KateAndDally

Giving the Middle Finger to Death...and other dispatches from the Father's Day Weekend 2008

The pod people having generously provided a "travel allowence" to their employees, we are caught up bill-wise, which is always a dangerous proposition for me, since Wikipedia's explanation of the phrase "cash burning a hole in one's pocket" has my picture front and center.  Anyway, Unqualified Offerings and I needed a little fun in our lives, so I went ahead and bought tickets to the Robert Plant - Alison Krause tour Raising Sand, which played at Merriwether Post Pavilion on Friday night.

UO had a good time -- after I convinced him that, yes, we really could afford it and yes, we were going to have to pay $15/hr for a babysitter -- but she's 27!  German!  a professional au pair!  Coming from Bethesda!  Willing to jump in at short notice!  YOU know what those kinds of arguments are like ... Anyway, we both had a great time, the kids loved Nina the German Au Pair, and we were home by midnight.  Just in time to get 8 hours' sleep so we could celebrate...

Laura and Bruce Renewing their Vows!  Also celebrating Jenny's adoption by Bruce, once Laura got done weedwhacking the Human Weasel.  And I got it all on video.  Let's hear it for the Flip!

First up: Laura and Bruce's vows, presided over by Pastor Paul, who married them in January of 1999...And here's Jenny and Skylar making their vows to their parents....And lastly, the presentation of the entire family...

And well, the less said about the Syrah they served, the better....I cried (at the vows, not the wine) and UO did too...

And since I keep promising to publish doggie stuff, here's some video of the doggles from when I first got the Flip (and then promptly let the batts run down...)

Catching Up

Well, it's been a while since we last chatted, and sometime when I wasn't watching (literally) KateAndDally.typepad.com had its 10,000th visitor.  I don't know who you were, but I thank you.  I feel I know you – I probably do, since I can count the folks who read this blog on the fingers of one hand; why you keep coming back 10,000 times I don't know, but I'm grateful.

Offering Boy turned 12 on May 24.  I am stunned and amazed.  He looks more and more like his father every day.  With my hair.  And I wish he'd give it back, my scalp gets cold. His hamster, the estimable Cream, passed away at the end of March.  We said, that's it, no more; but now OB's friend J has acquired two hammies, supposedly males, but no, no, sexing hamsters is very tough and instead of two males, our friends got one of each; and so in the fullness of time we shall accept one of their offspring, assuming Hammie Mom doesn't eat them first.

If one of Hammie Mom's offspring were to pen an acrostic poem, it might go something like this:

M - y guardian

U - sually doesn't cannabalize us

M - arvelous

M - agnificent

Y - ou might sit on us, though - ouch

***

Speaking of acrostic poems, The Littlest Offering's class completed a unit on poetry and had a "Poetry, Parents and Pastries" party to celebrate their writings.  TLO recited this “surprise” poem, which Unqualified Offerings knew about, but I did not.

G - reat person

R - emembers his family

A - ll of us loved him

N - never said never

D - ied with a great heart

P - eaceful man

A - always very nice

Come on.  How many 7 year olds do you know could think up the line "died with a great heart"?

I had to go outside the room and cry a bit.

 

***

It's storming here now.  It stormed last week and we lost power for 18 hours or so.  Just enough to lose everything in the fridge and freezer...But hey, we have power; AND we don't have a gas leak, for which I'm very grateful...I walked into the house this afternoon and thought, "oh crap."  I thought that yesterday too, but that was tangible, since Dally was suffering from diarrhea (ick).  Today there was only one explanation, and it wasn’t mammal-produced...geez, it never stops...so for a while I mulled calling Wash Gas against ignoring it and maybe dying, all because of some little "inconvenience;" and finally I called.  Turns out our old range is shot to hell Hel-lo, tell me something new), but there was no actual leak.  Thank you, Jesus. 

***

On Saturday we go to watch Laura and Bruce renew their vows.  The horrible chemo seems to have arrested the cancer, but it hasn't carted it off to jail yet.  However, Aunt Laura, Samurai Wife and Mom, used the situation to bludgeon the Human Weasel into agreeing to give up parental rights to #1 Niece Jen so that Pineapple Bruce could adopt her.  Everything has been signed, so Laura made good her promise to Jen and officially changed her name. Now she, Bruce, Jen and Sky are all one family with one name.  Please God, let them remain so for many years.

Anniversaries

Weeeeelllll....we just had our first anniversary as a Blogger, ladies and gentlemen, and I believe I spent it in bed reading; what does that tell you?  We also had our first anniversary of Kate-ness infecting the household, since we acquired her on Apri 22, 2007.  As I sit here tonight typing, she is curled up on the green recliner, her head on its arm, ears pricked, watching me..  She brings much joy, even if she causes the key tops to pop off my laptop.  All in all, a good investment.

Many happenings in the Offering Household this week:  The Littlest Offering had artwork appear in a county-wide show at a local mall; it was Spirit Week at school; and the Chimes Choir played at church.  And here are the pictures.

The 2nd grade has been learning about Victorian domestic architecture.

Friday was Wacky Hair Day...but not take-your-blurry-dogs-to-school-day...

But what a great picture of TLO!  And on Sunday, of course, it's church...

That's Choirmaster Danny on the left, with TLO in the "1st Chime" position...I don't know if there really is a "1st Chime" position, or if he just lined them up by height.  But she did really well, and we all turned out to cheer her on.  It takes a lot to get UO and Offering Boy to church, and it was TLO's performance that did it.

Horrible rain today.  Wore jeans to work so we could clear out our boxes in the shed...21 boxes to be shredded!  Yay, us!

My Love, My Love

Today marks seventeen years since UO agreed

'to have and to hold
from this day forward;
for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish,
till death us do part.'

Seventeen years.  And that doesn't even include the two we were together before the marriage.  The poor man.   The most wonderful husband ever!  Buy him a drink.