To Each Their Own

Two kids. Same parents.  Same environment.  Different Personalities.  

Here is Amelia at the end of the school day .... Happy, Laid back, Ready to go home and relax...

Here is Everett at the end of a school day... Cranking up my stereo, Standing out my sunroof, and waving to neighbors as I drive through the neighborhood...

Time's Up

 One of the very, very, very few bright spots of COVID has been the extra time I've been able to spend with Amelia.  After the Christmas holiday, we had to elect whether or not she would learn in person or remotely for the next 10+ weeks.  While that was much longer than we were wanting to commit to remote learning, we ultimately made the decision to allow her to do it.  It was a decision I will never regret.  Thanks to my work still being "work from home", Amelia and I got to spend 24 hours per day, 7 days per week together for over 10 weeks.  I'm sure that sounds like a bit much to some people (and likely to her), but I'd happily do it for another 100 weeks. It was not lost on me that very few people get to spend that kind of time with their daughters.  Work gets in the way.  School gets in the way.  Summer camps get in the way.  For us, there was nothing to get in the way.  We instituted "McDonald's Mondays" (I apologize in advance to my Dr.), watched entire television series (Including M*A*S*H), went on walks around the neighborhood (don't tell the pups), and anything else we wanted.  She never missed a class.  I never missed a meeting.  Her homework was always done on time.  I worked late at night to make up any ground I had lost.  I'm aware this time was probably more special for me than it was for her...at 12.  But, when she's 42 and has a middle schooler racing to adulthood, I hope she looks back and smiles at the goofy things I did, the sweet things she did, and how much we truly enjoyed each other's company the time we spent 80 days not going anywhere around the world. 

In the Spirit

 Thanks to rainy weather and the grass being freshly mowed, the girls decided to let their paws celebrate St. Patrick's Day ...

Good Deed

I want to take a second to brag on Meggan and myself.  Today, as we were driving into the neighborhood, we saw a beautiful dog walking around unattended in a landscaped island in one of our cul-de-sacs.  It was cold and raining and we had fresh tacos in the car.  To say we didn't want to stop would be an understatement.  But, our love of dogs and the fact that we couldn't leave this poor girl out in the wet weather forced our hand.  Luckily, she was the sweetest dog in the world.  She came to us when we called and even jumped into our car when we opened the door.  I didn't feel great about her big, wet paws on my seats, but once she licked me, I forgot all about it.  Meggan and I posted her picture on the neighborhood Facebook page and asked a few neighbors if they knew who she belonged to.  Since we were pretty sure Olive would not take kindly to us bringing another dog home (she's still mad about Lucy), we drove her around the neighborhood, petting her, and reassuring her that it would be okay.  Finally, we decided to drive back to the cul-de-sac where we found her and start knocking on doors in hopes that someone would know her.  Despite not having a collar, she was clearly someone's very well loved pet.  As I was trying to figure out what kind of parade float I wanted to ride on when the honored our heroics, a man came outside and it was clear she was his girl.  We got out and opened the door to make way for their joyful reunion and ours heaps of praise.  However, as it turns out, you apparently don't get that much affection and adoration when someone lets their dog out to quickly do its business and you pull up and kidnap it like a cartel soldier looking for ransom money.  So, we didn't actually save the day and we probably won't get a parade .... but, at least maybe we taught that sweet dog a lesson about hopping into cars with crazy strangers. 

Picky Picky

 For a dog that eats bugs, poop,  and basically anything she gets near her mouth, I find it amazing that she picks through her dog food and spits all the pieces she doesn't like out onto the floor.... I mean, how bad do those pieces taste?!?

Take Out

With the weather turning perfect, we get the pleasure of eating our lunches outside these days.  Luckily for Lucy, she even found a curbside pickup window for Cheetos...

Busybodies

With Meggan having meetings 3 nights this week and me working until nearly midnight 3 nights this week, I didn't even come to the blog to post tonight...I just came to remind myself what my family looks like. 

Almost Time

 Spring isn't here yet.  That said, if the weather wants to pretend it is, so will we...