Berryessa Weekend

Edward and I spent much of Saturday afternoon cleaning out the boat (we haven't touched it since the May before Eddie was born). Since the weight limit on the boat is only 600 pounds or three adults, we decided to borrow our neighbor's kayaks. That way Jennifer, Edward, Dave, Eddie, and both dogs could spent the day at the lake. The kayaks hadn't been used in years--I don't ever recall them moving from our neighbor's side yard in the four+ years we've lived here. It took a lot of scrubbing and high power water spray, but we got everything nice and clean.

While we were prepping for boating, Dave worked on putting up the wire and scratch coat under the kitchen window. He'll be grouting in some flagstone veneer stones there, to replace the ugly old brick that used to be there before we replaced the window. We didn't have enough life vests and were short one set of kayak paddles, so we waited until about 10am to leave Davis so we could stop at Big 5 Sporting Goods on the way out of town. Edward also went to the grocery store in the same shopping center to buy some salami for our lunch...he thinks he NEEDS meat at every meal. I think that's weird, but Dave fully agrees. It must be a boy thing...

I love our minivan for outings like this. With the trailer hitch to haul the boats and kayaks, we were able to fit all of us humans and dogs (and our gear) in the van, with plenty of room (and cup holders!) to spare.
Lucky for us, the day wasn't too hot and there were even parking spots left at the free boat launch area. A nice lady helped me load Eddie and the dogs into the boat while everyone else dealt with the car and the kayaks. We were on the water by about noon.

Edward's kayak was too buoyant for him to steer easily and he quickly grew tired and frustrated with it. So he and Jennifer decided to hold on to the sides of the boat instead of paddling all the way across the lake to our picnic spot. Later that day Dave used Edward's kayak and had no trouble with it since he's heavier (and more or less the same weight as our neighbor who owns that kayak).Eddie HATES wearing his infant life vest because it makes him hot and he can't really move in it. It zips and buckles in the front and has a head support to force his face above the water surface, God forbid he actually falls into the water. I don't blame him for hating his vest, but I do hope he learns to put up with it better so we can enjoy more boating trips! He only has to gain two more pounds to move into the child vest, which doesn't have the pesky head float part.Once we got to the picnic spot we unloaded the food and drinks and set up our beach umbrella (which we bought for $10 in Spain on our honeymoon--I'm surprised the cheap thing has lasted this long!). Then we went swimming to cool off a bit. I have a floaty thing for Eddie to sit in, but he HATED it. When I pulled him out of him he handed it to me and said, "Mama's turn." It was sweet but he didn't understand that there was no way it would hold me up. I tried walking into the water with him but he screamed in protest, maybe because the water is colder than the pool he's used to. He also kept pointing to the algae floating near the surface and saying, "Yucky, poopy!" Haha.For lunch we brought gluten free bread we made in Edward's bread machine plus a bunch of stuff for making sandwiches. Because Jennifer has celiac and therefore can't have gluten, we've been experimenting with bread recipes. Edward is such a good boyfriend that he's willing to give up traditional breads entirely...as long as they can find a delicious/cheap/easy-to-make (or buy) gluten free alternative. While it'll never be the same as real bread, the gluten-free sandwich recipe we have been using is tasty enough that Dave and I happily eat it, too. Eddie, however, prefers to eat sandwiches the way the rest of us only wish we could: by eating only the insides. He simply licked the peanut butter and jelly from his bread and kept asking for "mo-uh" (more). It isn't because he doesn't like the bread, but the PB and J is so much better! But once he discovered the peaches in the cooler, he got very excited and handed one to each adult. Then he brought one to me so I could "open it" for him (I take a bite to expose the flesh beneath the skin). He polished off the whole thing!

We spent the next couple of hours taking turns kayaking, throwing sticks into the water for the dogs, watching the speed boats pulling innertubers and waterskiiers, and pointing out airplanes to Eddie (his newest obsession). Once we were back in the car, everyone fell fast asleep except for me since I was driving. We decided to take a detour to Costco on the way home to buy some salmon for dinner. It was sort of out of the way but Eddie got a longer nap and we got a good deal on the most delicious wild sockeye salmon I've ever had.

That night Edward BBQ'd the salmon, corn, and veggie kebabs. We used the vintage corn cob holders that I inherited from my grandma...she would have LOVED to see Eddie gnawing on his corn using those things! I still keep them in the same jar she used, too. (Who buys jarred fish? Yuck.)It was such a great weekend--fun, productive, delicious, and full of family!

