Wordless Wednesdays with Grandma

Vacation Remainders

Following Aaron's fabulously enjoyable birthday, Friday I did a little work and Aaron and Sami did a little youth pastor work--Aaron had agreed to help "judge" the "talent show" at the high school. Sami will soon be a youth pastor in Tennessee, and Aaron has been her mentor over the years, so she loved meeting our kids and seeing his work. He also made her help clean the garage. Probably less enlightening. After dinner we went to the beach where the waves crash on the rocks. Gorgeous but cold with the wind.

Saturday morning Aaron again used Sami as his own personal intern, helping at the YL car wash, while I got Anna and all our stuff ready to head out SANDBOARDING. Our friend Famous Sandboarder Matt Walton just got back in town and stopped by the other day to say hi and got us all itching to try it out. More on this later, but let's just say it was awesome rad, dude. Or whatever the cool kids who actually know what they're doing say.

Sunday was another full day/work day for Aaron. We've had a wonderful woman serving as our fill-in pastor for two months, and even though we're mad at her for not staying longer (like forever), we thought it'd be nice to have brunch on her last Sunday. So half the church took over the place with the amazing buffet. Endless fruit and sugary carbs? Anna has a new favorite place. I rushed her home for a 45-minute detox nap before I had to wake her up for Baccalaureate at church. Aaron is always in charge of this--much to his chagrin--and this year he gave the little inspiring message too. He really did a great job and it's too bad that for some reason there weren't as many people there. Previously there's been more people every year, seems to me. I always tell him if he wants to get out of doing this thing, he's going to have to do a much worse job. Ya screwed yourself again, Wetzel.

Monday we had to take Sami back to the airport, and I arranged for us to go by our adoption agency for our third and final post-placement meeting with the social worker. I can't believe it--this means it's been almost a year since we came home from Ethiopia with Anna. It's been almost a year since a lot of things . . .

All that made for a really long day in the car, since Anna stubbornly kept herself awake the whole three hours home. I think we are all still feeling the aftereffects a bit today. The party's over.

All on the Underhills' Tab

Whew. We've gone from extreme to extreme this week.

Aaron was off to Michigan from last Tuesday afternoon to Sunday evening. I worked worked worked like a mad fool, since I foolishly squandered so much work time before he left (and had some unplanned life interruptions). I pretty much planned my week around How much work can I get done while Anna's asleep? and How can I wear her out so she sleeps? We took some walks around the neighborhood and on the beach and made a shopping/Chinese food run. She was really good for me but dang, I'm glad I'm not on my own all the time.

Even when Aaron got home, no rest for wicked me--I was really really pushing for my Wednesday deadline. I worked more in three days than I usually do in a week and was staring at the computer longer in one day (Tuesday) than any non-cyborg should be. But I made my deadline and got good feedback, so I'm pleased. Imagine how rich I'd be if I worked like all the time--naw, forget it. I do need to up my hours/productivity, but not to that level. What's the saying? In all things . . . procrastination?

Aaron brought a visitor back with him: our old friend Sami, who was a youth group student of his way back when, then a student leader, now a soon-to-be-married college grad. The first couple days we pretty much used her as a nanny while we got caught up on things; Tuesday night they took some kids to a concert (I pass on heavy metal). Wednesday night as our small group was wrapping up some kids stopped by to wish Aaron happy birthday and scope out this Sam person they'd heard tell of.

Yesterday was Aaron's birthday and after our now-standard lazy morning, we drove north for a hike to a waterfall we'd never in 4 1/2 years made it to. The sun came out and the trail did not disappoint; just as you're wondering If that little thing's the creek, how big could this waterfall be? out of nowhere you come to a skinny Indiana-Jones-esque bridge where the creek drops off a 75-foot cliff! Anna was fearless on the bridge. Her dad, not so much. (Chill, Mom. It's totally safe with metal mesh fencing.) Anna loved being carried on her dad's back. And beating him with a fern to make him go faster. If he'd bounce her a little by skipping, she'd burst into giggles.

On the way back we did a couple of errands--when you live in sticksville, at $4.19 a gallon of gas, you have to make the most of your trips to semi-civilization--and hit our favorite Mexican restaurant. Anna was great through all of this despite her shortened nap and the extra excitement. I suppose being carried three miles isn't as tiring as doing the carrying.

To top off the evening Aaron chose one of his favorite movies, Fletch. For his birthday I gave him a basketball hoop, which he said he wanted. And a Bloody Mary, and a steak sandwich . . . and a steak sandwich. I put it on the Underhills' tab.

