We've had a tough ending to summer and a difficult beginning of the school year. The shooting of a police officer in College Station has hurt the entire community. I know, having lived in a big city, that officers of the peace aren't held in high regard, but here in College Station, they are our friends and our protectors. They are the person standing next to you in the check out line. They are the husband of the kindergarten teacher, the father of your child's best friend, cousin of the lifeguard at the pool, mother of the girl selling cookies. Our entire community is still mourning.
It's an interesting experience for a big city girl. I've never experienced this type of communal grieving. Perfectly normal people have set up fundraising events for the victims of the shooting and the Bachmann family. Perfectly normal businesses contribute to the cause without asking for anything in return. Children set up lemonade stands and give all the money they earn, and trust me, nobody stops them. They aren't told to that they need permits or licensing. This type of love and help convinces me that "big city" America has lost touch with some of the basic values that small town America still has a firm grasp on, and it almost convinces me to never, ever live in a city again. Wow...did I just say that? What a scary thought! I'm not sure if I could live without opera, ballet and art museums. Like I said...almost. I think it's sad that we have to exchange values for conveniences.
Our van is decidedly on its last legs. I think the accident that we had at the beginning of the summer had something to do with it, so I am officially a biker. Not a cool one sorry to say. I've got a rusty, mountain bike that I ride to and from work every day. I've got to take it easy in the evenings when I come home because it's about 100F, so I make sure I pack a couple bottles of water just in case. So far, it hasn't been too difficult. The only thing I complain about is the uphill ride home, but then, I'm really glad that I don't have the uphill ride to work. Who wants to arrive at work all sweaty and sticky? I'm lucky because work is only 3 miles from home which is a reasonable biking distance with only a few minor uphill swings. I figure it's God's way of helping me get back into shape!
What's amazing is that Tanner's school schedule worked out really well this semester. He has classes from 9:00 until 1:00 which works perfect for a single car family. He takes the girls to school in the morning and picks them up in the afternoon, throws a casserole in the oven and dinner is ready when I get home. I gobble it up quickly and then start teaching violin while the girls clean the kitchen. Tanner usually leaves around that time to start his evening study session while I put the girls down. Then I do my schoolwork, quizzes, tests, reports, etc.. after they are in bed. Whoop! What's really nice about all of this, is that I have time to go running in the mornings since I don't have to take the girls to school, so my 5k training is going pretty well. I am panicking because it's coming up really soon, but I'll get there.
The only thing I can't figure out how to fit in to the daily routine is laundry. My laundry genie left at the end of August, so now, my clothes to magically appear in my drawers all clean and neatly folded. I really need to get me another one of those!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
I hope I don't regret it, but I really haven't taken very many pictures of our completely awesome summer. I decided at the beginning of May to try to live in the moment instead of outside of the moment, hence, I haven't been carting my camera around very much. Luckily for me, there such a thing as a cell phone camera, so if I really see something that I just can't resist, I can still snap a picture, but my waterproof, lime-green camera has spent most of the summer sitting on my desk.
It's taken a great deal of will power. My Japanese instincts insist that a camera is as important as underclothes and a bathing suit, but I am determined to play this summer rather than record. I've had a lot of fun, and I think we've built some good memories.
We've gone to the beach a couple of times this summer, and all of the girls head straight to the water. Reagan will play in them for a few minutes, at least as long as Mommy is in the water (which is about 5 minutes tops). Once Mommy heads for the umbrella and lounge chair, Reagan heads for the sand, shovels and buckets. I've always declared that I go to the BEACH not the OCEAN, and I've finally got a kid that likes to do the same things I loved doing as a kid. Reagan and I have spent a couple of lovely afternoons together digging trenches and moats and building impossible walls.
And then there is Kate, who is the waterbug of all waterbugs. She will stay in the water until her skin is withered and wrinkly. We have to make sure she doesn't keep going deeper and deeper! If she had her druthers, she would be surfing already! She has amazing heat stamina. I start to wilt, and she's ready to run. She turns a lovely, silky brown that matches her golden eyes and hair. Most people know her as a bookworm, curled up on a chair next to mom reading thick volumes of musty paper, but Kate loves to be active, warm, sweaty and wet!
And then, I discovered that Reagan can read. I'm not sure when that happened, but it did. Sometime between the ages of 4 and Kindergarten, she figured out how to recognize letters and words. It makes Georgianna jealous, so I won't be surprised if Georgie starts reading early, too.
Emily has been a whirlwind, amazing, fun-loving, totally-awesome Auntie! She and the girls get to do all sorts of fun things while I'm stuck at work. They go swimming, do the dollar movies, hang out with other kids, go bowling, walk to the park, have picnics, visit Target. Of course, she makes them clean their rooms and pick up the house which is super nice!
We're a little concerned that maybe we're making them do too much work. Last night when we were talking about God creating a new heaven and a new earth, Reagan said, "yes, we wreck the world, so when God makes the new one, I have to remember to put my toy away before I get out a new one!"
It's taken a great deal of will power. My Japanese instincts insist that a camera is as important as underclothes and a bathing suit, but I am determined to play this summer rather than record. I've had a lot of fun, and I think we've built some good memories.
We've gone to the beach a couple of times this summer, and all of the girls head straight to the water. Reagan will play in them for a few minutes, at least as long as Mommy is in the water (which is about 5 minutes tops). Once Mommy heads for the umbrella and lounge chair, Reagan heads for the sand, shovels and buckets. I've always declared that I go to the BEACH not the OCEAN, and I've finally got a kid that likes to do the same things I loved doing as a kid. Reagan and I have spent a couple of lovely afternoons together digging trenches and moats and building impossible walls.
And then there is Kate, who is the waterbug of all waterbugs. She will stay in the water until her skin is withered and wrinkly. We have to make sure she doesn't keep going deeper and deeper! If she had her druthers, she would be surfing already! She has amazing heat stamina. I start to wilt, and she's ready to run. She turns a lovely, silky brown that matches her golden eyes and hair. Most people know her as a bookworm, curled up on a chair next to mom reading thick volumes of musty paper, but Kate loves to be active, warm, sweaty and wet!
And then, I discovered that Reagan can read. I'm not sure when that happened, but it did. Sometime between the ages of 4 and Kindergarten, she figured out how to recognize letters and words. It makes Georgianna jealous, so I won't be surprised if Georgie starts reading early, too.
Emily has been a whirlwind, amazing, fun-loving, totally-awesome Auntie! She and the girls get to do all sorts of fun things while I'm stuck at work. They go swimming, do the dollar movies, hang out with other kids, go bowling, walk to the park, have picnics, visit Target. Of course, she makes them clean their rooms and pick up the house which is super nice!
We're a little concerned that maybe we're making them do too much work. Last night when we were talking about God creating a new heaven and a new earth, Reagan said, "yes, we wreck the world, so when God makes the new one, I have to remember to put my toy away before I get out a new one!"
Thursday, July 19, 2012
July passes swiftly by
Why is it that the most poetic sounding phrases are so grammatically incorrect? Regardless, we are heading round the bend of July, and I am not prepared for the summer to come to an end. We haven't really felt like it has been a summer. At least, not a summer by Texan standards.
While the rest of the United States seems to be suffering from heat waves, drought-like conditions and all those uncomfortable things, we have been blessed with rain and mild weather. I know, sounds like the Northwest doesn't it? Of course, our rain happens when it is 82F, but it is still rain, and for Texas 82 is mighty pleasant.
Now, if I were at home with the kids, they would be allowed to play outside, ride their bikes, scoot on their scooters and the fun things you get to do in the spring, but there would be no way that they would be going to the pool, splashing on slip and slides or having water fights. It would just be too cool, and I'm sure that they would agree with me. I would have moans of, "Mommy, I'm freeeeeeziiiiing!" But, since Emily is here, the kids are getting plenty of water time, and as far as I can tell, they aren't freezing.
I find it perplexing. Their differential attitude that is, not the fact that they aren't freezing.
I can tell that the weather has been mild because the girls are the same color they were at the beginning of summer. No tan lines. No sun burns. All in all, I'm thankful for the no sun burns part. Emily is unhappy with the no tan lines part. I'm relatively certain that things will start heating up pretty soon. After all, August is coming...right?
While the rest of the United States seems to be suffering from heat waves, drought-like conditions and all those uncomfortable things, we have been blessed with rain and mild weather. I know, sounds like the Northwest doesn't it? Of course, our rain happens when it is 82F, but it is still rain, and for Texas 82 is mighty pleasant.
Now, if I were at home with the kids, they would be allowed to play outside, ride their bikes, scoot on their scooters and the fun things you get to do in the spring, but there would be no way that they would be going to the pool, splashing on slip and slides or having water fights. It would just be too cool, and I'm sure that they would agree with me. I would have moans of, "Mommy, I'm freeeeeeziiiiing!" But, since Emily is here, the kids are getting plenty of water time, and as far as I can tell, they aren't freezing.
I find it perplexing. Their differential attitude that is, not the fact that they aren't freezing.
I can tell that the weather has been mild because the girls are the same color they were at the beginning of summer. No tan lines. No sun burns. All in all, I'm thankful for the no sun burns part. Emily is unhappy with the no tan lines part. I'm relatively certain that things will start heating up pretty soon. After all, August is coming...right?
Thursday, July 5, 2012
4th of July
I couldn't let the opportunity pass to share our 4th of July. We slept in late. Translation: till almost 8:00a.m.! I think Tanner woke up a bit earlier than me because while I was tottering around in the kitchen trying to figure out how to make breakfast, he came waltzing in with a cappuccino from Starbucks. I never did get breakfast made...
We wanted to give Emily a break from kids and stuff, so we piled the kids in the car, swung by Home Depot for one of those pump sprayer thingy-mums and then found some breakfast tacos. I tell you what (please imagine a deep Texan drawl at this point), the whole darn city shuts down on the 4th of Jewelye! We couldn't find an open fast food restaurant to save our lives! Took us almost 20minutes to find a place to feed the kids.
Well, then Jonny called us and told us that his work was having a 4th of July party, so why not come over and hit the pool and have some hamburgers and hot dogs. We did. We had a lot of fun, and I finally got rid of the office pasty white that has become my usual skin tone. Unfortunately, I had planned hot dogs and hamburgers for dinner, too! But that was okay, because I had planned a truly northwest experience. Turkey burgers and chicken hot dogs, so it was different.
We decided to do the rooftop parking again rather than go to the George Bush Museum for the show. I just didn't feel like fighting the crowds this year. The girls played with glow sticks and made funny animal shapes with them. My favorite was the panda face they made.
Speaking of pandas, we got onto the subject of Kung Fu Panda because the girls and I made chocolate ice cream for after the fireworks. Emily was gushing about how delicious it tasted, and Kate said, "that's because of my secret ingredient!" Well, of course I had to be a proud Asian mamma at that moment, and as we were talking about it, Tanner started laughing as he remembered the duck's confession about there being no secret ingredient when we were all expecting him to confess that Po was adopted. Kate said most emphatically, "Well, I knew he was adopted!" Tanner asked, "Really? How did you know?" We all expected her to say something like, "Ducks can't have pandas" instead she said, "Because I saw Kung Fu Panda 2!"
Okay, back to pre-fireworks...So the girls climbed on to the roof of the van with Auntie Emily so that they could have a good view. When the fireworks began, the biggest racket I've ever heard those girls make assaulted my ears. Woohoos! Whoops! Aaaaaah! Screech!...all sorts of noised and shouts. They were the loudest group on the rooftop. I felt like I was in 7th grade again, saying, "I don't really know them." At least they had fun.
We wanted to give Emily a break from kids and stuff, so we piled the kids in the car, swung by Home Depot for one of those pump sprayer thingy-mums and then found some breakfast tacos. I tell you what (please imagine a deep Texan drawl at this point), the whole darn city shuts down on the 4th of Jewelye! We couldn't find an open fast food restaurant to save our lives! Took us almost 20minutes to find a place to feed the kids.
Well, then Jonny called us and told us that his work was having a 4th of July party, so why not come over and hit the pool and have some hamburgers and hot dogs. We did. We had a lot of fun, and I finally got rid of the office pasty white that has become my usual skin tone. Unfortunately, I had planned hot dogs and hamburgers for dinner, too! But that was okay, because I had planned a truly northwest experience. Turkey burgers and chicken hot dogs, so it was different.
We decided to do the rooftop parking again rather than go to the George Bush Museum for the show. I just didn't feel like fighting the crowds this year. The girls played with glow sticks and made funny animal shapes with them. My favorite was the panda face they made.
Speaking of pandas, we got onto the subject of Kung Fu Panda because the girls and I made chocolate ice cream for after the fireworks. Emily was gushing about how delicious it tasted, and Kate said, "that's because of my secret ingredient!" Well, of course I had to be a proud Asian mamma at that moment, and as we were talking about it, Tanner started laughing as he remembered the duck's confession about there being no secret ingredient when we were all expecting him to confess that Po was adopted. Kate said most emphatically, "Well, I knew he was adopted!" Tanner asked, "Really? How did you know?" We all expected her to say something like, "Ducks can't have pandas" instead she said, "Because I saw Kung Fu Panda 2!"
Okay, back to pre-fireworks...So the girls climbed on to the roof of the van with Auntie Emily so that they could have a good view. When the fireworks began, the biggest racket I've ever heard those girls make assaulted my ears. Woohoos! Whoops! Aaaaaah! Screech!...all sorts of noised and shouts. They were the loudest group on the rooftop. I felt like I was in 7th grade again, saying, "I don't really know them." At least they had fun.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Just keep swimming
Wow, we've had some hot weather the last few days. Heat indexes as high as 117F. Yup. Now that is hot! Not as hot as it was last year, but we got a wave of muggy, hot heath, thanks to Debby. Looks like things will cool down in the next few days and we should be hovering right around normal all the way through the 4th of July.
