Moving on

Jamison says that I've been "too dark" in my recent ramblings and I think maybe he's right. Of course, it's also been "too dark" weather-wise here for the past month (the wettest April on record in Cincinnati) and I think that's part of everyone's problem, including my own. So...

I'll just say that perhaps I was a bit unfair in my last post. I fully realize that I'm judging others based on small talk and that I probably shouldn't do that. I understand that we're not going to discuss Shakespeare or existentialism or the pros and cons of a free market economy in the hallway while waiting to pick our preschoolers up. In case I rubbed anyone the wrong way, I apologize.

And now I will complain. (Doesn't that make you just want to keep reading?)

1) The rain. It is never going to stop. The rain has resulted in our (finished) basement being soaked, which means that all of the toys and furniture and everything else down there has been shifted and lifted and moved and I'm really ready for some drier weather. For many reasons.

2)The landscaping. It is never going to stop either. We've actually made a little bit of progress but it's so overwhelming a task that I sometimes wonder how on earth we ever thought we could keep up with it before we bought the house. The man who lived here before us was someone who truly enjoyed working out in his yard and really knew what he was doing. He was retired and basically saw his yard and flowers as his job, so that's all he did. One of our neighbors stopped to chat this weekend while we were out (during the one sunny day) and mentioned that the previous owner often gardened with his wine in hand. And I said that I understood why he did so now. I think he had to combine his wine and his gardening because it helped him deal with the sheer amount of shrubs, plants, flowers, and trees packed onto this small lot and all of the tasks, time, and money it requires to keep them looking good.

The good news, though, is that I actually enjoy being out there when I don't think about how much we have left to do, not to mention the state of our house when I spend the majority of my time outside.

3) Jamison's job. It, also, is neverending. He's never home. When he is home, he's either working, thinking about work, or laboring in the yard. (Speaking of laboring, my mother-in-law was here this weekend and watched the kids while Jamison and I picked up dinner. [Thanks Mamaw Di!] We were still in our working outside clothes and, on our way in, Jamison looked down at his dirty clothes and said that people were going to think he was a simple laborer. That probably doesn't seem very funny but I've laughed about it for probably way too long.)

4) To continue with the neverendingness, Will has what I believe is the World's Longest Ear Infection. We're on ear recheck #3, and what I think is Round Four (or maybe Five?) of progressively stronger antibiotics. He's not complaining, though, so it hasn't slowed him down any. We have another recheck at the end of May, so hopefully everything will be cleared up then.

Enough with the bellyaching, right? Our week ahead looks to be full of field trips, swimming, and, shockingly, rain. With a little bit of yard work and mulch thrown in the mix there, too. The next time you hear from me may be from the pontoon that I think we should start constructing in our basement.