Day by Day

Keera went through another rite of passage today; she learned how to ride her bike with no training wheels.  As I watched her peddaling away as she felt so good about her success, I couldn't help but think that the day before I was in the car with Brendan driving, learning how to park, turn, handle the traffic.  In a sense they are both learning something new, striving for a form of independence; yet, they are eleven years apart.  Life can be soooo cool when you are living it through your kids!

Although I am really enjoying this time writing, I think I better try to sleep....I do have a day job, which requires much patience at times.  I spent 45 minutes on the phone today with a crazy parent.  I would almost rather have the parents that yell for five minutes (you just hold the phone out from your ear and/or type emails on your computer as they raveand then they hang up on you) than the ones who think they really have a point and rationally (or irrationally) try to prove it in a 45 minute span.  I think in another life, I would like to be a medical assitant-not sure why...I have a lot of respect for nurses after last Spring in the hospital and after watching them care for Dad, but I don't think I could do everything they do.  I think when I have more time, I would also like to volunteer by holding babies in the hospital or wheeling around patients in the convalescent homes.  There is something about it that attracts me.  For now...I need to kee...

I am up to running 17 miles in a long run.  My intention a few months ago, was to train for a marathon.  Of course, leave it to me to not doing anything the way I am supposed to....I can't be "normal" in any sense of the word.  So, for the last three months I have run a huge amount in one day, then run little or not at all during the week, then increased my time every few weeks-any marathoner would think I was freakin crazy.  My longest run is 17 miles and it felt great. I guess I really should pick a marathon and start a true training program, but I kind of like doing it my way.  The other thing about this....wouldn't it make sense that when you are running this much, you would lose weight?  I'll never get this weight thing down, but I guess I should be happy that I have more muscles now....doesn't help with the pants buttons though!

So what is it about blogging/writing that I don't do it for weeks at a time and then I just can't stop??  Here I am, not able to sleep at 2:00 a.m. (blog time is wrong-not sure why), and I can't stop writing....sometimes I can't force myself to the computer to start writing....weird. What I would really like to do is put all of these entries (as I read back a year, I am amazed at some of them....I am so glad I will have this in years to come (I print it out) to see what my life was like at this time) into a book format.  I love when I read a book I can relate to....there must be so many people out there that could relate to some of the funny ins and outs of daily life with kids, on the job, in relationships. I wonder if someday, when I have time, I could write a piece that has my life in stages and how my views changed or didn't.  Maybe someday...

I have decided that it is time for Bob to go back to work.....not that he hasn't been trying for the last six months...he has sent out resumes and checked for jobs every week...even had a few interviews...he currently had a phone interview and there is going to be a follow up in-person interview, so we are keeping our fingers crossed and say some prayers....however, I have come to the conclusion that I know when Bob is ready for a job: 1.  He found a haircutting salon that gives free haircuts once a month to unemployed people....nice idea....but he comes home with less hair than he had when he used to go to the hairdressing training school for cheap haircuts....even he didn't like the way this one came out. 2.  He and Keera are finding all the discounted/free places to eat in the mornings together before Kindergarten....Denny's offered something last week; today it was IHOP with free pancake day......quite a fun adventure for Keera. 3.  About 20 boxes of baseball ca...

Connor is on a baking streak - holy cow, when that kid does something, he does it good!!!!!  He made a homemade chocolate bundt cake tonight that was to die for and it is almost toally gone in like six hours.  He is even cleaning up after himself in the kitchen (took a few times to get him to do it, but better than he cleans up his room).  Now I have to train him to put all the dirty dishes he uses in the dishwasher....it'll come....in the meantime, we are all going to gain 20 pounds and run out of money from going to the store to buy supplies for his lucious and tempting desserts!  (As much as I roll my eyes when he decides on a new hobby, I have to admit, it cracks me up how he does it with gusto....I don't think we have to worry about him being successful after college!)

We knew last spring that we had a problem in Keera's bedroom. Her ceiling slants because her bedroom is a long room that is the only part of the original cape, where they did not change the roof (small section).  Bob thought because we had a gutter put in, shortly after we moved in, that the water damage on the drywall was just catch up from not having a gutter there for years. Well, as the water stains continue to appear, we knew it was time to fix it (thank God Bob is so handy that way), and I feared there was more to it than we knew.  Bob cut out the drywall and took out the insulation (right above which is the plywood for the roof).  The plywood was in good shape, but the insulation was obviously water damaged....we weren't sure where that came from, but we found out today when it rained.  Bob had to take out more drywall from the ceiling and more insulation to find that there is definitely water coming in the roof-plywood is wet and dripping down into a bucket...