Anniversary Date

Edward agreed to baby sit Eddie on Friday night so Dave and I could go see Cars 2 and then eat dinner at Bistro 33. I wore my dress and Dave wore one of his linen shirts we bought for our honeymoon. Isn't it cute that he plays along with my dorky sentimental inclinations? He's the best!After dinner Edward and Jennifer joined us for drinks and dessert at Bistro, while my mom stayed home with our sleeping babe. It was a relaxing way to celebrate our anniversary--and reminiscent of our pre-Eddie days since we don't get to go out for leisurely dates anymore (it is too hard to take your time eating when you know you're paying a babysitter at home!).

Five Years of Legal Marriage

Today at 8:30pm marks our five year wedding anniversary. It feels like yesterday but also like a lifetime ago. It feels full and rich and luscious and right. It makes me happy. And it makes me excited for more.

I've been thinking a lot about our marriage and marriage in general. While Dave and I chose to be legally married with a state-approved marriage license, we now realize that having an official (paid for) piece of paper was completely unnecessary. We would likely be in the same place, doing the same things, loving each other just as much if we had simply held a celebratory party for ourselves. Or if we had just carried on and never publicly announced our vows of love/support/honesty/commitment to each other.

Some of you (particularly my skeptical sibling) are probably rolling your eyes and thinking, "No way...there have been many times when I know you would have wanted to quit." And you're right. But wanting and doing are quite different. The reason I can confidently say that we'd probably be pretty much the same is because of the situation that caused me to realize that Dave was (is) the right person with whom to live my life.

Seven years ago we were on a trip in London, living in a crappy dorm room of some small college that was otherwise empty for summer break (it was cheaper than a hostel!). After a long day of touring around the city and pinching our pennies, we got into an argument in our room. I was complaining about how I felt like I always had to hold the conversation--that he wasn't talking enough. Although it seems trite and silly, it was a big deal to me. It was our first big trip together and I felt like he wasn't opening up enough to me. (God, I'm SUCH a girl, right?!). There was a point in our disagreement when I realized how easy it would be to decide to walk away. Literally to pack up my bag, catch a train to the airport, and take the next flight home. It would be the least painful way to deal with the situation. Mind you, I'm not one who gives up easily on relationships. Just as soon as I realized I could walk away, I had this overwhelming feeling that our relationship was worth fighting for; that the beautiful dynamic Dave and I had totally outweighed the freedom from having work out our differences of opinion. So my point is that since I realized the value of our relationship during an argument as opposed to during the blissful "lust" or "new love" phase of our relationship, I feel confident that we would have worked through all the struggles we've had since then, with or without an official marriage.

Over the years we've talked many times about how nothing really changed in our relationship once we were married. He's still the pre-marriage Dave and I'm still the pre-marriage Julie. We lived together for two years before we were married. Yes, my name changed and we now have combined income. But nothing major changed. I feel like my life ambitions (education, travel, the "stuff" that I want) and my ideals/morals/ethics haven't drastically changed simply because I'm married. Some of those things have been altered due to life experience and maturing...and my grandparents' deaths hugely impacted the way I want my life to go. They passed away before I was married, but with their strong, 63 year marriage as an example for me, it has refined how I'd like to live my life. By example, they showed me the value in being an honest, hardworking spouse, sibling, parent, citizen, professional, etc. That it isn't enough to live honestly--but that my life will be regret-free and fullest if I encourage others to be honest beneficial citizens of our country and world.

Dave and I have also realized that if you know legal marriage will change you or your relationship with your partner, then you probably should re-evaluate why you are getting legally married. Because even without that $30 piece of paper and accompanying change in your tax bracket, you should still be willing to commit to being honest, supportive, loving, and willing to grow with your partner. If you need that marriage license for that, then it is a crutch to your marriage.

In honor of our special day, I wrote this tribute to Dave on Facebook this morning:

Happy 5 year anniversary, David Dominic Bower, my Love!

Our relationship is one of synergy: we are better individuals because we support each other by being married. Neither us of knew how much we'd learn, ache, love, struggle, and grow with each passing year of marriage.

I love and appreciate you now for more reasons than I did when we stood in front of our friends and family to say our vows. Thank you for encouraging me to follow my dreams and letting me be ME. Thanks for being my partner in this life we have built together. It is my hope and vow to equally support you in your life's pursuits. XOXO.

