"E" For Effort

We are dragging a bit around here...OK make that "I" am dragging, which means the whole household comes down with me.  I'm just plain pooped. This year seems to finally have caught up with me. I don't particularly like this state of being. I feel unproductive. That said I thought putting up a post might make me feel productive. I'll earn an "E" for effort for the week. So here we go...

We had another set of visitors this week. Grandma and Grandpa! Yes Peanut's Grandma and Grandpa, just so we don't confuse anyone. We had a lovely time eating (Tiffany, there were most definitely meatballs), celebrating birthdays, touring battlefields, and just spending time together. We are so blessed to have so many visitors in our humble abode. You all make our life exciting. Thank you!

What a great photo!

Watch out folks. He means business

We sure know how to show guests a wild time

The lovely Lady
waiting on the carriage step

On another note,  I would like to give a big cub scout round of applause to our fellow church members in thanks. We hit the jack pot on timing our move in. Everyone is just finishing having kids or their youngest's are just growing out of all the things that we are just starting to need, and we seem to have become the local hand-me-down drop off center. Mountains of clothes and toys and most recently a bike trailer have found their way to us. It's simply awesome. 

That said, we decided to take the bike trailer out on it's maiden voyage with two of the rental bikes that our apartment complex offers (our road bikes and an unpaved trail = disaster). This ended up being another "E" for effort adventure as it in no way could earn any other satisfactory grade. When we got to the trail of choice, we realized that these bikes did not have quick release wheel hubs and we did not have a wrench to attach the bike trailer. Thankfully after 15 minutes of discussion on how to proceed, or whether we should just give up and go home, a giant semi of train workers pulled in the park n' ride lot. All seven got out. All seven went searching for a wrench and all seven supervised the removal of said bolt and then supervised Rob as he attached the trailer. They then oohed and ahhed over the tiny baby we were planning on strapping into the attached trailer. After lots of thanks you and all of this commotion we hit the trail. Two miles down I noticed my tire was not just a little flat but completely flat. Lucky for me we had a pump in the car. So Peanut and I waited by the bike on the side of the trail waving at fellow riders and runners until Rob's return. We pumped up the tire and I took off like a shot to get back to the car before it went flat again. So that became our two hour, two mile bike ride. "E" for effort family!

Waiting for my knight and his trusty steed
to return.

The other knight in shining diapers.

Most successful part of the trip...
clean up.

8 Months

Our little peanut has grown up so much this month. Today I marveled at how heavy he is, and how much food he eats, and how incredibly strong this little tiny boy is! I picked him up by his hands just a bit ago (to move him away from the dishwasher that I needed to close) and in his rage at being taken away from all the shiny silverware, he held himself there in a chin hang. You know like this:

 I think we have a little rock climber on our hands. He is always looking for finger and footholds in order to climb the cabinetry. He does a pretty amazing job considering it's a completely smooth surface. Also this month, he has figured out how to crawl like normal, but he still slips back into his butterfly stroke on occasion. I love it.

I snapped this picture the other evening and was inspired to write a little poem to sum up this month in an oh so general way. I think he's heard this word a lot lately:

My dear Desmond,

Please stop chewing on electric cords.

Please stop putting rocks and dirt in your mouth.

Please stop falling off of one piece of furniture when there is a sharper/harder piece of furniture or floor near by for you to land on.

Please stop taking your bib off during a meal.

Please stop throwing all your food on the floor.

Please stop crawling into small spaces that you can't reverse out of, that I have to crawl into to get you.

Please stop putting your arms in the cleaning bucket...when it's full of suds.

Please stop pulling the toilet paper off of the roll.

Please stop grabbing the items off of the shelf or rack at the store.

Please stop taking Daddy's glasses off of his face.

Please stop throwing a tantrum whenever I try and keep you safe.

Please stop biting me just because you're tired.

BUT...

Please don't stop getting the giggles before bed.

Please don't stop giving your heartwarming smiles when you see Mommy.

Please don't stop being curious.

Please don't ever stop moving, little energizer bunny.

Please don't stop being so strong.

Please don't stop being so forgiving.

Please don't stop being such a good, adventurous eater.

Please don't stop being such a crowd pleaser.

Please don't stop entertaining us at church.

Please don't stop being such a good sleeper.

Please don't ever stop being you!

 

Earthquakes and Hurricanes and Tornadoes, Oh my!

Hello all.  It has certainly been an interesting week: an earthquake on Tuesday and a tornado-inducing hurricane at the end of the week.  After 7 months, we have officially been welcomed to the East Coast!  Because of our week of seismic and meteorologic phenomena, I thought I would give an update as to our current predicaments and goings-on.  Previously, I have posted only jokes and hypotheticals.  This post, however, is no joke, all seriousness.

I'll begin with the most shocking news: I am told that previously-unknown destruction from the earthquake was discovered shortly before the hurricane--our tall and skinny, paper-towel-tube flower vase that sits on our porch was knocked over!  Although that may have just been wind or the local squirrel, one of the two.

Now for the hurricane news--I type this blog post as as we float through the streets and countryside of Frederick, Md.  The hurricane brought such rain and flooding that the entire East Coast is under water (don't believe any reports to the contrary, it's a lie).  Fortunately, from the Outer Banks to Maine, all but nine unfortunate souls float on unhinged bedroom doors, using floor lamps as oars; some have even banded together and created whole communities, lashing together their hollow-core flotation devices with dental floss and donations from "locks of love"!

The rain came down and the floods came up so quickly that we had to evacuate the apartment without so much as a root beer.  We were, however, able to salvage a few items: both ours' and Desmond's bedroom door, our floor lamp, and of course, our bread machine.  Anna and I float on our door and we tow Des' door behind us, upon which floats his crib (Anna hasn't taught him to swim yet so we can't take any chances) and the generator we found on someone's roof.  And now, as we sit here floating towards the Potomac, our wireless router (we brought the essentials) steals internet from our door-neighbor's smartphone.

We just thought you, our readers, were that important that we would take time out of our float to apprise you of our situation.