The first part of every week passes in a fuzzy haze for me. I get up early, work late and sleep for the first half of the week. I am so thankful that Emily is here to help with making dinners, because I think the kids would end up going without that last meal for at least Monday and Tuesday. It would make for an interesting weight loss program, but wouldn't be one that I would suggest or endorse. And don't get me wrong, Emily is not slaving away in a hot kitchen all day long to make dinner. She just reminds Jonathan to do it. :-) As long as he has someone to remind him, he stays pretty consistent! On Monday he made an out of this world chicken breast ala Jonathan and on Tuesday it was a delicately flavored salmon (even if it was from the Atlantic and YES there is a big difference. I miss my Pacific salmon). Emily made a very tasty Mediterranean leg of lamb on Wednesday with homemade hummus. Wow, after writing that, I'm just not sure if I'm gonna let Emily leave!
Lest you think that I'm just coming home and gorging myself on all sorts of delicacies, please remember that I work until 8:00pm on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday I consider my light work day because I finish at 6:30pm. So, yeah, I am spoiled, and I love it!
Emily has been taking the girls to swimming lessons this week. I haven't put much hope in them for the two little ones, so you can imagine my surprise when they started swimming last night at the pool. I was very impressed. Both Georgianna and Reagan bob and stroke and do all sorts of lovely little tricks, all under water! Woohoo! So, a three year old is NOT too little to learn how to swim. It's so nice to know that if one of them did take a running jump into a pool during some ungaurded moment, I would have a few seconds of grace to get in the water. Kate is turning into a strong swimmer, too, and I'm contemplating on enrolling in a second set of swim lessons for all of them.
Kudos to my mother and father-in-law. You did a great job raising Tanner. He is such a caring father. He knew that last week I had a hard time with Georgianna. She broke down in tears last Thursday because her daddy was all gone, so he determined, without telling us, to show up once again on our doorstep midweek. Georgi was already asleep, but I rousted her out of bed because I knew the trip was for her. She was so excited and ready for her daddy snuggles! She sat on Tanner's lap for a good hour, and only left it to brush her teeth. Then when we tried to put her to bed, she promptly snuck into our room and crawled into bed with us. Super cute, and I didn't have the heart to tell her no, so I spent an uncomfotable night. He had to leave at 4:30 this morning, but Reagan made him promised to wake her up even if it was in the middle of the night so that she could give him a goodbye kiss.
It does feel like the week is surmountable, now, and next week will be even easier. So, perhaps this weekend requires a trip to the beach...
The first part of every week passes in a fuzzy haze for me. I get up early, work late and sleep for the first half of the week. I am so thankful that Emily is here to help with making dinners, because I think the kids would end up going without that last meal for at least Monday and Tuesday. It would make for an interesting weight loss program, but wouldn't be one that I would suggest or endorse. And don't get me wrong, Emily is not slaving away in a hot kitchen all day long to make dinner. She just reminds Jonathan to do it. :-) As long as he has someone to remind him, he stays pretty consistent! On Monday he made an out of this world chicken breast ala Jonathan and on Tuesday it was a delicately flavored salmon (even if it was from the Atlantic and YES there is a big difference. I miss my Pacific salmon). Emily made a very tasty Mediterranean leg of lamb on Wednesday with homemade hummus. Wow, after writing that, I'm just not sure if I'm gonna let Emily leave!
Lest you think that I'm just coming home and gorging myself on all sorts of delicacies, please remember that I work until 8:00pm on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday I consider my light work day because I finish at 6:30pm. So, yeah, I am spoiled, and I love it!
Emily has been taking the girls to swimming lessons this week. I haven't put much hope in them for the two little ones, so you can imagine my surprise when they started swimming last night at the pool. I was very impressed. Both Georgianna and Reagan bob and stroke and do all sorts of lovely little tricks, all under water! Woohoo! So, a three year old is NOT too little to learn how to swim. It's so nice to know that if one of them did take a running jump into a pool during some ungaurded moment, I would have a few seconds of grace to get in the water. Kate is turning into a strong swimmer, too, and I'm contemplating on enrolling in a second set of swim lessons for all of them.
Kudos to my mother and father-in-law. You did a great job raising Tanner. He is such a caring father. He knew that last week I had a hard time with Georgianna. She broke down in tears last Thursday because her daddy was all gone, so he determined, without telling us, to show up once again on our doorstep midweek. Georgi was already asleep, but I rousted her out of bed because I knew the trip was for her. She was so excited and ready for her daddy snuggles! She sat on Tanner's lap for a good hour, and only left it to brush her teeth. Then when we tried to put her to bed, she promptly snuck into our room and crawled into bed with us. Super cute, and I didn't have the heart to tell her no, so I spent an uncomfotable night. He had to leave at 4:30 this morning, but Reagan made him promised to wake her up even if it was in the middle of the night so that she could give him a goodbye kiss.
It does feel like the week is surmountable, now, and next week will be even easier. So, perhaps this weekend requires a trip to the beach...
Monday, June 25, 2012
The weekend...
which leads me to my next point. Triple digit temperatures. Really? Last week we were freezing at 80 degrees. This week we're being threatened with triple digits. Come on. It's not July, yet. I blame Debby. She's hanging off the coast of Florida and really messing up our lovely June weather. At least she has decided to visit our Atlantic friends rather than our Gulf Coast friends. It means perhaps a beach trip is in order this coming weekend. I'm thinking of Stewart Beach, a picnic and lots of sun!
Are you wondering why I haven't described our latest weekend? That's because all we did was shop! I became obsessed with finally getting a new espresso machine. I was tired of coffee, coffee coffee! I've been muddling through life without my morning I.V., and I was just tired of it. It seems like I dragged the kids to every single store in the mall. Even when they started to complain, which usually signals my immediate departure, I made them tough it out. I really don't think I've ever done that.
I looked Tanner square in the eyes and said, "We're not going home without my espresso machine." He just nodded, grim determination settling in around his eyes. He knew we were in for the long haul. I can't tell you how many times we've gone to look for a new machine and made it it one or two stores, and then the kids start to get bored, so we head home. This was not going to be the case. I had been sacrificing my well being for almost three months. The girls would have to sacrifice for 3 hours.
It was worth it. I emerged from the cavernous, air conditioned mall with an espresso machine. Purists would be reviled, but when your options are limited, as they tend to be in a smallish town, then any 15bar espresso machine is considered gold. You cannot imagine my excitement and utter satisfaction. The feeling was better than a satiated salted dark chocolate craving.
Needless to say, we were all exhausted and barely managed to scrape together something resembling dinner. We went to church the next day, took naps, had lunch, puttered around the house and generally did nothing remarkable except get Daddy ready for this coming week.
Oh, and Emily and Jonathan killed a cockroach.
Did I mention that I am super lucky, blessed beyond all measure to have such great siblings? I am so glad that we all get along so well. I continuoulsy pray that we will always remain friendly. I know way too many families who "get along" but couldn't stand to be with each other for extended periods of time. I can't say thank you enough to my parents for raising us in a way that would help us to be friends, to enjoy each others company, to accept our differences and revel in them.
Makes me curious to see if we can do the same with our girls...
Are you wondering why I haven't described our latest weekend? That's because all we did was shop! I became obsessed with finally getting a new espresso machine. I was tired of coffee, coffee coffee! I've been muddling through life without my morning I.V., and I was just tired of it. It seems like I dragged the kids to every single store in the mall. Even when they started to complain, which usually signals my immediate departure, I made them tough it out. I really don't think I've ever done that.
I looked Tanner square in the eyes and said, "We're not going home without my espresso machine." He just nodded, grim determination settling in around his eyes. He knew we were in for the long haul. I can't tell you how many times we've gone to look for a new machine and made it it one or two stores, and then the kids start to get bored, so we head home. This was not going to be the case. I had been sacrificing my well being for almost three months. The girls would have to sacrifice for 3 hours.
It was worth it. I emerged from the cavernous, air conditioned mall with an espresso machine. Purists would be reviled, but when your options are limited, as they tend to be in a smallish town, then any 15bar espresso machine is considered gold. You cannot imagine my excitement and utter satisfaction. The feeling was better than a satiated salted dark chocolate craving.
Needless to say, we were all exhausted and barely managed to scrape together something resembling dinner. We went to church the next day, took naps, had lunch, puttered around the house and generally did nothing remarkable except get Daddy ready for this coming week.
Oh, and Emily and Jonathan killed a cockroach.
Did I mention that I am super lucky, blessed beyond all measure to have such great siblings? I am so glad that we all get along so well. I continuoulsy pray that we will always remain friendly. I know way too many families who "get along" but couldn't stand to be with each other for extended periods of time. I can't say thank you enough to my parents for raising us in a way that would help us to be friends, to enjoy each others company, to accept our differences and revel in them.
Makes me curious to see if we can do the same with our girls...
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Country Music
I discovered that Emily likes to listen to country music. I think it's funny because I live in Texas and rarely tune in to the country side of things, but now, every time I get into my car, country music is playing. I am impressed with my level of knowledge about all things country. I was able to explain some of the lyrics to her -- like the reference to "gigging frogs". I'm tempted to introduce her to King of the Hill just so she gets a thorough education. At least then she'll be able to listen to the lyrics and know what they're all singing about.
We are so blessed to have such a great family. There are people that just can't imagine any of their siblings coming out for a summer to help, but I can and I do! Kudos to Mom and Dad who raised a bunch of kids that like each other and want to help each other out. Having Emily here for the summer has really lowered my stress level. I feel such great support, and I know that even when I pull a really long work day, the kids will be sane and even bathed!
Of course, all this non stress makes me want to go and play, so last night we headed to Target and bought every imaginable bad snakc food, carried our plunder away in high fashion and then settled to down to a cozy movie night. It sort of replaced my running schedule, but since I've got shin splints I guess I have an excuse! Please, don't remind me that I should have done some cross training!
The weather has gone a little nuts on us. We've had thunder and rain for the past couple of days. No big storms, but I think it would be cool if Emily got to experience at least on wild Texan rain storm. Don't worry, I'm not praying for it. For some reason, God seems to like to answer my prayers about the weather, so I have to be careful what I ask for!
We are so blessed to have such a great family. There are people that just can't imagine any of their siblings coming out for a summer to help, but I can and I do! Kudos to Mom and Dad who raised a bunch of kids that like each other and want to help each other out. Having Emily here for the summer has really lowered my stress level. I feel such great support, and I know that even when I pull a really long work day, the kids will be sane and even bathed!
Of course, all this non stress makes me want to go and play, so last night we headed to Target and bought every imaginable bad snakc food, carried our plunder away in high fashion and then settled to down to a cozy movie night. It sort of replaced my running schedule, but since I've got shin splints I guess I have an excuse! Please, don't remind me that I should have done some cross training!
The weather has gone a little nuts on us. We've had thunder and rain for the past couple of days. No big storms, but I think it would be cool if Emily got to experience at least on wild Texan rain storm. Don't worry, I'm not praying for it. For some reason, God seems to like to answer my prayers about the weather, so I have to be careful what I ask for!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Mmmmm...it's a Texan summer again. One of my favorite times of the year. The sun is heating up, and the air conditioner, even when it is set at 80F never goes off. The quiet neighborhoods are disturbed by the gentle hum of air conditioners on overdrive.
Did you know that you can identify the type of air conditioner by the sound it makes? Now, I'm not as adept as some, so I can tell you the brand, the make, the model, but I can tell when a big unit is running or a double unit or if someone is running a 220v or just a humble 110v. I'd say that you should try it, but I'm not sure if it would ever get hot enough in the Northwest.
I remember groaning over the fact that I couldn't cool my house down when it hit 90F. Now..I consider anything under 95 running, picnic in the park, time to throw open the doors and air out the house kind of weather. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm wearing shorts and tank tops through the whole thing, well, unless I forget to change out of my sweats and t-shirt.
I promise! It's the truth. Just ask Emily. Take yesterday. Em was down to a cute little summer dress. You know, the kind that doesn't have a back, is light weight and takes advantage of every tiny breeze. Anyway, that's what she was wearing. On the other hand, I was wearing a pair of navy blue sweats and a blue and white striped t-shirt. I had to add all those colors in there just to sound impressive. Not that other people weren't wearing summery clothing, but there were others just like me or dressed even more warmly than me. After all, there is nothing that says "Texan" more than a pair of Levi or, better yet, Wrangler jeans. It's weird, I know, but it's also the truth. Pinky promise.
Did you know that you can identify the type of air conditioner by the sound it makes? Now, I'm not as adept as some, so I can tell you the brand, the make, the model, but I can tell when a big unit is running or a double unit or if someone is running a 220v or just a humble 110v. I'd say that you should try it, but I'm not sure if it would ever get hot enough in the Northwest.
I remember groaning over the fact that I couldn't cool my house down when it hit 90F. Now..I consider anything under 95 running, picnic in the park, time to throw open the doors and air out the house kind of weather. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm wearing shorts and tank tops through the whole thing, well, unless I forget to change out of my sweats and t-shirt.
I promise! It's the truth. Just ask Emily. Take yesterday. Em was down to a cute little summer dress. You know, the kind that doesn't have a back, is light weight and takes advantage of every tiny breeze. Anyway, that's what she was wearing. On the other hand, I was wearing a pair of navy blue sweats and a blue and white striped t-shirt. I had to add all those colors in there just to sound impressive. Not that other people weren't wearing summery clothing, but there were others just like me or dressed even more warmly than me. After all, there is nothing that says "Texan" more than a pair of Levi or, better yet, Wrangler jeans. It's weird, I know, but it's also the truth. Pinky promise.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Haphazard
In true writing fashion, I tried to figure out the main point of this post. Small little things kept flitting to my mind that I felt compelled to write about, but none of them would be sufficient for a single blog post. In true Noelle fashion, I canned the whole formal writing equation and decided to post my little tidbits in all of their haphazard fashion. In doin so, I think I inadvertently came up with my main point...