Grandmas and Grandpas and Aunties, Oh My!

New post--where to start? We've been behaving as though it's summer vacation around here, even when the weather wasn't. My parents were here and it rained every day. Since they left it has been sunny and 65+ degrees. Nonetheless, we managed to play a lot and eat even more. We did the marine science center, some shopping, a little tidepooling (saw the elusive 19-armed sunburst starfish). They really only wanted to play with Anna anyway, of course. It would have been nice to get to the beach more, but my dad is probably glad his suitcase didn't mysteriously gain ten pounds of rocks and shells (it's like my mom's a raccoon and they're shiny things--she can't resist). I'm sure they went home much lighter after leaving us all kinds of books and toys and the awesome Very Hungry Caterpillar quilt my mom made of actual Eric Carle fabric (she's seen "testing it" in previous post) and making a similar deposit of baby schtuff when they met their new grandson, whom they visited after leaving here.

We also got to see my aunt Nancy, who is a retired librarian living the nomadic RV life until she starts her Coolest Summer Job Ever as campground host at Yellowstone freaking National Park(!). She made her way up here from Cali before heading out West, which is obviously east of here, but I'm in denial about that because it just doesn't sound right. So as my parents took off, she and the sunshine were here to keep me from doing boring things like work and pay bills for another day. Can't say I minded. And she bought us steaks, so Aaron sure didn't.

For Friday afternoon bonus slacking off time, we took Anna to her first softball game. The weather was perfect, which you can't always say for Oregon coast softball season--sometimes it is worse than football weather since they built new fields on the windiest plateau in town. She really liked it for about 5 innings but would have liked to hear some more chatter out there. (Waltino, when are you coming back to teach her the finer points of the thinking girl's game?)

Here are some favorite pictures from the week's Anna photography extravaganza!

What My Parents Did on Their Spring Vacation

ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz . . .

To be fair, that picture was taken on day 1, jetlag day. Since then we have been running around getting tired without the benefit of naps. It has caught up with the little girl (aka Crankypants) a bit at times although she has been having so much fun playing with Grandma and Grandpa and being out and about with us that she never wants to stop.

I'll post more soon...

Alles Gut Endes Gut

Another visit done and gone already. Today my mom flew home and I drove back home from the airport. We had to leave early and it was a rather mundane drive home alone in cloudy weather, so I was pooped when I got home. But Aaron had a meeting so I had Anna back right away; I darn near napped with her, but I had things to do. Until five minutes ago the living room looked like a toy factory exploded, so needless to say I still have lots of things to do tomorrow, and I have to get back to work too. But it's always worth it to have visitors (so come on out!) and Anna and Grandma and I had lots and lots of fun together.

As the Germans say, Alles gut endes gut: If it ends good, it's all good. Or something like that.

Coming soon (hopefully): blog posts with actual thoughts and ideas and stuff.

Sleepy Saturday

Photos from the last couple days, clockwise from top: Bright day; Daredevil; Can't shove it in fast enough!


We didn't do much today but I am plumb tuckered out. Anna refused her afternoon nap so she is going to bed early. I think we would all like a nap--or maybe we need to go for another drive.

Fridays with Grandma

Today we three girls went out wandering in the sunshine. Drove down south; gorgeous waves and blue sky. Had lunch, did the tourist shops, drove back, had leftovers for dinner (didn't we all?). Huge full moon out at sunset too.

After dinner we played in Anna's room where Mom/Grandma is sleeping on the air mattress, which is really fun to play on. Anna decided it was time to get brave and start letting go to stand up on her own! At first she was kind of leaning her knees against the air mattress but then she tried it further back. She was hamming it up for us and the cameras. Once she discovers something new, she is really into trying it over and over again, so I expect she will be getting good at balancing very quickly now.

I can't post pictures tonight because there's a Battle of the Bedtime going on upstairs (she's just so not tired!), but I will try to get some up soon.

By the way, who knew y'all would have so much to say about spiders? Thanks for commenting, and don't worry for us, I haven't seen any in days--the good thing about it getting chilly!

Thankful

I am stuffed with satisfaction.

Mom arrived yesterday without any travel troubles. We had lunch, went to Target (I did not spend more than the gift card I had so HA. She bought the rug we'd been eyeing online for Anna's room though!), hit a little traffic, then took to the back roads. I had never taken that road before but it got us around some more traffic snags and was quite pretty. (Note: I am now NaBloPoMo -1 since I didn't blog yesterday. Thought about it at 10:30 pm, but thought my husband would think I was crazy. And be pretty unhappy if I woke up the girl.)