After too many weeks of sickness in our home, we're are finally healthy enough to go out. So assuming our baby sitter is able to come over tonight, we'll be going out for a movie and then a late night dinner after spending the afternoon at the pool with Eddie. And if our sitter cancels, then we'll watch a movie on the patio and roast marshmallows over the fire pit while sipping some of Dave's favorite dessert wine. Either way, I'll be wearing my wedding sundress--partly for the celebration and partly because I'm thrilled that it still fits after 5 years and a baby! Here I am wearing the dress during our first dance at the wedding reception: Today at school I'm wearing a maroon sundress that I bought for our honeymoon to Egypt and a pair of earrings we bought while we were in southern Spain at the tail end of our honeymoon trip. Here I am wearing the dress outside the Abu Simbel temple (I should dig that hat our of the hall closet and make Dave wear it to the pool today for old time's sake!):

Too much?

Is it possible to love a child too much? To give him too many kisses? To tell him too many times how much you love him and how happy he makes you?

When this darling child of mine is a crabby teenager he will answer "yes" to all of the above (especially the kisses one). But until then--and even maybe then--I won't try to control myself. Because I can't. Since I'm his mama and I MADE him, giving him tons of kisses all over his squishy, adorable face is my right.

I mean LOOK at him! He's so dang adorable...and fun...and smart...and ACTIVE...and happy (...and usually dirty, as in the photo above). Oy vey.

Sickness Sucks

Today is the first day in 2.5 weeks that Eddie and I have been more or less healthy. We both still have minor coughs and the occasional runny noses, but we are pretty much back to normal. Neither of us were ever SUPER sick, but the colds we got lasted for too long. Daycare even shut down one day each of the last two weeks because everyone had this illness and just couldn't kick it. Bleh. (Strangely, Dave never got sick--a miracle since he always seems to catch whatever infection Eddie or I have.)

After two weeks of fevers, a deep cough that disappeared and then returned, extreme lethargy, a red teary eye, and three doctors visits to check for ear infections, we took Eddie to the hospital to get him pumped full of IV fluid. It had been a few days since he'd met the minimum "three wet diapers a day" criteria for proper hydration and I was getting (maybe a little too) worried. If you know Eddie at all, then you know that it is NOT normal for him to crawl into your lap and instantly fall asleep. Normal playtime was exhausting for him and he wasn't sleeping well at night. Try as we might, we could not force him to drink more than a few sips of water a day. We bought all sorts of yummy drinks for him, stuff he almost never gets but always wants: juice boxes, chocolate milk, frozen yogurt and ice cream, go-gurt, popsicles, gatorade, etc. He was just too sick to be interested in any of it. But after that IV rehydrated him he recovered very quickly. Amazing how much benefit there is to drinking lots of fluid!

Normally I wouldn't want an invasive thing like an IV done on Eddie...but the doctors seemed to think it was best and it was heartbreaking to see my sweet baby so out of sorts. He handled it very well...by completely passing out!

The hospital also did a blood workup to make sure everything was fine. Other than having low potassium levels from not eating for a few days, Eddie was okay. His white blood cell count was 10,000--I have no idea what that number means but the doctor said it was fine but didn't indicate if the illness was viral or bacterial. We're both on 10 day doses of amoxicillan for our infections (me = sinus, Eddie = ear and throat).

Thank GOD for Thomas the Tank Engine videos. Er, video, singular. Eddie loves trains right now...but only the non-animated, model train videos of Thomas and Friends. Dave went to the library and rented a computer animated Thomas movie that Eddie didn't like (I think there's not enough action for him and he can't follow plot lines yet). So we were stuck watching the same dang Thomas DVD over and over and over and over and over again. I bought five new non-animated Thomas DVDs last night at Target (on sale!) so we won't go crazy anymore if we get stuck inside for that long again.

Dave stayed home with us Monday, Tuesday, and early yesterday morning to help us out. I love that Dave is able to be home with us like that when we need him to...I just wish he could be home more while we HEALTHY instead of using his vacation days on illness.

We slept on the guest bed with a cranky/feverish/clingy Eddie one night this past weekend. Neither of us could handle his loud snoring so after he was asleep, we went back to our own bed. For the next few night, Eddie did better sleeping in the "big" bed that is in his room next to his crib. It is a queen sized bed of my brother's that we put in there last summer when Edward moved his stuff into our house. It has been great because we could just move Eddie and his pack-n-play into the dining room to let adult guests sleep on the big bed. We read our story books on that bed every night before tucking Eddie into bed in his crib so he's used to it. But now it seems that Eddie might be outgrowing the crib, emotionally. Lucky for me, he can't open twisty door knobs yet so his room can be his containment instead of his crib rails. It is hilarious to see such a small kiddo sleeping on such a big bed.

