Traveling with dad

I stopped off this morning to grab a convenience store cappuccino - an indulgence I have to partake in occasionally even while I'm pregnant. The man behind me in line had a package of pinwheel cinnamon rolls that triggered a memory in my head. My dad would "find" things like this when we would stop off at gas stations.

He would pick up a whole package of cinnamon rolls, which would ride in the truck for a few days after that if the farm cat didn't get in the truck to treat themselves, or pork rinds, or a package of orange slices or whatever might be 2 for $1. I probably didn't pay much attention back then but it cracks me up now.

What was most interesting to me this morning is that seeing that package triggered such a memory. A package of cinnamon rolls made me think of my daddy and specifically trips with him, most often with a load of cattle or hogs. It's funny how our heads and hearts can be triggered by the littlest things, but perhaps these are the things that we hold closest.

Fair food and Cornish hens

We whole-heartedly made time for our marriage over the weekend. John didn't have class last week so he took Thursday and Friday off of work. Thursday he completed a variety of projects around the house and then Friday I also took off work and we headed for the Illinois State Fair. This is a tradition for me, as I have only missed two state fairs in my entire life. Hopefully sometime I can be back in the showring there - not just being the typical fair goer. Although, I'm not sure I'll ever be the "typical" fair goer, given the things that I'm attracted to at the fair. I don't even notice the carnival. A day at the fair takes me back to simpler things and allows me to disconnect. In addition to feeding my soul, of course I fed my face with some of my favorite fair foods - rather guilt-free given my pregnancy. To avoid further rambling, I'll get on with my entry.

Saturday, John drove me to a blood test in Champaign. Then, we did a variety of projects around the house, including straightening the basement and consolidating our clothes to one closet, to free up some room for the baby's things in the spare room. Then, my husband-extraordinaire cooked a fabulous meal for us - Cornish hens, homemade mashed potatoes, peas and rolls. I offered to help but he handled it all! We lit the candles on the table and enjoyed being together. We followed this with a bit of card playing and simply being together. It was amazing and I am so thankful to John for his part in making it a wonderful night together. Whose husband cooks Cornish hens, just because he feels like it? (well, maybe my brother but he's like that!) Sometimes I need a reminder to appreciate him for the incredible person, husband and soon-to-be father that he is!

Sunday brought a bit more R&R, as we went to the bookstore after church, and then grabbed a few things, just before escaping the onslaught of students arriving back in town and descending on Walmart and all the grocery stores.

John has now returned to class but I'm hoping that a few weekends with minor commitments in the next few weeks will allow us to take it easy a bit more before the baby arrives. This past weekend showed me how valuable that truly is. Perhaps it will help that we have some grounded direction again and a few things we had on our mental plates are gone.

Letting Go

I have previously shared with you my holiday tradition of listening to WGN's Kathy and Judy host their "Merry Medical Christmas". They also have a traditional show at this time of year that I try to listen to annually. It is there "Letting Go" show. Parents taking their children to college call in and share stories of how they are feeling. This has expanded to include mothers sending their kids to Kindergarten and the like. This year's show is Friday, August 18 at 10:00 a.m. on WGN 720, also available online at www.wgnam.com

If you have ever left home or sent a child away to college or will one day, this show will touch you. I remember being home numerous summers and hearing this show only to find myself sitting alone in my room in tears. It still breaks me up to remember those feelings of leaving and letting go. Throughout the show they also play a Suzy Bogguss song - that probably is the reason I cry each year. The lyrics are below.

Letting Go
She'll take the painting in the hallway,
The one she did in jr. high
And that old lamp up in the attic,
She'll need some light to study by.

She's had 18 years to get ready for this day
She should be past the tears, she cries some anyway

Oh oh letting go
There's nothing in the way now,
Oh letting go, there's room enough to fly
And even though, she's spent her whole life waiting,
It's never easy letting go.

Mother sits down at the table
So many things she'd like to do
Spend more time out in the garden
Now she can get those books read too.

She's had 18 years to get ready for this day
She should be past the tears, she cries some anyway.

Oh oh letting go
There's nothing in the way now,
Oh letting go, there's room enough to fly
And even though, she's spent her whole life waiting,
It's never easy letting go.

Oh oh letting go
There's nothing in the way now,
Oh letting go, there's room enough to fly
And even though, she's spent her whole life waiting, It's never easy letting go.

Check, check.

Class is over - check.
Valance is started...again - check.

How has it possibly been two weeks since I blogged? Whatever I missed telling you about I'm sorry but I don't remember it myself anymore. That probably means it wasn't that exciting anyways.

Summer classes are over. Thank goodness! John and I are both enjoying a few days with no studying. We painted the baby's room, have taken a few walks and started some other projects. Tomorrow, however, we both go to class to learn infant care. Wish us luck on this one. I'm not planning on taking a fall class so I'm looking forward to several weeks of getting things done before the baby arrives. However, I'm dreading the price tag that probably comes with that. John will start classes next week but at least it isn't as intense as summer. He's going to take a few days away from work to try to get a break from everything at the same time.

One of the many projects that I'm getting to since I have left class behind is making a valance for our office window. Granted, we moved in nearly two years ago but at least I'm finally getting to it. My in-laws bought me a great sewing machine this summer so I decided to fire it up. First problem - the bobbins that I bought didn't fit the machine. (crappy labeling at Joann Fabrics). So, I bought some from e-bay. I got my fabric and Sunday night I hunkered down to sew. All was going well until I sewed the top a little too tight for the rod. I proceeded to rip it out. Then, when I was trying to resew it, I broke the sewing machine needle and had no spares. I decided to put up the valance as it was, just to see how it looked. Much to my chagrin, I discovered that after all my work, it was a few inches short on each end. I didn't calculate how far beyond the window the rod was mounted. Last night, I bought new fabric and started over. I'm hoping to finish it tonight or tomorrow.

All in all, it's nice to be checking things off. Why does there still seem to be so many things that aren't getting checked off?

Being a grown up

I've had a few moments over the last few days (maybe weeks) when I have reminisced to the days of my childhood when I didn't have to worry about "grown-up stuff." I've wished for the biggest decisions of my day to be whether to have Lucky Charms or Fruity Pebbles for breakfast. My teenage years even look pretty worry-free in hindsight. When all else failed, I could count on someone encouraging me towards a specific decision - not telling me what to do, however.

Time passes, life goes on, and I find myself not enjoying certain parts of being a grown-up, although I spent all those years wishing to be one. My husband and I have some major decisions in front of us and I simply have to face the fact that some things aren't black and white. There are shades of gray, yellow, green, blue, pink, and perhaps puce. These are our decisions and no one is going to tell us what to do. Sometimes we just have to suck it up, whether we like it or not, and be grown ups. After all, we're going to be responsible for someone else very soon.