Dear Lena,
We really miss you and hope you had a great presentation today in Washington! Everything here is clicking right along. I found the conference agenda and checked out a few of the other economists at the event. Hope it was okay that I sent them friend requests on Facebook.
I know we normally keep the AC around 76 or 77 degrees, and even 76 is a little warm for me sometimes. So in your absence, we’re running at a breezy 56 degrees. In fact, I’m wearing wool socks and a hoodie right now.
There is food in the sink, but not in the fridge. I discovered that bread is pretty good at soaking up moisture if covered with coffee grounds. It’s all kind of just sitting there squishy and spongy while I’m waiting for the garbage disposal to unclog itself. Apparently “The Badger” doesn’t take watermelon rinds too well. Some name for that thing. Pretty misleading advertising if you ask me.
I did some housework. Just basic stuff. The laundry for instance. I think you might be making this chore more difficult than you need to. I’ve noticed that you tend to separate our clothes into piles, then wash them in these batches you call “loads.” Did you know if you fill the washing machine all the way to the top, I mean really pack it in there with all your body weight, you can fit the underwear, jeans, towels, and all of the pink and red t-shirts all at one time? It’ll save you a ton of work.
Speaking on the washing machine, does it always make that “thud – thud – thud” noise and leak from the top? I was going to put towels down to soak up the water but they were already in the washing machine. I stood there thinking – “Isn’t that ironic?” Funny how life works…
I did fix the creaky door to the bathroom. Be careful not to trip on it when you come home. It’s leaning against Benjamin’s wagon in the garage. Sorry I let that little home improvement project go for so long. I tacked a bed sheet to the door frame for now. Otherwise it’s kind of chilly when you get out of the shower.
Benjamin is eating really well. You’ve mentioned it’s hard to get him to eat when I’m away, but I’ll tell you, he’s been eating like a grizzly bear since you left. If I had known it before, I would cooked him chocolate chip banana pancakes with maple syrup for dinner long ago.
Benjamin seems happy to go to bed a little earlier than normal too. He doesn’t mind hitting the sack at 7:15 when you skip bath time, give him the iPad and let him eat dinner in there. Though I will say that it took me until nearly midnight to get him to lay down tonight. Sometimes I just don’t know what gets into that kid…
I quit locking the door to the front house because the lock is “broken,” meaning that you need a key to unlock it from the outside. I figure the neighborhood is pretty safe now that the students are gone for the summer, and besides that, Benjamin threw the house keys down the sewer. I know you’re probably thinking this was my fault but it wasn’t. We were going to the park and he said – “Keys daddy.” I thought he just wanted to carry them or pretend to open doors or something. I couldn’t believe it. He darted from the middle of the street where we were walking and threw the suckers down there before I knew what was happening. That’s the last time I fall for that one. He’s one smart kid. I can’t believe he got me a third time.
Both Benjamin and I can’t wait to give you a big hug and a kiss. Especially Benjamin. He’s been kissing everything – the walls, his stuffed animals, the couches, and even the cats – since he found your box of lipstick.
See you soon! xoxoxoxoxo