went a little longer for him.
The other day I mentioned smelling the honeysuckle vines on the golf course. The flowers smelled so sweet last night that I commented on them. Todd corrected me and informed me that they were jasmine. I looked it up on Wikipedia last night. He was right, of course. And clearly I know nothing about flowers!
I am looking forward for your return for Copper's benefit possibly more than mine. We sure try to do our best with him, but it's not the same. On Sunday he did something that he hasn't done in a very long time. I had gone to Publix the day before and bought a baguette. When I came home from church all that I could find of it was the plastic bag it came in torn in pieces. He ate the entire thing. Luckily it doesn't look like it made him sick. Thank goodness he left Todd's birthday cake alone. It was cooling on a rack, covered with a dish towel.
I have been getting my fill of chick flicks while you have been gone. Lately I have been crushing on Zac Efron. Yes, he is quite young and was a star on Disney's High School Musical. But he has grown to be quite the good-looking man. I'm looking forward to seeing the latest chick flick he starred in.
Wishing you were here to hug and kiss on. Hope you're doing well.
Much love from home.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
For Brett From Home (4/17/12)
I think Ryan has been having a hard time with our busy schedule this spring. He was complaining about an upset tummy on Sunday night and again on Monday morning. The boy said he felt too sick to go to school. I knew that I could push him to go to school, but I just had a feeling that he should stay home. I reminded him that staying home from school meant make-up work, no after-school play time with friends, no baseball that evening, and a nap. He happily agreed to the conditions. His mood improved significantly when the time for catching the bus had come and gone. But I didn't hear a word of complaint that afternoon on the friends issue. He also made an attempt to rest in the afternoon, but I was the only one who caught a few z's. In the end, I still don't regret letting Ryan have his mental health day. I am happy that he has an easy baseball schedule this week. No game or practice until Friday. Oma took Todd to baseball this afternoon, so Ryan has the rest of the afternoon to be a little boy, now that he has finished his math homework. I think he needed this break.
Todd, on the other hand, is doing just fine. In fact, with this week being FCAT testing you might think that Todd would be a little more stressed. Not at all. He is the one reminding me about eating a good breakfast. He suggested making "real" oatmeal for breakfast this morning, complete with raisins. How could I refuse him? Rather than being stressed this morning, he was excited about the prospect of getting Nerds as a snack at school after the test.
I had errands to run yesterday, so Ryan got to tag along with me. Ryan had one request: we had to get a birthday present for Copper. Per his request I took him to Walgreen's, where we found a glow-in-the-dark frisbee ring. I thought it was a perfect idea. Ryan let the ring soak up some rays and tested it in the bathroom. It really glowed. That night we tried it out and almost lost it. The ring had lost is glow and we couldn't see it in the bushes where Ryan had thrown had landed it. Still, it was a very sweet thought. Ryan also gave Copper a belated birthday treat yesterday. He let Copper lick his empty yogurt container. That sweet boy loves his Copper.
I also bought a special treat for Ryan at the grocery store: Silk, vanilla-flavored almond milk. Ryan has been begging me to buy it ever since he tried it at a friend's house. He loves it. I think he drank three cups of it yesterday. I like it okay, but just in small quantities. I might like it more as I get used to it. It did taste good with my bananas and oatmeal this morning.
Ryan and I also stopped at the vet yesterday and picked up some flea medicine for Copper. I gave it to him last night, and I didn't see any fleas on him when I checked him today. (Yeah!) I bought some special soothing shampoo to use on him, hopefully tomorrow. I also noticed that he seemed to have a little limp again today. I checked his paws thoroughly (he hated every minute of it), but I didn't see anything suspicious. I'll keep an eye on him.
This afternoon, instead of offering his yogurt container to Copper, Ryan mutilated his yogurt cup. He was using his spoon to bend out the bottom of the container. He reminded me so much of you, testing the properties of the plastic--pushing, scraping, poking, exploring, thinking. He also completely took apart (and put back together) the mechanical pencil he was using for his homework today, at times writing with it half-assembled. I restrained myself from telling him to just let the pencil be. I know it is good for him to put his curiosity to work. It amazes me to see his brain work sometimes. A little Brett.
I wonder how soon we will be able to employ Ryan's assistance in honey-do projects. I haven't heard the details yet, but I think your dad heard big bad news about the lawn mower. I may ask Deede about having Alex help out with the lawn. The corner cabinet in the kitchen could also use an oiling, when you get a chance. It is quite squeaky.
I have been working quite a bit on the blogs (a total of three) that I am keeping up for you. I have spent a lot of time setting them up and rearranging some things. My goal is that if I do it right now, then the photos, updates, and journal entries will all be organized at the end of the trip so we can do something special with it. I think we should do just that--something special. I think it is important to have your experience documented for your posterity.
I am typing now to the sound of seven boys playing nicely in the backyards (on the playset in Tammy's yard at the moment). Music to my ears. I feel very lucky to have great neighbors and friends so close for the boys to play with.
I met up with some church friends at Top This, the new frozen yogurt store that moved into the old Coastal Lumber building (Is that the name of the store that was across from the high school? I can't believe I've already forgotten.). While I was there I ran into (UPS driver) Carlos. He had heard (maybe from Donna?) that you were hiking the A.T. He said that he hiked the Georgia section. He started out with the intention of hiking to Blood Mountain and just kept going until he reached the Georgia/North Carolina border. It sounds like has the attitude of "never-again!". You'll have to ask him about it when you get back.
I had another aviary surprise today, though with the mild winter I shouldn't be that surprised. I saw our first hummingbird. It was in the front yard and just peeked into the dining room window. Time for me to set up the bird feeder.
I think you will be pleased to know that your mom finally bought herself a new sewing machine. This week she bought a Bernina which she has been wanting for years. Her machine finally stopped working, so she has been using mine. Mine doesn't do any fancy stitches, but it does the straight and zig zag stitches just fine. I think your mom is excited about her machine. I told her that you would have been happy if she bought herself a good machine years ago. She deserves it.
I know it really hasn't been that long since I talked to you, but it kind of feels like it already. I look forward to hearing from you soon, and hope you're doing well.
More from today:
I took Ryan to Chick-Fil-A for dinner tonight. They were doing a school fundraiser tonight, similar to the Hungry Howie's school night. Ryan definitely has a European attitude when it comes to eating his meals. I think he enjoys the socializing more than the eating. When I encouraged him to take a bit for the hundredth time he replied, "I just don't feel like taking a bite." He was content to sit and talk, having my full attention.
When we got home Ryan and I took Copper for a golf course run. We passed the hedge of honeysuckles (correction: jasmine). They smelled so sweet. I thought of you. I also noticed that the two baby long leaf pine trees in the backyard seem to be doing very well.
Tonight before bed Ryan and I finally looked at the booklet about babies, as promised. We saw the goo-blobs, alien-looking babies, white-fuzz-covered babies, legs-up-in-the-face babies (like Ryan, right before he was born), and newborns. I don't remember having a detailed conversation with my mom when I was young about umbilical cords and how my belly button came to be. I'm also pretty sure I didn't ask her whether I pooped or peed in her tummy. Also, "Do you tell if it's a boy or girl by looking at how the baby sucks its thumb?" (Wha?...uh, no...You just look right there.) All things considered, it wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it might be.
Todd, on the other hand, is doing just fine. In fact, with this week being FCAT testing you might think that Todd would be a little more stressed. Not at all. He is the one reminding me about eating a good breakfast. He suggested making "real" oatmeal for breakfast this morning, complete with raisins. How could I refuse him? Rather than being stressed this morning, he was excited about the prospect of getting Nerds as a snack at school after the test.
