Happy Memorial Day and POOL!!!!

Happy Memorial Day to everyone- hope you've had a relaxing and enjoyable day away from the office!!!!

I think I've mentioned that Eric and I bit the bullet this summer and joined a pool. Now, for those of you on the West Coast, Eric swears to me there are no such things as private pools- which are very common here. In Richmond, there are probably 15 pools in the metro area where you pay an initiation fee and then a summer (or monthly) fee to belong. You can go VERY fancy or VERY not fancy. We've got friends who have gone the very fancy route but since we are not huge golfers or racquet sport players, we joined a pool that has tennis courts but that is really mostly just a summer pool and that is very inexpensive.

So the pool we joined is probably 10 minutes away by car- and has two big pools and two good baby pools.

Vake loves the pool- and I love, and Taren really loves, how it wears the boys out. Eric and I took Vake to the pool today for about two hours- by the end he was ready just to lie down on the pool deck and go to sleep and he barely made it through his lunch AND his is still sleeping 2 and a half hours later- YAY.

Stomach Virus

The stomach virus that got Eric and me attacked poor Taren this morning.





Thank God it is fast moving.

Busy Weekend!

(Isn't it funny how that always seems to be the title of the Sunday night posts!)

(I of course have not been nearly as organized as I could be and forgot to take pics!)

We lumped along through Taren's vacation week last week- I have to tell you that I forget how much she improves my quality of life when she's here- everything from picking up milk to having the car seats in her car. She takes pride in making my life run more smoothly- and you don't realize how great that is until you are making do without it.

SO by the time Friday rolled around, we were all a little worn out around here- E, V and I went to an early bird special dinner at Galaxy Diner in Carytown- Eric was happy to see that Vake's got reasonably good "dining out" manners.

Saturday we got up early and all of us did the Anthem "Stride Through Time" with some friends- what a great walk- the weather was perfect (although I think maybe Eric would say it was a little warm).

Today, Vake and I went to Sunday School and then we spent the afternoon hanging out outside with Vake driving his car into his "garage" (basically into the wall).

It was nice to have a really relaxing weekend- and we only need to make it through this week and then we will have a short week next week! Yip!

Overheard

V: I want a juice box.
Daddy: What do you say?
V: I'll get it!

Happy Birthday Taren!!!

Today is Taren's birthday- hats off to a person who's doing a better job raising my son than I could myself. Seriously.

Vake and I practiced what he was going to tell her when he got out of the car. Here's an excerpt of the conversation.

A: So we're going to Huff's house, right?
V: Right.
A: And you are going to see Taren, right?
V: Right.
A: And it's her birthday, right?
V: Right.
A: So what are you going to say to her?
V: (Joyously) NO SIR!!!!

Let's hope that Princeton has ice dancing scholarships by the time we need them!

Dodge Nitro

We currently have, instead of Eric's car, a stylish Dodge Nitro. Why?

On Thursday night, Eric went to Grub Club and was taking a friend home afterward. A guy blew through a stop light and slammed into the driver's side of the Ford 500.

Eric was thinking he was ok until about 20 minutes after the police left (about the same time it took me to leave the Fan and get to him in Short Pump). We wound up at the emergency room at St. Mary's. They did xrays- there's nothing wrong with him but Eric's really sore and uncomfortable- he tried to go today without pain killers and it was too soon.

And of course, we are in the unenviable position of having our reliable family car being either repaired (and never being the same) and the 10 year old Audi still being on death's door. We test drove a station wagon today but we may wind up needing a replacement for Eric's car first. Aargh.

Terrific? Terrible?

Vake's so funny now. He's got the typical toddler personality- the tantrums are only occasional but they are legendary.

Here's a conversation between Eric and Vake at dinner. At issue was whether Vake could have ketchup on his quinoa (gross, I know). Keep in mind that we are practicing manners basically nonstop at the house.

V: I want ketchup.
Eric: What do you say, Vake? (The correct answer is May I please have ketchup? Or Ketchup, please?)
V: Daddy, it's ketchup time.