(no subject)

The crickets were still awake this morning, playing a slow and tired morning song. August has been so cool and rainy thus far. My grandmother would have said the sky this morning was a buttermilk sky, shot through with morning – like cream rising. It was gorgeous.

From Drop Box

Raleigh and Related Stuff:

Because of the dinner mishap yesterday, we had the perfect opportunity to be out and about after getting home. I took the boys and Raleigh to the park (by car!) and let them all burn off a little energy. The afternoon thunderstorms have really dampened (did you see what I did there?) our walking routine because I am loathe to get all the way to the park on foot and have to dash back in case of deluge. Brenner enjoyed some swinging, Brooks climbed high to all the tops of the slides and Raleigh barked. When it was time to go, we packed up and headed to the pizza place to pick up dinner and head home.

Raleigh went to bed with me last night, too. So did Tucker, actually. The two of them seem to be getting along better and better. At 1:45 AM, Brenner started crying. I reached over and mumbled, “Baby (child). Baby (term of endearment), would get the baby?” Only, instead of Nicole, I found Raleigh and shortly heard Nicole dashing up the stairs. She hadn’t even been to bed yet!

When she did some to bed, she tried to move Raleigh. Raleigh wiggled back in between us. Then I tried to move Raleigh and she crept back between us (nails in Nicole’s back). Nicole exploded with mad. “She’s been sleeping next to you for FOUR HOURS. I want a turn!” Sigh. Raleigh still stayed between us, by the way.

Nicole asked me yesterday how I was going to ever part with this dog. I told her that I had to and I would do what I needed to do, but I’ve decided that this might be my only opportunity in my life to have my dreamdog and I can’t squander this. So even though I am headed for heartbreak and I know I will cry and cry when she leaves, I am not going to emotionally wall myself off from having her in my life. I am going to make her my little sidekick, snuggle her at night and love the HECK out of her. I still bravely told everyone who loved on her at the park that she was up for Adoption at Angels. I should really make her a flier to pass out while we’re out and about. Sigh.

Bailey and School:

I got a call from my mother in the middle of my work day yesterday. She was in a manic place, I could tell. She left me a voicemail rambling about “Coming up there” and how she needed to fly *tomorrow*. I couldn’t piece it all together. She called again while I was at the park, but right when she called the boys started running in all directions and Raleigh was barking, so I had to tell her that I needed to call her back. In the short conversation, I ascertained that she was actually talking about going to see *Bailey*, not us. He just moved to Montgomery, AL for law school on Monday and is having a rough transition: breakup with longtime girlfriend, move across the country to an unfamiliar place with no friendly faces, school looming. He’s in a rough place. Mom kept saying, “He doesn’t even have a toilet brush!” Weird.

I did what any sister would do and called him to ask him if he even wanted me to help mom make flight arrangements. He said he didn’t need her to come be with him and he was supposed to call her and tell her that. I hope he did! I certainly didn’t return her call.

Kids and Balloons:

Brooks and Brenner both had balloons from the weekend. Apparently they couldn’t be parted with them yesterday when heading out to the babysitters for the day. Once Brooks got out in the yard, he let go of his balloon and watched it float away in a pout. Brenner had a death grip on his balloon and he had it all day. Brooks pouted all day about his missing balloon – to an extent that the babysitter dragged out an old helium tank and filled an old pink balloon for Brooks.

By the time Nicole went to pick them up, the pink balloon was flagging. Nicole decided to go by the Dollar Store to get him a replacement balloon. As she unloaded the kids and got them in the store, Brooks’ balloon was dead and Brenner’s balloon got caught between Nicole’s shoulder and a shelf and popped. Nicole said pandemonium broke loose. She yelled in the Dollar Store, “I need some balloons, STAT!”

I couldn’t stop laughing. Both boys came home with an Elmo and Spider Man balloon (4 total, 2 are in the guest bathroom as ‘back up’). They were still dancing about happily with their balloon when I got home. Adorable.

