Here We Go Again

I took this picture just after I dropped Nu off at "The Owl Logs" and turned around for one quick picture yesterday.

I had a ton of stuff planned for this week: writing dates, hangs outs, planning a party in our old house with S, and on and on.... But I haven't been in this town by myself ever. And everywhere there are reminders of the babies when they were babies--schools, childcare, parks... and aaaaarrrgghh. I can't stand it.



A ton of super-emo texts to Big A last night and I'm headed back to Lansing today where I can baby the puppies and At and Big A (whose Boss Day it is!).

I-75, here we go again...

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And Off We Go!

Nu's all checked in for Eco-Camp and reaaaallllly ready for me to leave :)


















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Baby Birds

These wild turkeys and turkey chicks have been wandering through the place every morning. Turkey parents seem way more relaxed than duckling parents, FWIW.

Out on the front porch, I was surprised that a hanging basket was faring so poorly until I saw a parent bird transfer a wiggly worm from its beak to its baby's, and their nest is right in that planter!  I've seen this scene on film so many time, but never from two feet away... I don't think?



And in other baby bird news, Nu and I will road-trip over to Yellow Springs all by ourselves, spend the night at MIL's. Then Nu's off to Eco-Camp for the rest of the week, and I will be doing all the YS things with old friends...

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Some Books

MIL's book (illustrations by her, words by SIL when she was six) is out in print. I love it and we ordered a bunch to give to friends with kids. LMK, if you'd like a copy!











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When you have two kids at college

It's Little Sibs Weekend, and Nu is off at college with At. I didn't get a picture, but as some of my students mentioned, she looked like a mini college girl: shorts, fuzzy boots, sweater. She declared that she'd borrow her brother's pants if her legs got cold... "they have pockets!!"

On my way home, I'm listening to 90s music on the radio because I cannot with Frat Kavanaugh anymore and I'm dreading MSU's homecoming game traffic, when J called and suggested we go watch A Star is Born to take our minds off stuff. So we did. Meanwhile, as Yellow Springs friends were FB posting, Dave Chappelle and Bradley Cooper were sweetly doing a pre-show talk at The Little Art .

Big A is working overnight again, so its just me and the puppies at home tonight--let's see if my horror movie consumption will come back to haunt me.

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In which we get the Nu!

EcoCamp Finale!

Reunited

...but not really.

By the time the "pet resort" opened for pickups,

Nu and Big A had already left for Ecocamp...

And At was at work at the Abdul office until late.

"Where's everyone?" They asked.

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Lovenotes

to secrete into Nu's backpack--

she'll be gone for a whole week.

And I know I'll miss her so; and

I know she'll have so much fun.

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What do you recognize?

S posted this picture yesterday, and I loved the doggo. 

Then I realized I knew the backdrop to the picture
intimately. 

It was three kitchens ago,
and kinda my favorite kitchen 

ever.

UPDATE: At got the connection right away. "It's because I spent so much time at that table trying to finish my food." 😂
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FB is killing me with memories

My babies are so beautiful* <3 span=""> <3 span=""> <3 span="">

* Beautiful = nostalgia for when they were so squishy, tiny, chubby-cheeked, and I saw both of them at breakfast every morning.

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The Prodigal Couple

It was good meeting so many old friends this week. We spent an evening with LV and NF and their families; had lunch with NM and his family today; and went to the M's NYE party where we saw EVERYONE.

Walking back from Stafford St. in the feathery snow and single-digit cold, Big A said that it's kind of fun, because people are so excited to see us even if we weren't that special when we actually lived here. It's true :) .

We got back 11-ish, so we could hang out with the kids and grandparents until midnight and chanted the countdown into 2018. I so want this year to be better than the last couple of years.

And I should take better pictures.

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Dinner

@The Winds

They're showing N's beauteous Persia collection on the walls.

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2017 Christmas #3

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Boss Day swag (is Princely)

My family knows me well...

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Grandparents are so brave

they'll even take naughty puppies to the bank

(Parents aren't doing so well:

Hurry home, Huck!)

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Five Years Ago in Yellow Springs...

Best graffito ever.

(Facebook reminded me.)

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Warmth

Sometimes it is the surprise present 

an old, dear friend slipped 

into our luggage as we said goodbye 

(a present I didn't find until weeks later 

because I left for the conference 

the very day we got home)

that is the sweetest

and warmest.

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Second Christmas

In YS, and the only picture I got all weekend was of the grandparents' goodbye...

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The End

They'll be home from YS soon
And then night comes
or falls--depends
on whom you ask


Time to wrap babies and burritos
while birds dip their wings
in sunsets
and vanish

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Blast from the Past

Yesterday's prom photo extravaganza

made us moms reminisce 

Their playdates and sleepovers,

 their silly sing alongs...

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