catching up

• Blake's response to Rob going back to Spokane on Wednesday.

When it became clear that Rob was leaving without us, Blake completely melted down. He clutched at Rob's clothing, and I had to physically restrain him from wrapping himself bodily around poor Rob or running after him. He pitched an astonishing fit, which I've not seen done for when I leave (are you kidding?) or when Grammies leave (which is kind of surprising). Now, it was two hours past his nap time, which I'm sure colored his reaction, but Rob wasn't sure what to do. Leave the frantic child who is so upset he cannot even say goodbye?

YES! I finally had to shoo him on, since his lingering was making Blake worse ("Maybe if I cry harder, Rob stays!"). After thirty minutes, when Blake finally calmed down and went to sleep, I called Rob to let him know we were both okay, and that if Blake was going to cry that violently about him, I would rather he did when Rob left, rather than when Rob arrived.

When Blake woke up, I explained that Rob had to go back to Spokane for work, but that he'd be back in a few weeks for Christmas. Well, he refused to go to bed that night because Rob wasn't back yet, and he needed to talk to him. We've spoken to Rob on the phone a few times, and Blake regularly asks if Rob is done working and can come over now.

• A brief essay (paragraph?) on two of the websites I'm crazy about these days.

I love freecycle.org and paperbackswap.com. I'm getting rid of all kinds of stuff I couldn't really do much with otherwise: spare hangers? unopened spices I never use? old picture frames? I list them on freecycle and someone comes to get them. I'm grateful to be rid of them without throwing them away; they are grateful to get something they need for free. I LOVE IT!

For books, I post the ones that I'm done with or that Blake's outgrown. All I have to do is ship them when someone requests them, and I can use the credits to order any book I want from anyone else. I've rounded out my collection of hardcover Brian Jacques, some C.S. Lewis, and amassed a big stack of a variety of books that Molly or Newsweek has recommended.

• How I got Rob's Christmas gift for $60 bucks off when it wasn't on sale. It may involve partial nudity; it may not, but it's a good story!

Target made a labeling error. When I asked if it was an error, the electronics guy said it was not, and that if the gift rang up too high up front, have them call him, since he'd confirmed the lower price. That's all there is to it, but I told Rob that I had to flash the teller to get the better-than-Black-Friday deal. "Because that's how much I love you, baby."

• A list of all my sizes that are fit to print. Molly and I came up with this, and it sounded both funny and helpful for all you out there pondering what to get me for Christmas. You might get something ugly, but at least it will fit.

I'm still pondering this. It would be long and would merit its own post.

• How Blake and I do the Nativity scene (hint: it involves hide and seek).

It's pre-Christmas, so Mary, Joseph, and the donkey are still on their way to Bethlehem. I move them around the house kind of daily, and Blake finds them. On Christmas morning, Jesus, the angel, and the shepherds arrive. January 3: enter the wise men. He's not as interested in finding them this year, probably because Joseph is not Spiderman/Ironman/Batman.

• How my food sensitivities are doing, and what I can still have, despite those lists.

I don't consider the foods allergies, and I'm working on avoiding the big ones for the next three months. However, this will be wildly inconvenient, and my diet will either become numbingly simple or extremely interesting. At first I thought I could just kick the big ones pretty easy, but lots of other things were still okay, like breads and cheeses and stuff. Except that soy is a biggie for me. And soybean oil is in EVERYTHING. Like breads and crackers. I'm not sure where to begin, but Rob's encouraging me in this (he's taking it much more seriously than I am!), and is trying to bargain with me by putting something I want from him on the table. It's tempting but for the insane amount of work I'd have to do.

Plus, I found out that the sensitivities can vary based on what I eat (eat too much milk and you become sensitive to it), and that the Western medical community doesn't put much stock into this particular test. I'm on the fence. Still, if Rob is taking this seriously and can help, I suppose I can try harder.

• What my friends are saying about Rob.

"We want you to know that we love you so much, and we are proud of you. It has been a tough road, and it still can be a tough road, but we know that God has a plan. He brought Rob into your life, and we are so excited for you. He is a great person, and has a good sense of humor. He was jumping right in with our sassy friends, so I know he is for you. :)" - SK

"It was really fun to see you together-- you looked so beautiful and happy. We knew we'd like Rob, so we were glad to have a chance to confirm that opinion. Very impressive that he seemed at ease in a group of strangers that was there to see him." -AS

"We can't wait to meet him, and we are so excited for you!" -a variety of folks who missed out for one reason or another