God has truly blessed us with a great babysitter/nanny. The girls love her. She is kind and considerate toward them, and she is always looking for fun things to do with them. They are so much happier and content after she has watched them. This morning she made bannan pancakes with them. Seriously. Not pancakes with a bit of bannana in them, but bannana with a bit of pancake. The girls smashed and mashed bannanas and whisked some eggs, and made a glorious, gooey mess. But...I didn't have to deal with it because they cleaned it all up!
When I came home at lunch time to teach a lesson, the girls all started complaining. They wanted me to go back to work so that they could finish their day with their babysitter. I'm sure it had something to do with the fact that they were getting ready to go swimming!
Another great day at work. I have excellent bosses who give me enough work without over-taxing me. I am blessed beyond measure, and I hope to bless them in return. I'm working on setting up a better facebook profile and maybe design a couple of brochures as well as the bookkeeping/bill paying/general faxing and go to stuff that "Administrative Assistants" are suppose to do. Super fun with lots of different stuff, so my ADD is completely satisfied.
I've discovered that Kate is a lot more like me than I had previously thought. She squirrels money away in little bits, and then "bam!" she suddenly has a lot of money with all of her loose change and odd dollar bills. I also discovered that she is saving up for a car. Not a real car. Whew! A Barbie car. She wants one of those motorized kid cars so that she can drive up and down the street! I'm not sure how I feel about that since I'm pretty sure the batteries have a high cost to pleasure ratio.
On another tangent, every had an 8 year old ask you about dieing? It's one of the hardest questions to answer. She's worried about death. Will it hurt? Is it scary? Will I be alone? Will I feel Jesus when I die? What about Reagan? Will Jesus let Georgi go to heaven even though she hasn't accepted Him into her heart yet? Will I be naked in heaven? Aah, the complexities of a little mind. Needless to say, I went to bed VERY late last night. Those aren't questions that you can answer quickly. Well, except for the one about being naked in heaven. At least that one I could say that the bible says we're "clothed in robes of righteousness." Whew! Always knew all that scripture memorization would come in handy.
Reagan was aghast to find out that her sin was the reason Jesus died. She burst into tears on Tuesday. Oh, soon, very soon, I think I'll get to rejoice that another of my babes follows Jesus.
Kate has been having interesting conversation with her friend at school. Her friend is Muslim and tried to explain to Kate that there are two angels on her shoulder. One recording all of the good things you do, and the other recording all of the bad things you do. Kate just couldn't understand why people would believe in that. She told me, "I just know that I do WAY more BAD things than GOOD things!" I love talking to her about things like that. It gives me an opportunity to tell her the old, old story of Jesus and His love, and I know that in her own way, she is starting to tell her friends the story as well.
God has truly blessed us with a great babysitter/nanny. The girls love her. She is kind and considerate toward them, and she is always looking for fun things to do with them. They are so much happier and content after she has watched them. This morning she made bannan pancakes with them. Seriously. Not pancakes with a bit of bannana in them, but bannana with a bit of pancake. The girls smashed and mashed bannanas and whisked some eggs, and made a glorious, gooey mess. But...I didn't have to deal with it because they cleaned it all up!
When I came home at lunch time to teach a lesson, the girls all started complaining. They wanted me to go back to work so that they could finish their day with their babysitter. I'm sure it had something to do with the fact that they were getting ready to go swimming!
Another great day at work. I have excellent bosses who give me enough work without over-taxing me. I am blessed beyond measure, and I hope to bless them in return. I'm working on setting up a better facebook profile and maybe design a couple of brochures as well as the bookkeeping/bill paying/general faxing and go to stuff that "Administrative Assistants" are suppose to do. Super fun with lots of different stuff, so my ADD is completely satisfied.
I've discovered that Kate is a lot more like me than I had previously thought. She squirrels money away in little bits, and then "bam!" she suddenly has a lot of money with all of her loose change and odd dollar bills. I also discovered that she is saving up for a car. Not a real car. Whew! A Barbie car. She wants one of those motorized kid cars so that she can drive up and down the street! I'm not sure how I feel about that since I'm pretty sure the batteries have a high cost to pleasure ratio.
On another tangent, every had an 8 year old ask you about dieing? It's one of the hardest questions to answer. She's worried about death. Will it hurt? Is it scary? Will I be alone? Will I feel Jesus when I die? What about Reagan? Will Jesus let Georgi go to heaven even though she hasn't accepted Him into her heart yet? Will I be naked in heaven? Aah, the complexities of a little mind. Needless to say, I went to bed VERY late last night. Those aren't questions that you can answer quickly. Well, except for the one about being naked in heaven. At least that one I could say that the bible says we're "clothed in robes of righteousness." Whew! Always knew all that scripture memorization would come in handy.
Reagan was aghast to find out that her sin was the reason Jesus died. She burst into tears on Tuesday. Oh, soon, very soon, I think I'll get to rejoice that another of my babes follows Jesus.
Kate has been having interesting conversation with her friend at school. Her friend is Muslim and tried to explain to Kate that there are two angels on her shoulder. One recording all of the good things you do, and the other recording all of the bad things you do. Kate just couldn't understand why people would believe in that. She told me, "I just know that I do WAY more BAD things than GOOD things!" I love talking to her about things like that. It gives me an opportunity to tell her the old, old story of Jesus and His love, and I know that in her own way, she is starting to tell her friends the story as well.
TGIF
I must have a short in my brain somewhere. I don't know what possessed me to agree to haul 4 children, all by myself, to the Houston Zoo for the morning, then take them to the airport to pick up a very much missed Auntie, then drive to Sugarland, then drive to San Antonio, then go to Six Flags. Oh, wait, confusing modifier there, I only did the Houston Zoo/Airport Pick Up by myself. But still...did my parents forget to teach me some basic math principles?
I have to admit that it was fun, and it did prove that I am capable of corralling and nurturing 4 warm bodies. We saw lions and tigers and bears, oh, my! and quite a few other animals before visiting the splash park at the zoo where the kids got dripping wet. Did I bring towels? No, but I wasn't worried, and I'm glad that I didn't. It took about 15 minutes for their clothing to dry. Now, that is hot weather!
It was great to watch Kate walk a little a head of the group with her friend. So many happy memories of being on outings with friends...I was happy to be making some of those same memories for Kate. We munched on Dippin Dots, went through an entire box of CapriSuns, 6 bottles of water and 4 glasses of lemonade before we had to pick up Emily.
I will not bore you with the details of airport traffic. Suffice it to say, it was a beast. Luckily, the much missed Auntie was still standing in the pick up area when we arrived. Everyone was grateful that she hadn't decided to catch the next flight home! We drove through Houston to Sugarland and spent the evening playing in the pool, eating dinner and finally crashing for the night with the expectation of an early Saturday morning.
Six Flags! That was what every single one of the kid kept asking for all the next morning as we drove and drove and drove. Of course, you must also insert pit stop, pit stop, pit stop because two cars filled with girls will not make it more than an hour on the road before someone has use the restroom! Luckily, we knew where the best places were, and it was only the very last time that things got a little desperate, but we made it to Six Flags in time to wait in a very long line for parking.
We managed to find parking spaces, tickets, sunscreen and all those wonderful things. We decided to split up for the day, so Tanner grabbed the three oldest girls an took them on the "car" ride. I couldn't help but chuckle a little bit since they had all been anxious to get OUT of the car just a few minutes before. Emily and I took Georgianna and went on the log ride, the baby car ride, and a couple of other kiddie rides. I finally convinced Emily to go on at least one daredevil ride which didn't seem to have any line, so she did while Georgianna and I waited in the shade. Afterward, Emily said that I could go, too.
I smiled and shook my head. "I come to Six Flags for two reasons," I explained, "the first one is Kate. The second one is Tanner." Yup, that's the truth. My job at Six Flags is Georgianna entertainer and bag watcher. I just don't do rides. Well, I did go on the Ferris Wheel (which Emily can attest that I had a white knuckle grip on the metal caging the whole time) and the Log Ride, but I think other than kidde rides that was it.
I enjoyed the next day much more. We all hung out together and the kids did the teacups, swings, haunted house and rides like that until we got too hot and then we headed to the water park where we floated on the lazy river and played in the wave pool until we discovered Kiddie Water Land, and then I grabbed a lawn chair, put it in the shade and took a nap!
Anyway, I'm super happy to have Emily with us. She keeps reminding me to chill, breathe and enjoy. I hope I can remember to do more of that.
I have to admit that it was fun, and it did prove that I am capable of corralling and nurturing 4 warm bodies. We saw lions and tigers and bears, oh, my! and quite a few other animals before visiting the splash park at the zoo where the kids got dripping wet. Did I bring towels? No, but I wasn't worried, and I'm glad that I didn't. It took about 15 minutes for their clothing to dry. Now, that is hot weather!
It was great to watch Kate walk a little a head of the group with her friend. So many happy memories of being on outings with friends...I was happy to be making some of those same memories for Kate. We munched on Dippin Dots, went through an entire box of CapriSuns, 6 bottles of water and 4 glasses of lemonade before we had to pick up Emily.
I will not bore you with the details of airport traffic. Suffice it to say, it was a beast. Luckily, the much missed Auntie was still standing in the pick up area when we arrived. Everyone was grateful that she hadn't decided to catch the next flight home! We drove through Houston to Sugarland and spent the evening playing in the pool, eating dinner and finally crashing for the night with the expectation of an early Saturday morning.
Six Flags! That was what every single one of the kid kept asking for all the next morning as we drove and drove and drove. Of course, you must also insert pit stop, pit stop, pit stop because two cars filled with girls will not make it more than an hour on the road before someone has use the restroom! Luckily, we knew where the best places were, and it was only the very last time that things got a little desperate, but we made it to Six Flags in time to wait in a very long line for parking.
We managed to find parking spaces, tickets, sunscreen and all those wonderful things. We decided to split up for the day, so Tanner grabbed the three oldest girls an took them on the "car" ride. I couldn't help but chuckle a little bit since they had all been anxious to get OUT of the car just a few minutes before. Emily and I took Georgianna and went on the log ride, the baby car ride, and a couple of other kiddie rides. I finally convinced Emily to go on at least one daredevil ride which didn't seem to have any line, so she did while Georgianna and I waited in the shade. Afterward, Emily said that I could go, too.
I smiled and shook my head. "I come to Six Flags for two reasons," I explained, "the first one is Kate. The second one is Tanner." Yup, that's the truth. My job at Six Flags is Georgianna entertainer and bag watcher. I just don't do rides. Well, I did go on the Ferris Wheel (which Emily can attest that I had a white knuckle grip on the metal caging the whole time) and the Log Ride, but I think other than kidde rides that was it.
I enjoyed the next day much more. We all hung out together and the kids did the teacups, swings, haunted house and rides like that until we got too hot and then we headed to the water park where we floated on the lazy river and played in the wave pool until we discovered Kiddie Water Land, and then I grabbed a lawn chair, put it in the shade and took a nap!
Anyway, I'm super happy to have Emily with us. She keeps reminding me to chill, breathe and enjoy. I hope I can remember to do more of that.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
We had a tough Monday. The girls had a hard time adjusting to not having Daddy. When we left Sunday night, Georgianna told Tanner, "I don't like you anymore." When he asked why?, she said, "Because you leave me."
Sniff. Plenty of tears over that one!
So, our Monday was awful. Mommy ended up walking up and down the street in front of our house, taking deep breaths, trying to stay calm. It didn't work. I kept bursting into tears.
Kate, bless her tender heart, just held my hand. I am so glad that God has given her a compassionate heart. She has great, deep love. It's not always expressive, but it is permanent. I think it is the best kind of love.
Of course, I was also missing Tanner terribly, but being the mommy, I was working hard at not making the girls more miserable. I finally went back inside and decided that maybe it was time to just snuggle, so we all snuggled. Then the girls got ready for bed.
I was checking email for the last time when someone knocked at the front door. I assumed it was one of Jonathan's friends, so at first I ignored it and waited for Jonny to open the door until I realized that he was in the back room. I sighed and trundled over to the door, yanked it open and gave the intruder a blank stare.
I blinked.
Tanner said, "Um, is it okay if I come in?"
Then I burst into a fresh flood of tears.
He said, "I figured you were gonna have a hard time tonight. I'm just sorry I didn't get here sooner."
Now, how romantic is that? I tear up just thinking about it. Ten years of marriage, and I've still got a Prince Charming!
Sniff. Plenty of tears over that one!
So, our Monday was awful. Mommy ended up walking up and down the street in front of our house, taking deep breaths, trying to stay calm. It didn't work. I kept bursting into tears.
Kate, bless her tender heart, just held my hand. I am so glad that God has given her a compassionate heart. She has great, deep love. It's not always expressive, but it is permanent. I think it is the best kind of love.
Of course, I was also missing Tanner terribly, but being the mommy, I was working hard at not making the girls more miserable. I finally went back inside and decided that maybe it was time to just snuggle, so we all snuggled. Then the girls got ready for bed.
I was checking email for the last time when someone knocked at the front door. I assumed it was one of Jonathan's friends, so at first I ignored it and waited for Jonny to open the door until I realized that he was in the back room. I sighed and trundled over to the door, yanked it open and gave the intruder a blank stare.
I blinked.
Tanner said, "Um, is it okay if I come in?"
Then I burst into a fresh flood of tears.
He said, "I figured you were gonna have a hard time tonight. I'm just sorry I didn't get here sooner."
