Categories
Family

New Coworker

Dom is now working with me again. Many months ago he applied at CFCC and it wasn’t until the end of December that he was offered the job. But I think it was worth the wait.

It didn’t take him (and Amber) long to find an apartment here in Wilmington. He’s living off Randal Parkway in a nice two-story townhouse. CDF and I saw it without furniture, but it still looked like they made a good choice.

Lately we’ve been able to each lunch together, but I don’t normally see him much otherwise. He’s off working on computers and I’m holed up in my cave (office).

Categories
Wife

Worrisome

Lately CDF has been feeling sick in the morning and in the evening, almost every day. She just swtiched to regular birth-control pills, and at first we thought that she was just getting used to them. But when it persisted we started to get a little worried… maybe she was pregnant.

She took a test this morning that came up negative.

Hopefully it is just an adjustment period from switching to new pills… and maybe it won’t last much longer.

My poor sweet wife.

Categories
Around the House

The Ghost of Christmas Past

Christmas has come and gone again for another year. It can seem, even with it starting way before Thanksgiving, that I didn’t have a chance to stop and properly celebrate. I think CDF is feeling it too. It’s hard to know exactly what was missed, since it’s just a general feeling of “it didn’t feel like Christmas this year.”

I think some of the problem is that we expect Christmas to be celebrated for us, like it was when we were children, and we’d just go along for the ride. Now I don’t want to go overboard and fall into the grip of a manic compulsion to celebrate Christmas for MDF. But I do have a feeling that we should start celebrating our own traditions. We’re doing that with the tradition of driving around and looking at Christmas lights, but there needs to be more.

We also need to find traditions that will help us slow down and appreciate, as well as anticipate, the holiday. This year we might have just done things to do them. Such as decorating outside. Next year we should take our time to plan how we want to decorate, and then decorate for the enjoyment of it, not just because we feel we have to.

We could bake more. Not because we have to make a bunch of stuff to give away. But bake to celebrate the holiday. Bake things that are fun to mix up. Cookies that are fun to make and decorate.

Really, it’s spending time together doing things that make the Christmas holiday special. What we do is not as important, except that it needs to be things that we only do during Christmas time.

In spite of all the above, I still enjoyed this Christmas. It was MDF’s first Christmas being able to open and enjoy gifts, and that was a lot of fun to be a part of.

Categories
Daughters

Eating Fruit

MDF likes fruit. And vegetables, french fries, and a few other things. She doesn’t care much for meat, or plain rice.

On Saturday, the 20th, I gave her some canned fruit. It had peaches, pears, and cherries. When she took the first bite, she made a face.

20041120_0001.jpg

After chewing for a few moments she decided it was okay.

20041120_0003.jpg

Dixie hovered around and thought she would like a bite. But I explained to the dog that we were having peaches, and from past experience we know that dogs don’t like fruits or vegetables — dogs only like meat and rice. With those opposite tastes, it’s no wonder she and MDF get along so well.

20041120_0002.jpg

Categories
Travel

The Sinking Canoe

When we went to Beaufort on Nov. 12th, I was pushing MDF in her stroller along the water front while CDF went to look in one of the shops. We stopped at a public access pier to look at the water and saw a curious sight. Apparently the canoe had been tied to the dock for quite a while and had accumulated enough rain water to sink just below the surface. Since canoes are designed with sealed air pockets in each end it must have reached a neutral boyancy just below the surface. I thought it made an interesting picture.

mdf_tired_beaufort.jpg

Even though the picture looks bright it was actually dusk. I took the picture with my Canon A70 digital and used a 2-second timer while I balanced it on the fence in front of the dock.

Categories
Travel

Trip to Atlantic Beach

Last Friday we went up to Morehead (actually Atlantic Beach) where my In-Laws had rented a condo for the weekend. I took the day off so we could spend time up there with them. The weather was going to be cool that weekend so we planned on just walking on the beach and visiting Beaufort.

In the morning MDF, Roy, and I walked on the beach for a little bit before breakfast. We looked at all most each of the wooden fish (and one crab) that lined the beach access catwalk. Then we went out on the sand and walked up the beach a little bit. MDF desperately wanted to get in the water, but it was too cold and we were not dressed for swimming (or even wading). Near the end of the walk we got a little too close to the waves and got our feet wet (at least I did), and Roy almost took a spill in the sand.

cdf_mdf_fort_macon.jpg

Later that morning we went to visit Fort Macon and walked around for a good while. I took a few pictures of us walking around. Near the end a park ranger was giving a talk about the muzzle loading guns that were used back in the 19th century. He had one that he was demonstrating with, showing how the bayonette attached, and how it was loaded. We stepped inside one of the exibits when he got ready to fire the gun. Even inside the gun gave a very loud report. It didn’t phase MDF like I expected, but I think the walls made enough of a difference so that it didn’t scare her.