I had errands to run yesterday, so Ryan got to tag along with me. Ryan had one request: we had to get a birthday present for Copper. Per his request I took him to Walgreen's, where we found a glow-in-the-dark frisbee ring. I thought it was a perfect idea. Ryan let the ring soak up some rays and tested it in the bathroom. It really glowed. That night we tried it out and almost lost it. The ring had lost is glow and we couldn't see it in the bushes where Ryan had thrown had landed it. Still, it was a very sweet thought. Ryan also gave Copper a belated birthday treat yesterday. He let Copper lick his empty yogurt container. That sweet boy loves his Copper.
I also bought a special treat for Ryan at the grocery store: Silk, vanilla-flavored almond milk. Ryan has been begging me to buy it ever since he tried it at a friend's house. He loves it. I think he drank three cups of it yesterday. I like it okay, but just in small quantities. I might like it more as I get used to it. It did taste good with my bananas and oatmeal this morning.
Ryan and I also stopped at the vet yesterday and picked up some flea medicine for Copper. I gave it to him last night, and I didn't see any fleas on him when I checked him today. (Yeah!) I bought some special soothing shampoo to use on him, hopefully tomorrow. I also noticed that he seemed to have a little limp again today. I checked his paws thoroughly (he hated every minute of it), but I didn't see anything suspicious. I'll keep an eye on him.
This afternoon, instead of offering his yogurt container to Copper, Ryan mutilated his yogurt cup. He was using his spoon to bend out the bottom of the container. He reminded me so much of you, testing the properties of the plastic--pushing, scraping, poking, exploring, thinking. He also completely took apart (and put back together) the mechanical pencil he was using for his homework today, at times writing with it half-assembled. I restrained myself from telling him to just let the pencil be. I know it is good for him to put his curiosity to work. It amazes me to see his brain work sometimes. A little Brett.
I wonder how soon we will be able to employ Ryan's assistance in honey-do projects. I haven't heard the details yet, but I think your dad heard big bad news about the lawn mower. I may ask Deede about having Alex help out with the lawn. The corner cabinet in the kitchen could also use an oiling, when you get a chance. It is quite squeaky.
I have been working quite a bit on the blogs (a total of three) that I am keeping up for you. I have spent a lot of time setting them up and rearranging some things. My goal is that if I do it right now, then the photos, updates, and journal entries will all be organized at the end of the trip so we can do something special with it. I think we should do just that--something special. I think it is important to have your experience documented for your posterity.
I am typing now to the sound of seven boys playing nicely in the backyards (on the playset in Tammy's yard at the moment). Music to my ears. I feel very lucky to have great neighbors and friends so close for the boys to play with.
I met up with some church friends at Top This, the new frozen yogurt store that moved into the old Coastal Lumber building (Is that the name of the store that was across from the high school? I can't believe I've already forgotten.). While I was there I ran into (UPS driver) Carlos. He had heard (maybe from Donna?) that you were hiking the A.T. He said that he hiked the Georgia section. He started out with the intention of hiking to Blood Mountain and just kept going until he reached the Georgia/North Carolina border. It sounds like has the attitude of "never-again!". You'll have to ask him about it when you get back.
I had another aviary surprise today, though with the mild winter I shouldn't be that surprised. I saw our first hummingbird. It was in the front yard and just peeked into the dining room window. Time for me to set up the bird feeder.
I think you will be pleased to know that your mom finally bought herself a new sewing machine. This week she bought a Bernina which she has been wanting for years. Her machine finally stopped working, so she has been using mine. Mine doesn't do any fancy stitches, but it does the straight and zig zag stitches just fine. I think your mom is excited about her machine. I told her that you would have been happy if she bought herself a good machine years ago. She deserves it.
I know it really hasn't been that long since I talked to you, but it kind of feels like it already. I look forward to hearing from you soon, and hope you're doing well.
More from today:
I took Ryan to Chick-Fil-A for dinner tonight. They were doing a school fundraiser tonight, similar to the Hungry Howie's school night. Ryan definitely has a European attitude when it comes to eating his meals. I think he enjoys the socializing more than the eating. When I encouraged him to take a bit for the hundredth time he replied, "I just don't feel like taking a bite." He was content to sit and talk, having my full attention.
When we got home Ryan and I took Copper for a golf course run. We passed the hedge of honeysuckles (correction: jasmine). They smelled so sweet. I thought of you. I also noticed that the two baby long leaf pine trees in the backyard seem to be doing very well.
Tonight before bed Ryan and I finally looked at the booklet about babies, as promised. We saw the goo-blobs, alien-looking babies, white-fuzz-covered babies, legs-up-in-the-face babies (like Ryan, right before he was born), and newborns. I don't remember having a detailed conversation with my mom when I was young about umbilical cords and how my belly button came to be. I'm also pretty sure I didn't ask her whether I pooped or peed in her tummy. Also, "Do you tell if it's a boy or girl by looking at how the baby sucks its thumb?" (Wha?...uh, no...You just look right there.) All things considered, it wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it might be.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
For Brett From Home (4/15/12)
It feels like it's been a while since I let you know the goings-on in the house. Based on the list I have in front of me - a lot has been happening.
Today was Copper's birthday. We didn't get him a present. We didn't give him a walk. And we didn't pay a whole lot of extra attention to him today. This had Ryan (who was obviously very tired) crying on Copper's behalf. "It's just so sad. He didn't get any presents on his birthday!" To make matters worse, Copper has been something of a flea bag, despite my effort to treat him. I have heard this is going to be a bad flea year, and it scares me. I am going to run some errands tomorrow and hope that I find something that will give him relief. If it makes you (and Ryan) feel better, I did give Copper some frisbee-throwing time this morning.
The boys and I are faring well while you are away. I do feel a little bad for Copper though. Last Tuesday night he ran off on me again. Big time. He ran off right before I went to bed (in other words, late). I had been throwing the frisbee for him and he just disappeared after the fourth throw. I didn't see him at the door until the wee hours of the morning. That makes for a tired mommy.
I did have an interesting dream that night. I was at the grocery store with two new male acquaintances (rather good-looking men, I might add). I was walking with my arm around one of them. Then I leaned into his chest and . . . slowly inhaled. My interpretation of this dream: I miss the closeness of my Hun.
When you first left, Ryan was having a hard time settling down for sleep. He seemed more scared. He tried to lean on Copper for support. Ryan would try to call Copper into his room to sleep with him, but Copper was never interested. Ryan would end up crying. We got over that, and Ryan became content going to sleep after petting Copper good-night, as long we kept the light in the hallway on.
A few days ago I was the first one up in the morning. I went to wake up Todd for school. Then I went into Ryan's room. The room was empty. I couldn't find Ryan. I went back to Todd's room. I looked all around the house. I was starting to get nervous. I went back to my room and found Ryan asleep on the floor using Copper's dog bed as a pillow. Earlier this week Ryan crawled into bed with me after having a bad dream. He was so sweet putting his arm around me. Then, once more Ryan came in and fell asleep by Copper's bed in the wee hours. Three times in one week. Ryan doesn't act out at all during the day, and he doesn't say a whole lot about you. But I can tell that he misses having you around.
There is another thing that has concerned Ryan this week. His mother can't spread out her toes. That pinky toe of mine (and the three toes to the left of it) has no control. Ryan has tried multiple times to demonstrate how it is done. He explained that I needed to see that muscle working on the top of my foot. But no matter how much I strain, I can only make my toes curl down and back up. No sideways motion at all. I think Ryan looks at me as moderately handicapped now.
