Speaking of the house, some goons came out yesterday and replaced some of our old, rotting masonite siding with non-rotting polymer Hardiplank (TM) siding. I suppose the best evidence you could ever find of my status as a middle-aged father is that I am very very pleased with this event. My house will not rot and fall down! Huzzah! The best news of all was that the wood underneath the siding was, as reported by the goon in charge, "Hard as a rock." This is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.
We also found out yesterday that Claire will not be losing her job as a result of North Carolina's state budget cuts (or me either for that matter). There was some concern that deeper job cuts would lead to the elimination of recently-hired folks like Claire, but in the end only 18 people were "terminated" on campus. Let's hope they all worked for the campus food service. We also found out that I have been approved for a "Family and Medical Leave" semester (FML also allowed Claire to get 12 [unpaid] weeks off for the birth and didn't have to worry about losing her job. Thank you Democrats...oh, and thanks for Saturdays off and child labor laws too. The titans of industry raise their fists in frustration, and then shrug and light a cigar with a $50 bill.) in the spring. I'll have no teaching responsibilities that semester, and my tenure review will be delayed one year, which at this point seems like a good idea. By the spring, Spud will be 9 months old and highly mobile. That cannot possibly make things easier. He's a handful now, but he pretty much stays put exactly where we put him. We are not looking forward to that day when one of us asks the other: "Where's the baby?", and the other doesn't know.
Three months old means the next round of vaccinations, on Tuesday. Spud was mildly alarmed when he caught wind of this news.
Actually he LOOKS mildly alarmed in this picture...don't you know as a good parent YOU LIE about these things....right up until the huge hypodermic needle is inserted into his tiny buttocks...then you blame a passing "bee." NEVER ever admit to being party to causing pain to your child. You'll get blamed ANYWAY...but never admit to it.
ReplyDeleteWe did it! Go us! You forgot to mention the neglected cats, who at this moment are probably pooping all over the dinig room floor due to the neglected cat pan...
ReplyDeleteGrandpa Chadwick says...
ReplyDeleteThree months is a milestone. Now he can start doing "chores" around the house and earning his keep. No, wait, that's not 3 MONTHS, it's 13 YEARS. At this point, the high-finance concept of "allowance" comes into play, giving the parents leverage over whether or not the chores actually get done. I am sure that John and Larissa recall (fondly) "pre-dinner" and "post-dinner"...right?