The Weekend

It turns out if you sleep in and never wake up amazingly delicious stuff magically appears on your plate. (Didn't know Francisco was a gourmet breakfast chef.)

Yesterday I took the kids to a playground with a colleague and their kids. The kids had a blast running and playing in the sunshine and didn't want to leave. We biked there, which was harder than I thought--Blaze is still at the beginning of his biking skills, so biking a mile took as long as walking there. 

In the evening we left the kids at home with screens for two hours (!!!) and walked to a supper club where the best cook in town was hosting a five-course Thai dinner. It was delicious and we serendipitously got to sit by a local pastor I'd just met (and asked to accompany me to a conference in St. Louis in May). She's delightful and we met her husband. On the other side was a colleague's wife who is an artist and a friend of hers. So it was fun all around. Would definitely do it again.  

Before bed we watched Wildcat, which is about Flannery O'Connor, and which I've been wanted to watch for ages and which was great. So fun to see snippets of her short stories staged. 

The Weekend

The whole family went to Stations of the Cross! (Blaze was not having it--he refused to come and when we told him he can't stay home alone, he said, "I'm not praying at all though!" He mostly stuck with that.)

Afterward we recreated life in London (in a way) with some gas station fish and chips. Q was *so* happy to be eating fried fish again. Blaze, on the other hand, doesn't go for fish and chips, and, surrounded by gas station delicacies, cried that we've given up sweets for lent. 

Above: I randomly received a daffodil! 

Below: Bacon-smoke beam of sunshine.

Francisco made me a wonderful breakfast. 

 

The Week

Yesterday was big; today I'm smashed. Can barely keep my eyes open; napped on the couch after getting the boys on the bus. 

After giving a fun, personal, bit emotional talk at work, I took students on a small field trip. Below: a light that was made when electricity was just about to get going--they wired up the house, but also had the light set up for gas for when the electricity went out!

And, you know, lots of other, less noteworthy, things. 

In the evening, I took the boys kicking and screaming (literally, but not literally literally) to Spanish language tables at my work. Oh my goodness. For me to get them to learn a bit of Spanish, it turns out I have to deeply embarrass myself with my decades-old Spanish (non-)skills. So I participated--and Blaze was too shy to talk and needed me to answer for him! But the boys liked it--especially the sweet treats available at the beginning and the paper mache pinata making at the end--we joined together with the English language tables for that--brilliant! I think the boys want to return next week. 

 

The Week

Somehow (weather? is that even real? maybe I don't drink enough when I'm off campus for the day--I mean I know I don't) I had a bad headache yesterday afternoon. Pictures from an impromptu afternoon walk with Francisco.

I'm looking forward to giving a talk today. 

Happy St. Joseph solemnity yesterday with snacks foraged from the break room!

In the midst of a severe thunderstorm, I headed out last night for a little art embroidery workshop. It was so fun! There were delightful colleagues and students and we just laughed and laughed. Grateful. Blessed.

 

The Week

Yesterday I taught off campus. One of the off campus students won't be joining us anymore as he is more moving on. I was so moved when I heard one of the on-campus students cheer him on as he said good-bye, "You got this, Tom." 

Teaching off-campus, as usual, was so moving. Tom told me I was doing a good job with the class as he said good-bye. Another student told me to share his homework with my dean, because I told him on his homework that it was top notch work; he said reading Aristotle is really hard for him, but he said it's getting better. They all expressed that they want this class to continue to be offered there. Several students looked different (I hadn't seen them for two weeks) with spring hair cuts. I saw once student as he looked at his homework grade break into a smile over his first A-. There's really so much joy there. 

In the evening, we had Q's fine arts night. Lots of chaos, of course. But it was nice to see some of his friends. And a friend of Blaze's sat with us. We got to see a tall tale he wrote and some of his other work. We got to see the kids do a southern line dance, which was much better than the ukulele strumming and the "boom wackers." 

Q and I both found trees on which to hang our martenitsa (below). I love this March tradition. 
 

The Weekend

A very good weekend so far. Let's see: Friday with Blaze was great. 1-on-1 time is so much easier for me than two. Blaze agreed to attend daily mass with me for extra video games--and told the priest that that's what was happening when the priest said it was nice that he was there. 

Also--there happened to be a little celebration with donuts after mass and Blaze was very happy. 

Friday night was Q's school carnival. The boys loved it, especially Q. Mama survived--and spent the rest of the evening in bed. Blaze excelled at the ring toss and won so many sodas that I had to prohibit that activity. 

Saturday we had nothing scheduled so we went for a hike. We discovered some wonderful flowers--totally unexpected. It was 70 degrees and we were in between storms, so the place was empty!

 

We've heard about the ladders, but never made it to them before. A great sense of accomplishment. 

We picked up some donuts for a reward. 

Then I got to zoom my brother and his family and later my parents. My brother's oldest son demanded to see every toy in our house. I miss the little relatives!

In the evening, Francisco went out for a beer with a friend. The boys and I watched The Importance of Being Earnest. I love this play so much that I made sure that Ernest was part of Blaze's name (also named after our grandfathers) and have been waiting to share it with the boys forever. 

We had popcorn and brownies and ice cream. And we laughed so hard that we had to pause it from time to time. 

This morning: Mass and religious education. Let's see if I can survive happily through the rest of the weekend!

Spring Break

Thursday, Francisco and I explored a nearby city. We started with coffee and some work--the coffee shop was so fancy that I felt like I was back in London (later in the day we popped into a bakery with real, crusty bread). 

For lunch, our favorite Turkish dips (Francisco shared his meat, too--but these dips are the best). 

We took a long walk through some nice neighborhoods and visited a used bookstore. 

Amazing weather--I have a little sunburn. 

 Today Blaze has a day off--and I'm trying to pretend to finish the work I've scheduled for this week. 

Spring Break

Yesterday was a day out with my work friend--we headed up to a neighboring city, starting with a coffee shop and a very little work. 

Then we stopped at a new (to me) park for a walk. 

Then out for lunch (chicken pot pie--an error of an order because I realized that I just wanted Nana's chicken pot pie and anything else would be disappointing; this one was cheesy?!) and a little window shopping before picking up dessert--ridiculously good mango cake--to bring home to our families. 

A wonderful day together out of the office with wonderful weather and non-stop conversation. 

In the evening, Francisco got the kids and we headed to a different city for The Glass Menagerie. They had educator discount for previews so we got my favorite thing--cheap tickets to a play. The twist: My plan--to give the kids headphones and audiobooks for most of it--was thwarted (too strong) when I discovered it was theater-in-the-round and the cheap seats they gave us were on the side in the front row. But we didn't bother anyone, though I was a little uncomfortable wondering if we were being silently judged. If we do this again, I need to remember to beg for the back row. 

 

Spring Break

Piles of crocuses I stumbled on while walking home and talking to Nana on the phone. I love the give of the spring ground under my feet and the plenteous birdsong. 

Francisco and I went out for a very nice, though not delicious (because, small town) brunch. Then we took a sunny walk together. 

Francisco said it's like a scavenger hunt to figure out where in town I take my pictures. 

I assigned dialogues for the first time for my students' second paper and they are entertaining and fun to grade. 

Still jetlagged from daylight savings. Plus I think I have a little cold. You know, you accidentally let your body know there's a small break, and it just collapses under you. 

Blaze came home with some entertaining artwork. 

The Weekend

We went for a lovely, sunny walk along the creek to poke around for fossils. 

In the evening, we watched a bit of the Mormon Pride and Prejudice together. Blaze, in particular, loved it. 

 Shadow.

This morning: We're all sleepy. Bleh to daylight savings.