Since Edward and Jennifer have moved back to California (woooo!), we'll be giving them the bed back soon. So we're on the market for a replacement "big bed" for Eddie's room. I think we've settled on a twin with a trundle...but I might be interested in twin bunk beds with a trundle. Eddie'll eventually have siblings with whom to share a room and I love having extra sleeping spaces in the house. As long as you don't snore too loudly, anyone is welcome to come have a sleepover in Eddie's room with him!

I Need a Nasal Douche

I think my head might explode due to sinus pressure. This cold seemed to be on the way out yesterday and this morning I was feeling pretty good (less coughing, less yellow snot). But this afternoon, as I was preparing my lab meeting presentation, my sinuses clogged and I got the WORST headache. Ug.

I got so excited because my professor said I could come along to a municipal composting facility tomorrow for some field work. (Compost + field work = happy Julie) Because today was commencement and he had to be there for some of my classmates' graduations, I was left in charge of gathering all the equipment for tomorrow. That included a mini compressed gas tank of nitrogen so I had to knock on doors asking if we could borrow one. (I wonder who would have been in charge of this if I hadn't decided to come at the last minute??)

But now I feel like I shouldn't go because my sinuses hurt so bad. This whole week, I've felt so icky in the mornings that I should have just stayed in bed. But as a single mama, that's not an option. Since Dave will be here in the morning to be on "Eddie duty", I think it'd behoove me to rest up and finally kick this cold for good. Bleh.

About two years ago I went to the health center because I was sick. Since it seemed to be a viral in fection, the doctor offered me a variety of homeopathic remedies, the best of which was a saline nasal douche bottle. (That's what I call it anyway.) Everyone has heard of a neti pot, but this squirt bottle type they sell in the health center is so much better because it really gets the snot moving and you don't have to hold your head in a weird position. It feels a little like breathing pool water up into your nose at first, but the benefits can't be beat--near-instant clearing of the sinuses and removal of dust/pollen/boogers. Ahhhhh. The next time you have a sinus cold, I HIGHLY recommend trying one of these bad boys.

Marion-Terry Wedding Celebrations!

Eddie's little body knew how much I wanted to go to Berkeley for the wedding for a romantic weekend with Dave...so when my bumkin woke up on Saturday morning he was nothing but a smiling, chattering, running, happy kiddo.

We packed our bags, had a late breakfast, left a note for Justin (who was hired to come feed the doggies), dropped Eddie at Cassie's, and then headed off to to the bay. It was raining buckets the entire drive, sometimes to the point of having trouble seeing! This really is weird weather for northern California in June.

Our first stop was at Pizza Antica in Lafayette, just a stone's throw from our two first homes as a betrothed couple. We were starving and wanted to take full advantage of our child-free culinary experience so we ordered (and polished off) all of the following food...

A spring veggie chopped salad with dill and goat cheese:
A large fennel sausage pizza and a plate of pan-friend potato gnocchi with a tart tomato cream sauce (the latter is probably my top choice for my last meal on Earth before I die):And wrapped up with a chocolate tart with hazelnuts and caramel sauce.The clouds parted, rain stopped, and sunshine warmed us up as we took a walk down memory lane. We stopped to look at our first apartment, a little one bedroom that was so small we had the interior doors removed (except the bathroom) so we could have more useable floor space. Next we headed around the corner to our two bedroom condo, which we upgraded to since it allowed us to adopt Ruby (my first dog ever!).

I had already graduated from Saint Mary's and was a full time working adult when we lived here. Dave was just finished up his last year of college, getting his degree in accounting. He wanted an internship (and later a part time job) and lucky for him, the small firm right next door to our condo hired him! It was great because he could do homework right up until his shift started AND he was so close to home that he could check on Ruby and let her out to go potty. Below you can see our condo on the left and his office building (converted house) on the right.Just as we got back to our car to drive to the hotel, it started pouring again. I made some comment about how I HATE wearing glasses in the rain because they catch rain drops...and then it dawned on me that I had FORGOTTEN MY CONTACTS at home. I hate wearing my glasses when I dress up, mostly because I don't like the way I look in glasses and also because they don't usually match the dress. (Yes, I want my accessories to match, color-wise.) My supportive husband simply re-routed us to the nearest Marshall's via the GPS so I could get a different dress (one that was black to match my glasses--not brown like the one I'd brought).