Today, food and football, of course. Oh, Brett Favre . . . I hated you the whole time, but there's no one I'd rather lose to. If we'd played the "how many times can they say Brett Favre" drinking game, we'd have been schnokered before kickoff. I thought the piece with legends from other sports offering their worship was a bit much, though. George Foreman, you wake up in the morning and think, "I'm thankful for Brett Favre"? Gimme a break. You're thankful they let you put your name on that grill, that's what you're thankful for.

Mom and I spent the day cooking enough for ten times our number. She makes the best rolls in the universe. I must say our turkey was extra good too. Anna liked the super-sweet sweet potatoes, turkey, and orange Jell-O (you have to include some, uh, fruit, right?). Later on some friends came by to have dessert with us, so we got two kinds of pie. Wonderful.

Anne Lamott wrote that there are really only two kinds of prayers: "Help me, help me, help me" and "Thank you, thank you, thank you." Today is a day for the latter.

Visitors and Future Arrivals

September 9 was a momentous day, seeing as it was not only opening day of football season but also the day we were graced with a visit from an old friend (and our new friend her new fiance)! Yep, 500 bonus points to Amber "Klumpie" for being the first Michigan friend (non-relative) to come out and meet Anna! She her studly ice-carver (is there a cooler job title anywhere?) man were forced to watch football at our house while Anna napped before we went out and played on the coast. Starfish were elusive, but I daresay a good time was had by all. Anna was rockin' it in her sunglasses and my new better-fitting sling and all of us enjoyed the extra warm weather.













Klumpie (Rhymes with Bumpy) is one awesome young woman, and not just because she still addresses me at all times by my little-known full and legal name WendyWetzelRhymesWithPretzel, she loves pink even more than Anna, I can't eat broccoli without hearing her say in my mind what it does to you, and now that she's all grown up and volunteering in youth ministry herself she recently uttered the sweet words, "We [girls who used to be in your small group] got together and we all agreed that we pretty much treated you like crap." Ah, if only we could convince a local restaurant that they need ice carvings so we could keep these two here instead of in Bend.

But wait, there's more excitement!

Later in the week came the news so shocking my mother wasn't sure she dared believe it: my Too-Smart Brother Guru and Brilliant Sister-in-Law Piscis are expecting a baby! In March I will finally get to be an aunt. It's just not right on some level that I became a mom first, but it is nice to know I have last bats at revenge if Guru starts giving Anna all the obnoxiously noisy toys he's threated. Be aware, my brother, and choose wisely. They will be great parents and Anna is excited to have a cousin with whom to share the spoiling and her grown-out-of stuff (yes, yes you are, Anna).

This week we have our post-placement review visit with our agency's social worker. Considering how overblown the preparations for the actual home study proved to be, I was considering not even bothering to sweep the kitchen, until I realized he might think the flying hairballs are additional pets. Since Anna keep scootching onto the wood, I may just wrap her in double-sided tape. Baby Lint Brush, patent pending.

The Good Life

I'm sorry I have been absent from this blog for so long. We have been busy living the good life.

On August 2 my parents and my brother and sister-in-law arrived from Michigan and Colorado to visit Anna and, I suppose, us. To say my mom was a little bit excited to meet her first grandchild would be one of the greatest understatements in the history of grandchildren. Family activities included adoring Anna, taking pictures of Anna, grilling food, giving Anna toys, taking pictures of Anna, trips to Safeway, taking pictures of Anna, trips to the beach, making Anna laugh, and, oh yes, taking pictures of Anna.

Saturday we did drive down the coast to do the tourist thing. Anna chose a popular chowder restaurant for her first PDD (Public Display of Defecation). This is now known as "getting Mo'ed" or a child who has "Mo'ed out." Apologies to those would-have-been (had I not made them ill) diners I passed by during our hasty, inelegant evacuation. Since they had to see it, why shouldn't you? (Go on, zoom in. I dare you.) (Why are you mad at me, Anna? Your sick grandma's the one who took the picture.)


Other than that little episode, Anna was a great traveler, tourist, and restaurant patron. Sadly, my brother and sister-in-law could only stay until Monday, but Mom and Dad were here through Sunday. Here are some photos of other activities we enjoyed:

• dressing up silly, pretty, and sporty

• trying new foods

• wave and whale watching

• making interesting size comparisons (during volcanic mouth activity)

• training up a child in the way she should go so that when we are preparing our thrilling 4th-quarter comeback she will not depart from it

• learning to fly