Progression

Darren got our visa application done and in the mail today! It has been a long progress as he has consulted a Britiish immigration lawyer through the process and has followed his advice to include resumes, job descriptions etc. Whew! It was like a big school project and I'm glad it was Darren who did it since he always got A's and I got B's or C's as a standard.

Luci is using the toilet regularly with my constant assistance. She is nowhere near being potty-trained in my mind, since she needs to mature mentally and physically, but it saves on a few diapers and is good practice.

Some of you know that Jesse has been extremely tired for a couple weeks in such a way as to disturb us extremely. Is he sick? Does he have cancer? Is this all the effects of growth spurting? Not sure we really have an answer, but by putting him to bed a few times a week at 6 p.m. (per his teacher's suggestion) and limiting his activity, we are minimizing his emotional and physical meltdowns. However, I am discouraged to realize that his fun summer school times of riding the train, going to aquatic parks, and City Hall are almost above and beyond the energy level of my Jesse who likes the rythym of imaginitive play, snack time, walk time, circle time, and lunch--the normal school routine. It dawned on me today that it is a bit too much for him.

I am continuing with my running, though it is never as frequent and all-out as I would like. With Peanut in tow, I am inevitabley slowed down. Yet how can I reject her when the very necessity of walking my dog is often about the only impetus for getting my derriere out on the pavement, let alone Bernal Hill? I have to report that I think at times, not consistently, we are getting faster. Peanut has at least traded in some of her exhaustion on the way home into 3 blocks of sprinting for us. There she is, all out of breath, on the verge of collapse with me eaking out every block from her, and then 3 blocks from home she decides to play the leash game or get excited about the whiff of a kitty cat, and off she goes with my legs about to fly off. But I do appreciate this new challenge.

Tonight we ate the rice noodles which have been in our pantry for a year. It is countdown. With me having possibly not much more than a month here, it is time to whittle down what is edible in our pantry and fridge. So we had cabbage from the bottom of our crisper, tofu from the freezer, and the noodles together in a peanut sauced ensemble. It was pretty good for a no recipe meal.

Darren and I are packing boxes here and there and actually really enjoying our time together doing that. It feels really satisfying to be working on a project together and I'm glad that we are enjoying our marriage so much. You can't just expect THAT when you're moving.