These Days

I know I've been kind of bad about posting these days. This is for a number of reasons, the biggest one being that I don't seem to have time to post anymore! Since Martin is on vacation, Anja's naptimes are used in other ways. For instance, for the past two days we haven't even been home for her naps--we've walked over to Vienna and she's slept in her stroller while we sit on the patio and read our books. It's really enjoyable and she always wakes up in the greatest mood and she LOVES being at Vienna. Yesterday was especially nice; we walked over and Anja fell right asleep and when we got there we used a full sandwich punch card I had (and had had for possibly more than 2 years) to buy a sandwich and split it. Delicious! Vienna has THE BEST SANDWICHES IN THE WORLD. We had a turkey on olive oil & basil bread with spinach, tomato, black olives, provolone and pesto-mayo sauce. We had potato chips for a side (neither of us likes potato salad or celery, the other choices) and you get a pick spear too. It was the perfect little lunch for us to split with our coffees.

Oh, coffee. Anja's been having trouble sleeping (again... like she has for her whole life) so I'm cutting out caffeine entirely. Again. Last time it didn't seem to make much of a difference, but maybe this time it will. We'll see!

I'm reading a great book called "Flower Children" by Maxine Swann. It's very interesting. It's about the four children of some very extreme hippies/activists in the 70's and 80's and how life is for them. I'm close to the end of it now, and I've really enjoyed it.

I used to have that "Currently Reading" spot in my sidebar here on the blog, but I deleted it because I never changed it and since I put it up I've read at least two other books. So that little idea didn't work out... oh well.

I don't know if I posted this on Monday (or if it had even happened yet) but we've moved back upstairs. Now upstairs we have our bed in its usual spot and Anja's bed next to ours, against the wall. This is a much better setup. When her bed was at the end of ours, I was always so afraid that Martin would kick her in his sleep. He is quite the thrasher, and he tends to scoot down the bed all night until his feet are hanging off the end... or stuck in Anja's face. So the new arrangement is a big improvement. Also, it makes me feel more like Anja has her own little bed and her own little space. We put in the window unit and I've got the temperature set just right. It's sooooo nice in there. Anja is definitely her daddy's igloo child. If she's at all covered up she sweats and sweats and wakes up from being uncomfortable. In the same room on the same night, I'm covered with a sheet and two quilts! Silly, silly.

But anyway, we haven't moved anything but the beds and a few things to the downstairs. So the upstairs looks like we're living in a cramped storage room and the Big Room looks like a thrift store lifted the roof and vomited into it. Dressers, baby equipment, golf clubs, storm windows, a weight bench.... these are only a few of the items that are littering up the room. And then there's all the dirt. It's a pretty gross place back here. But we have plans to make it very cute.

Anja loves pulling herself up in her crib these days and this morning she started walking around it! She is so pleased with herself when she does these things. Sometimes I put her in there and leave the room just so I can come back in and be surprised to see her standing up! I know she'll be that way, but I love to see how proud she is of herself when she thinks she's surprised me.

Last night we had a birthday cookout at Prophetstown for Andrew's birthday. (My sister made some delicious blueberry cream pie.) Anja and I for awhile were sitting up in the tower of the playground because it was shady and we were eating pineapple with Gracie. The kids would run up and "scare" us over and over again, and Anja thought it was hilarious! She's such a good sport... for all the mauling she gets, she sure does seem to enjoy it!

I'm sitting here looking out the window and I can see so many red spots on my tomato plants... I think it might be time for another harvest today!