The weather has been just lovely (although my hair is telling me that it is a little humid today). I set out the hammock a few times, but haven't really had a chance to take the long hammock-nap that has been calling my name. I have been sleeping with the window open, and this morning I really noticed the birds chirping. "Pretty-bird-pretty-bird-pretty-bird" started right outside the window around 6:00am, and soon it was all a ruckus--albeit a beautiful spring ruckus. I thought about the poem I came across. It made me stop and think about the beauty around me, even in my own backyard.
One thing I haven't enjoyed this week is the dropping of the oak catkins (Thank you, Wikipedia for giving me a name to those annoying and very messy things all over my yard). Our yard is blanketed with them. Literally. They are everywhere! I can't wait for the lawn mower to be fixed some I can suck them up.
Yes, the lawn mower broke this last week. Your dad mowed our front yard and was working on the back, and it just died on him. Your dad did his best to look for the problem. He felt that it just wasn't getting any gas, even though there was plenty in the tank. After looking inside the tank and noticing some debris in the gas, he came up with a plan to take the tank apart, pick out the debris and put it all back together. I proposed a different plan--pouring the gas through a filter and into an empty gas tank. We wiped out the inside (and of course, the outside) of the tank on the mower, and poured the filtered gas back in. We were left with a clean tank, clean gas, and . . . a lawn mower no better working than when we started. I feel the pain that you experience when assisting your less-mechanically inclined family members.
I certainly appreciate all of the honey-do's you do for us. Thanks for walking me through tightening the door handle in the kitchen. I was grateful again today for you fixing my car door. I keep expecting it to be broken, and am always happily surprised when I remember you fixed it.
I still haven't seen much of Mark and Donna. Mark said that the spring breakers have been terrible. I would guess that it has been the worst year ever. Apparently the beaches have been packed. I'm glad that I haven't had to be in the middle of it all.
I had one of Sandra's mint brownies this week. It was as delicious as ever. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to ship one or five to you. I'm thinking I'll have to beg Sandra to make you a batch when you get home.
I talked to the boys last night and got them to think of some questions to ask you about the trail. I'm not going to tell you what the questions are ahead of time. They came up with some good ones and some not that great ones. I look forward to hearing your answers.
I think you'd be proud of me. I've been drinking at least 32 ounces of water every day. When I'm really trying I can drink 40 ounces in a day. Impressive, huh?
We sat in the back of the church today. I had a rough start with Ryan and felt a little frustrated soon after we sat down. I took Ryan out, talked with him and let him know he needed to change his behavior. He had already accumulated 45 minutes of no outside time when we got home. I basically told him to put on a happy face and get over it. Not that many minutes later, back in the chapel, he rested his head against my shoulder. I put my arm around him, breathed in the "my-sweet-little-boy" scent from his head, and we essentially made-up and had no more issues. I was able to enjoy the meeting. After church the bishop said that he noticed me from the stand and said that I seemed to be glowing. It was such a touching thing to say. It made me think that although things are tough sometimes without you, we're doing okay. Still I miss you and love you as ever.
Today was Copper's birthday. We didn't get him a present. We didn't give him a walk. And we didn't pay a whole lot of extra attention to him today. This had Ryan (who was obviously very tired) crying on Copper's behalf. "It's just so sad. He didn't get any presents on his birthday!" To make matters worse, Copper has been something of a flea bag, despite my effort to treat him. I have heard this is going to be a bad flea year, and it scares me. I am going to run some errands tomorrow and hope that I find something that will give him relief. If it makes you (and Ryan) feel better, I did give Copper some frisbee-throwing time this morning.
The boys and I are faring well while you are away. I do feel a little bad for Copper though. Last Tuesday night he ran off on me again. Big time. He ran off right before I went to bed (in other words, late). I had been throwing the frisbee for him and he just disappeared after the fourth throw. I didn't see him at the door until the wee hours of the morning. That makes for a tired mommy.
I did have an interesting dream that night. I was at the grocery store with two new male acquaintances (rather good-looking men, I might add). I was walking with my arm around one of them. Then I leaned into his chest and . . . slowly inhaled. My interpretation of this dream: I miss the closeness of my Hun.
When you first left, Ryan was having a hard time settling down for sleep. He seemed more scared. He tried to lean on Copper for support. Ryan would try to call Copper into his room to sleep with him, but Copper was never interested. Ryan would end up crying. We got over that, and Ryan became content going to sleep after petting Copper good-night, as long we kept the light in the hallway on.
A few days ago I was the first one up in the morning. I went to wake up Todd for school. Then I went into Ryan's room. The room was empty. I couldn't find Ryan. I went back to Todd's room. I looked all around the house. I was starting to get nervous. I went back to my room and found Ryan asleep on the floor using Copper's dog bed as a pillow. Earlier this week Ryan crawled into bed with me after having a bad dream. He was so sweet putting his arm around me. Then, once more Ryan came in and fell asleep by Copper's bed in the wee hours. Three times in one week. Ryan doesn't act out at all during the day, and he doesn't say a whole lot about you. But I can tell that he misses having you around.
There is another thing that has concerned Ryan this week. His mother can't spread out her toes. That pinky toe of mine (and the three toes to the left of it) has no control. Ryan has tried multiple times to demonstrate how it is done. He explained that I needed to see that muscle working on the top of my foot. But no matter how much I strain, I can only make my toes curl down and back up. No sideways motion at all. I think Ryan looks at me as moderately handicapped now.
The weather has been just lovely (although my hair is telling me that it is a little humid today). I set out the hammock a few times, but haven't really had a chance to take the long hammock-nap that has been calling my name. I have been sleeping with the window open, and this morning I really noticed the birds chirping. "Pretty-bird-pretty-bird-pretty-bird" started right outside the window around 6:00am, and soon it was all a ruckus--albeit a beautiful spring ruckus. I thought about the poem I came across. It made me stop and think about the beauty around me, even in my own backyard.
One thing I haven't enjoyed this week is the dropping of the oak catkins (Thank you, Wikipedia for giving me a name to those annoying and very messy things all over my yard). Our yard is blanketed with them. Literally. They are everywhere! I can't wait for the lawn mower to be fixed some I can suck them up.
Yes, the lawn mower broke this last week. Your dad mowed our front yard and was working on the back, and it just died on him. Your dad did his best to look for the problem. He felt that it just wasn't getting any gas, even though there was plenty in the tank. After looking inside the tank and noticing some debris in the gas, he came up with a plan to take the tank apart, pick out the debris and put it all back together. I proposed a different plan--pouring the gas through a filter and into an empty gas tank. We wiped out the inside (and of course, the outside) of the tank on the mower, and poured the filtered gas back in. We were left with a clean tank, clean gas, and . . . a lawn mower no better working than when we started. I feel the pain that you experience when assisting your less-mechanically inclined family members.
I certainly appreciate all of the honey-do's you do for us. Thanks for walking me through tightening the door handle in the kitchen. I was grateful again today for you fixing my car door. I keep expecting it to be broken, and am always happily surprised when I remember you fixed it.
I still haven't seen much of Mark and Donna. Mark said that the spring breakers have been terrible. I would guess that it has been the worst year ever. Apparently the beaches have been packed. I'm glad that I haven't had to be in the middle of it all.
I had one of Sandra's mint brownies this week. It was as delicious as ever. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to ship one or five to you. I'm thinking I'll have to beg Sandra to make you a batch when you get home.
I talked to the boys last night and got them to think of some questions to ask you about the trail. I'm not going to tell you what the questions are ahead of time. They came up with some good ones and some not that great ones. I look forward to hearing your answers.
I think you'd be proud of me. I've been drinking at least 32 ounces of water every day. When I'm really trying I can drink 40 ounces in a day. Impressive, huh?
