Miscellaneous Updates

We're all healthy, for the most part. My husband is just getting rid the last of it. Edyn's nose is still runny, but that could be due to allergies. We have samples of kiddie Zyrtec to give her, but I'm not sure I'm ready to put a 20-month-old on allergy meds when most of the time, she has no complaints.

Laurel had her two-month check-up today and was deemed healthy, 50% for height, weight and head circumference. I've never had a baby match the same percentage across the board. Zooey with the broad chest he inherited from his very Irish dad and voracious appetite was always 50% for height and 90% or more for weight, then 75% for head. Edyn was always 75% for height and 25% for weight and head. Anyway, they're all healthy and just right for them, so who cares what the charts say.

My husband's new job is going pretty well, despite the fact that three weeks into it, he ended up getting one of the employees fired. The guy was dishonest but cagey enough that the people who worked with him for 2 years didn't really notice. My husband spied the problem straight away (a fresh perspective does wonders) and then had a customer complain to him about it, so there was nothing else to do but go to the store owner. The canned employee raged and threatened, which was regrettable, but all has settled down now.

In the evenings, my husband has had a worship band from the protestant Chi Alpha group come to the house to record a worship album in the basement studio. It's pretty good money and the band is pretty good. The keyboard player/backup singer came last night. Turns out he's married to one of my former junior high students. I always forget that they're all old enough to be in college and/or married now.

My brother-in-law, whom so many of you have been kindly praying for, is at his new job designing fire trucks and related equipment. His wife had him served with divorce papers two weeks ago. She's suing for primary custody of their daughter, so he's gone ahead and hired the best lawyer he could find. I think it's going to get ugly. Heidi keeps making promises that she'll sign a paper giving him this or that right, but she's got an attorney who won't let that happen, I'm sure.

Maddie (their 3-yr-old daughter) is on shaky ground, as you can imagine. We saw her the other day and when it was time to say good-bye, she pitched an enormous fit, even though she'd been warned at 30-, 15-, 10- and 5-minute marks that she would soon be leaving. It's understandable. That kid's whole life is about saying good-bye these days. Say good-bye to Daddy...three days with Mommy, then say good-bye to her and hang out with Grandma and Grandpa for the day...then say good-bye to them and go to Daddy's for three days. Repeat. Repeat again. Keep on repeating till your heart is as broken as your family is.

Hmmm...I'm getting editorial there. But I really feel for the kid. You hate to see any marriage fall apart, but when there is a child or children involved and you have to watch their anxiety and panic stemming from that unanswered, desperate need for everything to be normal again -- ugh! Pray for her. She's got it rough already and the custody battle hasn't even started yet.

Finally, good news (sort of) on the drought front. With all the moisture since the first of the year, we've been officially moved into "abnormally dry" instead of "first-stage drought." Haven't been here in at least four years. But we've got to have a goodly portion of spring rain in order to maintain that, let alone kick it back into "normal." In the meantime, the spring seed deliveries have begun and farmers are readying their equipment. Planting should begin in earnest in about 5 or 6 weeks around here. I'll keep you posted (whether you like it or not, ha ha ha).

--Sparki