![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
This weekend, the family travelled north to the wilds of Butler County to visit the in-laws and get away from the house for a while. Gail had offered my muscular services to help her sister move a bunch of stuff into a storage unit and Nathan, being the helpful boy that he is, insisted he come along. After that, we took the remnants from the move (i.e. a bunch of empty boxes and cardboard) to the burn pile in the middle of her aunt's horse paddock. And while the contents of the pile are going up in flames, her aunt says "Now all I need to do is get that wood off that wagon." So, for the next hour, Nathan, Gail and I forcebly disassembled an old wooden wagon while Celia played Chutes and Ladders with Gail's sister. Hard work and fire; what more could a boy ask for? The evening was ended with a rousing game of fetch with the kids running around with Gail's aunt's dog wearing glow sticks we'd had in the back of the van. Watching the sticks of light bouncing around in the dark yard was almost as much fun as running with them.
After a night's rest, we meandered to Gail's parents where we were put to work trimming branches from the huge oak tree in the back yard. Various power tools were used and many tree branches fell to our destructive ministrations. After a brief rest (and no small amount of restlessness on my part), we went back to work ripping a bunch of rotten planks from an old trailer and sawing off the remaining bolts. At that point, I was spent. Celia had a "I haven't gotten a nap" meltdown and willingly went to bed at 7:00. Nathan stayed up and whooped everyone's butt at dominoes while I baby-sat my sleeping girl.
Right now the kids are getting ready to go searching for Gail's sister's dog with Gail's dad. Me? I'm still hobbling around the house. I know my aches and pains aren't going to go away for a while without lots of rest. And I need to rest up for the project coming up -- tree-from-roof removal.
It's good to feel useful despite the fact I should be devoting this energy to my own projects. And a few brownie points with the wife's family ain't bad either. :)
Speaking of helping, major kudos to my son. Friday evening, without being asked, he accompanied a little two year old boy in, out and around the playland at McDonalds making sure he had a good time. Toss in helping at the storage unit, the wagon, the tree branches -and- dog hunting and we have one little boy who spent his entire vacation helping other people. Words can't describe how proud of him I am.
Off to finish up the weekend and, hopefully, get some rest so I can still move come tuesday morning. :)
After a night's rest, we meandered to Gail's parents where we were put to work trimming branches from the huge oak tree in the back yard. Various power tools were used and many tree branches fell to our destructive ministrations. After a brief rest (and no small amount of restlessness on my part), we went back to work ripping a bunch of rotten planks from an old trailer and sawing off the remaining bolts. At that point, I was spent. Celia had a "I haven't gotten a nap" meltdown and willingly went to bed at 7:00. Nathan stayed up and whooped everyone's butt at dominoes while I baby-sat my sleeping girl.
Right now the kids are getting ready to go searching for Gail's sister's dog with Gail's dad. Me? I'm still hobbling around the house. I know my aches and pains aren't going to go away for a while without lots of rest. And I need to rest up for the project coming up -- tree-from-roof removal.
It's good to feel useful despite the fact I should be devoting this energy to my own projects. And a few brownie points with the wife's family ain't bad either. :)
Speaking of helping, major kudos to my son. Friday evening, without being asked, he accompanied a little two year old boy in, out and around the playland at McDonalds making sure he had a good time. Toss in helping at the storage unit, the wagon, the tree branches -and- dog hunting and we have one little boy who spent his entire vacation helping other people. Words can't describe how proud of him I am.
Off to finish up the weekend and, hopefully, get some rest so I can still move come tuesday morning. :)
