Happy Father's Day

Ok, I'm late on posting about Father's Day, and I didn't quite make my gift to Nate happen--not getting mad all day (yikes, doesn't that make me look like a pleasant person!) (Still, in my defense, I just slipped up in those 15 minutes before church starts.) (I mean aren't those 15 minutes before church the toughest time all week!) (Clearly, I should have picked a different day not to get mad.) (And, stop using parentheses so much.)

So, I have some wonderful men in my life. And, here's the lovely mraynes' post on fathers, which is far more eloquent than anything I could write, but expresses my feelings exactly.

Cousins

Gwen and Asher with their beautiful olive Curtis skin.

We had such a good time for the past two weeks with Nate's brother's family. Jesse, Lara, Harrison, Max, and Gwen are so much fun to have around (and it makes me feel very cosmopolitan to talk about our family who lives in Nicaragua). We love it when they come to town, and I need to be better about getting pictures of them (or remembering to bug my FIL for the pictures he has taken).

Asher, Luke, and I were particularly delighted to spend some extra time with Gwen while the rest of the family had work/computer camp to do.

Asher asked when he would see Gwen the second he woke up in the morning and as he went to sleep after a prolonged tantrum after having to leave Gwen at the end of the day. He adores her, and we're having a hard time getting the message through to Asher that Gwen doesn't live at Grandma and Grandpa's and that we probably won't get to see her for a while.

Then, Asher and Luke were delighted with Harrison and Max who would carry them and talk to them and be endlessly patient with their much younger cousins...because who else will play hide and seek with them for 2! hours?

The HCurtis family is nothing but good to the CCurtis family. Lara and Jesse took Asher often in Ephraim and Phoenix, managing his allergies, and putting up with him in general. We can only take solace in the facts that Harrison will be coming back to Phoenix in a few weeks and that we'll get to enjoy the pleasure of our twin cousins, Nate and Will, in July.

Drinks of Water

Luke likes to keep his language neat and concise...streamlined, if you will. So, when he finds an acceptable word for an object, he then applies it to all related objects.


The latest is that everything containing water is a "drink of water," which actually sounds more like "dink of watah." The pool, the bath, his water bottle are all dinks of watah. His Grandma Judy makes a good point though--Luke actually does get drinks of water from all those sources.

And, when we drive down the road, Luke points out elephants, horses, and cows. Heaven only knows what's going on in that little brain of his.

Scenes from a Marriage: 10th Anniversary

Fall 2008--this conversation happened during the elections last year and thought I'd save it for our 10th anniversary. Little did I know that the dialogue wouldn't be applicable seven months later.

Nate: (a tirade about what Obama has done wrong, will do wrong, and is thinking about doing wrong)

Emily: Hey, remember that ecology major I married? A member of the Green Party, who was going to do the Peace Corps with me?

Nate: Yeah, now, I have an MBA, a pick-up truck, and a gun.

Emily: When are you gonna get a Confederate flag for the back window of your truck?

Nate: Where's that feminist who was going to be a religion professor, study in Israel, and have kids when she was 40?

Emily: Probably wondering where that consultant's wife with the uncontrollable kids gets the money to pay for those cute highlights and a fabulous housecleaner.

Post-recession: Nate's work has been slow, and my teaching contract wasn't renewed. So, my cute highlights and fabulous housecleaner are a distant memory as is Nate's truck.

Not to worry, though, our uncontrollable children remain uncontrollable, and ultimately, we're more grateful for things we have in abundance: love of family and friends, opportunities to grow, and more time to spend together.

And, while I'm being sentimental, I have been thinking the past couple weeks how happy I am to be married to Nate for 10 years. I still am sad when he leaves for work, I'm still excited when he comes home, and I don't think there's a much better time to be had than having a date with Nate any night of the week. I'm a lucky, lucky woman.

Scenes from a Marriage: Green Thumb

two days ago

Emily: You know, I transplanted this plant and have watered it like normal, but I think it may be rotting.
Nate: Well, does it have that rot smell?
Emily: No, it smells normal, but the leaves look yellow and it's all droopy.
Nate: Well, you still smell the organic smell, but underneath that, you'll sense a hint of rot.
Nate sniffs the dirt.
Nate: Yeah, it's rotting.
Emily: But, it just smells like dirt to me.

Today, I threw out the poor plant; the roots had rotted away.

Moo Baa La La La

...because Luke thought Asher's movie was so neat, he wanted to make one, too. (It only took all week and 11 tries.)

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus

I've been trying to get Asher to memorize an Emily Dickinson poem for my mom for a few months, but Asher had another great piece of literature in mind.