(no subject)

The crickets were still awake this morning, playing a slow and tired morning song. August has been so cool and rainy thus far. My grandmother would have said the sky this morning was a buttermilk sky, shot through with morning – like cream rising. It was gorgeous.

From Drop Box

Raleigh and Related Stuff:

Because of the dinner mishap yesterday, we had the perfect opportunity to be out and about after getting home. I took the boys and Raleigh to the park (by car!) and let them all burn off a little energy. The afternoon thunderstorms have really dampened (did you see what I did there?) our walking routine because I am loathe to get all the way to the park on foot and have to dash back in case of deluge. Brenner enjoyed some swinging, Brooks climbed high to all the tops of the slides and Raleigh barked. When it was time to go, we packed up and headed to the pizza place to pick up dinner and head home.

Raleigh went to bed with me last night, too. So did Tucker, actually. The two of them seem to be getting along better and better. At 1:45 AM, Brenner started crying. I reached over and mumbled, “Baby (child). Baby (term of endearment), would get the baby?” Only, instead of Nicole, I found Raleigh and shortly heard Nicole dashing up the stairs. She hadn’t even been to bed yet!

When she did some to bed, she tried to move Raleigh. Raleigh wiggled back in between us. Then I tried to move Raleigh and she crept back between us (nails in Nicole’s back). Nicole exploded with mad. “She’s been sleeping next to you for FOUR HOURS. I want a turn!” Sigh. Raleigh still stayed between us, by the way.

Nicole asked me yesterday how I was going to ever part with this dog. I told her that I had to and I would do what I needed to do, but I’ve decided that this might be my only opportunity in my life to have my dreamdog and I can’t squander this. So even though I am headed for heartbreak and I know I will cry and cry when she leaves, I am not going to emotionally wall myself off from having her in my life. I am going to make her my little sidekick, snuggle her at night and love the HECK out of her. I still bravely told everyone who loved on her at the park that she was up for Adoption at Angels. I should really make her a flier to pass out while we’re out and about. Sigh.

Bailey and School:

I got a call from my mother in the middle of my work day yesterday. She was in a manic place, I could tell. She left me a voicemail rambling about “Coming up there” and how she needed to fly *tomorrow*. I couldn’t piece it all together. She called again while I was at the park, but right when she called the boys started running in all directions and Raleigh was barking, so I had to tell her that I needed to call her back. In the short conversation, I ascertained that she was actually talking about going to see *Bailey*, not us. He just moved to Montgomery, AL for law school on Monday and is having a rough transition: breakup with longtime girlfriend, move across the country to an unfamiliar place with no friendly faces, school looming. He’s in a rough place. Mom kept saying, “He doesn’t even have a toilet brush!” Weird.

I did what any sister would do and called him to ask him if he even wanted me to help mom make flight arrangements. He said he didn’t need her to come be with him and he was supposed to call her and tell her that. I hope he did! I certainly didn’t return her call.

Kids and Balloons:

Brooks and Brenner both had balloons from the weekend. Apparently they couldn’t be parted with them yesterday when heading out to the babysitters for the day. Once Brooks got out in the yard, he let go of his balloon and watched it float away in a pout. Brenner had a death grip on his balloon and he had it all day. Brooks pouted all day about his missing balloon – to an extent that the babysitter dragged out an old helium tank and filled an old pink balloon for Brooks.

By the time Nicole went to pick them up, the pink balloon was flagging. Nicole decided to go by the Dollar Store to get him a replacement balloon. As she unloaded the kids and got them in the store, Brooks’ balloon was dead and Brenner’s balloon got caught between Nicole’s shoulder and a shelf and popped. Nicole said pandemonium broke loose. She yelled in the Dollar Store, “I need some balloons, STAT!”

I couldn’t stop laughing. Both boys came home with an Elmo and Spider Man balloon (4 total, 2 are in the guest bathroom as ‘back up’). They were still dancing about happily with their balloon when I got home. Adorable.