Now, how romantic is that? I tear up just thinking about it. Ten years of marriage, and I've still got a Prince Charming!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Jellyfish
I was apprehensive about this last weekend. Houston had been seeing huge thunderstorms, and this was the weekend we had slated to visit Galveston (a.k.a. same weather). A lot of people don't realize that Houston is on Galveston Bay, so when we say that we're going to Galveston, it means traveling through Houston to the island of Galveston, and whatever type of weather is happening in Houston, it's probably happening in Galveston or has just finished up with Galveston and is now hitting Houston. So, huge thunderstomrs, they type that shakes houses, made me hesitate to visit Tanner. I considered asking him to drive up here, but in the end, I packed the kids in the car with half the house, and headed for Sugarland.
Did you hear about Reagan and Sugarland? Tanner told her that he was living in Sugarland for the summer. She looked at him very seriously and said, "Daddy, I don't believe in Sugarland."
Tanner was taken aback for a few seconds because he had taken her to see his apartment and to visit Sugarland at the beginning of the month, so he asked, "Why not?"
Reagan frowned as she thought over what she wanted to say. "Well," she said slowly, "People can't live in Sugar Land. It's not good for people to only have sugar. It will make you have tummy aches and your teeth will fall out."
We arrived safe and sound in Sugarland even though we drove through a storm. We saw sheet lightning and bolts of lightning, and thunder shook the car, we had hail and big splatters of rain, but by the time we pulled into the parking lot, the sun was out, the air was musty from all the evaporating rain, and we had the promise of a beautiful morning. We actually took the girls to the swimming pool that same evening.
We drove to Galveston the next morning and parked on the seawall. That's where we met the jellyfish. The girls darted out into the ocean way too fast. I had just sat down to take a look at the currents, and they were already splashing in the water. I didn't say anything because Tanner was with them, and after a quick glance, the water seemed pretty safe. Unfortuantely, they didn't last more than five minutes. Reagan started crying, and Tanner brought her to me. I realized almost immediately that it was a jellyfish sting, so I told her to pee. I had my hands cupped and everything, but Reagan just cried even harder. Kate joined us, and I tolder her to pee. She looked alarmed. Then Georgie came running out of the water crying, and Tanner followed her. I told Tanner to pee. They all just stared at me in horror! I was laughing by then, and I gave up. I dried Reagan off and took her to the car. I knew we'd just have to wait for the sting to go away since no one could pee for me!
So, we drove to the mini-golf course and the girls putted around for a couple of ours. I lasted for about an hour before the bugs started to love on me and covered me with bites. Each of the girls managed to get a hole in one, so I take it the golfing session was a success. We were going to drive back home, but when we started to drive along the seawall, I noticed an area that had two life guard stations and a bunch of people out in the water. I knew that there couldn't be that many jellyfish in that area or else the beach would be littered with kids crying, so we piled out of the car and had our day at the beach anyway. (Not to worry, I only let the girls go wading. Kate was allowed to go up to her midcalf.)
We came home tired out but happy and made dinner, took the girls to the pool, baths and bed. Sunday was much more relaxing. We went to the movies, ate popcorn, candy and more candy. Had a nap, went to the pool, ate pbj's for dinner, packed, drove home.
We're getting ready for Emily. I'm thinking I need to clean house...
Did you hear about Reagan and Sugarland? Tanner told her that he was living in Sugarland for the summer. She looked at him very seriously and said, "Daddy, I don't believe in Sugarland."
Tanner was taken aback for a few seconds because he had taken her to see his apartment and to visit Sugarland at the beginning of the month, so he asked, "Why not?"
Reagan frowned as she thought over what she wanted to say. "Well," she said slowly, "People can't live in Sugar Land. It's not good for people to only have sugar. It will make you have tummy aches and your teeth will fall out."
We arrived safe and sound in Sugarland even though we drove through a storm. We saw sheet lightning and bolts of lightning, and thunder shook the car, we had hail and big splatters of rain, but by the time we pulled into the parking lot, the sun was out, the air was musty from all the evaporating rain, and we had the promise of a beautiful morning. We actually took the girls to the swimming pool that same evening.
We drove to Galveston the next morning and parked on the seawall. That's where we met the jellyfish. The girls darted out into the ocean way too fast. I had just sat down to take a look at the currents, and they were already splashing in the water. I didn't say anything because Tanner was with them, and after a quick glance, the water seemed pretty safe. Unfortuantely, they didn't last more than five minutes. Reagan started crying, and Tanner brought her to me. I realized almost immediately that it was a jellyfish sting, so I told her to pee. I had my hands cupped and everything, but Reagan just cried even harder. Kate joined us, and I tolder her to pee. She looked alarmed. Then Georgie came running out of the water crying, and Tanner followed her. I told Tanner to pee. They all just stared at me in horror! I was laughing by then, and I gave up. I dried Reagan off and took her to the car. I knew we'd just have to wait for the sting to go away since no one could pee for me!
So, we drove to the mini-golf course and the girls putted around for a couple of ours. I lasted for about an hour before the bugs started to love on me and covered me with bites. Each of the girls managed to get a hole in one, so I take it the golfing session was a success. We were going to drive back home, but when we started to drive along the seawall, I noticed an area that had two life guard stations and a bunch of people out in the water. I knew that there couldn't be that many jellyfish in that area or else the beach would be littered with kids crying, so we piled out of the car and had our day at the beach anyway. (Not to worry, I only let the girls go wading. Kate was allowed to go up to her midcalf.)
We came home tired out but happy and made dinner, took the girls to the pool, baths and bed. Sunday was much more relaxing. We went to the movies, ate popcorn, candy and more candy. Had a nap, went to the pool, ate pbj's for dinner, packed, drove home.
We're getting ready for Emily. I'm thinking I need to clean house...
Lazy summer nights...
Sitting on the front porch, sipping a glass of lemonade, watching the kids dart in and out of shadows as twilight falls, I can't help but sigh with contentment. This is the time of year when fireflies wink in the bushes, and you can hear scattered shouts and squeals as kids play tag or basketball or, more than likely, football. This is the time for popsicles and dixie cups and water guns, the time when parents pull out the lawn chairs and barbeques, and the true American family spills onto the front lawns of the neighborhood. You hear, "howdy's" and "evening ma'am", sometimes the clink of a spur if someone has just come off the ranch, but more often the roar of motorcycles as people start pulling out their summer toys.
The smells of a Texan summer evening waft in and out of the trees. Sometimes they linger if the wind dies down, but more often they slip by. It's a peculiar scent filled state. Gasoline mixes with exotic tropical flowers, the scent of sweet fruits mingles with bug spray and sunscreen, and of course the faintest smell of damp sweat. It's a nice smell. The smell of hard work, determination and success.
I miss having Tanner in the chair next to me. I find it funny because it's not as if he ever really sat in the chair when we would come out here in the evenings. He would be the one chasing the kids, or he would be chasing the squirrel, cat or dog or any other stray animal he happened to see.
The smells of a Texan summer evening waft in and out of the trees. Sometimes they linger if the wind dies down, but more often they slip by. It's a peculiar scent filled state. Gasoline mixes with exotic tropical flowers, the scent of sweet fruits mingles with bug spray and sunscreen, and of course the faintest smell of damp sweat. It's a nice smell. The smell of hard work, determination and success.
I miss having Tanner in the chair next to me. I find it funny because it's not as if he ever really sat in the chair when we would come out here in the evenings. He would be the one chasing the kids, or he would be chasing the squirrel, cat or dog or any other stray animal he happened to see.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
All is well on the home front
Girl Scout Day Camp. I never was a Girl Scout. I use to envy my friends their good luck at getting to be a Girl Scout, so I really enjoy watching Kate do Girl Scout things, and Reagan's excitement at becoming a Daisy. I finally found the courage to let Kate go to Day Camp this year. On Sunday we registered, found her campsite and the latrines. Good old-fashioned latrines. Not the deluxe port-a-potties, but those wooden structures that we all remember as kids.
The volunteers at the camp couldn't stress enough the importance of preparing our girls for latrines. I kept hearing stories of girls having accidents at the end of the day because they'd "pretend" to use the latrines, but actually keep holding it until they couldn't hold it any more. I don't think Kate will have a problem. She peered into the hole with a great deal of excitement. I'm glad to say that I think she'll do just fine.
Day Camp is quite a bit different here than in Oregon. First of all the two most important pieces of equipment are a water bottle and sunscreen, followed closely by bug repellent. I don't ever remember needing any of those things when we went to Kids Camp at Wind River. I'm pretty sure I just had a change of clothes and a toothbrush. We had to get a substantial sun hat for Kate as well. What is most interesting is that they don't do anything with water until the very last day of camp, and then it is balloon tosses and soakers.
Kate was ecstatic yesterday because she got to pet a millipede, and she let a walking stick crawl on her. I'm pretty sure I would never have survived to Girl Scouts. Now I know why my parents never signed me up. I would've been traumatized. Last night I stepped on a cockroach with my bare foot. Jonathan was laughing so hard because I started to cry and then proceeded to wash my foot for about 15minutes. I still get the creepy crawlies every time I think about it. Yeah, my parents knew what they were doing when they didn't encourage Girl Scouts for me. All I can keep thinking is, "I hope Kate washed her hands and sanitized them."
Of course we're having gorgeous summer weather. I'm getting a bit tired of reporting on it. Of course it is sunny. What else would it be? Sometimes the morning start out cloudy and cool. Cool being about 80F. Then the clouds burn off by about 8:00am and we've got crystal blue skies with that big yellow ball scattering super bright light everywhere. Emily asked if she should bring jeans and a sweater just in case it cooled down. My reply: if you can imagine wearing them when it is "cool" outside, aka 95F, then yes, bring them. If not, leave them at home.
The beach is beginning to call us. I realized that we hadn't taken a beach trip yet. The girls love Galveston and Stewart Beach Park, so hopefully we'll be able to make a trip down soon. The sand is great at that particular section of the beach, and as long as we have an umbrella and water, the girls do just fine. It's strange that the waves look so murky in all of the pictures that I take, but when you're there, the waves are clear and sandy. I sometimes wonder if I have the settings on my camera incorrect. Of course, the water isn't anything like Hawaii, after all we're on the Gulf of Mexico host to oil spills and port traffic, but still it is a nice mini-vacation for the family.
All reports from Tanner indicate that he is relishing his job. I'm scared that he's already looking for housing and schools and has figured out how to move the entire family. I guess I've grown fond of small town life. I like the fact that police officers are friendly, kind and filled with integrity. I like that fact that you can talk to your mayor without an appointment. I like the fact that you run into people you know all the time, no matter where you go. I guess small town life has it's good points. Of course, I miss big city amenities, like French restaurants, Asian-fusion cuisine, grand opera, ballet, symphony, concerts in the park, Shakespeare, art museums and Whole Foods. We will see what God has in store for us. He holds the future in His hands, and I am so glad that we can trust Him for all sorts of goodies to come!
The volunteers at the camp couldn't stress enough the importance of preparing our girls for latrines. I kept hearing stories of girls having accidents at the end of the day because they'd "pretend" to use the latrines, but actually keep holding it until they couldn't hold it any more. I don't think Kate will have a problem. She peered into the hole with a great deal of excitement. I'm glad to say that I think she'll do just fine.
Day Camp is quite a bit different here than in Oregon. First of all the two most important pieces of equipment are a water bottle and sunscreen, followed closely by bug repellent. I don't ever remember needing any of those things when we went to Kids Camp at Wind River. I'm pretty sure I just had a change of clothes and a toothbrush. We had to get a substantial sun hat for Kate as well. What is most interesting is that they don't do anything with water until the very last day of camp, and then it is balloon tosses and soakers.
Kate was ecstatic yesterday because she got to pet a millipede, and she let a walking stick crawl on her. I'm pretty sure I would never have survived to Girl Scouts. Now I know why my parents never signed me up. I would've been traumatized. Last night I stepped on a cockroach with my bare foot. Jonathan was laughing so hard because I started to cry and then proceeded to wash my foot for about 15minutes. I still get the creepy crawlies every time I think about it. Yeah, my parents knew what they were doing when they didn't encourage Girl Scouts for me. All I can keep thinking is, "I hope Kate washed her hands and sanitized them."
Of course we're having gorgeous summer weather. I'm getting a bit tired of reporting on it. Of course it is sunny. What else would it be? Sometimes the morning start out cloudy and cool. Cool being about 80F. Then the clouds burn off by about 8:00am and we've got crystal blue skies with that big yellow ball scattering super bright light everywhere. Emily asked if she should bring jeans and a sweater just in case it cooled down. My reply: if you can imagine wearing them when it is "cool" outside, aka 95F, then yes, bring them. If not, leave them at home.
The beach is beginning to call us. I realized that we hadn't taken a beach trip yet. The girls love Galveston and Stewart Beach Park, so hopefully we'll be able to make a trip down soon. The sand is great at that particular section of the beach, and as long as we have an umbrella and water, the girls do just fine. It's strange that the waves look so murky in all of the pictures that I take, but when you're there, the waves are clear and sandy. I sometimes wonder if I have the settings on my camera incorrect. Of course, the water isn't anything like Hawaii, after all we're on the Gulf of Mexico host to oil spills and port traffic, but still it is a nice mini-vacation for the family.
All reports from Tanner indicate that he is relishing his job. I'm scared that he's already looking for housing and schools and has figured out how to move the entire family. I guess I've grown fond of small town life. I like the fact that police officers are friendly, kind and filled with integrity. I like that fact that you can talk to your mayor without an appointment. I like the fact that you run into people you know all the time, no matter where you go. I guess small town life has it's good points. Of course, I miss big city amenities, like French restaurants, Asian-fusion cuisine, grand opera, ballet, symphony, concerts in the park, Shakespeare, art museums and Whole Foods. We will see what God has in store for us. He holds the future in His hands, and I am so glad that we can trust Him for all sorts of goodies to come!
