Valentine's Defense

Since Jack was good enough to blog his attempt at a romantic Friday the 13th, I must respond in my defense. I had obligated myself to deliver a dinner on the 14th to friends who recently had a baby. We knew our entire afternoon/evening would be spent in Mt. Vernon at a trampoline meet on Valentine's Day, so I kept debating whether to deliver the day before, or just the morning of the 14th. For various reasons, like forgetting to write a list for Costco and not having my new debit card yet (a long story), I was just not pulling things together in advance. I wasn't worried though, I had until Saturday morning. So....why was Jack insisting on trying to schedule my delivery? Any time I said I was going somewhere, he would ask if I was also going to deliver the meal as well. Now, I might give him a "honey do" list now and again, but I don't try to organize his schedule. It was as though he didn't trust me to meet my commitment. I finally told him via IM that I was going to bite his nose if he didn't stop it. Five minutes later I had a phone call from him, confessing to his ulterior motives. I felt a little sheepish, but not nearly as bad as when we got our first Christmas tree, 22 years ago!

Little Valentine Cookie Makers

Valentine's Day 2009

I wanted to surprise Gail with a night out and lined up a niece to watch the kids the day before Valentine's day. The only problem was that Gail is really hard to pin down and I couldn’t guarantee that she would be home. After numerous, subtle, attempts to figure out her schedule, she IM’d me that she would bite my nose if I asked again. Point taken…I had to show my hand and let her know. So much for a surprise! Next time I’ll just have to ‘kidnap’ her! Anyway we had a fun night out; had a bite to eat at Smashed Tomatoes, a new restaurant in Everett, and were back before the kid’s bedtime!

Valentine's Week

Valentine's Week has been a virtual whirlwind (that's speaking metaphorically, of course). It's been a good week for chocolate. The kids and I made heart shaped sugar cookies, based on the success of cookies baked the previous weekend for a trampoline meet, as well as fudge, cut out in the shape of hearts. Even with giving lots away, we consumed plenty ourselves. Valentine's evening, we had dinner with our good friends, the Thompsons, which meant the kids went to bed an hour after bedtime. I did not help put them to bed, as I volunteered to shut the chicken coop door to keep out unwanted critters. Ever since our Christmas night encounter with the most ENORMOUS possum in the coop, eating eggs and chicken feed (one chicken as well - but not that evening), we have been shutting them in at night. We've only forgotten once to let them out the next day. Anyway, I put on my boots and marched out into the night with my flashlight, only to discover a new, smaller possum in the coop. I won't say how we dispatched the creature, but it won't be eating my chickens or their organic $22 per 50 lb. bag of feed any more either.

Just so you know, the best way to deal with possums is to drive over them with your car - it's compassionate and quick. Also, this evening marked our 22nd engagement anniversary, and I must say we have become quite the efficient possum dispatching team.

Last night, Jack and I enjoyed an authentic Brazilian meal in the U District, with friends Uschi and Luis. The kids had pizza at Grandma Bev's house. The food could not have been better, and it was nice that Uschi and Luis speak fluent Portugese. As a bonus the restaurant is right across from R&E cycles, where we bought our first mountain bikes many years ago.

Emma had a gymnastics meet today at our home gym. She had plenty of family to watch, although Rilla & Cian spent much of the time eating chips or jumping in the pit of foam. As soon as Colin hooked up with his friend, Spencer, he was lost to the world of Nintendo DS. Caleb brought art supplies and generally wandered around.

Twenty-one years!

Today is our 21st engagement anniversary! Who would have thought that now: with five kids; two zebra finches; a dozen chickens; no four legged pets; two Master's degrees; up-to-date teaching certificates; after pounds of consumed chocolate (including white); doing Jr. High youth ministry, College & Career, AWANA; one diesel truck; one diesel tractor; and one big diesel engine in the boat; hours of crafts; hours of knitting; technology starting out with an Apple IIc; then a Macintosh SE; to now where we don't have any Mac's (unless you count the Shuffle, Nano, and iPod) and the PC's almost out number the humans; considering that we have never bought a TV (the 13" color TV that was given to us years ago still works though we did recently upgrade to a 32" flat screen - but that still doesn't count since we don't have cable and probably wouldn't sign-up anyway); one player piano; one Yamaha keyboard; zillions of books; yearly watching A&E's Pride and Prejudice...all this and we are still madly in love with each other!

Engagement Photo c.1986

Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day! We woke to an inch of snow, but clear roads, so Jack was at the office. Played outside even before breakfast of eggs and toast. Everyone enjoyed it, although Colin needs to remember mittens! Emma rolled giant snowballs, which were the only snow left by late afternoon.

Gwen came for make-up piano lessons, after which we went to her new “house” she will be occupying for Uncle Jack in Snohomish. The kids were awesome, with only one pot of dirt being upset twice on the rug by Cian. Caleb brought in our vacuum, and the issue was resolved. Almost all the curtains were rehung by the time we left.

Dot came for dinner, which was pancakes, beet soup, and fresh tuna salad. Rather odd, but colorful – and valentine brownies for dessert. Gail got Jack good with Frank Lobb delivering a balloon sculpture to Adobe in the morning, and mostly white Oh!Chocolate in the evening. 20 years since our engagement night!! If only the gazebo swing was still intact at Bothell Landing.