Farewell, Bijou

Getting by

It's been a tough week, with everyone having caught my cold (Alice isn't really sleeping at all). Bijou has some kind of encephalitis and will probably be put down soon. But otherwise things are good!

Gryphon, Alice

Contagion

Gryphon and I ventured to the pool. He took a dunk in the 2-ft area, and I grabbed him after he didn't show any sign of coming up. He wanted to hear this saga retold for the rest of the day. Cheri, feeling ill, stayed with Alice.


Alice and I wandered Hawthorne later and picked up some pasta.

Sick day

I took the day off due to a cold. This gave me enough time to finish up some videos from over the break:

Planting trees

This MLK Day Gryphon and I joined Ben, Jude, and lots of other volunteers to plant trees near my school.

We found a big worm.

Smiles

Namaste on Thursday - everyone's favorite.

I packed away the "ball house" to make room for the train table that Nanna and Dar Dar gave Gryphon.

Thomas and the Pig

Birthday fun

Yesterday I turned 31, and have celebrated by-

• drinking a chocolate martini at the Olive Garden with Cheri's Dad
• playing darts at Horse Brass pub with Geoff
• eating soyrizo paella and cupcakes with Katie and Mark
• watching Forks Over Knives with Cheri
  

After the movie we headed to an Ethiopian restaurant for dinner. It was delicious but filled us up faster than we could eat the extra bread I asked for. Feeling particularly sensitive about leaving uneaten food in this restaurant, I stuffed the bread in my vest to compost at home, much to Cheri's amusement.

As Gryphon sat on the potty this evening, I found myself explaining what poop is, as follows:
N: Poop is food. Uhhh..food that we eat...
G: Poop is not food.
N: That's right - but it used to be food. [More explanation] and it goes through your intestines and comes out [gesturing].
G: It comes out through your pocket?

Back to reality

Baby Alice loves seeing faces.

At last, our set of stockings is complete! Thanks, Mom!

After a relaxing trip to Bellingham, we're off and running in 2011. I spoke at a town meeting yesterday about the proposed elimination of bonuses for National Board certified teachers, Cheri worked at the Parry center today, Gryphon played with Jonah this evening, and Alice is getting pretty good at smiling and cooing. We've been enjoying reading Winnie the Pooh to Gryphon before his nap and bedtime.

Jack Rathgeber

April 9, 1922 - January 2, 2011

Cookies

Christmas 1, 2, 3