3 Day Weekends

Hiya Charlie!  I know I haven't written you a letter in a while - we've been crazy-busy this week.  I had to go up to San Mateo for work, and because flying makes me a little nauseated these days, I drove, and your dad decided to come along.  He hung out with friends of his in San Jose, which was fun.  We left on Monday and came back late on Wednesday night - like midnight.  Anyway, then Thursday was busy, and then Friday was Date Night, and here we are at a three day weekend.  I think every weekend should be a three day weekend.  The French are on to something with their 32 hour work weeks.

Anyway, I've been doing a lot of puttering around - I'm getting rid of more stuff, but this time it's on ebay.  So that's been fun.  And I'm listing a lot of books on Amazon.com to sell.  Need to get rid of all this stuff so you can have an uncluttered home to come home to.  It feels very freeing.  The only thing I'm a little upset about getting rid of is the elliptical.  Your dad and I had so much fun trying to get it into our little car - well, it seems like fun now - it wasn't fun then, when Costco had closed, and we were in the parking lot tearing apart the packaging trying to make parts fit in the trunk, and knowing that we couldn't go back in and return it if it didn't fit because we'd torn up the packaging.  We bought it a day or two before the kittens were born, with our stimulus checks that President Bush decided to give everyone when the economy started going south.  I use it a lot - watch The Daily Show and Colbert Report on my computer while using it.  But we just don't have the room for it anymore.  Even if we were able to get it out of the nursery, where would we put it?  It's huge.  It's gigantic.  There's nowhere that it will fit in the house.  I don't know.  I'm still thinking about it.

Anyway, we also went to the lake yesterday, swimming for probably the last time this year.  Which made me think that the next time I go swimming in the lake, it will probably be with you.  That will be so much fun!  We'll have tons of fun at the lake together, playing in the sand and splashing in the water.  Man, it will be a blast.  So we have that to look forward to next summer.  I know you won't be able to do much yet next summer, but you'll probably enjoy sitting in the sand anyway.  And maybe you'll like to touch the water.  Who knows.  We'll see.

Your dad and I also went to church this morning.  I really think I've found a good church for you to be born into.  It's Episcopalian, and they really embody everything that I think Jesus talks about in the Bible.  They pray for good stewardship of the earth, and they're hip with gay people, and they're not protesting mosques, and they don't talk about fire and brimstone.  Plus the priest is a woman.  I think it will be a very good place for you to get to know religion.

We're making lots of decisions for, and about you, and you aren't even here yet.  I guess that's what being a parent is about, huh?

Love,
mom

Dear Charlie Cheltenham -

This morning I went to church.  I'm trying to find a nice church to bring you up in.  Your dad grew up in a church.  I had a church when I was a teenager.  I think it's important for you to have a church to grow up in - to get that sense of community, and tradition and routine, as well as be regularly reminded that there is something bigger than you in the world, and you're part of something everlasting and bigger than you could ever comprehend.  So I think I found a church that might be a fit for our little family.  I'm excited about that!

Now I'm home eating strawberry shortcake and a decaf iced mocha.  Yay for decaf espresso!  I'm going to have a nice bubblebath in a little bit, while I still can.  I guess in a few months it might be harder for me to take a bath, and I LOVE baths, so I'm getting as many in now as I can.

I'm really hoping that my maternity clothes that I ordered come soon.  It's getting difficult to wear my trousers, even with the belly band.  And there are, like, four shirts I can comfortably wear.  I haven't gained much weight yet, though.  Maybe a pound or two.

Oh, the other thing I'm going to do, before I get in the tub, is get the chicken soup started.  I like making chicken soup.  I like boiling the carcass to make the stock, and how the whole house smells wonderful, and now that it's getting a little chilly, it makes the windows steam up.  I just LOVE it.  And I love cutting up the vegetables and everything.  It's such a good time. 

So anyway, i'm going to make your dad lunch and get the soup started now, and then take my bath.  Later tonight we're going to go for a walk around the lake.  I hope you are growing strong in there, and getting lots of loving vibes from us, because we're sending them all the time.

Love,
mom