I grabbed several dresses and went to try them on. When I look for clothing, I flip through the racks, bypassing things that are not "me." Well, for some reason I grabbed a ridiculous zebra-print dress that was clearanced to only $10. I thought, "What the heck?" And wouldn't you know, that's the one I chose. I couldn't believe it fit (it is a size 3). Dave approved, so I scooted off to the shoe department for some black heels. Here we are, gussied up for the wedding. For my picture, Dave told me to think about Eddie,thus my happy squwunch face and flexed arms....hahaha.
We got to the Hotel Shattuck Plaza with enough time for me to give Dave a haircut, him to shower, and us to get dressed. The GPS led us astray with the directions to "the" Brazilian Room but we got to the wedding site with about 15 minutes to spare (apparently, there is a restaurant in that part of the bay with the same name as the wedding site in Tilden Park where we actually wanted to go). Whew! I was sooooooooo sad for a few moments as we were turning around, thinking I was going to miss seeing John get married.

The ceremony was originally scheduled for the afternoon at the redwood grove, with the reception that evening inside. But with the rain, they decided to hold the ceremony inside, just before dinner. It worked out great, and it was a really, really lovely ceremony. Christina was radiant, for three reasons: because of her pretty dress, because she's beautiful to begin with, and because she was beaming with that yay-I-get-to-marry-my-love-today! vibe. I could tell that John was deliriously happy (and handsome), too. Stephanie and Rob both recited poems and John's sister, Laura, sang a beautiful song (how she did it without crying, I don't know).

Dave and I were very pleased with the food choices at the wedding, so our weekend goal of eating delicious food was totally met. There were three stations, each with different dishes and one of John's wines to match. Mmmm, I ate a lot of paella!

After eating, drinking, toasting, dinging on our wine glasses to make the couple kiss a LOT, and desserts, we got to dance. It was so fun! Dave and I haven't gotten to dance like that since Robby and Tina's wedding five years ago! Another highlight was getting to chat with my friends' parents, who I haven't necessarily seen in a while. We stayed until the end so we could decorate the newlywed's car with tin cans, umbrellas, and lip stick...and so we could send them off through a cloud of bubbles. By the time we got to the hotel, I could tell that the cold I had been ignoring had caught up to me. My sinuses were so stuffy that I couldn't go to sleep so poor Dave had to walk to a gas station to buy me some decongestant. I didn't sleep very well, but did have some vivid dreams I must have slept a little, right?

Our room package included breakfast in the hotel's restaurant (Five). I chose the duck confit has with Hollandaise sauce and Dave had eggs Benedict with ham. Both were good, but nothing with that sauce can be beaten by Cafe Bernardo's eggs Bernardo. We considered stopping at the "Asian ghetto" on Durant for some bubble tea before we drove home, but we were too full from breakfast. Plus we missed Eddie too much! So we made a quick stop at Winco (refried beans, Asian sauces, and bulk rice crackers) and then Costco for gas and coffee beans to take to Gualala. When we arrived at Cassie's Eddie was his cheerful self, more happy to see Dave than me. (No hurt feelings here, sometimes Mamas need the love to be shared!) Cassie was building a rabbit hutch for her two bunnies. We helped her move a GIANT chicken coop into the new chicken yard. Her daycare is changing names and focus in the fall. It'll be daycare plus preschool, with emphases on nature (animals, gardening, etc.) and music.

Despite my sinus cold and cough, the weekend was fantastic! I'm soooooooooo glad it worked out that Eddie could stay with Cassie so we could celebrate with John, Christina, and all our friends. Happy nuptials, Marion-Terrys!

Berkeley on Dwellable

Pathetic Catch Up

Whew. If you thought being a student was a lot of stress and work, just wait until you're a teacher/professor/TA. HOLY COW. Lesson plans, reviewing lectures before heading to class, answering emails from crazed undergrads who are sure they were in class that one day for that one quiz but they got a zero and they want points anyway, grading, grading, GRADING.