We sat in the back of the church today. I had a rough start with Ryan and felt a little frustrated soon after we sat down. I took Ryan out, talked with him and let him know he needed to change his behavior. He had already accumulated 45 minutes of no outside time when we got home. I basically told him to put on a happy face and get over it. Not that many minutes later, back in the chapel, he rested his head against my shoulder. I put my arm around him, breathed in the "my-sweet-little-boy" scent from his head, and we essentially made-up and had no more issues. I was able to enjoy the meeting. After church the bishop said that he noticed me from the stand and said that I seemed to be glowing. It was such a touching thing to say. It made me think that although things are tough sometimes without you, we're doing okay. Still I miss you and love you as ever.
Monday, April 9, 2012
For Brett, From Home (4/9/12)
It was so nice to talk with you last night and the night before. I can't remember the last time we talked on the phone for an hour. I'm glad that you had a nice trail town to enjoy this beautiful spring weekend.
I'm sorry I wrapped up our conversation last night with the sad news of our dearly departed wren. I know these things happen in nature, but I worry about the two fledglings who may not be able to make it with one of their parents gone. You kind of had me freaked out about the possibility of one of the babies getting stuck somewhere in the garage. I did a quick search through the garage and didn't see anything. I think they found their way out. One of them left behind a poopy mess on the window of the back door that I will have to clean up. Ewwww.
Speaking of poopy messes. On my way back from the store this morning I noticed that the golf course was watering our road with their big poop-water sprinklers. There was absolutely no way around. I rolled up all the windows in the car and forged ahead through the spray. Now my car stinks! I think I am going to have to pull it back out of the garage and give it a rinse. Pardon me for a moment.... Whoo-eee! Peee-eww!
I took Copper for an evening golf course run yesterday. He was limping pretty badly on Saturday, so I didn't exercise him. He seemed better yesterday, but I am still nervous about running him on the road.
I've watched a few movies on Netflix this last week or two while trying to get chores done. I am a little embarrassed by how cheesy they may seem, but they were perfect for me. Light chick-flicks (including some ABC family originals) that are not objectionable and don't require much concentration. Here are some of the titles: "Revenge of the Bridesmaids," "My Fake Fiance," "Love's Kitchen," and get this one (I smile and cringe as I type it.) . . . "Pizza My Heart". I'm thinking of watching "My Future Boyfriend" next. It doesn't matter that I can't hear you laughing me at me--I'm laughing at myself!
I just got off the phone with your mom to discuss our weekly schedule. This is a necessary phone call each week. We will continue to have more scheduling phone calls as the week progresses to coordinate baseball games and practices, as well as other kid-watching needs. I'm looking forward to summer.
My sink spilleth over. This weekend of holiday activities has done a number on my kitchen. I've been so worn out the last two evenings that I haven't been able to catch up. It hasn't been this bad in a while. Today's job: dishes and laundry. If I could only finish those two things I would be a happy homemaker.
I never got to ask you how you enjoyed the Easter messages (and my drawing of Copper) we sent you in the mail drop. I still laugh that some of my messages made it into the hands of fellow hikers: "[heart] I love you, Brett! [heart]," "Hugs and Kisses from your Hun: [heart] X O X [heart] X O X [heart]," "You're one in a million! I'm proud of you for living your dreams." and "Keep it up! Our thoughts and prayers are directed to you." I'm glad that I didn't say anything too embarrassing. I don't mind that they know that you are loved and supported from home. You do indeed have our support and love (especially mine).
I'm sorry I wrapped up our conversation last night with the sad news of our dearly departed wren. I know these things happen in nature, but I worry about the two fledglings who may not be able to make it with one of their parents gone. You kind of had me freaked out about the possibility of one of the babies getting stuck somewhere in the garage. I did a quick search through the garage and didn't see anything. I think they found their way out. One of them left behind a poopy mess on the window of the back door that I will have to clean up. Ewwww.
Speaking of poopy messes. On my way back from the store this morning I noticed that the golf course was watering our road with their big poop-water sprinklers. There was absolutely no way around. I rolled up all the windows in the car and forged ahead through the spray. Now my car stinks! I think I am going to have to pull it back out of the garage and give it a rinse. Pardon me for a moment.... Whoo-eee! Peee-eww!
I took Copper for an evening golf course run yesterday. He was limping pretty badly on Saturday, so I didn't exercise him. He seemed better yesterday, but I am still nervous about running him on the road.
I've watched a few movies on Netflix this last week or two while trying to get chores done. I am a little embarrassed by how cheesy they may seem, but they were perfect for me. Light chick-flicks (including some ABC family originals) that are not objectionable and don't require much concentration. Here are some of the titles: "Revenge of the Bridesmaids," "My Fake Fiance," "Love's Kitchen," and get this one (I smile and cringe as I type it.) . . . "Pizza My Heart". I'm thinking of watching "My Future Boyfriend" next. It doesn't matter that I can't hear you laughing me at me--I'm laughing at myself!
I just got off the phone with your mom to discuss our weekly schedule. This is a necessary phone call each week. We will continue to have more scheduling phone calls as the week progresses to coordinate baseball games and practices, as well as other kid-watching needs. I'm looking forward to summer.
My sink spilleth over. This weekend of holiday activities has done a number on my kitchen. I've been so worn out the last two evenings that I haven't been able to catch up. It hasn't been this bad in a while. Today's job: dishes and laundry. If I could only finish those two things I would be a happy homemaker.
I never got to ask you how you enjoyed the Easter messages (and my drawing of Copper) we sent you in the mail drop. I still laugh that some of my messages made it into the hands of fellow hikers: "[heart] I love you, Brett! [heart]," "Hugs and Kisses from your Hun: [heart] X O X [heart] X O X [heart]," "You're one in a million! I'm proud of you for living your dreams." and "Keep it up! Our thoughts and prayers are directed to you." I'm glad that I didn't say anything too embarrassing. I don't mind that they know that you are loved and supported from home. You do indeed have our support and love (especially mine).
Friday, April 6, 2012
For Brett, From Home (4/6/12)
I'm missed being able to talk to you much this week. I know you haven't had good cell phone coverage. I hope that I am available when you get into Damascus. This will be a busy weekend, but I'd love to catch up.
I still haven't been able to see how many wrens are in the nest. I keep trying to peek in every now and then, but all I see is a dark mass of down and feathers. I do know there is one less wren baby than Mommy Wren hoped for. I saw that an unhatched egg was kicked out of the nest last night. Tiny egg. With this being Easter and seeing all of the candy around, the wren egg is so small it looks more like candy than the real thing to me. I have a feeling that there are not as many wren babies as we have seen in the past. They just seem quieter this year, and mom and dad don't seem as busy feeding. Maybe that's a good thing when it comes to the clean-up. Ryan came home from school earlier this week having a bad day. Near tears he told me how he had accidentally poked himself in the eye with his pencil at school, everybody (i.e. Todd) was ignoring him, and to top it all off he stepped in bird poop in the garage! Poor kid! (You think someone is tired?) I have noticed that the wren parents have been cleaning nest more frequently and I do try to clean up when I notice it. But you definitely need to watch where you step.
Copper has now run off three times since we got home from Spring Break. I already told you that he didn't come the second time until after midnight. After falling asleep with no Copper at home, I woke up, checked and happily found him outside and let him in--at 2:30 in the morning. Then, on Tuesday this week he ran off in the afternoon when he was outside alone for less than a minute. Ryan brought me his old "Lost Dog" poster and told me the bad news. Luckily, we drove around and found him quickly (on Lakeway). He was wet, and even though I had bathed him just the day before (!!!) he got another bath. I have told the boys that we simply can not trust him outside at all. I really am trying to give him exercise, but I think he misses you and the extra attention you give him.
