I Did This! (1)

Somehow I had never mown a yard.... Big A set me up, and... voila! (I plan to finish the rest tomorrow, but I'm awfully proud of that demarcating line today.) Mowing with headphones in (I didn't even make it out of my Prince playlist!), gave me some time to process the difficult conversation with our Title IX coordinator too.

       Before we moved here, we loved that there was no "lawn," but we do need an occasional mow down in the summer to keep it safe for the puppies.

I did it! I am certifiably grownup!

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Planetary Twins

Puppy Trail

Puppies have been on my mind because of Huck's foot scare

and so I loved this surprise puppy sculpture up by the vet school.

#MSU #UrbanHikes

This Little Puppy

This little puppy was so tender with her paw this evening, holding it off the floor, and getting all clumsy trying to walk on just her other three paws. Her big sib came home from stocking the shelves at our new neighborhood Big Lots to give her some love, affection, and a couple of thorough once overs.

Big A and I had checked her already, and she'd let us touch the paw--with no visible signs or sounds of discomfort--but just couldn't put any weight on it :/.

Friday Update: I took her to the doc this evening, and wouldn't you know it from having kids, she acted perfectly fine when we got there. The doc sent us home with puppy Ibuprofen. I'm glad she's mostly ok.

A Rainy Day Visit

The cherries are ripening.

Nu checks to see if they're ready to share with Grandpa R.










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A portrait of a very good boy.

Panic to Pride

It was a verrrrry leisurely morning and after putting away the breakfast dishes, I was going to put away the cash I got from Big A (I never withdraw cash, dunno why, and Big A had a bunch to give to the kids as they finish summer jobs around the house).

So I was going to put away the cash in my wallet... except I couldn't find my wallet in my purse or any of the other plausible places I looked for it. At first no one believed me because I'm super careful... until my rising panicky squeaks convinced them. I realized the last time I had used my card was at Aldi... on Wednesday.

Then I alternated between mild self-congratulation at not having spent money for over 48 hours, and panic at having to replace all the cards and ID stuff. I called Aldi to see if I had left it there, but the call went to some central Aldi location, because apparently they don't take phone calls at the store. Ok.

By this time, everyone was looking for my wallet and turning up old ones and asking if that was the one, I went and put on pants so someone could take me to the store (I had no DL). And then! Big A found the wallet in the door of the car. Hallelujah. Testify!

After that, I took a relaxing shower and got everyone to Riverfront Park for the Pride parade. My friend MD, who runs a local queer teen group, had asked for help 'protecting' the teens from hecklers--but there weren't any, so I just hung out with all my beautiful babies.

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Hey there, little weirdo

"I thought I smelled a calzone, dada!"

















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In the Jungle

The kids are outside, finally!

And in the two weeks we've been gone, things turned into a jungle out there.

I've been meaning to make paths and landscape for the two summers we've been here...

Maybe this year :)!




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Pillow Fort?

That girl lovvvvvvvvves her dada

Not this adorable girl in the foreground whose new Amelie-style haircut we were trying to document... (She loves her dada, but reserves her lovvvvvvvvvve for mama.) Talking about the other adorable girl--in the background--looking up at her dada all heart-eyes-emoji style.









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Loves her Dada

Watch out, sticks!

The picture is its own happy story.

     Alternate story: It's the kind of day where you need a woolen hat when you set out and need to switch it out for sunglasses by the time you get there.
     Nu and I set off with Mason jars of chicken soup for At who wasn't feeling well.
     We found out when we got to Alma that he'd been running a fever for five days--so it was off to Urgent Care, where we found out that he'd lost even more weight and that he had Strep. Pharmacy next (Amoxy is free!) then back to the MUN House to put him to bed. Refrigerating the soup, I found four other trays of food that he'd stashed without eating them.
       Back home, Big A set to throwing away the food and putting the dishes in the dishwasher while I cried my heart out. And that resulted in... a very firmly-worded text to At from Big A. And so we go on.

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Now you too

May wonder (like Scout back there)

WTF?

(Nu claims this is acceptable bass clarinet practice.)











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Found this picture of a baby Scout

and it's just been all awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww









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All of 17 degrees

And we're off to school.









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A Day in the Life of Someone on Sabbatical

DD texted to see if I wanted to go to bookclub together, and I texted back to say I was actually at the college coming off of my 6th straight meeting. Before I hit up bookclub at Lucky's Steakhouse, I had to have dinner with a Psych department faculty candidate at Capital Prime another steakhouse clear on the other side of town. That's two too many steakhouses for someone who doesn't even eat steak. Anyway.

By the time I got to Lucky's discussions were underway, but there were so many lovely people I knew and I got to stop by the different tables for hellos and hugs. But even the lovely people looked at me funny when I said I'd already had dinner so I ordered a giant dessert to show I do eat. I am mature and self assured.

By the time I got home Nu and the puppies were asleep (school night) as was Big A (he's working tonight) and I sat there in the living room, with the radio on, catching up on email and beginning to feel queasy and kinda anxious. And then I figured it out and texted our college boy who was awake (college life).
 

It was M. Night Shyamalan night on WKAR's Michigan Matinee.

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Guess What We Did on Jan 3rd?

Finally got everyone in one place to take a "holiday" family picture! It's a holiday miracle!






Though Big A is a bit Ghost Dad in this one...














So here's Take #2











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NYE: 4/6

It's just Nu and Scout and Huck and me tonight (Big A is at work and At is out partying).

The plan is to snack, watch girlie movies, and cuddle until midnight.

Mission accomplished, we're taking our barely sleepy selves to bed to read till we fall asleep.

Earlier that night...

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Sometimes everyone just needs loving

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