Kirk blAug

Today unfolded like a delightful surprise, marking our check-in day during Jupiter and Tsunami's week with their mom. This unique day means they swing by after school for dinner, a tradition we cherish deeply. Typically, our adventure leads us to explore new vegan havens, but today, with Easter's gentle reminder on the horizon, we veered off our usual path. Embracing the festive spirit, we kicked off the week with a cozy breakfast and Easter treats, a simple yet profound joy with the boys. Although an eagerly anticipated egg hunt with their cousins was momentarily thwarted by rain, fate kindly rescheduled it for today. Serendipitously, it coincided with their twin cousins' birthday eve, weaving an extra thread of celebration into our gathering. After months apart, reuniting with the cousins and their parents felt like a gift. Despite the transitions in my personal life, my commitment to nurturing these familial ties remains unwavering. Last night's reunion, filled with

I spent the weekend in Nebraska City with the family. Chris said that she always wanted to stay at the Lied Lodge there so we took this opportunity to do it. We arrived Thursday night and had to try out the pool and we did. It was a big underground pool 4.5 ft deep in the center. There was also a "hot pool" as Jupiter and his cousin, Ryland, referred to it and a child pool that was 1.5 ft deep. There was a sauna in a connecting room which my brother and I tried out for a few minutes on one of the following days. I might also add that there was a very nice dining hall connected to the spacious lobby of the lodge. To sum it up, all of the features of a fancy hotel were in place, which is hardly surprising for place that was awarded the “Best of MidAmerica” award in 2009, 2010 and 2011. On Friday we went to Arbor Day Farm. We started off with some wine tasting in the gift shop. Arbor Day Farm produces a variety of wines that are all quite satisfying. I would have to say that my

Today has been a very busy day. I took Jupiter to his gymnastics class today. I thought it would be a nice chance for Jupiter to get a healthy dose of his normal routine and for me to get away from the hospital for a couple hours. When we actually got to gymnastics, he just wanted to leave to go see his new little brother. I can tell Jupiter is very excited about his brother at this point. He just wants everybody to come home and for things to get back to normal. I can sympathize. Being in the hospital is nice because of all the help we get from nurses, but being home will be good. We get to go home tomorrow. Jupiter has been excited about riding in the car with Tsunami ever since we put the baby seat in Chris's Prius during one of the false alarms from earlier. Every time we get in her car he asks us, as if he needs reassurance of the reality, "Baby ride back here with me?" Needless to say, he will like having a travel companion.