When the wife's away...

...the hubby will work!

Yes, it's been a fast several days while my wife and youngest daughter departed for the Great White North to attend a nephew's wedding. We wished all of us could go, but we couldn't afford it. We're making plans for all of us to fly up to Canada for Christmas in 2010. That will be great.

It's been challenging to keep things going here at the home without Glory AND working my job AND making sure our oldest gets things done that she wants, too. But the biggest thing here has been ensuring that our plantation of a home is kept up.

We have a quarter-acre lot. We have one apple tree, six plum trees, a hazelnut tree, cedar hedges, lots of grass, flowers and such. It's a real English garden here that grows and grows and grows. On top of tending all that, I've painted, weeded, mowed the lawn, cleaned the house, washed the dishes, cooked food for the kids, tore up the dining room floor and made sure the kids have been cared for. My eldest has been very helpful in making sure clothes are put away, the boys are taken care of and her mom's new plants survive curious but destructive mauling hands.

It hasn't been all work and no play. We've taken a couple of ferry rides on Puget Sound, gone to church and tried to have fun, too.

All of this has made the time go by faster. In two sleeps, my traveling ladies will return home and things can get back to normal around here.

I don't know if that is so appealing to Glory.

Bill

Silliness at the school

Tonight was a red letter day. Our youngest daughter graduated from kindergarten and our oldest passed to 10th grade. Their school had an open house tonight, complete with the standard programming: kids graduating, demonstrations from music students, a few karate students kickin' and punchin' each other in demonstrations for all the parents who have been wondering what their kids have been doing at that school, anyway.

Now we know, and Glory and I are very proud.

Our younger ones even were attentive at tonight's festivities. They sat on our laps and stared in admiration at their sisters as they were recognized for their achievements.

But they really got into those karate kids. Our three-year-old was making the motions as he watched the students perform. I don't think he really took it all that seriously, though.

"Do you like that?" I asked him.

"Yeah," he said, while watching, transfixed. "They're silly."

Even our young graduate commented similarly:

"What are those silly things they're wearing, Daddy?" she asked me.

But, our three-year-old wasn't going to let his sister get away with her own form of comic relief. As he started at her mortar board, I asked him what he thought of her "hat."

After a long pause, he replied: "She looks like Peter Pan."

With that, she flew up in the air and did battle with the karate students and vanquished them all, as her little brothers watched in awe.

They can't wait until they get to go to school, too.

Bill

Getting ready for the mountains!

In a week we'll be on the road to the other side of our fair state to visit friends and to go camping! We're pretty excited. We managed to reserve a spot at a state park campground that has awesome privacy.

Going there fulfills the desires of nearly all the family: Our oldest gets to ride a horse. Our second-oldest gets to go fishing. Our third child gets to go see the mountains. Our youngest just gets to have some fun. Glory has been a tough one to convince that she has desires on this too, but she only needed to think but a few seconds and realize her inner micro-manager will be quite satisfied as she puts together the camping list and orders everyone about. I get to get out in the outdoors and have some fun with the family.

We bought a new family tent that is the size of a small hotel. The girls broke it in the other night in the back yard. This portable cabin will be great for us as we attempt to rough it in the great outdoors. We also bought a screened-in canopy, to keep the bugs away when we eat or visit. Just these two things alone, plus fishing licenses and other things, cost a small fortune, but we will have them for many years to come, and they will pay for themselves. As a cost comparison, we've already paid for a two-night stay at a nice hotel. Only now we have open-ended accomodations.

Next on the shopping list: bug repellent, camp food, another fishing pole or two and perhaps a lantern and tabletop grill. I would be satisfied with what we already have in the lighting and cooking department, but if I ever expect Glory to agree to go camping again, I have to mortgage the house and buy all this new, cr--, er stuff to make us all happy while we commune with nature.

Note to self (as Glory glares from across the room): don't forget the shower tent.

Bill