busy busy

wading feet
Originally uploaded by Wingates.

Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the momentum of things and forget to stop and take a breath. We've been in that mode lately.

Things are picking up for all of us. Kate just started a part-time job from home editing the website of an online high school, Compuhigh. That is keeping her busy, along with her growing involvement with local activists here. She is organizing a Mothers Day peace rally along with another local woman in conjunction with an organization called Mothers Acting Up. The ball started rolling when Kate met with Medea Benjamin from Codepink and momentum has continued from there.

I'm working on edits for my second manuscript and will have them finished by Monday the 10th (Hallelujah Praise the Lord). In July I'll be teaching a course in Myofascial Release along with my other duties.

Cora is eagerly anticipating her spring break next week. She loves school, but the five day week can be a grind.

Oliver is doing great--no major milestones; he just stays busy eating food and growing teeth.

We went to the park on Monday and enjoyed the spring warmth. Oliver and Cora waded in the frigid creek.

Phew....

I hit "send" this morning on the second of two manuscripts. Ahh...relief. I've been hoarding my words lately.

We're all passing around a springtime cold. Cora brought it home from school and it has slowly infested the house and our sinuses.

Our hermit crab Hermie has a new roommate--another hermit crab named Abigail. Abigail is the third in a procession of now-dead Hermie roommates: Clancy and Clancy Junior never survived more than a week.

Mommy Blogger!

Hello, Kate here. It's about time I added a few of my own words to the blog, especially because Brian is so busy with his own writing these days. Cora is home sick today. She woke up three times last night, congested and delirious, looking for tissues. This morning she put on her most pitiful sick-kid face, coughed a few times, and asked very sweetly if she could stay home from school today. Even though she was laying it on a bit heavy ("My throat hurts, my eyes are watering, I've got a tummyache..."), it was obvious that she really was sick, so we agreed to let her stay home. She got this look on her face, like she was trying to maintain her pitifulness despite being overjoyed to be allowed to miss school. I remember putting on that face myself as a kid...

Fresh air

We went to the park yesterday and enjoyed the warm weather. We've all been a little stressed so it was nice to get out.

cora and ollie

cora and ollie
Originally uploaded by Wingates.

pics from the park...

Shoe Relocation Program

Kate fell prey to one of Oliver's abiding interests this morning--shoe relocation. He likes to walk around the house with a shoe in his hand. The problem is that he manages to leave the shoe in an obscure spot that takes extreme searching to locate.

His other passion is toilets. Two mornings ago Cora used the bathroom and forgot to close the door behind her. A few minutes later, as I was preparing breakfast, I heard some splashing in the bathroom. I discovered Oliver playing happily at the toilet. He had dropped a shampoo bottle in the bowl and was stirring it in Cora's pee. When he saw me, he of course said "nuh nuh nuh."

Springtime is here and the kids have been playing outside. The Bradford pears are blooming and the daffodils are blooming. It's too early for mosquitoes, so it really is one of the nicest times of the year. G'ma Sally and Kate got the spring garden started and the radishes are already sprouting.