My PI is teaching a freshmen level, science and society class about forests. It satisfies the science requirement for non-majors, is a sociology class for science majors, and meets the upcoming UC writing requirement (minimum number of pages of essay writing, chance to resubmit their essays for a better score to make the "learning to write properly" an iterative process...or something like that...). So it is a 100-student class with one professor, a US Forest Service lecturer, a grader, and a TA (me). And that TA gets to teach all three discussion sections every week. Goody, goody. Our grader does most of the grading, but I still do a fair amount since I teach them particular things in discussion. Last year I was the grader and it wasn't very fun. Grading the same essays 100 times in a row will just about kill you. Trust me.

In previous years the final exam was done online. I argued (really) against doing online examinations this year because it is too easy for the students to cheat. And it is such a pain in the butt to hold them accountable when cheat that no one ever seems to call them on it. Judicial affairs requires a lot of hoop-jumping and paperwork filing. Since this is a freshmen level class, I argued that it is the perfect time to show the students that they must be held accountable for their knowledge and education. That SOMEONE is paying for them to be here, learning, and building their character to prepare them for the rest of their life. So they'd have to take a paper final exam and NOT CHEAT.

I also pointed out that I am also a student at UC Davis. And that I will be getting a degree from this fine institution, just like they are. And if they cheat, then it mares ALL diplomas from UCD. Mine and theirs. And that's not okay with me. We are all in this together.

The professor decided to let them have an "open note" exam, however. He explained that in "real life" you'd rarely be expected to spit out detailed information at the drop of a hat, but you'd better know exactly where to find that information if you needed it. So the students get to bring any and all hard copy notes with them to the final--reading materials, hand written notes, PowerPoint presentations, glossaries, etc. But I warned them that if they make too much noise fluttering through their notes during the exam (therefore disturbing their classmates), then I will be forced to take their notes away.

We had our last real lecture and discussion sections last week. I drafted the final exam three weeks ago and emailed it to the prof and lecturer. Of course they only got back to me with edits yesterday. Sigh. So I spent all dang day working on that final exam. Sheesh, I really thought it would only take a few hours.

Because the classroom is quite crowded and we've had instances of cheating on in-class quizzes, I decided to make two versions of the exam and photocopy each version onto a unique color paper. Every other student in a given row will get the tan-colored version and the rest will get the standard white paper version. (I made sure to choose a color paper that wasn't too bright and hurt their eyes. I'm nice like that.) That way we'll all know that there ARE two versions so it isn't worth trying to copy the person next to you. Hopefully it works.

I bought the tan paper tonight and sat in the copy room of my building on campus for about an hour while the machine copied/collated the 9 page exams. Since I didn't know how to make the machine staple the exams, I had to do that part by hand.

Eddie was at home with Dave, spiking a fever of 101.something and being pretty fussy. The sweet boy is teething like crazy (molars) and has a cough that he got from daycare. Dave called me to say that Eddie has a temperature of 101.4 in his right armpit and 102.1 in his left. Hahaha. Taking the temperature on both sides is pretty funny.

We're supposed to go to Berkelely tomorrow morning for John and Christina's wedding--I booked us a room at a fancy hotel so we could enjoy our romantic night away in style. We made a long list of all the places we wanted to eat in that part of the bay, just like we used to as undergrads.

My parents were supposed to come watch Eddie for us, but I canceled that when I realized a) that my mom never asked my dad if he was willing to watch Eddie this weekend, but rather "informed" him instead and it was clear he didn't really want to, b) that my mom was planning all along to ditch my dad with Eddie for the day on Saturday so she could go visit with some friends, and c) that Eddie developed a cough and my dad apparently gets sick every time he sees Eddie, even if Eddie is not actually ill at the time. SIGH. So I had to call all my regular sitters to see if someone could watch him. Of course, it is finals time so none of them were available. We decided to take Eddie with us to the hotel, meaning that Dave would have to leave the reception earlish to put Eddie to bed. But then Cassie stepped in to say that she'd be happy to keep him for us if we'd agree to keep Leila sometime. Done! But now he's sick so we're not sure if both of us can even go Berkeley. Cassie said she'd keep him anyway if he's feeling better tomorrow (he caught the cold from Leila in the first place!). Fingers crossed that that's the case. Otherwise we'll have to take him with us and not let him cough on anyone or I'll have to go to the wedding and sleep in the hotel alone. (Just what I want to spend my money on: a hotel room for myself. I spend all dang week away from Dave and then I can't even stay in the romantic hotel room with him.)

But the good news is that Edward and Jennifer are en route to California! Woooooooooooooooo! Most of you know how happy that makes me (and Dave) so I'll spare you all the extra exclamation points that I really want to include to emphasize my point. =)