This and that

Yesterday E and I took e for a dermatology consult regarding a "port wine" birthmark on her right cheek.  The pediatrician suggested this, in case there is a prime time to have it removed if her parents choose to do so.  The dermatologist recommended waiting a year or two till e can sit still for the laser procedure.

E had taken the afternoon off so she could run errands after the doctor appointment.  Unfortunately the doctor was running late; we waited 45 minutes in the exam room.  When we finally finished and went back to the car, e protested vigorously about being strapped in.  E found a bag of Cheerios in her purse so I gave them to e a few at a time and helped her drink from my water bottle as we drove. Since E hadn't eaten lunch, we stopped at In'n'Out for a burger for her and fries for me.  I shared a few with e, her first fast food.  We then were able to complete three of the tasks.

Last night we had a thunderstorm with lots of rain, but that didn't stop E and me from going back to the old house and backing up some more boxes.  Progress is being made!  E estimates 5 more Jeep-loads of boxes will empty the house.  We'll see.

Books, moving and a walk

Yesterday e and I went to story time at the nearby library, joining about 8 other children her age, mostly boys.  She stayed close most of the time, but during play time she ventured out among the others and even grabbed a block from a little boy.  She really enjoys being read to.

E and K continue to make progress in moving items from the old house and deciding where they go here.  Some rooms, like e's, are set up about the same.  But there are more rooms here, so options abound.  I have not returned to the other house yet.  Randy asked me what e thinks about the new house.  It seems to me she is fine with it.  Her people are here, her crib and toys are available, her "boys" are still underfoot,  there are still stairs to tackle, the carpet (which she spends a lot of time on)  is very similar...but it would be fascinating to be able to read her mind.

This morning e and I took our first walk in the new neighborhood.  A couple of blocks away there is a lagoon to walk along but it runs beside the street, so it doesn't seem as peaceful as the one I walk by at home.  We saw a handful of mallards swimming, but no other waterfowl; perhaps they will come as temperatures cool.  The winter grass is in full bloom now, lush green in most places.

New house

Yesterday morning two young men and a 17-foot truck arrived at 6:10 AM to move the largest items, such as the leather sectional and sofa bed, washer and dryer.  They were very experienced and efficient and worked together well.  My assignment was to watch e, to keep her entertained and out of the way as the men went up and down stairs, out to the truck and back.  E and K continued to pack clothes and kitchen things, with K putting boxes in his Jeep and driving them over to the new house.  Within about two hours or a little more the movers had loaded the truck, E and K went to the new house, and e and I took a walk, probably our last one along the green belt.

E came back around 10:30 to feed e, who fell asleep in her arms.  After putting her in the little crib, E and I worked some more in the kitchen till e woke up.  Then we drove by Panera for lunch to go and went to our new house.  I'll spare you more details, but there was one funny thing that happened.  The last trip of the day was to bring the "boys" over.  James, the cat, had been confined in a bathroom all day, while Oscar, the Boston terrier, was in his crate in the closet.  K brought them into the new kitchen and freed them from their carriers.  James stalked off, and Oscar ran around and around, never stopping.  In a bit K took him outside, after turning on the pool lights to help keep him out of the water.  But the poor little thing was so excited to be in a new yard he kept his nose to the ground sniffing all the magical smells and managed to fall in the pool anyway, surprising himself and K.  We all slept in our own beds last night.

Today while E, K and e went to Safeway to replenish the larder, I cleaned what will be e's bathroom then swept the downstairs, which has some lovely tile floors.  Right now e is napping and E has returned to the old house to get more small things and the rest of her clothes.  I have a feeling it will be another few days before everything is moved over here, but at least we are able to cook and eat, sleep, and do laundry here.

And tomorrow...back to work.

Cooler

Since E and K both had 7:00 AM meetings today, I took over about 6:30 so they could get into their respective offices.  A little past seven I checked the weather report, 61 degrees here and partly cloudy, with a 50% chance of rain.  So e and I put on sweaters, and I put socks on e then we headed out for a delightful walk!    About halfway through our normal 1 1/4 mile loop we felt raindrops and took a little shortcut home, though it wasn't really raining, just a light drizzle.  I think it was warmer in Alameda today than here; that must be a first!