All is well on the home front
Girl Scout Day Camp. I never was a Girl Scout. I use to envy my friends their good luck at getting to be a Girl Scout, so I really enjoy watching Kate do Girl Scout things, and Reagan's excitement at becoming a Daisy. I finally found the courage to let Kate go to Day Camp this year. On Sunday we registered, found her campsite and the latrines. Good old-fashioned latrines. Not the deluxe port-a-potties, but those wooden structures that we all remember as kids.
The volunteers at the camp couldn't stress enough the importance of preparing our girls for latrines. I kept hearing stories of girls having accidents at the end of the day because they'd "pretend" to use the latrines, but actually keep holding it until they couldn't hold it any more. I don't think Kate will have a problem. She peered into the hole with a great deal of excitement. I'm glad to say that I think she'll do just fine.
Day Camp is quite a bit different here than in Oregon. First of all the two most important pieces of equipment are a water bottle and sunscreen, followed closely by bug repellent. I don't ever remember needing any of those things when we went to Kids Camp at Wind River. I'm pretty sure I just had a change of clothes and a toothbrush. We had to get a substantial sun hat for Kate as well. What is most interesting is that they don't do anything with water until the very last day of camp, and then it is balloon tosses and soakers.
Kate was ecstatic yesterday because she got to pet a millipede, and she let a walking stick crawl on her. I'm pretty sure I would never have survived to Girl Scouts. Now I know why my parents never signed me up. I would've traumatized. Last night I stepped on a cockroach with my bare foot. Jonathan was laughing so hard because I started to cry and then proceeded to wash my foot for about 15minutes. I still get the creepy crawlies every time I think about it. Yeah, my parents knew what they were doing when they didn't encourage Girl Scouts for me. All I can keep thinking is, "I hope Kate washed her hands and sanitized them."
Of course we're having gorgeous summer weather. I'm getting a bit tired of reporting on it. Of course it is sunny. What else would it be? Sometimes the morning start out cloudy and cool. Cool being about 80F. Then the clouds burn off by about 8:00am and we've got crystal blue skies with that big yellow ball scattering super bright light everywhere. Emily asked if she should bring jeans and a sweater just in case it cooled down. My reply: if you can imagine wearing them when it is "cool" outside, aka 95F, then yes, bring them. If not, leave them at home.
The beach is beginning to call us. I realized that we hadn't taken a beach trip yet. The girls love Galveston and Stewart Beach Park, so hopefully we'll be able to make a trip down soon. The sand is great at that particular section of the beach, and as long as we have an umbrella and water, the girls do just fine. It's strange that the waves look so murky in all of the pictures that I take, but when you're there, the waves are clear and sandy. I sometimes wonder if I have the settings on my camera incorrect. Of course, the water isn't anything like Hawaii, after all we're on the Gulf of Mexico host to oil spills and port traffic, but still it is a nice mini-vacation for the family.
All reports from Tanner indicate that he is relishing his job. I'm scared that he's already looking for housing and schools and has figured out how to move the entire family. I guess I've grown fond of small town life. I like the fact that police officers are friendly, kind and filled with integrity. I like that fact that you can talk to your mayor without an appointment. I like the fact that you run into people you know all the time, no matter where you go. I guess small town life has it's good points. Of course, I miss big city amenities, like French restaurants, Asian-fusion cuisine, grand opera, ballet, symphony, concerts in the park, Shakespeare, art museums and Whole Foods. We will see what God has in store for us. He holds the future in His hands, and I am so glad that we can trust Him for all sorts of goodies to come!
The volunteers at the camp couldn't stress enough the importance of preparing our girls for latrines. I kept hearing stories of girls having accidents at the end of the day because they'd "pretend" to use the latrines, but actually keep holding it until they couldn't hold it any more. I don't think Kate will have a problem. She peered into the hole with a great deal of excitement. I'm glad to say that I think she'll do just fine.
Day Camp is quite a bit different here than in Oregon. First of all the two most important pieces of equipment are a water bottle and sunscreen, followed closely by bug repellent. I don't ever remember needing any of those things when we went to Kids Camp at Wind River. I'm pretty sure I just had a change of clothes and a toothbrush. We had to get a substantial sun hat for Kate as well. What is most interesting is that they don't do anything with water until the very last day of camp, and then it is balloon tosses and soakers.
Kate was ecstatic yesterday because she got to pet a millipede, and she let a walking stick crawl on her. I'm pretty sure I would never have survived to Girl Scouts. Now I know why my parents never signed me up. I would've traumatized. Last night I stepped on a cockroach with my bare foot. Jonathan was laughing so hard because I started to cry and then proceeded to wash my foot for about 15minutes. I still get the creepy crawlies every time I think about it. Yeah, my parents knew what they were doing when they didn't encourage Girl Scouts for me. All I can keep thinking is, "I hope Kate washed her hands and sanitized them."
Of course we're having gorgeous summer weather. I'm getting a bit tired of reporting on it. Of course it is sunny. What else would it be? Sometimes the morning start out cloudy and cool. Cool being about 80F. Then the clouds burn off by about 8:00am and we've got crystal blue skies with that big yellow ball scattering super bright light everywhere. Emily asked if she should bring jeans and a sweater just in case it cooled down. My reply: if you can imagine wearing them when it is "cool" outside, aka 95F, then yes, bring them. If not, leave them at home.
The beach is beginning to call us. I realized that we hadn't taken a beach trip yet. The girls love Galveston and Stewart Beach Park, so hopefully we'll be able to make a trip down soon. The sand is great at that particular section of the beach, and as long as we have an umbrella and water, the girls do just fine. It's strange that the waves look so murky in all of the pictures that I take, but when you're there, the waves are clear and sandy. I sometimes wonder if I have the settings on my camera incorrect. Of course, the water isn't anything like Hawaii, after all we're on the Gulf of Mexico host to oil spills and port traffic, but still it is a nice mini-vacation for the family.
All reports from Tanner indicate that he is relishing his job. I'm scared that he's already looking for housing and schools and has figured out how to move the entire family. I guess I've grown fond of small town life. I like the fact that police officers are friendly, kind and filled with integrity. I like that fact that you can talk to your mayor without an appointment. I like the fact that you run into people you know all the time, no matter where you go. I guess small town life has it's good points. Of course, I miss big city amenities, like French restaurants, Asian-fusion cuisine, grand opera, ballet, symphony, concerts in the park, Shakespeare, art museums and Whole Foods. We will see what God has in store for us. He holds the future in His hands, and I am so glad that we can trust Him for all sorts of goodies to come!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
A cool morning beckoned us to the blueberry patch, so we all piled into the van early on Saturday morning and drove to Caldwell to visit Kingsbury Farms. It's a smallish farm with about 100 blueberry bushes. Not very popular with all the rough and tumble, but it had good picking, good prices and short distance all in its favor. We picked about 20 pounds in about an hour and a half which was just perfect for the kids. No pictures this time around. We were a hot, sweaty sticky mess, but we had our treasure trove and were satisfied.
Then we did some much needed summer gear shopping. Please don't worry, I will not afflict you with a list of all the things we had to get, but for the Grandmas and the Grandpas out there, we did get new life vests for the girls. Of course the girls had a great time. It was like they had been transported to Disneyland. Kate actually stopped in the middle of putting her pink life jacket into the basket and said, "I can't believe you actually said yes! I feel RICH!" It was nice to be able to get the girls a few pretty things, especially since they give up their Daddy for a whole week.
Nap time, bath time and then Tanner whisked me away to a dinner and movie date. I still think it is funny that I just love having dates like this. I guess it's because I didn't get any of them before I got married, so these types of outings are a lot of fun. We crack jokes and comment on all the previews just like a couple of high school kids sitting in the back of the theater. We went for a run. Yes, we are starting to run. We'll see how long it lasts. No promises.
Sunday was not so great. We had a great start, a delayed breakfast, a delayed oil change, a delayed tire change and then a delayed arrival at home because we got into a car accident. The classic three car sandwich with our car in the middle. To top it all off, the car that rear ended us took off! What is it about us and hit and run drivers? So, now the air conditioning isn't working in the van, and I'm not sure how to get it fixed since we are both technically down to single car family status with a MUST drive to work. We will see. Tanner is thinking of trying to make a miracle happen on Friday.
It's difficult to say if any of us are injured. I'm keeping a careful eye on the girls, of course, but I've had a hurt back since early December, so I'm not sure if the soreness I'm experiencing is increasing because of the accident or if it is just the normal increase of soreness before my next appointment. Well, I am confident that God is still taking excellent care of us. I will not be shaken. But please, continue to hold us in your prayers. As we move closer to reaching our goals, we are certain to be tested.
Many of you might not know the chief reason we moved. Tanner and I were continually frustrated that no matter how hard he worked, we could never get to the point where we could effectively contribute to missions. We were able to give one time gifts, but were unable to make commitments to help fund people overseas. We prayed a long time about it and felt God direct us to go to college, to seek a degree that would provide for our needs and to spend a period of time learning to live within those needs and in faith so that we would know the difference between a need and a want. We believe that through all of this we will be able to have a great impact on missionaries around the world. Our commitment to this endeavor has not wavered. Even with Tanner's internship, after a great deal of prayer, we decided to send a small portion of the money that he makes to fund a missionary in Africa.
Believe it or not, we wired funds last night, and this morning the accident happened. Suddenly, we're struggling with worrying about how much this will cost or that will cost, and I confess, tempted to try to hold on to the "extra" that God gave us in order to make sure that we are comfortable. I am comforted to know that not once did either of us suggest this.
And here is the amazing part of our story. After the accident, the hood couldn't be opened on the van, so it looked like there would be body work to be done. I had to take Kate to her camp orientation, and then dinner had to be made. Things didn't settle down till after 5:00, and then we discussed which car Tanner should take. He then remembered that the license plate had fallen off the van, so he went back to the accident site, which was actually near Kolache Rolfs (aka Kate's favorite breakfast stop in the ENTIRE world). When he came back with the plate which miraculously was still there, he pushed the bumper, heard something click, and voila! the hood was fixed and it will now open. Of course there is still some damage, that sort of thing doesn't always get fixed in miracles, but it looks like the van will be okay. We still have to figure out how to get the A.C. fixed, but that's something that might only take a day rather than a week to repair. ahWhoop! (BTW, that's the Aggie yell for Juniors).
So, we count our blessings. All of you are among them, and we are truly touched and blessed by your prayers.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Happiness is...
Storm clouds rolled in during the night, so we woke up to gray, looming clouds. Of course, they didn't really effect the temperature, so it felt like a humid tropical night except the day was just beginning. I love this type of weather when my skin just soaks up all of the moisture and revels in the fact that wind and sun aren't drying out its surface. It's during this time of year that chapped lips, runny noses and fuzzy socks are put away for the year and sunscreen, golden skin and beach towels become the new normal. Weather in the Brazos Valley can change on a dime, so after a furious down pour complete with claps of lightning and rolls of thunder, the sun asserted it's power and the clouds rumbled away. Blue skies smiled down on us, and the rain became a swift, distant memory.
Hmm...just had to go over the sentence about three times to fix all of the grammar. I'm still not convinced that I got it right. Oh, well...that's why I'm not an editor.
I treated myself to a solitary lunch in a corner of Barnes and Noble and finished reading, Journey to the Center of the Earth. I was surprised that it was my first Jules Verne that I had managed to read all the way through. Considering that I like reading H.G. Wells and cult-sci-fi like Ender's Game, this is truly remarkable. I guess I'll have to remedy that a little more thoroughly.
Reagan had her very first dance lesson today. We decided that it was time she got to do some extra-curricular activities. I think by the time Kate was that age, she had already had soccer lessons, ice skating lessons, voice lessons, dance lessons and Chinese lessons. Oh, and we'd tried violin lessons, but that didn't work out so well. I'm pretty sure these lessons are way over due.
Reagan was absolutely ecstatic when I picked her up from dance. She talked about Sashay's and leaps and showed me all of the great stretches that she had learned. She was radiant. I think that's what I like best about her. Nothing is ever just a normal happening. Even when you ask her about her day...her eyebrows go up, her eyes look off to the right and she gushes, "It was amazing, Mom! We went outside, and I went down the slide!" Her head will nodded up and down vigorously. "AND I went UP the slide, too! It was sooo kewl!" And yes, she says "kewl" gotta get that southern accent in there somehow!
After lessons I took the girls to Red Mango for frozen yogurt, are as Georgianna calls it, "ice cream factory!" They had rock candies, gummy worms, those red, squishy balls that spurt juice in your mouth when you chomp on them and Mochi for toppings. I think Mom was the hero for about 1/2 an hour or at least until we got home and I made them put their shoes away!
This week has been a little tougher without Tanner. The girls aren't weepy anymore, but I can tell that they're just a bit frustrated that Daddy isn't here. They fight more and seem to be little short tempered with each other. Georgi just can't understand why Daddy won't pick her up when he calls, and of course it's hard for them to "share" the skype time, so they squabble over that as well.
On the other hand, they pulled together today and vacuumed the house, dusted, swept, mopped, did a load of laundry and cleaned the kitchen while I was at work! Amazing little girls. I think I might read them the story of Little Women because that's what they are right now.
We made it through the pinch period! Tanner will be able to drive home to visit us for the weekend. We are very thankful and glad that God used this time to show us how to live humbly and to trust Him. It enlarges our hearts and teaches us compassion for those in even greater need. He is even faithful to show us how to help others during our own time of need, so that we aren't consumed with self-pity. He surrounds us with the beauty of His creation, the peace of His power and the joy of His love.
Hmm...just had to go over the sentence about three times to fix all of the grammar. I'm still not convinced that I got it right. Oh, well...that's why I'm not an editor.
I treated myself to a solitary lunch in a corner of Barnes and Noble and finished reading, Journey to the Center of the Earth. I was surprised that it was my first Jules Verne that I had managed to read all the way through. Considering that I like reading H.G. Wells and cult-sci-fi like Ender's Game, this is truly remarkable. I guess I'll have to remedy that a little more thoroughly.
