On our way out...

A quick week come and gone and I’m posting a day early because we’re on our way out of town on Sunday and we won’t have internet where we’re going.


I’ve spent most of the week getting the camper ready for next week’s camping trip. Pastor has a continuing education opportunity this coming week in Kearney, and the kids & I are going along for the ride this time. It’s much cheaper to camp than to motel it, but I’m not so sure how it’s going to work with me being alone at the campground all day with two kids. At least I know it will be an adventure!


Pastor took Friday off this week and, after entertaining the kids in the morning, he worked on the scooter most of the afternoon, changing the oil, filling fluids, checking tires and all that ‘man’ stuff guys do when they need some garage time.


Eden watched him for a while and wondered if he was building her a go-kart next?


Lars has slept terrible this week, therefore, I’ve slept mostly on the guest bed upstairs or in the hallway outside Lars’ room. I hope it’s just a phase, but I have a hard time believing it at this point in my fatigue. There’s a constant tension of letting him cry in his crib or rocking him while he continues to cry and thrash around. At 0100 Friday morning, I finally let him down and thought maybe he’d go where he wanted to and give me a clue to his discomfort. He stood right where I put him and cried for 5 minutes until I picked him back up. He was in a clean diaper with his paci & blankets (he has three of each), thin PJ’s, he wasn’t hungry, wasn’t thirsty, didn’t have a fever, but thought I needed to be with him for half the night, which didn’t stop his crying anyway. In the end, I gave him some Tylenol and he cried himself to sleep within 15 minutes. He was up at 0530.


During the day light hours, we’ve been reading books and playing outside incessantly. Along with swatting flies, we have a grand old time. The weather has been more typical this week than previously this summer, and the heat is kicking in.


Unfortunately, on Wednesday evening, while I was teaching and Pastor was home with the kids, he heard a mini explosion and saw a bright orange flash outside in the back yard. When I came home from teaching, shortly after 10:00 p.m., he was sitting in the dark on the couch.


The air conditioner had blown up. Naturally, it’s the middle of July.


AC units never blow up in late September, it’s always July. I think there’s a rule for that somewhere.


In finding the silver lining, I have to say this has been the coolest July in Nebraska since we moved here in 2002.


When a local came to service it the next morning, he opened up the panel and saw black oil spewing all over the place. He looked at it for a second, replaced the cover and said to me, “Its toast.”


A few hours later, (when Lars had been down for about 20 mintues), another company came to check it out and give an estimate. I showed them the unit and they looked at it, then came inside and insisted on climbing up in the attic. I tried to dissuade this action, as Lars was sleeping in the next room and had been up half the night before. Of course, I lost that battle, cleaned out that closet so they could get up in the roof, and whispered to them to please be quiet.


He was up there for no more than 2 mintues when the younger worker said to me, “I think your baby’s crying.”


“Yeah, no kidding.”


Friday night, we hired a new sitter (our trusty ‘old’ sitter, who lives out in the country, was away at volleyball camp). While calling around and leaving nine messages early on in the week, one girl called me back within hours. Conveniently enough, she lives 4 blocks away and came over to meet my kids on Wednesday. I called Eden upstairs to greet the newcomer, and she ran right up. Eden was buck naked with the biggest smile ever. Nothing like making great first impressions!


The preacher and I got dressed up and went to Chili’s for supper with a gift card, then saw South Pacific, the musical, at the local theatre. Dinner was nice and quiet, the food was wonderful and I was so full & we were running late, so we took desert on the road.


The show was well done and this summer’s cast was top notch. From the lead character to the sailors who had only a few lines, to the little girl dancers, it was professionally done from beginning to end. And the new sitter survived our kids, offering to come back anytime. I like to hear that!


Saturday was the Bridgeport Beez Swim meet. After breakfast, I strapped Lars into the backpack and we quickly mowed the lawn. Somebody wanted my grass clippings, so it was nice not to have to dump them myself. We then piled in the Ford and drove up to the church, where we parked and walked over to the pool. Lars sat on my lap most of the time and I tried to keep him awake. Lots of people from town came out for the event, and after we watched each person we knew swim at least one heat each, we headed back home for lunch and quiet time.



It’s now that said quiet time and I’m getting all my computer stuff done before we go, since I will be internet-less for the week. Blog posted, bills paid, auto emails set, checking account balanced, downloads completed for class…you know, the usual.


Check out the YouTube video way at the bottom of the page, it’s farming Iowa style!