Bah Humbug

Seattle did finally thaw out.  It's been a beautiful sunny, cold weekend and yesterday was a perfect day to head to the tree farm for our annual Christmas tree hunt.  We found a lovely one, had some hot chocolate and headed back to the homestead for some decoratin'. 



Live Tree



Dead, but lovely, tree.



Grace and I decided to have a little sleepover down in Liv's room to check it out.  She is correct in stating that her bed is very comfy and I slept like a log.  I thought it might be a little creepy in the basement but it really wasn't, it was cozy and warm and the big window is so pretty in the morning.  Only 8 more days until Liv is home again.

Our day started out a little scary, Elke got out of the yard yesterday morning and we didn't find her for 3 hours.  She has been getting out and I warned Mike not to let her out unattended until he fixed the fence.  I awoke to hear him calling her and knew immediately that he probably hadn't heard me (again) and hoped that he hadn't removed her collar like he usually does (she jingles and wakes us up in the morning).  Unfortunately, he had...insert signing sound.   I was trying not to imagine her lifeless body lying in the road and what that would do to my children.  Turns out a good Samaritan found her and took her to the vet to scan her microchip.  I was introduced to a NE Seattle Moms group page and was so grateful to find that this network of mom's led Elke right back to our door, neighbors I don't even know.  It was heartening to see that our neighborhood is a lot more neighborly than I knew.  Today Mike is fixing the fence, it's only taken him five years and a giant scare but he is getting it done.

I'm immersed in Christmas shopping and taking my Ativan so that I can sleep through the stress of it all, and trying not to gain my usually holiday 5 pounds...I think it might be too late for that. 

We are all trying to recover from nasty colds, me, Liv, Sam, Jack and Drew all got walloped but I think the worst is over.  Back to the grind, I can't wait for January so I can start my official countdown to May and camping season.  I don't have a good attitude about January, February, March, or April.

Busy, busy, busy...

I haven't added a post for a long time, not because nothing is happening but for the opposite reason.  We got up on that roof at our first sunny opportunity and got 'er done.  Almost.  The outside is patched and a new roof is protecting us from the northwest elements.  We haven't got to the new sheetrocking on the inside yet as that's going to be a little more invasive.  It will involve covering everything up so that the insidious drywall dust doesn't permeate our living space.  We were so proud of ourselves that we promptly took off for Cannon Beach for the weekend.

It was mostly lovely, only one afternoon was too stormy to enjoy the beach.  The kids and Elke love the beach more than anything in the world and I love to watch them have that much fun without the help of any technological devices.  Just sand, shells, and surf.  It's amazing how long that can be entertaining.



Unmitigated Joy

Mike likes the beach too, as long as he can bring his coffee and Blackberry.  He can't do without the technology as long as the kids can...

Argh, nice pirate boots

Other big news this week.  Olivia is calling it quits.  No more ASU after this semester.  She isn't going back.  She's been so miserable and so unhappy.  It's just a little more than a northwest girl can take to be out in that hot, dusty dirt.  She did her best and I'm just happy to have her back.  She and Taylor are applying to Western for the spring quarter and will be attending Shoreline C.C. for the winter quarter.  The downstairs basement room that Sam just vacated will be quickly taken over by Liv and that's what I'm doing this weekend.  Cleaning and painting and preparing.  Liv was worried that we would be put out my having her move back in.  Silly girl.  She's only 18, she's still a baby and I am thrilled to be able to cook for someone who I know appreciates it.  If she were 30 it would be a different story.

Halloween was a success.  Thank Gawd the candy is finally gone.  I picked a bad time to start the Atkins Diet again, it took all my strength.

Sick In So Many Ways...

I'm home sick again today.   Sore throat, lack of sleep, mental illness, etc.  I could probably make it in, if it weren't for my extreme fear of infecting my office neighbor, who has been struggling with illness all year and is in a compromised state, immune-system wise.  Plus, it's a girl's overnight to Portland with my bestest buddies on Saturday and I'm determined not to be sick for that.

There are definitely some big advantages to staying home sick.  For one, I'm alone!  Just me...I won't even let the dog and cat in the house cuz they might ask something of me.  Food, water, scratch!  I cleaned through my discomfort yesterday, because I could.  You know you are a domesticated animal when cleaning without anyone home is more appealing than a trip to Hawaii.  My usual cleaning day is Friday, my day off.  Mike usually makes sure he's home on Friday so he can follow me around and talk about stuff that's interesting to him, and I can grow a brain tumor.  I try to clean but I don't feel productive with him around, so I usually end up at Costco or Target, after a long soak in the tub with the door locked.   *sigh*.  Hey, maybe that's why my house is always a mess? 

Less than a week until Liv is home.  It's heartening to see how fast the last 7 weeks have passed, we have another long stretch to Thanksgiving until she's home again and that feels less daunting than before.  *smiling in anticipation*