Reagan had her very first dance lesson today. We decided that it was time she got to do some extra-curricular activities. I think by the time Kate was that age, she had already had soccer lessons, ice skating lessons, voice lessons, dance lessons and Chinese lessons. Oh, and we'd tried violin lessons, but that didn't work out so well. I'm pretty sure these lessons are way over due.
Reagan was absolutely ecstatic when I picked her up from dance. She talked about Sashay's and leaps and showed me all of the great stretches that she had learned. She was radiant. I think that's what I like best about her. Nothing is ever just a normal happening. Even when you ask her about her day...her eyebrows go up, her eyes look off to the right and she gushes, "It was amazing, Mom! We went outside, and I went down the slide!" Her head will nodded up and down vigorously. "AND I went UP the slide, too! It was sooo kewl!" And yes, she says "kewl" gotta get that southern accent in there somehow!
After lessons I took the girls to Red Mango for frozen yogurt, are as Georgianna calls it, "ice cream factory!" They had rock candies, gummy worms, those red, squishy balls that spurt juice in your mouth when you chomp on them and Mochi for toppings. I think Mom was the hero for about 1/2 an hour or at least until we got home and I made them put their shoes away!
This week has been a little tougher without Tanner. The girls aren't weepy anymore, but I can tell that they're just a bit frustrated that Daddy isn't here. They fight more and seem to be little short tempered with each other. Georgi just can't understand why Daddy won't pick her up when he calls, and of course it's hard for them to "share" the skype time, so they squabble over that as well.
On the other hand, they pulled together today and vacuumed the house, dusted, swept, mopped, did a load of laundry and cleaned the kitchen while I was at work! Amazing little girls. I think I might read them the story of Little Women because that's what they are right now.
We made it through the pinch period! Tanner will be able to drive home to visit us for the weekend. We are very thankful and glad that God used this time to show us how to live humbly and to trust Him. It enlarges our hearts and teaches us compassion for those in even greater need. He is even faithful to show us how to help others during our own time of need, so that we aren't consumed with self-pity. He surrounds us with the beauty of His creation, the peace of His power and the joy of His love.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Long days and nights
Tuesdays are long days for our little family. I start work at 8:00am, finish at 5:00pm, start teaching at 5:30, finish at 8:00pm. The girls are showing amazing fortitude on days like this. They keep the front room picked up, wash the dishes, sweep the floors and generally keep the squabbling down until the last student leaves.
I try to treat them with some fun mommy time right before bedtime. Sometimes we watch corny musicals while munching chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes we skype with Tutu or with Daddy. Sometimes we karaoke at the top of our lungs. Whatever we do, it's fun and keeps them going for the next day.
Things are cooling off a bit here. We're suppose to be in the low 80's for the weekend. I'm thinking...blueberry picking time...or maybe blackberry picking! If we go, pictures, pictures, pictures!
I try to treat them with some fun mommy time right before bedtime. Sometimes we watch corny musicals while munching chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes we skype with Tutu or with Daddy. Sometimes we karaoke at the top of our lungs. Whatever we do, it's fun and keeps them going for the next day.
Things are cooling off a bit here. We're suppose to be in the low 80's for the weekend. I'm thinking...blueberry picking time...or maybe blackberry picking! If we go, pictures, pictures, pictures!
Monday, May 28, 2012
saying goodbye, again.
Even though it is hard to say goodbye for a whole week, I am glad that it is only for a week. Today, I think of all the wives and mothers and children that have to say goodbye to their soldiers for months, years and sometimes for a lifetime. It makes my goodbye a little less bittersweet.
After such a tough couple of years, this internship is such a welcome break. Is it odd that we find the goodbyes, long weeks and short weekends far less stressful on our family than a semester at school? Tanner remarked that he has seen his family far more in the last week than he would during a month of school, and I agree. We've had time to play cards with the girls, go to the park, take walks and splash in the pool. We've had time to do projects around the house together rather than one person doing part, leaving it to go to work or to study, and then the other person picking it up and finishing it (if we were that lucky). It feels so strange to have the time to watch a movie together after the kids are put to bed or to have a cup of coffee with each other. There actually came a point this weekend where we didn't really feel the need to grab a few minutes of alone time.
I hadn't realized what a hardship school has been until this last week. We're so use to an almost overwhelming work load. Tanner mentioned it this afternoon before leaving that if we'd known just how hard the number three engineering school in the nation was gonna be, we might have been too scared to try. Like the song Garth Brooks sings (I'm sorry for the country reference, peeps, but I am in Texas), "I'm glad I didn't know the way it all would end, the way it all would go...I would have missed the dance." I guess if you're a school and you're competing with MIT (number 1) and Sanford (number 2), you've gotta have a tough curriculum, but Tanner has been talking to other interns this last week, and he has realized just how much more challenging the curriculum is at A&M than at other schools.
One story he had from work was from a safety meeting. The instructor was explaining some material, and both Tanner and another school-mate from Texas A&M both knew the answers to almost every question while interns from other schools had absolutely know idea what was being discussed. The instructor actually went so far as to say that he "loved it when we get interns from A&M. No training needed."
Not that we are on the homestretch for school. Tanner still has to make it through materials and kinetics which are two major hurdles for many engineers. We've heard that a lot of students save kinetics for the last semester, after they've received their job offers so that they only have to make a "C". All I can do is shudder. I'm not sure that I'm looking forward to that course, and I don't even have to take it!
So, how are the girls doing? Well, I numbed the parting of Daddy with movie night and chocolate chip cookie baking time. That seemed to do the trick. My goal is to give them little distractions even though I know that their hearts are sad. They're looking forward to their "babysitter" coming tomorrow, and then there is choir on Wednesday, the pool on Thursday and Friday, and then hopefully, Daddy will come home! I say hopefully because we're not sure that his paycheck will come in time for him to get gas! I told him if that happened then I would drive the girls down Friday evening. I'm trying not to because we have to be back Sunday afternoon for a Girl Scout meeting which is mandatory for Kate to attend camp the following week. It would mean a shortened visit, but a short visit is better than no visit. We'll see how it goes, I guess.
After such a tough couple of years, this internship is such a welcome break. Is it odd that we find the goodbyes, long weeks and short weekends far less stressful on our family than a semester at school? Tanner remarked that he has seen his family far more in the last week than he would during a month of school, and I agree. We've had time to play cards with the girls, go to the park, take walks and splash in the pool. We've had time to do projects around the house together rather than one person doing part, leaving it to go to work or to study, and then the other person picking it up and finishing it (if we were that lucky). It feels so strange to have the time to watch a movie together after the kids are put to bed or to have a cup of coffee with each other. There actually came a point this weekend where we didn't really feel the need to grab a few minutes of alone time.
I hadn't realized what a hardship school has been until this last week. We're so use to an almost overwhelming work load. Tanner mentioned it this afternoon before leaving that if we'd known just how hard the number three engineering school in the nation was gonna be, we might have been too scared to try. Like the song Garth Brooks sings (I'm sorry for the country reference, peeps, but I am in Texas), "I'm glad I didn't know the way it all would end, the way it all would go...I would have missed the dance." I guess if you're a school and you're competing with MIT (number 1) and Sanford (number 2), you've gotta have a tough curriculum, but Tanner has been talking to other interns this last week, and he has realized just how much more challenging the curriculum is at A&M than at other schools.
One story he had from work was from a safety meeting. The instructor was explaining some material, and both Tanner and another school-mate from Texas A&M both knew the answers to almost every question while interns from other schools had absolutely know idea what was being discussed. The instructor actually went so far as to say that he "loved it when we get interns from A&M. No training needed."
Not that we are on the homestretch for school. Tanner still has to make it through materials and kinetics which are two major hurdles for many engineers. We've heard that a lot of students save kinetics for the last semester, after they've received their job offers so that they only have to make a "C". All I can do is shudder. I'm not sure that I'm looking forward to that course, and I don't even have to take it!
So, how are the girls doing? Well, I numbed the parting of Daddy with movie night and chocolate chip cookie baking time. That seemed to do the trick. My goal is to give them little distractions even though I know that their hearts are sad. They're looking forward to their "babysitter" coming tomorrow, and then there is choir on Wednesday, the pool on Thursday and Friday, and then hopefully, Daddy will come home! I say hopefully because we're not sure that his paycheck will come in time for him to get gas! I told him if that happened then I would drive the girls down Friday evening. I'm trying not to because we have to be back Sunday afternoon for a Girl Scout meeting which is mandatory for Kate to attend camp the following week. It would mean a shortened visit, but a short visit is better than no visit. We'll see how it goes, I guess.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
brrrrr...it's cold!
For all my friends in the lovely, lush, green valley called the Willamette, I want to warn you that my children would never survive a summer there. I think our lowest temperature this week has been 82, and that's during the coldest part of night. Summer is creeping steadily closer, and I can feel the anxious anticipation for the days when the air conditioner is never turned off and popsicles melt if you are foolish enough to think that you can transport them safely home in the middle of the afternoon.
Last fall when popsicles went on sale I bought over 40 boxes or about 480 popsicles. I am down to my last 2 boxes and summer hasn't even officially started. But I digress from the main point of this post.
We decided to have a weekend of swimming with the girls. We wanted to make sure that they were thoroughly reacquainted with the concept of pools and water and life jackets, so at around 6:00pm on Friday we took them to the pool. (I like to make our motives sound so unselfish, but the real reason for going was because I could barely walk and couldn't stand up straight, and we thought some weightless floating in water would do my back a lot of good. We were right.) It was a balmy night: about 86F. Perfect weather with the sun finally beginning it's evening descent where the rays aren't so harsh and the risk of sunburn is negligible.
The girls splashed and played for about an hour. They cavorted and floated and did all the things little girls should do at a pool. And then...they began to shiver. Yes, a unanimous cry of, "It's cold!" erupted in girlish wails as we hurriedly wrapped them in towels and dried them off. I felt guilty for making them go into the pool on such a cool evening. We rushed them into the car and closed the doors so that the stuffy heat could warm them up. Then as we pulled out of the parking lot, I glanced at the thermometer on the building, thinking that the temperature must have dropped drastically. It was 85F.
My daughters would not be able to survive a summer in Portland. What would they do on those lovely 76 degree days with a light wind that are considered "perfect" days? Would they stare in horror, as I remember doing when I was a child fresh from Hawaii, at the pale skinned people walking around in shorts when it was a mere 70 degrees out? Would they wonder in mute confusion at the crazy people wearing socks, birkenstocks and sweatshirts? What about the fact that nobody seems to own a decent umbrella?
I realized, this weekend, that my daughters have no point of reference for the crazy, uniqueness that is Oregon. They will grow up and hear stories about how people dress in the Northwest and give nervous chuckles like all the other Texans do. They won't yearn for spring skiing wearing only a t-shirt and light weight pants. They won't know what it is like to go camping in the rain. They won't understand the difference between a drizzle and a shower. They'll wonder at the weird quirks in their parents: our penchant for "walking EVERYWHERE", our obsession with bikes and helmets, and our absolute refusal to plant blackberries.
I wonder what their cousins will think as time goes by and the girls develop even more southern tendencies. Already my girls say, "yes, ma'am" and "yes, sir". They know to stand up straight and look their elders in the eye. They know how to knock a boy down if he gets too rough. And they dream of having pink cowboy boots, a ranch with at least 3 cows, chickens and sheep. They have difficulties learning some words, and I've heard Georgianna actually figure out how to say the word with a drawl first and then correct it to match my speech second. It really comes out in the way she says, "school." It sounds like "skewel". It's the same for the words tool, cool and good.
I guess only time will tell. Until then, we'll fill it up with good times and good fun.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Daddy came driving home last night, hurrah! hurrah!
We made it through another long day without Daddy. Kate had a party at school. Georgi and Reagan fell back asleep after their early morning. The house was actually clean when I got home. Dinner was partly made. I felt super lucky. Plus, Tanner was coming home. They gave him a 4 day weekend. Not that we're going to do anything remarkable this weekend. We're still cash strapped, college students, but it's great to have him home.
We didn't tell the girls that he would be coming home early. They had cans of cat food that they were using to count the days until Daddy came home and they had TWO left. I knew Tanner was about 15 minutes from home, so I had them busy doing all sorts of crazy stuff: cleaning the kitchen, vaccuming (even though it had already bee done), sweeping floors. I didn't want them to hear the car pull into the driveway. Kate was in the kitchen helping Georgi with the broom when she heard a jiggle on the front door handle. She glanced up. Saw Daddy, went back to sweeping. Then her eyes widened and she said, "Daddy?" She took a second glance and shouted, "Daddy! It's Daddy!" Reagan and Georgi came running into the room and Daddy experienced full body tackles from three girls.
Ah, the delights of daughters with daddy.
We didn't tell the girls that he would be coming home early. They had cans of cat food that they were using to count the days until Daddy came home and they had TWO left. I knew Tanner was about 15 minutes from home, so I had them busy doing all sorts of crazy stuff: cleaning the kitchen, vaccuming (even though it had already bee done), sweeping floors. I didn't want them to hear the car pull into the driveway. Kate was in the kitchen helping Georgi with the broom when she heard a jiggle on the front door handle. She glanced up. Saw Daddy, went back to sweeping. Then her eyes widened and she said, "Daddy?" She took a second glance and shouted, "Daddy! It's Daddy!" Reagan and Georgi came running into the room and Daddy experienced full body tackles from three girls.
Ah, the delights of daughters with daddy.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
And it goes, "Boom!"
In the dark hours of the morning, I groped around for sweats and a t-shirt. I dressed as silently as possible hoping to give the wee-people a bit more sleep before I rousted them out of bed. I ran a hairbrush through my hair and snapped it back into a low ponytail. Brush teeth. Splash cold water. Blink. I finally felt awake. I woke Kate up first and then Reagan slid out of bed. Really, she did. She has slide attached to her bunk, so she slid out of bed. They both eagerly grabbed blankets, shoes and socks and then huddled near the front door as I got Georgianna out of bed.