I felt terrible this morning when I took Copper for a walk. He looked like he was limping a little, but I checked his paws and didn't see anything suspicious. We continued our walk, and he didn't seem like he was really limping anymore. But, I kept our walk a little shorter and didn't push him. When we got home I noticed blood on the kitchen floor. The poor boy had scraped his pad. It wasn't bleeding when I checked his paw at the beginning of the walk, but there was no missing it by the time we got back home. I'm so sorry, Copper!
Todd finished his 8th card in Mile Club yesterday (40 miles this year), and as far as I know he's still in the lead. I think it's funny that Todd is such a good runner and obviously doesn't mind running like his parents do.
I'm trying to update your A.T. blog, but I have so many pictures from you now that it's kind of hard to go back and add them all. I'm also not sure how to handle transcribing your journal. I think I may just keep up with my trail updates and simply transcribe your journal into a Word document.
My family is starting to plan and get excited about James' wedding in June. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone. James expressed it perfectly in his e-mail to all of us: "So a few people have expressed interest in doing some family stuff before the actual wedding, and I think that would be great. I'm not exactly sure what and/or when, but even hanging out, playing games and eating ham sandwiches sounds like fun when Mitchell siblings are involved" (emphasis added).
I'm interested to hear how your feet are faring. I really hope you're getting used to the new shoes and that your blisters from the old shoes are healing. Please take care of yourself.
Love, Becca
I still haven't been able to see how many wrens are in the nest. I keep trying to peek in every now and then, but all I see is a dark mass of down and feathers. I do know there is one less wren baby than Mommy Wren hoped for. I saw that an unhatched egg was kicked out of the nest last night. Tiny egg. With this being Easter and seeing all of the candy around, the wren egg is so small it looks more like candy than the real thing to me. I have a feeling that there are not as many wren babies as we have seen in the past. They just seem quieter this year, and mom and dad don't seem as busy feeding. Maybe that's a good thing when it comes to the clean-up. Ryan came home from school earlier this week having a bad day. Near tears he told me how he had accidentally poked himself in the eye with his pencil at school, everybody (i.e. Todd) was ignoring him, and to top it all off he stepped in bird poop in the garage! Poor kid! (You think someone is tired?) I have noticed that the wren parents have been cleaning nest more frequently and I do try to clean up when I notice it. But you definitely need to watch where you step.
Copper has now run off three times since we got home from Spring Break. I already told you that he didn't come the second time until after midnight. After falling asleep with no Copper at home, I woke up, checked and happily found him outside and let him in--at 2:30 in the morning. Then, on Tuesday this week he ran off in the afternoon when he was outside alone for less than a minute. Ryan brought me his old "Lost Dog" poster and told me the bad news. Luckily, we drove around and found him quickly (on Lakeway). He was wet, and even though I had bathed him just the day before (!!!) he got another bath. I have told the boys that we simply can not trust him outside at all. I really am trying to give him exercise, but I think he misses you and the extra attention you give him.
I felt terrible this morning when I took Copper for a walk. He looked like he was limping a little, but I checked his paws and didn't see anything suspicious. We continued our walk, and he didn't seem like he was really limping anymore. But, I kept our walk a little shorter and didn't push him. When we got home I noticed blood on the kitchen floor. The poor boy had scraped his pad. It wasn't bleeding when I checked his paw at the beginning of the walk, but there was no missing it by the time we got back home. I'm so sorry, Copper!
Todd finished his 8th card in Mile Club yesterday (40 miles this year), and as far as I know he's still in the lead. I think it's funny that Todd is such a good runner and obviously doesn't mind running like his parents do.
I'm trying to update your A.T. blog, but I have so many pictures from you now that it's kind of hard to go back and add them all. I'm also not sure how to handle transcribing your journal. I think I may just keep up with my trail updates and simply transcribe your journal into a Word document.
My family is starting to plan and get excited about James' wedding in June. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone. James expressed it perfectly in his e-mail to all of us: "So a few people have expressed interest in doing some family stuff before the actual wedding, and I think that would be great. I'm not exactly sure what and/or when, but even hanging out, playing games and eating ham sandwiches sounds like fun when Mitchell siblings are involved" (emphasis added).
I'm interested to hear how your feet are faring. I really hope you're getting used to the new shoes and that your blisters from the old shoes are healing. Please take care of yourself.
Love, Becca
Thursday, March 29, 2012
For Brett, From Home (3/29/12)
After Copper ran off last night, I made sure that I exercised him this morning. I went roller-blading with neighbor Beth and had a really nice time. I think she would like to make it a weekly date. After piano lessons I threw the frisbee with Copper a few times to let him a run a bit until he got bored. Then, when you mom was bringing Todd home for the night they drove up and down the fairway to give Copper a little more exercise. Only, when your mom got to my house she realized that when she had turned around, he had kept on going. She hadn't realized it at the turn, because it was already dark. I thought we were doing so well today. He never tried to run off all afternoon when the doors were open and piano students were coming in and out. He lay in the back yard or on the front porch and seemed like he was enjoying the day. Apparently I won't be able to let Copper out after dark without careful supervision.
I saw an unfamiliar orange cat on our front porch when I came home from baseball tonight. Later, I went into the garage and thought I smelled cat urine. Coincidence?
No news on the number of wren babies in the nest. I'll keep trying my best to get a peek without bothering them.
The boys were in bed by 8:30pm tonight! And, I think they were totally asleep before 9:00pm. Believe it or not, this is note-worthy. (I may even be able to get myself to bed by 10:30pm.)
I saw an unfamiliar orange cat on our front porch when I came home from baseball tonight. Later, I went into the garage and thought I smelled cat urine. Coincidence?
No news on the number of wren babies in the nest. I'll keep trying my best to get a peek without bothering them.
The boys were in bed by 8:30pm tonight! And, I think they were totally asleep before 9:00pm. Believe it or not, this is note-worthy. (I may even be able to get myself to bed by 10:30pm.)
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
For Brett, From Home (3/28/12)
I had such a wonderful time with you and the family this Spring Break. It was such a nice vacation. So nice to relax again, to have no real schedule, to take it easy with the people I love. I felt refreshed on Monday and had a good day. But now it's Wednesday, and I already feel like I need another vacation. It's 8:52pm and the boys are still awake. No wonder I stay up each night until almost midnight. My evening Mommy Time can't get started until 10pm, by the time I get the house chores done!
I have been seeing Daddy Wren make more appearances lately. On my first day back I thought I saw a wren feeding the babies. Then I realized it was Dad bringing Mom a bug snack. In fact, I just witnessed Daddy Wren catch a moth that was resting on the back sliding glass door and give it a good shake-down before flying off with it. I'm sorry you're not here to witness it. I hope the wrens come back next year for you.
Our new neighbors moved in today. The moving truck was unloading when I got home from school today. I saw the mom for half a minute when I went to greet the boys off the boys. We waved and I was going to go over and say hello with the boys, but she was gone by the time we dropped their backpacks in the house. I had planned on making an apple pie this week, since it sounded good on vacation. I think I will make an extra and bring it over to the new neighbors and officially meet them.
I am thinking about talking to Tammy about my reading with Logan. I just can't keep up with it when we have a baseball game or practice the same day. That happened both Monday and Wednesday this week. It's just one more thing that eats up my time in the afternoon with the boys.
I started a 30-day challenge at the beginning of March. It was a photo-a-day challenge, with an assigned topic for each day. I liked that the topics were varied and gave little glimpses into my life.
It lasted 7 days....
I still want to finish the photo challenge, but I think I will have to start fresh in April. Going out of town twice in March messed it up.
