Where, O Where Did My Vacation Go?

Where, O where can it be? It just got started good and now it is over. And Jenna has just four more weeks before she is back in school.

AUNT MAR is still doing well and Aunt Linda and Uncle Bob left on Thursday to go back to Florida. She was feeling well enough that we all went out to the Catfish House Wednesday night. She probably would have gone to church today except that she has to go to the hospital tomorrow for another test and is now taking medication to prepare her system for that test. Church was simply not the place for her to be this morning.

BACK TO WORK. I have gone back to work as of Tuesday. The 2004-2005 school year has started as far as I am concerned. I have four weeks to get several projects done before all the teachers come back. The good news is that we are adding two positions in our department and possibly offering a small supplement to one teacher for each school to do some light technology work after hours. Maybe we'll be able to be more effective this year--something I haven't felt in my job in over three years.

EARNING THEIR FINS. Jenna and Ben have completed their first week of swimming lessons at the YMCA this week (it is a two week course). We went swimming in Kenny and Lori's pool yesterday and I can tell a huge difference in both of them from last week. Jenna is very confident as she is jumping into the deep end and swimming to the side all on her own. The stroke she prefers on the water's surface is sort of a cross between freestyle and dog paddle but it gets the job done. She is also able to swim a 10-15 foot distance below the water's surface.

When we went swimming last weekend Ben DID NOT want to go in. And when one of us pulled him in he hugged the unfortunate parent to the point of choking us (not to mention his crying right in your ear). As of yesterday he will jump in to us and with assistance will attempt the basics. It is great to be able to stand in the pool with him and take in an unrestricted breath of air (and to hear him giggle).

FEED ME. Nate decided he was hungry the other day and went into the pantry to fix that little problem for himself. Vicki found him a little later sitting in the floor between two piles of cereal. It was a real mess and Vicki told him that this was bad. Nate looked up at her and smiled but seeing that she didn't return the smile he looked down and tried to hide the cereal in his hand. A moment later he tried his smile again but Vicki said, "No Nate. This is bad." After doing this another time or two he got up, helped her hold the dustpan as she swept up the mess and walked off saying, "Bad, bad, bad,...."

SPEAKING OF FEEDING Jenna is having a minor problem eating sweet corn. She lost one of her front teeth this week. She looks like a real little kid now.

KNOCK, KNOCK. Who's There? Banana. Banana who? Knock, knock. Who's there? Banana. Banana who? Knock, knock. Who's there? Orange. Orange who? Orange you glad I didn't say banana!

Jenna has that joke. She understands the humor in it and is able to deliver it. Nate will hear Jenna do the joke and ask you "Not, not" and replies with either, "Not, not," or "Nana." Unfortunately, he just doesn't know that you need to change to orange and you get stuck in an endless banana loop with him.

THIS WILL GIVE YOU THE WILLIES. It occurred to me about 9:00 Wednesday night that I needed to water the ferns that are in hanging baskets on the front porch. As I walk up the side steps to the porch I notice something funny about one of the chains that hold up the porch swing right up near the porch ceiling. It turns out to be a 3.5 foot chicken snake that has climbed up on the swing and the chain.

Later, after disposing of the snake (Vicki held the flashlight from at least 15 feet away while I knocked it down with a bean pole and then chopped it with the hoe), I discovered the reason why the snake was there. One of the ferns hangs about 3.5 feet from where the snake was. When I watered the fern three young birds flew out. I'm sure they didn't appreciate being awakened with a cold shower but they don't know how close one of them came to being a late night snack. What has me baffled is how the snake planned to get over to the fern.

Joe