The home front

Last Sunday, less than two weeks after we moved in, Jon left me alone again.
It was only four days, and he did bring us all New Orleans tee shirts! But as happens every time he leaves town, I had seriously obnoxious misadventures to cope with on my own. This phenomenon, if anything, is intensifying with every trip Jon takes... I may never let him leave us alone again.

WE've had more than a few rain showers in the desert. The sun is in such a hurry to get back out again after that rainbows are frequent. 

Sunday, we got up at 5 to get Jon to the Colorado Springs airport. We were pretty tired, but the drive between Pueblo and Springs is glorious.

Sunday afternoon, after a rest, we decided to finally pay a visit to the big downtown library.

It did not disappoint.

First of all, the building is huge, modern, and filled with light. It's four stories tall, and there's a canal in front! or maybe a moat?

We stopped to admire the materials return machine that's in all the branches, which automatically sorts and checks back in each item.

We lingered a while in the kids' section...

And then, on a whim, decided to take the elevator to the 4th floor to check out the view....

On the fourth floor is a museum!! Which was hosting an exhibit on fitness and wellness. The kids had a blast and I made friends with the young librarian.

We will definitely be back!

Miles and Adele began their swim lessons on Monday. After week one, Adele is a huge fan! Miles... is struggling.

He doesn't swim yet, and his teacher has been less than patient with him. Most of the other kids in the class swim independently, and when he was met with impatience and mandates from his young teacher, he shut down and stopped making efforts. It's been.... character building. Here's hoping his second week brings his better angel to the surface. 

Monday afternoon we planted some seeds, both in the planter rows inside and in the back yard, where we sprinkled grass seed and hoped for the best!

We have a solar tube in the kitchen, which we're hoping will give our vegetable nursery a start before we plant them outside.

On Monday night came the misadventure. Adele had been constipated since we moved in, and it became clear that night that none of the medicines we'd administered nor her own efforts were going to resolve the situation. She's struggled with constipation for years, but this was the first time we needed outside intervention. The screaming and suffering she was doing that evening made me see that the situation was now dire. We packed a few books and our water bottles and headed to the emergency room.

I had no idea what we were in for. I have never been in an ER without being seen for more than, say, an hour.

We arrived at Parkview Medical at 7:45 and did not get put into a room until 10:30. We did not get seen by a doctor until after midnight. The x-rays didn't happen till 1:15 and the procedure didn't happen until 2.
It was 4 in the morning when we got home.

I don't need to go into the hellish details, do I? You all have imaginations and can conceive of what we went through. I will just say that it was a night that both took all my energy away for the rest of the week, and somehow also showed me just how strong I can be when I need to be.

It showed me Miles' tenderness, and Adele's optimism. She went through hell, and is still hurting. Pray for her!

But my baby is on the mend. I was thinking as I brooded over her in the wee hours that she's never, till now, given me serious cause to fear for her. She's always been so vigorous and powerful; I've never worried about her like this. I'm renewed in admiration and love for my tiny warrior.

Tuesday we didn't leave the house. No swimming, no libraries, no parks. Just a little stroll down the street for some fresh air, but mostly, we followed doctor's orders and watched tv! It was heavenly, actually. Wednesday we were back into the world. Swim lessons, shopping, and a trip to the pediatrician all before we could finally drive to Colorado Springs to get Jon.

If there is anything that could make me like driving, it's the drive between Pueblo and Colorado Springs. Give it a try, sometime!

We were all thrilled to see Jon at the airport last night. 

My body just physically gave out today. Jon took his last day before starting his new job to hang out with his family and give me a break. I am back on my game, though. We're taking him to his first day of work tomorrow morning!