Beth

That’s jazz!

We’re sitting here in the family room; I’m typing this entry, jazz playing on the stereo, the lights off, the drapes closed, and my supposedly sick daughter has risen and begun to spin wildly on the desk chair not three feet from my exposed knee. She gets up suddenly, the dark room undoubtably still spinning in her head, and she asks, “where are we daddy?” That’s a…
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Family and Friends

’tis the season.

We celebrated another birthday this week. For those keeping score, with 13 days down and 18 to go we have 2 birthdays behind us and 3 more to look forward to. So far, this year’s birthdays have been my favorite to date. Well, let me qualify that, they have been my favorite birthdays as a pseudo-adult (I’m still clinging tenously to some long since past childhood). Looming in the near…
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Beth

Vacation vs School.

Unfortunately, our trip conflicts with school. After a prolonged battle concerning whether it was wise to have Beth out of school for so long, we’re going anyway. I’ll just say that I lost. It’s not because I don’t want to go. I’m dying to go. I’m just worried about the precedent this sets. I want Beth to know that school is our top priority. So what do we do…
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Beth

Beth’s progress in school.

I am happy to report that Beth seems to be doing quite well. We haven’t had an “angry gram” in two weeks. Beth has had nothing but good things to say about school since she started. She has even gotten homework, which she has jumped into with enthusiasm and diligence (the lone exception being when we tried to get her to finish up an assignment at the Olive Garden, just before our…
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Beth

Beth is indeed a challenge.

Something rare has just occurred. I’m recounting this event having just lived through it moments before. Thrilling, isn’t it? I’m sitting here in my doctor’s office, making sure the latest allergy shot won’t kill me, and who gets up to have their shots checked? It was Mrs. Weeks, Beth’s kindergarten teacher (and one time teacher of the middle child in my first…
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Beth

Happy-grams vs Angry-grams.

Beth was very proud to deliver her very first happy-gram from kindergarten. We were happy to shower her with praise. I wanted to be a little careful to temper my praise: I don’t want this time to be more enthusiastic than future occurrences when the novelty wears off. I want to pace myself. We were not so happy when Beth delivered upon us her first “angry-gram.” This was a name I…
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Family and Friends

Recovery.

It has been a long week, but I think things are starting to look up. Cheryl was out of work through Tuesday. For all of you out there not reading this, Cheryl says she is fine, but quite bored. Rest and relaxation is not Cheryl’s thing. As for myself? I can say the initial shock and disappointment has started to fade. On Monday I removed that plant that Cheryl sent announcing our second…
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