3.24.2012

Spring break

In between a lot of basketball …

The university was on spring break this week. And it was good.

It’s not a true spring break for me, because I do have to work during the week. The students and faculty get their traditional spring break week off, but staff members like me are off on Monday only.

Nonetheless, this year, I took Tuesday as a vacation day so I could have some extra time at home to catch up on projects and make some dents in our baby preparation.

Usually, it seems, my vacation days are marred by some stint of bad luck or a project that doesn’t go according to plan. But aside from the fact that it rained both days, I couldn’t have had two more enjoyable days -- let alone a more enjoyable spring break week.

* * *

While I checked a ton of things off my to-do list this week, my major accomplishment was painting Baby 2’s room.

We knew early on, no matter the gender, that we wanted to paint the room a shade of blue.

Then, after a lot of pondering, Kates and I decided to go with the same décor we used in Phoebe’s baby room.

To a fault, we want to be sure Baby 2 gets the same brand of one-of-a-kind treatment Phoebe got before and after she was born. But we’re also learning to be realistic and know that not everything can be that way during this journey we call parenthood. In this case, it came down to our budget and the realization that, in the end, we can design a room that’s just as unique as Phoebe’s original room was, with the same decorations and a few twists.

Plus, those original decorations have blue in them. So we matched it with some paint colors and chose Icy Peppermint Vinca.


* * *

Thursday afternoon, we had our basement inspected, and I now have some peace of mind about our foundation and all of the work that was done to it before we took ownership of our house last year. Long story short, the steel anchors on the walls are doing their job, the foundation is secure, and I have clearance to finish off the basement and start resurrecting my baseball museum … It will be awhile, though. Before I can think about the basement, we need to get adjusted to life with two children, and I need to finish my master’s degree.

Yesterday, I finished my work week. And I cleared a ton of projects off my desktop. That’s the thing about our spring break: We may not get a full week of vacation like the students and faculty, but it’s just as refreshing because of all the work we catch up on.

I’m most proud of this story, which I referenced last fall after one of my colleagues stumbled on a video about their nerdy hobby. … We followed up on it, and I had a fun interview with them last week. Now I want one.

* * *

That brings me to today. Phoebe spent the afternoon at a classmate’s birthday party -- at the bowling alley -- and Kates went shopping. I spent the day working outside in our yard, and it was glorious. Sunny with temperatures in the low 80s, and I mowed our lawn -- in March!

Mark this one down: The winter leading up to Phoebe’s birth was one of the snowiest in history; heck, it snowed on the April morning she was born. Now, as we work our way to Baby 2’s birth, we’re coming out of one of the mildest winters on record.

Tonight, Kates and I capped the week with a late showing of “The Help.”

An excellent, enlightening and inspiring film. Wonderfully written. And terrific acting by an uber-talented cast that includes Emma Stone and Allison Janney.

It’s on my list and highly recommended. Here’s the trailer …

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