9/16/08 Eight in '08

It's pretty easy to remember how many years you've been married when your wedding was in 2000 [ corrected ]. Eight years today! Many [ corrected ] more ups than downs, and in the face of much adversity.

Dave and I traditionally have taken a day off work for our anniversary, and did today, but not for the best reason. We met at the jobsite today, for an electrical walkthrough, a meeting with the plumbers, and to finalize items with the framers. The biggest job there had to do with the fireplace framing, which was wrong in numerous ways. It's easy to notice because there will be a big tabletop counter above the fireplace where the TV will go, and I don't want to the TV to be four feet high! At least we had a nice lunch together before having to go hit the books again when we got home.

Thankfully, the framers and plumbers agreed they could indeed recess this medicine cabinet above the main downstairs bathroom vanity.

This is a bold style statement for a main bathroom for me! No plain mirror will do.

(But there's a reason most bathrooms plaster a big mirror above a bathroom sink: because straight plumbing venting gets in the way, and it's more work for the plumbers to route the vents around the cabinet. To recess a medicine cabinet, you have to plan ahead, choose the cabinet, make sure the contractor knows you want to recess it, and be prepared on framer-walk-through day.)

I've put a lot of attention to the main downstairs bathroom, because while it won't be a daily bathing spot, it will be "Grand Family Central," where splinter-pulling, bandage-applying, allergy medicine dispensing, hair-brushing, potty-training, pre-dinner hand-washing, post-breakfast teeth-brushing, and countless mad dashes to the toilet will happen. It has to be functional. Not to mention it'll be the main one guests see, so I'd like it to look nice too.

We took the three out to dinner tonight, to Chevy's.


Katrina has inherited a negative face while in deep thought from me.

I was just remarking to Dave that Tonya also now gives her a regular cup (we gave up on sippy-cups about 2 months ago), when she spilled her milk for the first of three times. That'll teach me!

As we were leaving the restaurant, something Julian did offended her, and she attracted the amused attention of onlookers by brutishly screeching and shoving Julian out of her way. She has no idea at all how much bigger and stronger he is, and looks so ridiculously tiny and fragile next to him. More incredibly, her dear brother just stands and accepts her furious attacks, unfazed. I wonder, would he be so gentle if this rage came from a little brother instead of a little sister?

She's having a great time with colors these days, volunteering yesterday that my shirt is pink, for instance. Though she's still pretty volatile and liable to blow up and scream at any moment, she's been delightful and funny and cheerful and adorable lately. It must be the joy of discovering colors!

8+3+1....8 years, 3 kids, 1 house...

9/16/08