I haven't gotten back in the groove with Copper's exercise yet and I paid for it tonight. I had to drive to school Tuesday (story time) and Wednesday (library) this week. And I elected to drive the boys on Monday since we all slept in past 7:00am after getting back late on Sunday night. Your mom gave him a run around the golf course on Monday. And I gave him my best Frisbee exercise yesterday afternoon. He just wouldn't run for me. Tonight after baseball I gave Copper some decent Frisbee throws in between supervising the boys' showers. But while he was off searching for the Frisbee, I went in to check on the boys. When I came back, Copper was no where to be found. I knew he went out for a run, and there was nothing I could do at that point. I continued bed time, and by the time I got the boys settled down in their beds Copper was cooling off on the back porch. Thank goodness.
I'm not sure how it happened, but I have another honey-do for you. We now have two broken screen doors. I saw Copper run right into and mangle the metal frame of our kitchen screen door shortly after you left. Today I just noticed that the screen in our bedroom screen door is pulled out of the bottom. I have been leaving the doors open a lot lately with the beautiful weather we have been having. Copper enjoys lying by the screen door at night, and the damage looks like it could have been his mistake again, but I didn't witness it this time. Side note: The night before last I really wanted to sleep with the doors open, but sprinklers had been running on the golf course that night and it smelled so bad that I just couldn't handle it. Bummer.
Do you remember before you left how the receiver got stuck on a song and wouldn't go back to the main menu for Pandora? It happened again. I think you were able to refresh it by unplugging it for a few minutes. It is an easy fix (which I haven't gotten around to doing yet--not a big priority), but I thought you might be interested in knowing about it.
I took care of the oil change this afternoon. I had them do the full check and everything (including tire pressure) looked fine. I will still have the tires rotated and balanced if you like. In the car today I mentioned how smudgy the windows were. Ryan offered to help me wash them this weekend. How sweet! And a great idea. I might even wash Copper while I'm at it.
I'm glad that you have been enjoying some beautiful weather. I hope you continue to have some perfect days for hiking.
Ryan asked who was taking him to baseball today: Oma? No. Daddy? (...???...) We miss you and love you.
I have been seeing Daddy Wren make more appearances lately. On my first day back I thought I saw a wren feeding the babies. Then I realized it was Dad bringing Mom a bug snack. In fact, I just witnessed Daddy Wren catch a moth that was resting on the back sliding glass door and give it a good shake-down before flying off with it. I'm sorry you're not here to witness it. I hope the wrens come back next year for you.
Our new neighbors moved in today. The moving truck was unloading when I got home from school today. I saw the mom for half a minute when I went to greet the boys off the boys. We waved and I was going to go over and say hello with the boys, but she was gone by the time we dropped their backpacks in the house. I had planned on making an apple pie this week, since it sounded good on vacation. I think I will make an extra and bring it over to the new neighbors and officially meet them.
I am thinking about talking to Tammy about my reading with Logan. I just can't keep up with it when we have a baseball game or practice the same day. That happened both Monday and Wednesday this week. It's just one more thing that eats up my time in the afternoon with the boys.
I started a 30-day challenge at the beginning of March. It was a photo-a-day challenge, with an assigned topic for each day. I liked that the topics were varied and gave little glimpses into my life.
It lasted 7 days....
I still want to finish the photo challenge, but I think I will have to start fresh in April. Going out of town twice in March messed it up.
I haven't gotten back in the groove with Copper's exercise yet and I paid for it tonight. I had to drive to school Tuesday (story time) and Wednesday (library) this week. And I elected to drive the boys on Monday since we all slept in past 7:00am after getting back late on Sunday night. Your mom gave him a run around the golf course on Monday. And I gave him my best Frisbee exercise yesterday afternoon. He just wouldn't run for me. Tonight after baseball I gave Copper some decent Frisbee throws in between supervising the boys' showers. But while he was off searching for the Frisbee, I went in to check on the boys. When I came back, Copper was no where to be found. I knew he went out for a run, and there was nothing I could do at that point. I continued bed time, and by the time I got the boys settled down in their beds Copper was cooling off on the back porch. Thank goodness.
I'm not sure how it happened, but I have another honey-do for you. We now have two broken screen doors. I saw Copper run right into and mangle the metal frame of our kitchen screen door shortly after you left. Today I just noticed that the screen in our bedroom screen door is pulled out of the bottom. I have been leaving the doors open a lot lately with the beautiful weather we have been having. Copper enjoys lying by the screen door at night, and the damage looks like it could have been his mistake again, but I didn't witness it this time. Side note: The night before last I really wanted to sleep with the doors open, but sprinklers had been running on the golf course that night and it smelled so bad that I just couldn't handle it. Bummer.
Do you remember before you left how the receiver got stuck on a song and wouldn't go back to the main menu for Pandora? It happened again. I think you were able to refresh it by unplugging it for a few minutes. It is an easy fix (which I haven't gotten around to doing yet--not a big priority), but I thought you might be interested in knowing about it.
I took care of the oil change this afternoon. I had them do the full check and everything (including tire pressure) looked fine. I will still have the tires rotated and balanced if you like. In the car today I mentioned how smudgy the windows were. Ryan offered to help me wash them this weekend. How sweet! And a great idea. I might even wash Copper while I'm at it.
I'm glad that you have been enjoying some beautiful weather. I hope you continue to have some perfect days for hiking.
Ryan asked who was taking him to baseball today: Oma? No. Daddy? (...???...) We miss you and love you.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
For Brett, From Home (3/14/12)
It's been so nice talking with you on the phone lately. You sound so upbeat. I hope that you are thoroughly enjoying the trail.
Things are continuing to go pretty well at home, but baseball is killing me. This year seems worse than others, even though I have more help than I could ask for from your parents. I feel kind of bad that I am missing so much of watching the boys play...kind of. The after-school and bedtime schedules have been difficult. I feel like I have been rushing and hounding the boys to do their homework, and rushing and hounding the boys to go to bed. And, even with my rushing they aren't getting to bed before 8:30pm each night. Not late compared to some kids, but late for our kids who wake up early and are used to a good night's rest. Ryan especially is having a hard time of it. It would be nice to have you here to help with the evening schedule. But, hopefully we can figure things out soon. Then we only have two months more of school. And, I have a whole week of Spring Break to rest up: no school, no homework, no baseball!
Spring is here for real. I have been leaving the doors open this week and have enjoyed listening to the birds going crazy in the mornings. The orange blossoms have opened up and are filling the air with their sweet scent.
I noticed the wren sitting in her nest on Monday morning, and each morning since. The nest is so high, I haven't been able to look in yet. I am also trying to respect her space and not make more of a ruckus than necessary.
Copper is doing well. We have been exercising him. A couple of nights I have had to exercise him using the Aerobie and hit a tree every two out of three throws. I am sure that Copper misses your super-throws, but he still gets excited any time he sees me pull out his flying disc. Ryan is making sure that he hugs Copper every day, and Copper doesn't seem to mind. He settles down easily with the boys when they visit your parents. And your parents have taken Copper for a run around the golf course every now and again.
Looking forward to seeing you. I hope you're ready for the invasion of space you are sure to experience.
Things are continuing to go pretty well at home, but baseball is killing me. This year seems worse than others, even though I have more help than I could ask for from your parents. I feel kind of bad that I am missing so much of watching the boys play...kind of. The after-school and bedtime schedules have been difficult. I feel like I have been rushing and hounding the boys to do their homework, and rushing and hounding the boys to go to bed. And, even with my rushing they aren't getting to bed before 8:30pm each night. Not late compared to some kids, but late for our kids who wake up early and are used to a good night's rest. Ryan especially is having a hard time of it. It would be nice to have you here to help with the evening schedule. But, hopefully we can figure things out soon. Then we only have two months more of school. And, I have a whole week of Spring Break to rest up: no school, no homework, no baseball!