Georgi does not like to wake up. Her usual mode of operation is to fling one arm over so that she rolls on to her tummy, eyes still closed. Then she fling the other until she has completely rolled out of bed, but managed to not have to wake up. She ends up lying half on and half off the bed, arms stretched out. She'll stay that way, too, until you pick her up and carry her to wherever her waiting attire is.
As we opened the front door and loaded into the car, Jonathan stumbled to the front door. "Where are you going?" he asked in obvious confusion. "Um it's Thursday," I responded. He nodded and said, "Oh, yeah," as if I had just clearly explained the matter. 30 seconds later he was hopping into the car with one shoe still in his hand. The gray of dawn still hadn't touched the sky, but we were up and ready to go.
Those of you who have visited know that Starbucks is just a short hop from our house. I grabbed a spot and backed the car into it. Then we all clambered out and made our sleepy way into the store. A cappuccino, greek yogurt, lemon pound cake, chocolate cake and bacon/gouda sandwich later and we strolled out to the sidewalk running along Texas Ave. We faced north and waited. Dawn arrived and we still waited. More people kept pulling into the parking lot and joined us on the sidewalk. The white light of morning finally revealed to our eyes the thing we had been searching for -- a gutted out tower about a mile away.
We could have gotten closer, but I didn't want to risk the children.
Firefighters joined us. Policemen stood in watchful silence on the other side of the street. A two-way radio crackled, "Two minutes." People got out their cameras and cell phones. An eerie silence fell across the thousands of people lining the street. It was broken by another crackle, "Ten seconds."
And then, a puff of gray smoke shot out of the side of the tower and the magnificent structure began to crumble. A sound like thunder reverberated across the city as the structure collapsed in on itself and toppled like a jenga tower. Then we all clambered back into the car and went home.
Georgi does not like to wake up. Her usual mode of operation is to fling one arm over so that she rolls on to her tummy, eyes still closed. Then she fling the other until she has completely rolled out of bed, but managed to not have to wake up. She ends up lying half on and half off the bed, arms stretched out. She'll stay that way, too, until you pick her up and carry her to wherever her waiting attire is.
As we opened the front door and loaded into the car, Jonathan stumbled to the front door. "Where are you going?" he asked in obvious confusion. "Um it's Thursday," I responded. He nodded and said, "Oh, yeah," as if I had just clearly explained the matter. 30 seconds later he was hopping into the car with one shoe still in his hand. The gray of dawn still hadn't touched the sky, but we were up and ready to go.
Those of you who have visited know that Starbucks is just a short hop from our house. I grabbed a spot and backed the car into it. Then we all clambered out and made our sleepy way into the store. A cappuccino, greek yogurt, lemon pound cake, chocolate cake and bacon/gouda sandwich later and we strolled out to the sidewalk running along Texas Ave. We faced north and waited. Dawn arrived and we still waited. More people kept pulling into the parking lot and joined us on the sidewalk. The white light of morning finally revealed to our eyes the thing we had been searching for -- a gutted out tower about a mile away.
We could have gotten closer, but I didn't want to risk the children.
Firefighters joined us. Policemen stood in watchful silence on the other side of the street. A two-way radio crackled, "Two minutes." People got out their cameras and cell phones. An eerie silence fell across the thousands of people lining the street. It was broken by another crackle, "Ten seconds."
And then, a puff of gray smoke shot out of the side of the tower and the magnificent structure began to crumble. A sound like thunder reverberated across the city as the structure collapsed in on itself and toppled like a jenga tower. Then we all clambered back into the car and went home.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Another morning, another day
Oh, how I love an early summer, Texan morning. You wake up blinking in the bright sunlight at around 6:30am. There's no sleeping late unless you have black out curtains because that big ball of yellow is doing its very best to wish you a cock-a-doodle-do day. I feel sorry for people staying in hotels during this time of year because they always pull the black out curtains to shut out the early morning, so they miss out on an authentic Texan day. If you ever come to visit, make sure you reserve at least one day of being awakened by the sun. There's no stumbling around trying to recover from a bad night of sleep. It's just, hey! wake up!, it's moooorrrrning! And you really can't be that perturbed about it because it's that fuzzy, yellow guy up in the sky doing all the waking, and he's real friendly.
That's how this morning was. No alarm clock, just Mr.Sun. I opened the doors and windows to let the warm summer air slip through the house. It wasn't much colder outside than inside, but the outside smells are delicious this time of year. Practically everything is blooming, wisteria, hibiscus, crepe myrtle, honeysuckle. The scents perfume the house and prep you for the day. I'm sure without air conditioning the afternoon would feel oppresive, but that's why I'm glad I live in the 21st century. I can enjoy the heat and the sun without suffering from it. I do wonder, in the event of an apocalypse if I would be better of in tropcial climate, but then, Texas is so incredibly beautiful with a largely self-sufficient, we-can-do-this mentality, that I think I'd choose Texas of the Caymans.
Last night I had an evening filled with lessons, so we didn't eat dinner till almost seven. I let the girl watch Garfield. I'm not sure why they are so fascinated with that cartoon, but they just love Garfield. Tanner was busy all evening, so we didn't get to talk to him at all. He get's this Friday off, so the he'll be coming home early. The girls don't know, and we're saving it as a surprise for them. Kate has it in her mind that she'll see Daddy on Saturday. She'll be pleasantly surprised when Tanner walks in on Thursday evening.
I'm still stunned at having a babysitter/nanny taking care of the girls. The house was clean AGAIN when I came home. It makes me sort of wish that I had hired her for every single day of the week. It's wonderful to come home and not be faced with a couple of hours of house work. Usually the girls completely wreck the house. Their toys and food and clothes are everywhere, and it takes me a good hour or two to get it picked up, and then there is all the laundry and vacuuming, dinner and making sure the girls have done their homework and practiced their instruments. The last few days have been luxurious. I come home and I can skip all the cleaning part and just launch into dinner, homework and practice. It's a huge releif. Unfortunately, she only comes three times a week, so there are the other two days to weather. This is one of them...I wonder what will greet me at the door.
Tomorrow morning is going to be very exciting. They are going to implode a building here in College Station! Whoop! It's the old Plaza Hotel on the corner of Texas and University. I think I"ll drag the girls out of bed to watch it. After all, how often do you get to see a building implode in real time? Usually I watch them on television, and it's been on my bucket list to watch one in person. Super excited for the morning, though I'm not looking forward to the traffic once it's all over. The side streets are going to be crazy since they're closing Texas Ave until 8:00am. I still haven't figure out how to get Kate to school.
She made me very proud. She recieved the Class Bookworm Award and the Exceptional Honor Student Award at school. She has worked so hard this year, and I have been amazed at her progress. We've got a bit of work to do with arithmetic, but I'm confident she'll get a good grasp of it this summer.
Reagan is still our sunshine. She is the first to snuggle me when I'm sad. She's trying to figure out how to tell a joke, and it's hilarious just watching her eyes roll to the side as she tries out a new knock, knock joke. Unfortunately she gets the punch lines mixed up so she'll say, "knock.." who's there? "orange." orange who? "knock. knock" who's there? "orange." orange who? knock. knock" who's there? "apple" apple who? "aren't you glad I said apple?"
Georgi's latest fete in crazy dexterity...believe it or not, nothing. She seems to have settled down to spinning super fast and out running her sisters. I'm sure, once summer is in full swing and swimming is part of the norm, we'll have an interesting time of it, but until then, I'm glad for the breather. She has only cut her hair once this month. I consider that a huge improvement though she has now taken to cutting paper: every bit and scrap, so if there is something important I have to make sure it is up and out of her reach.
That's the family update so far. I'm going to have a lovely summer day today. I might day dream a bit at work since I have a window. I hope you enjoy yours, whatever the weather, whatever the hour!
That's how this morning was. No alarm clock, just Mr.Sun. I opened the doors and windows to let the warm summer air slip through the house. It wasn't much colder outside than inside, but the outside smells are delicious this time of year. Practically everything is blooming, wisteria, hibiscus, crepe myrtle, honeysuckle. The scents perfume the house and prep you for the day. I'm sure without air conditioning the afternoon would feel oppresive, but that's why I'm glad I live in the 21st century. I can enjoy the heat and the sun without suffering from it. I do wonder, in the event of an apocalypse if I would be better of in tropcial climate, but then, Texas is so incredibly beautiful with a largely self-sufficient, we-can-do-this mentality, that I think I'd choose Texas of the Caymans.
Last night I had an evening filled with lessons, so we didn't eat dinner till almost seven. I let the girl watch Garfield. I'm not sure why they are so fascinated with that cartoon, but they just love Garfield. Tanner was busy all evening, so we didn't get to talk to him at all. He get's this Friday off, so the he'll be coming home early. The girls don't know, and we're saving it as a surprise for them. Kate has it in her mind that she'll see Daddy on Saturday. She'll be pleasantly surprised when Tanner walks in on Thursday evening.
I'm still stunned at having a babysitter/nanny taking care of the girls. The house was clean AGAIN when I came home. It makes me sort of wish that I had hired her for every single day of the week. It's wonderful to come home and not be faced with a couple of hours of house work. Usually the girls completely wreck the house. Their toys and food and clothes are everywhere, and it takes me a good hour or two to get it picked up, and then there is all the laundry and vacuuming, dinner and making sure the girls have done their homework and practiced their instruments. The last few days have been luxurious. I come home and I can skip all the cleaning part and just launch into dinner, homework and practice. It's a huge releif. Unfortunately, she only comes three times a week, so there are the other two days to weather. This is one of them...I wonder what will greet me at the door.
Tomorrow morning is going to be very exciting. They are going to implode a building here in College Station! Whoop! It's the old Plaza Hotel on the corner of Texas and University. I think I"ll drag the girls out of bed to watch it. After all, how often do you get to see a building implode in real time? Usually I watch them on television, and it's been on my bucket list to watch one in person. Super excited for the morning, though I'm not looking forward to the traffic once it's all over. The side streets are going to be crazy since they're closing Texas Ave until 8:00am. I still haven't figure out how to get Kate to school.
She made me very proud. She recieved the Class Bookworm Award and the Exceptional Honor Student Award at school. She has worked so hard this year, and I have been amazed at her progress. We've got a bit of work to do with arithmetic, but I'm confident she'll get a good grasp of it this summer.
Reagan is still our sunshine. She is the first to snuggle me when I'm sad. She's trying to figure out how to tell a joke, and it's hilarious just watching her eyes roll to the side as she tries out a new knock, knock joke. Unfortunately she gets the punch lines mixed up so she'll say, "knock.." who's there? "orange." orange who? "knock. knock" who's there? "orange." orange who? knock. knock" who's there? "apple" apple who? "aren't you glad I said apple?"
Georgi's latest fete in crazy dexterity...believe it or not, nothing. She seems to have settled down to spinning super fast and out running her sisters. I'm sure, once summer is in full swing and swimming is part of the norm, we'll have an interesting time of it, but until then, I'm glad for the breather. She has only cut her hair once this month. I consider that a huge improvement though she has now taken to cutting paper: every bit and scrap, so if there is something important I have to make sure it is up and out of her reach.
That's the family update so far. I'm going to have a lovely summer day today. I might day dream a bit at work since I have a window. I hope you enjoy yours, whatever the weather, whatever the hour!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
One more night...
Continuing the saga from where I left off, work ended smoothly enough. I gathered my things and headed out the door. Unfortunately there was no waiting car for me. I stood around and frowned, wondering...where is Jonathan? I thought about calling him, but he doesn't have a cell phone. I pondered for a bit, and then the resourceful me kicked into high gear and I decided to walk home even though it was 95 and I was wearing pants and a t-shirt. I figured if I could avoid the direct sun as much as possible, then I could make it to Muldoon's Coffee House, grab a cup of ice cold water and an iced latte and then make it up the hill to our houase.
As a side note, Muldoon's makes the best cappuccinos in town. They taste like the ones you get in Italy in the evening after you've ordered pizza. Yum.
Anyway, back to the walk. I made it, as this blog proves. I walked all the way down Texas Avenue in hopes of seeing a little white van hurtling down the road in justified panic. No such event occurred. I crawled into Muldoons and swallowed a copious amount of ice water, and then splurged on an iced latte. I figured I had earned it. Then I proceeded to tackle the hot stretch. The big hill doesn't have any shade, so I knew I'd have to walk 3/4 of a mile in blazing Texan sun. I was wishing I'd brought my walking hat. I proceeded in the time honored fashion of all Texans and began to drawl all the way up the hill. You know, the look...I think of gunslingers. Kneews slightly bent. Well paced stride. Hands loosely clasped. All the way up the hill, down our street and up the steps into the house. Where I discovered Jonathan fast asleep, but with dinner made. Well, I guess that was something, so after making him squirm, I stuck an ice pack on my head as I ate a salad.
I've discovered why people like to hire a nanny for their kids. No crying. No bad attitudes. No strange behavior patterns. Just your kids waiting for you at home with stories and projects and lots of fun stuff. I gotta say, I love it. Not as much as I love staying home with them, but love in sense that I am thankful God has given us a good thing even if it isn't what I consider the best. There are always blessings surrounding us, if only we would take a look and remember where and what we could be without His blessing.
So, we had dinner, I watched the girls play outside in evening sun, they devoured popsicles and came inside all hot and sweaty. Kate practiced her splits while Reagan played her violin and Georgi jumped on everyone and climbed on top of our heads. Then off for bath time. Imagine their excitement when I called them over to Skype with Daddy. Super shouts and lots of "I love you's"and air hugs and kisses, and then Daddy had to go and the girls had bedtime.