Restful

This past weekend at home was lovely, even though (or maybe because) it didn't turn out as planned.  Several weeks ago E and I talked about my having an occasional extra day at home.  The first was our anniversary weekend, and the second was October 16 so I could attend the giant Pacific International Quilt Festival with my friend Carol on Friday, then with Dena on Saturday.  It is always fun to spend the day with a friend talking, having lunch, viewing these magnificent quilts.  However at the last minute neither of them could go with me.  So I used my extra day to do some things I don't usually have time for rather than go alone to the quilt show, and as a result felt very good about what I accomplished.  I didn't feel as rushed as I often do on my weekends at home.  My 6:00 AM return flight on Monday gave me four nights/three full days at home.  Thank you, E and K!

I am staying in Phoenix this coming weekend because E and K have bought a larger house about a mile away and will be moving.  So I will watch e as boxes and furniture are carried in and out.  Packing has begun; boxes sit in nearly every room, full of dishes, books, toys.  Some pictures have come down from walls and been wrapped in bubble wrap.  But there is still a lot to do.  Since K owns this house there is not a deadline for completing the move, but they don't want to take too long.  The current plan is to rent this house.

Week 33

Week 33 began yesterday, and this is my 100th blog post.  Wow!  It's a cliche, but so much has happened in the six months I have spent with e and her parents.  As I write this she is pulling up to stand at my chair and demanding my undivided attention.  Some things are harder for ME now that e can interrupt me.  But it is all good.

We just went out on the back deck so e could draw with sidewalk chalk.  Little did I know she would enjoy the pebbles more than the chalk!  She turned 10 months old yesterday; I plan to stay two more months.

"I'll Fly Away"

The memorial service Saturday for Pastor Dave was so uplifting!   The first hymn we sang was the old gospel song "I'll Fly Away."  You may remember it from the movie, "O Brother, Where Art Thou" made several years ago.  It has the phrase, "When I die, hallelujah bye and bye, I'll fly away."  Those in the standing-room-only crowd sang enthusiastically, as Dave would have appreciated.  The choir sang, Dave's daughters each read Scripture, a son-in-law prayed, Pastor Harvey gave a beautiful meditation incorporating stories about Dave.  Communion was served by ministers paired with family members at four stations to accommodate everyone more easily.  A lovely reception followed.

I felt satisfied with the mostly classical pieces I chose for prelude and postlude.  Knowing the choir would take communion after everyone else since they sang "Beautiful Savior" first, I used "Down to the River to Pray" and "Shall We Gather by the River" to fill that time.  Some people began to sing along, which always makes me feel like I made a good choice.  Music for a memorial service or a funeral can be challenging to pick because I don't want it to be dreary or too exuberant.

I had a meeting at 4:00, then Randy and I went to his cousin Jay's house in Castro Valley for dinner.  His aunt and uncle were there, as were Jay's daughter and her three young children.  We hadn't seen the little ones in quite a while, so it was fun to see the 4 and 2 year old play together.

It was a full day.

Technology glitch

Yesterday afternoon when I tried to check my flight status on my iPad, the Southwest website indicated that was not available, to try later.  OK, so I went to my computer to check email, and in the process noticed a news headline about Southwest and a technology glitch that was delaying and even canceling flights.  Here we go again, I thought.  I went to the airport a little early and was glad I didn't have a bag to check when I saw the long lines at the ticket counters.  TSA security went smoothly, and I was sitting at my gate two hours before flight time.  Soon the gate agent announced that paper boarding passes would be required, not a pass on a smart phone.  Many passengers then lined up at customer service to get those.  I had printed mine at home; I don't have a smart phone.

