2020 Week 3

Last year we made resolutions as a family for the new year. This year at Christmas we talked about getting them out and looking at them, but nobody was really motivated to do it.

This year we are just taking it a day at a time.

Yesterday Will went to a preseason track meet at UNLV. He ran the 800 meter (twice around the track, it's two miles) in a super-fast heat. It was good to get a baseline run in so he knows what he needs to work toward to make regionals. On Friday night he went to FlipnOut Extreme (the local tramponline place) from 9pm to midnight with one of his running buddies. It was a bit of a bust as his friend didn't want to jump that much. Next time he'll go with his "regular friends." :)

Will's running shoes waiting to be used under the turtle: 

The only way to get Ivy off her phone or computer is to take her to the puppy store. So that's just what we did yesterday. We went and grabbed her friend Sierra and went to see the puppies. Then we went to 7-11 for slurpees and took Sierra back to her family. Ivy has felt under the weather this weekend. She has a sore throat, so we are glad she is getting the chance to rest this weekend.

Yesterday Ivy told me that our Palo Verde is all messed up. It turns yellow and sheds in January. I told her that it's true. It's on a different schedule. It thrives in the summer and winter and loses its leaves every spring.

These guys are popping up too. We need to start weeding again.

In other outside news, our poor inflatable penguin has spent the winter out in the elements. He is a sad, sad, penguin now:

Faith turned 19 this week and celebrated by coloring her hair, re-piercing her ears and getting a package from home. She has her roommate Hailey back, so life is better now. She is now published on her company's website. She is a regularly paid writer. Dreams are coming true here!

Some things that made me happy this week were:

1) Listening to Ivy make funny noises with her mouth. These all mean she is happy. Singing, buzzing, raspberries and farting noises.

2) Watching Bill interact with his kids. With Ivy he teases and is able to get her sleeping obstinateness to bed when I can't. With Will he imparts valuable information. For too long. It's really dear and I love him for it.

3) Preparing to teach my students about Goya tomorrow.

4) My department chair is delightful and helpful. She is in her mid-fifties, from the mid-west and served a mission in Bolivia. In fact, I really like (almost) my whole department. I'm starting to think this is a unique thing. 

See all that wrinkly skin under my chin?! I'm finally growing up!! I see Mom when I look at my hands, and when I frame it that way I love my hands. See the earrings I am wearing? They were Mom's. She used to twist them around so that the bottoms would end up pointing inside her ears. That makes me happy too.