Handy

Some things are just handy to have around. Like can openers. Or ice cream. Or my husband.

Like when we borrow a sewing machine and he figures out how to change the stitches, thread the needle, fill the bobbin, and then fix the bobbin and I get an abbreviated tutorial, that's handy.

Or when my keys keep getting lost and I have to wander around the house shaking my purse, coats, and pants I've worn recently hoping to hear the sound of keys. So I comment that it would sure be nice to have something with hooks to hang my keys on. And I come home from enrichment and he's making this

Now that's handy.

Or when he's adjusting his sleeping pattern so he wakes up way before I do and does the dishes and makes me breakfast...now that's handy.

Or when I'm feeling overwhelmed and I haven't slept well and I start crying over my cereal and he wonders if I'm joking. But realizing I'm not he restrains laughter (smart man) and instead suggests"I think you're tired, why don't you go back to bed for awhile" now that's handy.

Or when we go places together I know that even if I don't know anyone else, I will at least know one person -- someone who is great at making me laugh and at having a good time. Now that's handy!

We were originally supposed to leave NY at the end of December but our stay has been extended by months (exact dates remain elusive). This postpones (though does not reduce...rats) when Wood will be going on submarines. And that's just fine with me. Because clearly he is handy to have around. Well, more then handy. He's just plain wonderful.

Of Games and Quilts and Funny Feet

Wood had a few days off last weekend (woo-hoo) so we made our way to PA to visit the PennHens. We arrived Friday evening in time for a yummy dinner (pretty good planning eh?). Lady's brother was also staying there and after dinner "the boys" played Settlers of Catan that we had brought with us. It was a weekend of games for Wood (good thing he likes them so much!). I think the boys played settlers once and Risk twice with some rounds of hit-the-deck in there. I wish I had some pictures of them playing...from phrases such as "ahhhhhhhh" and "oh no" and "everyone attack Uncle Wood" we decided it was getting pretty competitve! Not to mention Wood got to play Chutes-and-ladders and My Little Ponies Memory (not with the boys) as well as a game called Balloon Lagoon. I've never played the last game but Wood informed me that we'd definitely be investing in it. Guess I'd better learn how to play!

As Lady posted we also got to work on our quilt over the weekend. It kept bringing to mind the proverb "give a man a fish" vs "teach a man to fish." And fish we did. I'm glad she felt good about seeing it come together because I sure felt good about the process. It would be generous to say that I'm less-then-adept at sewing, but now I feel like I have a much better idea about the process (at least for making this kind of a quilt). And it looks fantastic on our bed and fits perfectly! It'll also save on our heating bill--it's been so cozy that we've been able to lower the thermostat even more--hooray!

**At this point I'd like to point out that not only is Lady 8+ months pregnant, raising 3 kids and has a husband away in the military, but after staying up late working on the quilt both she and Wood noted that I was the one who looked tired and asked if I wanted to go rest. And I thought to myself, "Rest?? You go and go every day. Every day. Yet here you are finding joy and energy in what you do and I'm tired. Wow....**Ainsley is just good at being so darn cute. Here she is dressed up as Tigger after a halloween party. I'd been reading to her in bed and I asked if she'd like to read to me. As you can see by the book in her hand she agreed to it. It was fun to hear her read the stories, describing to me what was going on in the pictures. She has quite an imagination! One story she read hurt my heart a bit. In it a bird receives a letter. As Ainsley "read" the letter to me she kept saying "Don't go to Iraq. It's very bad. Don't go to Iraq. It's very dangerous. There are evil soldiers there. Don't go to Iraq." I asked her if she thought her daddy was safe there and talked for just a minute about it and that yes, he was. I'm not sure how much she understood. I'm always surprised at what kids pick up on.

Ainsley also has quite the fashion for footware. Here she is sporting Wood's socks.
And here with some handy dish gloves....or are they chicken feet?
It seems like the weekends, even long ones, end too soon. Especially if they were as fantastic as this one!