For lunch we ate at a the 4 Corners Diner in the middle of Alantic Beach. We all ordered various sandwiches and got a hot dog for MDF. It was a nice little diner with a good atmosphere. It was decently busy while we were there and I imagine that it is packed during the summer.

After MDF had a nap we went over to Beaufort to walk on the water front. It has started to rain, but by the time we got there it was only an intermittent drizzle. We went in a number of small shops and CDF bought a dolphin clock to go into MDF’s room.

We visited the Maritime museum. It hadn’t changed since I was there last, and still didn’t have much to see. But MDF did like the duck decoy exibit, and I liked the poisonous snakes exibit. The museum also had some nice sailing ship models. We also went across the street and looked in the boat building warehouse. One could tour it, but it wasn’t accessable to strollers so we just stood outside the big front doors and looked inside at the boats in various stages of completion.

mdf_riverfront.jpg

Beside the boat house we looked at the dock where there was a sinking canoe. MDF was also interested in the small boat that pulled up while we were watching.

Eventually everyone started getting tired (especially MDF) and we decided to go eat supper. We went back to Morehead and ate at the Sanitary Fish Market. In the dining hall behind where we sat there were large fish mounted on the wall (Tuna, Red Drum, Blue ?, Dolphin, etc.). MDF loved looking at them and since the hall was not being used we went up and down a bunch of times to see each fish. She wasn’t interested in getting too close to them, but she did like to go to the head of each table and point at the fish on the wall.

mdf_tired_beaufort.jpg

After supper we headed back home. It took us about an hour and forty-five minutes (and that includes driving slow in heavy rain) to get home. I think we made good time.

Categories
Daughters

More Words

MDF’s vocabulary is growing daily. Yesterday she started saying alagator, not correctly, but it started out as “aaagh,” and eventually ended up as something with more syllables that sounded closer.

Other words she can say are (in no special order): Mama, Dada, Dixie, dog, kitty, ball, eye, hair (?), down, out, bird, more, and uh oh. She also can sign some words, such as more, dog, bird, and fish. Now all of these often require the fine tuned hearing of a parent, ๐Ÿ˜‰ but many of them are quite clear.

This past Sunday, Ruth came to church with Galina (who was playing the piano) and she was very ticked by the things MDF said. During the first half of the service she sat with MDF, and while I was walking up to take offering MDF saw me and said, “Dada!” Ruth thought it was very funny.

Categories
Daughters

New Baby Doll

morganne_baby_doll.jpg

MDF got a new baby doll this weekend. She found it at a yard sale (for $0.50! A high priced child we have!) I think this makes her fifth doll. They’re one of her favorite toys (after Dixie).

Another one of her favorite things is to play outside. It was has started getting cooler lately so we put her in a toboggan. A couple months ago we couldn’t have gotten her to wear a hat, but now she likes things on her head and you can tell she thinks she looks good when she’s wearing something.

Categories
Rambling Thoughts

Favorite Season

I think fall is my favorite season of the year. The others have their good points, but fall takes the cake. I’m not sure what it is exactly, but it all the changes combined: the cooling temperature, now it’s dark at supper time, the leaves are changing and falling off, the anticipation of the holidays, etc.

I always want to be outside more once the summer heat is gone. I start wanting to go on walks again, especially in the country (or woods). Spring is next best for this sort of thing, but there are fewer pests in the fall.

The past couple of days I have really noticed that it has started getting darker at supper time. Of course the time change on Oct 31st is a big factor, but it’s still been a noticeable change in the past week. Tonight CDF had a candle burning on the dinner table and some music playing. Only one light was on in the living room and it gave the house that wonderfully cozy atmosphere that fall and early winter have. Maybe it was a pre-holiday feeling, festive but still restful.

I?m sure the holiday memories play a part in the way I feel about fall. Between my birthday in late October, and then spending time with the family at Thanksgiving, as well as the anticipation for Christmas time, it all plays a part in bringing in good memories and feelings this time of the year.

Categories
Daughters

Music and Dancing

Last night, while CDF was at BSF and MDF and I were at home, I put on a rock CD. After listening for a moment, MDF went over to the speakers (on the TV actually) and started dancing. She was only bobbing and twisting, but obviously dancing (at least obvious to a parent ๐Ÿ˜‰ CDF says she does this a lot when music is playing.