It was an incredibly fun day

Andrew knew that I really, really wanted to go to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame this year.  I just thought it was so much to spend when I wasn't really sure that the kids would enjoy it, and getting away without them also seemed impossible, so I hadn't really given it much more thought.  However, on the last day of school last week, he brought home five complementary vouchers!  Someone he has known through years of coaching had sent out an email asking if anyone wanted any because he had some available through his work with baseball.  Andrew was able to get five of them, and although they expired next week we were pretty sure that we could get there over break.  We decided this would be the day, and while Robert and Catherine were pretty indifferent, Thomas was very excited.

We got to see so many fun exhibits and Thomas was especially excited to see names he recognized.  We had watched the induction ceremony on TV this year, so he was particularly excited to see the plaques of this year's inductees...and the fact that one was Ken Griffey, Jr., whom Thomas remembered watching play made it even better.  He had an absolute blast.  When we left, we decided to do lunch, and I remembered that we weren't too far from the Montgomery Inn Boathouse.  The kids love the original restaurant and Thomas said this one was even better because of the view!    This is right on the river and it was really foggy today.  We had a fabulous lunch and then made our way home.

Thomas dubbed it the "best day ever"...a title which I'm sure will be gone in two days at Christmas.  I must admit, it was a pretty great day and I loved sharing this as a family!

The next dive meet

I am very happy to report that Robert showed tremendous improvement in his second dive meet Friday evening.  Unfortunately, a volunteer commitment that has turned into a fiasco prevented me from actually seeing it, but his scores increased tremendously.  We are so proud of him, and looking forward to the rest of the season!

How we've spent break so far

I am enjoying every. single. minute. of this break.  Okay, there were a few on Friday when I announced we had things to get done that weren't so much fun, but otherwise, we've had a blast!  Since Andrew had to get up Friday morning and go to work, I didn't sleep in nearly as late as I had wanted, but since I went to bed Thursday at about 9:30 I still felt pretty rested.  Thursday afternoon Andrew took Robert to a doctor appointment, and then we were all home and just, well, just "were".  We did absolutely nothing productive.  We just sat and watched TV and soaked up the fact that 17 days of break were in front of us...which is why on Friday I actually wanted to accomplish a few things.  Robert had another dive meet that evening, but again, it was a rather unscheduled day.  Saturday we ALL slept in, then Andrew took Thomas to a scouting function.  Robert and Catherine put in a few hours at the church babysitting then we spent the evening with some dear friends from our former town.  We hadn't seen them in months, and there just is no way to describe the amount of relaxing fun we have with them.  Yesterday was the beginning of our Christmas.  Strangely, I am finding the holidays a little tougher this year than last.  Yesterday was tough.  I think it had to do with not only missing Dad, but having Mom be there but not be able to eat, and there is some drama in my aunt's family with some cousins who refused to attend (so glad everyone can be mature and behave like the adult they are supposed to be).  We stopped by the cemetery on the way home, and I always wish I didn't.  While my faith tells me (and I believe) without question that my father is not there, knowing that his body is under that dirt truly sickens me.  I'm not sure if it will be more comforting when the headstone is engraved or not, but I suspect not. 

Anyway, we came home last evening and the stress and sadness I felt during the afternoon began to fade away.  We built our very first fire in our new fireplace, munched on snacks and leftovers, the kids played with their new toys and read new books and watched some TV, and we poured a glass of wine and watched football.  I can not think of a better way to begin our next two weeks off!

I wonder how long I can sleep

This is our last day of school before break!  Andrew has to work tomorrow, but only for a training that should be about an hour long...all of his grades are complete!  Robert has a doctor appointment and Andrew has agreed to take him.  They should be home by 5:30 and then I am wondering how late I have to stay up...can I be in bed by 10:00 tonight?  While Andrew has to be at work by 9, I am not responsible for anyone having to be anywhere until tomorrow evening...so I am wondering how many blissfully wonderful hours my body will allow me to sleep!!!

The beginning of dive

Tuesday evening was Robert's first dive meet.  Andrew was working there as a school district employee, and I was planning to be there in between dropping Thomas off and basketball practice and picking him up.  I now have a better idea of how this works...they do half of the swim meet, letting the (very few) divers dive, and then resume the other half of the meet.  There were seven divers all together, and Robert was the end of the rotation.  Andrew and I got to our seats just as Robert did his first dive (there are six rounds) and we heard his scores...4's & 5's.  We are so clueless about this that we had to ask a nice lady sitting near us how many points were possible (10).  The highest Robert was able to get from any of the three judges was a 6, and unfortunately there were some 3's thrown in there as well.  I reminded him though, that at his first track meet last year his discus throw didn't go 40', and his PR by the end of the season was 112'...so he's got plenty of time for improvement.  He was also the only one of the seven who had absolutely no experience with any of this before.  We are very proud of him taking these chances, and looking forward to whatever the season brings!

Diagnosis: bronchitis

Yesterday Andrew went to the doctor.  He wasn't feeling awful, but the cough he had been fighting had definitely turned into a bark.  The doctor feels he probably has bronchitis.  He is now on an antibiotic, steroid, and both daytime and a separate night cough medicine.  I am very, very much hoping that we can keep this contained to only him...Thomas goes downhill very fast when he gets sick and we don't want that to happen at the holidays!

A new fireplace

Today our fireplace is being rebuilt.  I am beginning to think we are not meant to live in a home with a working fireplace...although both of our houses have had them.  Our first house the previous owners had not used the fireplace.  We had it inspected and we decided it would be safest to install a new liner...not cheap, but the right way to do it.  The fireplace still never seemed to work quite right and as we continued using it, it seems as though the house filled with smoke.  One time I was outside and noticed the chimney was falling away from the house and that there were char lines at the top of the chimney.  Several thousand dollars later we had it all fixed, although we were informed that the liner (by then five years old) was done poorly, but things were safe.  Honestly, I don't remember if we ever used the fireplace after that or not.

When we moved to our current house, the previous owners told us they had used the fireplace all of the previous winter...and it certainly would've been nice to have it last winter!  But when Andrew looked into the fireplace after we moved in, he could see light...definitely not a good sign!  Because our town is near almost nothing, we had trouble finding someone who would come and do a service call, but we finally found someone to come this fall.  The entire back wall of the chimney needed to be rebuilt.  At first I really didn't want to spend the money, but Andrew did a good job of negotiating.  And since we don't live in town, I decided it's really not a bad idea to have an alternative heat source should the power go out.  Granted, it wouldn't be great, but it would be better than nothing.  The workmen are here today, and since it's finals week, Andrew and Robert will be home shortly.  It certainly will be nice when this is done...and just in time for a cozy Christmas hearth!