We survived another day without Dad.
As a side note, Muldoon's makes the best cappuccinos in town. They taste like the ones you get in Italy in the evening after you've ordered pizza. Yum.
Anyway, back to the walk. I made it, as this blog proves. I walked all the way down Texas Avenue in hopes of seeing a little white van hurtling down the road in justified panic. No such event occurred. I crawled into Muldoons and swallowed a copious amount of ice water, and then splurged on an iced latte. I figured I had earned it. Then I proceeded to tackle the hot stretch. The big hill doesn't have any shade, so I knew I'd have to walk 3/4 of a mile in blazing Texan sun. I was wishing I'd brought my walking hat. I proceeded in the time honored fashion of all Texans and began to drawl all the way up the hill. You know, the look...I think of gunslingers. Kneews slightly bent. Well paced stride. Hands loosely clasped. All the way up the hill, down our street and up the steps into the house. Where I discovered Jonathan fast asleep, but with dinner made. Well, I guess that was something, so after making him squirm, I stuck an ice pack on my head as I ate a salad.
I've discovered why people like to hire a nanny for their kids. No crying. No bad attitudes. No strange behavior patterns. Just your kids waiting for you at home with stories and projects and lots of fun stuff. I gotta say, I love it. Not as much as I love staying home with them, but love in sense that I am thankful God has given us a good thing even if it isn't what I consider the best. There are always blessings surrounding us, if only we would take a look and remember where and what we could be without His blessing.
So, we had dinner, I watched the girls play outside in evening sun, they devoured popsicles and came inside all hot and sweaty. Kate practiced her splits while Reagan played her violin and Georgi jumped on everyone and climbed on top of our heads. Then off for bath time. Imagine their excitement when I called them over to Skype with Daddy. Super shouts and lots of "I love you's"and air hugs and kisses, and then Daddy had to go and the girls had bedtime.
We survived another day without Dad.
Monday, May 21, 2012
And he's off!
I wonder if I should retitle this blog, Life Without Father. Those of you who didn't grow up on old black and white movies won't get the twist of words, by Mom will appreciate them.
Amid tears and moans, we shipped Tanner off to Sugar Land last night. Of course, I shouldn't be surprised that I haven't gotten a phone call, text or email saying, "Arrived Safely. Ship has come to rest in harbor," because I'm typically the other half of this team that does that sort of thing. So, I will pretend that I've heard all is well, and skip over the unknowns to the things that I do know.
Our new babysitter arrived this morning. I think the girls are going to have a lot of fun with her, but the two little ones were sleeping when I left, so I hope they remember meeting her last month. I hope they get to do a lot of projects and baking and splash pad stuff while I'm at work.
As with all transitions, money becomes a serious issue. Especially when you've got deposits and first month rent due before the first paycheck rolls in. We're lucky to have Jonathan around. He's always ready to chip in and help out, so hopefully we'll weather this next bumpy transition.
I was happy to sing in choir yesterday and share a bit of our spiritual walk with Mom and Dad Howell. It was Tanner's farewell choir performance until September, and I'm sure the rest of the Chem E singers will miss him. He's a little sad to be leaving behind some amazing mentors, so it is nice to know that he will be back!
Kate is suffering the most out of the girls. She is the most aware of the length of a week, and so, today, when I dropped her off at school she had a hard time putting a smile on her face. Though, I think the promise of buying a HARDBACK book at the bookfair put some spunk into her. That single word makes me excited that I might have a fellow bibliophile on my hands. I try not to get too excited because I know she's got a lot of growing and changing to do before her likes and dislikes will be fully established. All of that to say, if you feel the urge to pray for our family, please, give a special prayer for Kate.
Reagan and Georgianna had their share of tears, too. They kept begging for "one last hug", so they are not immune to the departure either. I hope that I can give them enough "new" adventures to keep them from becoming too morose.
In just a few weeks, Emily will join us and then our summer adventures will take off full steam ahead. So far we have a Six Flags trip planned complete with a decadent shopping trip to one of the world's largest outlet malls, swimming lessons, bowling, more swimming, a beach trip and at least one visit to Kemah. Should be a summer with packed weekends. I read somewhere that between the ages of 4 and 12, mini-vacations make more of an impression on kids than the big, expensive ones, so we're working on taking lots of mini-trips. It has something to do with memory receptors...I won't bore you with details...so, those our plans in our a little saga of Life Without Father. I'll let you know how it goes.
Amid tears and moans, we shipped Tanner off to Sugar Land last night. Of course, I shouldn't be surprised that I haven't gotten a phone call, text or email saying, "Arrived Safely. Ship has come to rest in harbor," because I'm typically the other half of this team that does that sort of thing. So, I will pretend that I've heard all is well, and skip over the unknowns to the things that I do know.
Our new babysitter arrived this morning. I think the girls are going to have a lot of fun with her, but the two little ones were sleeping when I left, so I hope they remember meeting her last month. I hope they get to do a lot of projects and baking and splash pad stuff while I'm at work.
As with all transitions, money becomes a serious issue. Especially when you've got deposits and first month rent due before the first paycheck rolls in. We're lucky to have Jonathan around. He's always ready to chip in and help out, so hopefully we'll weather this next bumpy transition.
I was happy to sing in choir yesterday and share a bit of our spiritual walk with Mom and Dad Howell. It was Tanner's farewell choir performance until September, and I'm sure the rest of the Chem E singers will miss him. He's a little sad to be leaving behind some amazing mentors, so it is nice to know that he will be back!
Kate is suffering the most out of the girls. She is the most aware of the length of a week, and so, today, when I dropped her off at school she had a hard time putting a smile on her face. Though, I think the promise of buying a HARDBACK book at the bookfair put some spunk into her. That single word makes me excited that I might have a fellow bibliophile on my hands. I try not to get too excited because I know she's got a lot of growing and changing to do before her likes and dislikes will be fully established. All of that to say, if you feel the urge to pray for our family, please, give a special prayer for Kate.
Reagan and Georgianna had their share of tears, too. They kept begging for "one last hug", so they are not immune to the departure either. I hope that I can give them enough "new" adventures to keep them from becoming too morose.
In just a few weeks, Emily will join us and then our summer adventures will take off full steam ahead. So far we have a Six Flags trip planned complete with a decadent shopping trip to one of the world's largest outlet malls, swimming lessons, bowling, more swimming, a beach trip and at least one visit to Kemah. Should be a summer with packed weekends. I read somewhere that between the ages of 4 and 12, mini-vacations make more of an impression on kids than the big, expensive ones, so we're working on taking lots of mini-trips. It has something to do with memory receptors...I won't bore you with details...so, those our plans in our a little saga of Life Without Father. I'll let you know how it goes.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
dum, dum, da, dum!
What a roller coaster ride! Seriously, we went on roller coasters during Spring Break. Every year, we buy a family membership to some sort of attraction so that we can take the kids for weekend trips. This year, instead of getting a Houston Zoo membership, we opted for Six Flags. The worst part about this whole story is that I forgot my camera. So, there are no eye popping photos of Kate screaming her head off on the Boomerang, no tilted-crazy angled shot of Reagan and Georgi on their first experience of the log-ride; nevertheless the kids had a great time at Six Flags in San Antonio, and I think it's going to be a favorite summer destination.
Talking about summer, we are getting super excited for Tanner's internship. We still haven't found an abode for him, but we're confident that we'll be able to get something rented in the next couple of months. We're rearranging our house so that Emily has a place to sleep with hopefully minimal allergies to our cat. The girls are getting excited that someone is going to spend a WHOLE summer with them. They've got plans, like swimming and parks and bowling and Popsicles. Lots of Popsicles.
While y'all in the Northwest were experiencing snow, we were turning on the air conditioning. I just couldn't stand the 80 degrees while playing and teaching violin, of course, neither could my students, so I had a good excuse. We had to set up the kiddie pool, and the girls rummaged around for their bathing suits. It looks like the beach is definitely going to be on the list of must do things this year.
Earlier this month, we had a huge storm roll into town. Did you know that the emergency broadcasting system actually works? Yup. Turn on the radio and the little neenerneener sound occurs and then you get a weather update. Yeah, I had no idea, until I moved here that people actually rely on that annoying broadcast. To me, it has always represented a high piercing interruption to great music, and is always followed by the words, "this is a test..." Not so in Texas. They don't need tests, cuz they use it quite frequently. Like earlier this month. We were so worried that we had the girls sit in our closet (the only space in the house without outdoor walls) while wearing their bike helmets and warm clothes. We dumped water bottles and dry food rations all around them and instructed them on what they would need to do if we got hit. We really weren't sure if we were gonna get hit by a tornado. The wind was whipping around the house so hard that it was shaking and the lights kept flickering on and off. We kept hearing roars of thunder and wind and loud cracks of lightning. I called my mom and told her that just in case something happened, I wanted to make sure that she knew that we loved her. Needless to say, the storm passed, and we made it through unscathed.
We found out that almost 9 inches of rain fell in just 12 hours. We were flooded up to the bottom step of our porch, and it would have been dangerous to stand in the street because you might get swept away. You know those stories of black flood waters? I got to see them, and they are indeed black. No exaggerating there.
I do love the way storms roll into this town. They don't sweep in. They don't meander or trickle. You can actually see the clouds rolling in the sky like big huge piles of batting, and then once that all gets settled into place the whole thing wakes up and starts shaking the sky. The strangest thing is that it can be pouring down rain and still warm. There have been times when I've had to run the air conditioner during a rain storm just to keep the house under 90 degrees. It's my kind of weather. Today it's raining and about 70 and my feet are cold.
Talking about summer, we are getting super excited for Tanner's internship. We still haven't found an abode for him, but we're confident that we'll be able to get something rented in the next couple of months. We're rearranging our house so that Emily has a place to sleep with hopefully minimal allergies to our cat. The girls are getting excited that someone is going to spend a WHOLE summer with them. They've got plans, like swimming and parks and bowling and Popsicles. Lots of Popsicles.
While y'all in the Northwest were experiencing snow, we were turning on the air conditioning. I just couldn't stand the 80 degrees while playing and teaching violin, of course, neither could my students, so I had a good excuse. We had to set up the kiddie pool, and the girls rummaged around for their bathing suits. It looks like the beach is definitely going to be on the list of must do things this year.
Earlier this month, we had a huge storm roll into town. Did you know that the emergency broadcasting system actually works? Yup. Turn on the radio and the little neenerneener sound occurs and then you get a weather update. Yeah, I had no idea, until I moved here that people actually rely on that annoying broadcast. To me, it has always represented a high piercing interruption to great music, and is always followed by the words, "this is a test..." Not so in Texas. They don't need tests, cuz they use it quite frequently. Like earlier this month. We were so worried that we had the girls sit in our closet (the only space in the house without outdoor walls) while wearing their bike helmets and warm clothes. We dumped water bottles and dry food rations all around them and instructed them on what they would need to do if we got hit. We really weren't sure if we were gonna get hit by a tornado. The wind was whipping around the house so hard that it was shaking and the lights kept flickering on and off. We kept hearing roars of thunder and wind and loud cracks of lightning. I called my mom and told her that just in case something happened, I wanted to make sure that she knew that we loved her. Needless to say, the storm passed, and we made it through unscathed.
We found out that almost 9 inches of rain fell in just 12 hours. We were flooded up to the bottom step of our porch, and it would have been dangerous to stand in the street because you might get swept away. You know those stories of black flood waters? I got to see them, and they are indeed black. No exaggerating there.
I do love the way storms roll into this town. They don't sweep in. They don't meander or trickle. You can actually see the clouds rolling in the sky like big huge piles of batting, and then once that all gets settled into place the whole thing wakes up and starts shaking the sky. The strangest thing is that it can be pouring down rain and still warm. There have been times when I've had to run the air conditioner during a rain storm just to keep the house under 90 degrees. It's my kind of weather. Today it's raining and about 70 and my feet are cold.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy New Year!
Imagine our elation when we finally touched down in Texas on Saturday afternoon. 79F with bright blue skies and the big yellow ball that southerners call "The Sun". The girls peeled off their jackets and complained about the long pants and long-sleeve shirts that they had to wear. I have to admit that the gray skies and the rain really got to me this time around, and I felt like turning cartwheels when we landed. I restrained myself simply because I didn't want to alarm airport security.
For those of you that we missed when we visited Oregon over the holidays, we are very sorry. So many of our plans had to be put on hold when Tanner caught the flu and was out of commission for 3 days. I think it was a lesson in thankfulness for our family. We had to learn to be content with what we were able to do even if many of our plans and wishes went unfulfilled. Of course, the time we spent wasn't enough, but we have come home feeling refreshed and ready to take on the next semester.
We came home to find that Kate's fish didn't make it through our vacation. I had all three girls sobbing uncontrollably for a few minutes. I held them tight while Daddy double checked to make sure the fish was indeed dead. Then they very quietly buried the fish (the toilet just won't do for these girls). Then today after we had tumbled out of bed, we walked to the pet store to pick out a new fish. Yes, I said walk. For my dear friends and family in Oregon, I know that walking is an unthinkable thing right now unless you are in a mall, but for us, since the sun was warming our backs and the breeze was skipping along the tree tops, walking was a real option. The girls picked out a bright blue beta and promptly named it Turquoise Crystal Howell.
Spring cleaning took over from that point and right now my home smells and looks pristine. I don't expect it to last for very long, but I am enjoying the sensation for as long as it will last. We are looking forward to this summer and can't help but get excited about the the next 2 years. We are over the hump and now get to count down the semesters. If all goes well, it looks like we will have a fall 2013 graduation. Of course, we can't predict if Tanner will pass ever single class, so I say it with caution, but the feeling is dizzying. After so many years of meeting pre-requisites and trying to get into the right course track, it seems amazing that graduation could possibly be just one and a half years away.
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