Catching Up

It’s one of those weeks when things seem good, then not-so-good, then good again, then iffy, then good, and then bad/sad.  Kinda like the weather.

 

Charles is sick, but only sort of.  He is sleeping moderately well (those of you whose children slept through the night before age, oh, I dunno, 19 months, will think that his sleeping habits/issues are solidly in the NOT GOOD category, but for us, the baseline is SO MUCH WORSE), waking up only a couple of times a night, usually wanting a drink of water, which he has figured out how to reach all by himself about 50% of the time.  I think the white noise machine helps immensely, and you’ll find that some of our sanity has returned.  But.  But!  He’s been getting mild fevers (99-100 degrees F) all week.  Sometimes in the morning, sometimes after nap.  They all result in a clingy, cranky boy, until Tylenol is administered.  Then, within 20 minutes, he is screaming wildly, running down the hall, pushing toys, and laughing with glee.  I love that happy little boy.  He shows no other sick symptoms.  So we’re waiting it out, hoping that it’s some sort of rogue virus that will go away on its own without getting worse or infecting the rest of us.

 

The dog is losing weight, which is good, because the Toddler Diet has not been kind to him.  He begs for food and treats all the time, which is so annoying, for *****’s sake, dog, STOP FOLLOWING ME!!!, but he’s also regained some energy with the loss of a few pounds.  And it’s awfully nice to have a running companion who doesn’t have to stop every five minutes.

 

The summer is booking up waaaaay too quickly.  This weekend, Tony has a Habitat for Humanity board retreat, and we have two birthday parties to attend.  Next weekend is Father’s day and I have a big surprise for dad that requires a babysitter.  There are a ton of things going on for Rotary in the next few weeks.  Fourth of July.  Clear Lake Triathlon.  Friends coming to visit.  The backyard to continue fixing (it’s a dirt hole right now, but the rain has thwarted efforts to complete the rock removal, which, if I might digress for a moment, HOLY COW, are there a lot of rocks in our yard!  The deck is gone and there must be a whole dump-truck load of nice river rock that was underneath it.  We have to move it all before digging up the rest of the backyard and digging trenches.  The project is soooo daunting.). Tony’s fishing trips.  The family reunion.  Weddings.  Cruise.  Kite Fest.  Oh yeah, work.

 

And then, this week, I found the conflict that truly depresses me.  Our friends Jarrod and Carole are throwing an 80s party that promises to be so much fun, but it’s on the same weekend as a Rotary girls’ hike that I paid for and scheduled ages ago.  The hike is going to be fun, but I am truly sad to miss the party.  And now I’m afraid I’ll make myself upset during the hike, too, knowing that Tony is dressed up and having fun with friends at a costume party.  Sigh.

 

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A few weeks ago, we took a trip to Eastern Washington, and we have some great photos to share.  Tony had an inventory count to attend in the Tri-Cities, so we took the opportunity to visit Sarah, Jack, and Claire in Richland, and our friend Stephanie in Walla Walla.  We had a great time, even though the weather sucked.

 

I’m not entirely sure Claire likes Charles.

 

Charles loves playgrounds and is quite the little monkey, climbing everywhere.

 

There is a complete juxtaposition of temperaments with Claire and Charles, clearly illustrated by this photograph.

 

Claire wanted to “paint the whale” with mud – Charles wanted to play in the puddle.  Claire was completely clean.  Charles was not.

 

Stephanie has a swingset/slide in her backyard, and Charles must’ve gone up and down for an hour.

 

Part of the ride home was like this. 

 

Part of it was like this. 

 

The end.