Spring is here for real. I have been leaving the doors open this week and have enjoyed listening to the birds going crazy in the mornings. The orange blossoms have opened up and are filling the air with their sweet scent.
I noticed the wren sitting in her nest on Monday morning, and each morning since. The nest is so high, I haven't been able to look in yet. I am also trying to respect her space and not make more of a ruckus than necessary.
Copper is doing well. We have been exercising him. A couple of nights I have had to exercise him using the Aerobie and hit a tree every two out of three throws. I am sure that Copper misses your super-throws, but he still gets excited any time he sees me pull out his flying disc. Ryan is making sure that he hugs Copper every day, and Copper doesn't seem to mind. He settles down easily with the boys when they visit your parents. And your parents have taken Copper for a run around the golf course every now and again.
Looking forward to seeing you. I hope you're ready for the invasion of space you are sure to experience.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
For Brett, From Home (2/29/12)
Another little gem from Ryan yesterday morning:
Ryan: Mom, what if you had a baby while Dad was on the trail? And Dad couldn't come to see.
Mom: Whoa. That wouldn't be good. But, it takes babies nine months to grow.
Ryan: Really??
Mom: Yeah. And I [sucking in my stomach] don't have a baby in my tummy right now. So at least we don't have to worry about that.
The wren nest in the garage looks great, and I still see the birds in the garage some mornings. I haven't seen mama bird sitting in the nest yet, but I still think that they will take up residence. I felt bad for the birds yesterday. We were in a rush to get to the bus stop. I went through the garage to put my rollerblades on, shut the garage door behind me, and skated off with Copper. When I got back from our run I saw that the front door was open. Apparently a little boy did not shut the door completely and the wind blew it open the rest of the way. I came inside to find both of the wrens flitting about. Copper and I took them by surprise and they got a little nervous. I opened the back door and a short time later they escaped, one from the front and one from the back. I did have a clean up a few little droppings on the dining room floor....
Kristie and I are narrowing down the cabin for Spring Break. It's hard to believe how close it is getting. After hearing how disappointed you were about not seeing Copper, I asked Kristie if we could go back and look for a pet-friendly location. I hope that it works out and that I can give you that surprise.
Ryan: Mom, what if you had a baby while Dad was on the trail? And Dad couldn't come to see.
Mom: Whoa. That wouldn't be good. But, it takes babies nine months to grow.
Ryan: Really??
Mom: Yeah. And I [sucking in my stomach] don't have a baby in my tummy right now. So at least we don't have to worry about that.
The wren nest in the garage looks great, and I still see the birds in the garage some mornings. I haven't seen mama bird sitting in the nest yet, but I still think that they will take up residence. I felt bad for the birds yesterday. We were in a rush to get to the bus stop. I went through the garage to put my rollerblades on, shut the garage door behind me, and skated off with Copper. When I got back from our run I saw that the front door was open. Apparently a little boy did not shut the door completely and the wind blew it open the rest of the way. I came inside to find both of the wrens flitting about. Copper and I took them by surprise and they got a little nervous. I opened the back door and a short time later they escaped, one from the front and one from the back. I did have a clean up a few little droppings on the dining room floor....
Kristie and I are narrowing down the cabin for Spring Break. It's hard to believe how close it is getting. After hearing how disappointed you were about not seeing Copper, I asked Kristie if we could go back and look for a pet-friendly location. I hope that it works out and that I can give you that surprise.
Friday, February 24, 2012
For Brett, From Home (2/24/12)
I have a confession to make. Maybe I'm not doing such a great job taking care of Copper. Last night I took him for a ride with me to the baseball field. (Good Hun.) Then, somehow in the unloading of boys, shoes, equipment, purse, who-know-what-else . . . Copper never took the opportunity to get out and . . . I shut the door, with him still inside. (That's how ashamed I am. I had to use tiny print.) I think he just settled down and took a nap. Between getting the boys bathed and bedded, I didn't miss Copper. By the time things were quiet I still didn't miss him, thinking he was curled up somewhere. It wasn't until I went into the garage to do some laundry (more than two hours later--Bad, Bad Hun) that I saw him sitting up looking at me through the window. Poor boy. I felt so bad that I tried to make it up by throwing the Aeorobie, but he quickly got bored with it. The window had been down a few inches, and he didn't seem traumatized. I think I probably felt worse than he did. In fact, this afternoon when I went to leave for the grocery store, you should have seen Copper jump at the chance for another ride.
Sorry. We really are trying.
I was watching Ryan playing catch by himself this afternoon in the back yard. He has actually gotten better. Todd was inspired enough by his improvement that he invited Ryan to play catch with him. They played (unimpressively) for, I don't know, maybe a whole 3 minutes!
I sometimes think I am too nice to solicitors. I stayed on the phone with a girl this evening for about 10 minutes. She was very nice, and I was nice back. I let her describe some of their products. I declined, so she described some other options. I declined, so she described some other products. At this point (actually prior to that point) I should have just said, "I'm not buying nothin'!" But I didn't, and it took another two minutes for her to get the point. Now I feel worse for wasting her time than I would have if I were a little more rude, i.e. firm, in the beginning.
You would be proud of me. I attempted to fix another problem by myself. The shower curtain rod in the hall bath has been driving me crazy for months. It just rests and rolls on top of the ledge of the tub walls. I can never seem to extend it and get it to keep a tight fit. So, I bought a new rod today. (Way to show initiative!) I looked at the instructions on the new rod and thought (Did you catch that? I thought about it.), "Hmmm. I wonder if I've been trying to extend and tighten the old rod incorrectly. It might still work." I took myself to the bathroom and successfully (we'll see how successfully after a couple of weeks) extended and tightened the old rod. I don't know whether to feel proud that I fixed my own problem, or stupid that I didn't know how to tighten a shower rod without instructions. (Please don't say it; I already know what you're thinking!)
Thanks again for my Valentine's bowl. It is great, and I have already used it quite a bit.
It's surprising how many white Chevy trucks are on the road. I look for you in each one.
Sorry. We really are trying.
I was watching Ryan playing catch by himself this afternoon in the back yard. He has actually gotten better. Todd was inspired enough by his improvement that he invited Ryan to play catch with him. They played (unimpressively) for, I don't know, maybe a whole 3 minutes!
I sometimes think I am too nice to solicitors. I stayed on the phone with a girl this evening for about 10 minutes. She was very nice, and I was nice back. I let her describe some of their products. I declined, so she described some other options. I declined, so she described some other products. At this point (actually prior to that point) I should have just said, "I'm not buying nothin'!" But I didn't, and it took another two minutes for her to get the point. Now I feel worse for wasting her time than I would have if I were a little more rude, i.e. firm, in the beginning.
You would be proud of me. I attempted to fix another problem by myself. The shower curtain rod in the hall bath has been driving me crazy for months. It just rests and rolls on top of the ledge of the tub walls. I can never seem to extend it and get it to keep a tight fit. So, I bought a new rod today. (Way to show initiative!) I looked at the instructions on the new rod and thought (Did you catch that? I thought about it.), "Hmmm. I wonder if I've been trying to extend and tighten the old rod incorrectly. It might still work." I took myself to the bathroom and successfully (we'll see how successfully after a couple of weeks) extended and tightened the old rod. I don't know whether to feel proud that I fixed my own problem, or stupid that I didn't know how to tighten a shower rod without instructions. (Please don't say it; I already know what you're thinking!)
Thanks again for my Valentine's bowl. It is great, and I have already used it quite a bit.
It's surprising how many white Chevy trucks are on the road. I look for you in each one.