It was very odd to sit there and see planes just waiting at the gates, though not at mine.  I did not see any Southwest planes land or take off for more than an hour.  I heard no PA announcements informing travelers to get to their gate because the door was about to close and they would lose their seats; normally there are many of those.  I was somewhat curious--when would my flight leave?  The monitor said it would depart on time, but I know from personal experience that information on monitors is not always up to date.  At least I could just go home if need be and fly out Monday morning.  But as it turned out, things began to move.  Our aircraft arrived just a bit late, discharged passengers and we boarded, only a few minutes behind schedule.

We are so dependent now on our technology, our ATM and debit cards, our wireless connections, our computerized everything.  I was at Safeway last year when their computer system went out, and no one could check out because what we used to call the cash registers were unable to function.  Remember how nervous some people were 15 years ago, Y2K?  I like using these conveniences, but there can be problems, and when these occur the consequences can be huge.

Week 32

Week 32 of my e watching began Tuesday with E leaving home at 6 AM in order to get to the north side of Phoenix by 8.  It was one of those catch 22 things; while the meeting site was only an hour away, commute traffic played a big role, since E was unable to use the carpool lane.  So she left super-early to insure she would be on time, which she was.  K took over the early morning shift, and I started at 7:30 as usual.  He also came home a little early, so my hours did not change.  Yesterday was the same, with K bringing home supper from Chipotle.  Today E will work from home.

After I finished my quilt Sunday I thought about what to do next.  I have "Narragansett Blues" all pinned and ready to quilt, but I didn't feel like carrying it back here.  And I didn't really want to start a new quilt before that one was done.  So this week I finished knitting my fourth sock and began the next pair.

Cool and damp

Could that possibly be a description of Phoenix?  Yes, indeed.  The high today was maybe 75, and it has rained off and on.  Lovely!! We took a walk this morning, then went out again this afternoon.  I heard drums from the high school a couple of blocks away and thought we might be able to watch the marching band rehearse.  But we couldn't see them.

Poor e had two upsets today.  First, while I was holding her and she was mouthing my shirt, she bit me.  Just a little bite, but I was surprised and said, "Ow!" loudly.  e burst into tears.  Later as she stood by the dining room table, holding on to a chair, she suddenly did a face plant and again screamed.  She scratched the tip of her nose and now looks like Rudolph.

I finished my latest quilt on Sunday but did not get it photographed and mailed.  I'll tray to do that this Saturday.

The pastor at the Lutheran church where I serve as organist died peacefully yesterday at home, with his wife and sister at his side.  He was 61 and had been at the church for 10 years.  He will be missed.

Busy little girl

Candy, the physical therapist, came this week and gave e high marks for her progress.  She was pleased to see e crawling on hands and knees (seldom on her belly now) and pulling up to stand by the couch, chair, coffee table, almost anything that's stationary.  She explained how difficult crawling is for the brain, to separate upper and lower body, for the back to be firm yet flexible, for arms and legs to move independently.  And since e is focused on moving right now, talking may come a bit later.  A girl's brain can only handle so much at once!  "e the explorer" is a curious child.   Anything on the floor is likely to be examined by hands and maybe mouth.  She has improved a lot at feeding herself bits of fruit and meat.

Today she will take her first plane trip, to Long Beach, to visit her new cousin born last week.  I am eager to hear how that goes!

Story time

Yesterday e and I got in the car and drove to the main library in downtown Chandler for story time for the lapsit bunch.  I don't know why it took me so long to do this; e has enjoyed books for a long time.  About twenty children, ages 1-18 months, sat on a colorful rug, each with a caregiver/parent (one man, the rest women).  The librarian read several books, led us in songs and finger play, then brought out a basket of toys.  Some children were better at sharing than others.  We each received a card with the suggestion of a book to read and an activity to foster language skills.  A new card is given out each week.  I liked seeing how many people want their babies to enjoy reading.

At first e just sat with me, looking at all these other little ones like her, but then she began to explore a bit, crawling over to the librarian and pulling up on her leg.  During the play time, she boldly grabbed a long clear tube filled with colorful beads that made a nice noise when shaken.  I have discovered the branch library a couple of blocks away also has story time for this age group, so we will try that out next Monday.

We want e to have experience being in a group of children her own age before she starts daycare in December, and this seems like an easy way to do that.