For Brett, From Home (2/22/12)
To ease your mind a little, I think Copper is doing well. He doesn't seem to be mopey. He is eating well. He didn't each much on Monday, but seems to have a normal appetite again. He does seem a little anxious anytime I go to leave the house. He always wants to tag along and gets very excited for his daily walk. I invite him up on the bed, and he stays there at least long enough for me to fall asleep (which, gratefully, is not that long).
Yesterday the wrens added a little more nesting material to the corner of the Coke bottle shelf. Today, when I came home from working at the library the nest appeared almost complete! I hope to share more news on that front as the next few weeks progress.
Your parents have already been a huge help. Just their promise of help has been a huge help. I have already booked them for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday this week!
No surprise, my bedtime hasn't altered from Midnight any day this week. I was hoping tonight would be different, but it's not looking very promising....
I had a hard time getting motivated yesterday. I couldn't figure out what to do with myself and ended up wasting almost the entire day in front of the TV (presumably doing laundry). At the end of the night I made a promise to myself that I would not turn on the TV today. I have kept that promise and have been happier for it. I knew this would be a challenge for me--managing my time well, limiting distractions, and getting sleep.
This afternoon Outlook didn't want to work right for me, so I decided to reboot the computer and give it a another chance. When the computer tried to restart, it wouldn't open up to my welcome screen. I let it sit for a minute, turned off the power for a mintute and tried again. I repeated this process about two more times, getting more nervous each time. Why wouldn't my computer start? And where was my Brett to solve my problem?!? Then I took a breath, and thought. (Did you catch that? I really thought about it.) I haven't been having any problems with the computer. Why, when all seemed to be going smoothly, would it decide to freeze? What was different? That's when I noticed that my iPod was still plugged in, charging. Could that be it? I turned off the iPod, unplugged it from the computer, and restarted my computer--successfully! Problem solved!! By myself!!!
I need to start compiling a list of all the questions I have for you. I keep added questions to my mental list as I go about my day. I look forward to hearing the details of the hike and really getting a feel for what it's like.
We miss you and love you. I'm looking forward to talking with you again.
Yesterday the wrens added a little more nesting material to the corner of the Coke bottle shelf. Today, when I came home from working at the library the nest appeared almost complete! I hope to share more news on that front as the next few weeks progress.
Your parents have already been a huge help. Just their promise of help has been a huge help. I have already booked them for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday this week!
No surprise, my bedtime hasn't altered from Midnight any day this week. I was hoping tonight would be different, but it's not looking very promising....
I had a hard time getting motivated yesterday. I couldn't figure out what to do with myself and ended up wasting almost the entire day in front of the TV (presumably doing laundry). At the end of the night I made a promise to myself that I would not turn on the TV today. I have kept that promise and have been happier for it. I knew this would be a challenge for me--managing my time well, limiting distractions, and getting sleep.
This afternoon Outlook didn't want to work right for me, so I decided to reboot the computer and give it a another chance. When the computer tried to restart, it wouldn't open up to my welcome screen. I let it sit for a minute, turned off the power for a mintute and tried again. I repeated this process about two more times, getting more nervous each time. Why wouldn't my computer start? And where was my Brett to solve my problem?!? Then I took a breath, and thought. (Did you catch that? I really thought about it.) I haven't been having any problems with the computer. Why, when all seemed to be going smoothly, would it decide to freeze? What was different? That's when I noticed that my iPod was still plugged in, charging. Could that be it? I turned off the iPod, unplugged it from the computer, and restarted my computer--successfully! Problem solved!! By myself!!!
I need to start compiling a list of all the questions I have for you. I keep added questions to my mental list as I go about my day. I look forward to hearing the details of the hike and really getting a feel for what it's like.
We miss you and love you. I'm looking forward to talking with you again.
For Brett, From Home (2/20/12)
Even though my calves are killing me--are you sure that I didn't just hike the Grand Canyon rather than a mere 740 steps to the top of Amicola Falls? (I can't imagine how your muscles must feel right now)--I intend to keep good on my promise to take care of Copper. I could tell that he needed the exercise, and I think it was good for my sore legs too. Todd and Ryan have already promised to throw the Aerobie for Copper after school, and I think I will have them take Copper up and down the street a couple of times as well. We all gave him extra petting this morning, and Copper even slept on the bed last night (for a while at least).
"Old Lumpy" came back home with us and is now resting on the couch. I just can't seem to make myself throw away your old pillow yet. Maybe next trash pick-up. Or the next.
I think we made a good decision to close your truck windows before we left. I heard some chattering in the garage, and went out a few minutes later to check on things. I saw that the wrens had gathered some nesting materials into the corner of the shelf above the back door next to the Coke bottles (same place as before).
I ran a little errand this morning. Copper was quicker than usual to jump at the chance for a ride. After turning onto our street on the way home I found myself looking to see if your truck was in the driveway. I have a feeling I will be doing that for a while.
While at the grocery story I bought the Family Size container of hummus. I will be eating the mess out of hummus while you are gone. That's a perk I had not considered. There won't be anyone around to tell me how much it (and my breath) stinks.
I had a lot on my mind last night, and of course a million things to unpack, tidy up, etc. Most of it I left for today, but I did take care of a few things. All things considered, I'm proud of myself for going to sleep no later than Midnight. I was curled up in bed with one of your pillows, Copper, and my heating pad. It was "freezing" last night. I can't imagine how you must be feeling, exposed in the wet and quite possibly freezing (without the quotation marks) weather.
I am still excited for you and hope that you are starting to feel a little better now, having gotten the emotional good-bye's behind you. I find myself anxious for an update from you. I want to hear all about your experiences on the trail. Call, text, e-mail, or comment soon. I miss you--but not so much that I want you give up your dream or enjoy it less. Enjoy it to the fullest!
Much love,
Becca
Update: First thing to break while you are away: Copper ran hard into the screen door. It's a mangled mess. At least we have another screen on the side bedroom door. I'll just switch the two. I knew there would be things that would come up, but did it have to be on the first full day? That's not encouraging.
"Old Lumpy" came back home with us and is now resting on the couch. I just can't seem to make myself throw away your old pillow yet. Maybe next trash pick-up. Or the next.
I think we made a good decision to close your truck windows before we left. I heard some chattering in the garage, and went out a few minutes later to check on things. I saw that the wrens had gathered some nesting materials into the corner of the shelf above the back door next to the Coke bottles (same place as before).
I ran a little errand this morning. Copper was quicker than usual to jump at the chance for a ride. After turning onto our street on the way home I found myself looking to see if your truck was in the driveway. I have a feeling I will be doing that for a while.
While at the grocery story I bought the Family Size container of hummus. I will be eating the mess out of hummus while you are gone. That's a perk I had not considered. There won't be anyone around to tell me how much it (and my breath) stinks.
I had a lot on my mind last night, and of course a million things to unpack, tidy up, etc. Most of it I left for today, but I did take care of a few things. All things considered, I'm proud of myself for going to sleep no later than Midnight. I was curled up in bed with one of your pillows, Copper, and my heating pad. It was "freezing" last night. I can't imagine how you must be feeling, exposed in the wet and quite possibly freezing (without the quotation marks) weather.
I am still excited for you and hope that you are starting to feel a little better now, having gotten the emotional good-bye's behind you. I find myself anxious for an update from you. I want to hear all about your experiences on the trail. Call, text, e-mail, or comment soon. I miss you--but not so much that I want you give up your dream or enjoy it less. Enjoy it to the fullest!
Much love,
Becca
Update: First thing to break while you are away: Copper ran hard into the screen door. It's a mangled mess. At least we have another screen on the side bedroom door. I'll just switch the two. I knew there would be things that would come up, but did it have to be on the first full day? That's not encouraging.
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