avablog

Ava and I got to spend some one-on-one time together yesterday while Leah was off at a baby shower. We went up to the high school and played with her ball on the front lawn for a bit, then walked around back to look at the running track. I had her practice a couple sprint […]

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We took a drive out to Squire Point yesterday to take a stroll along the paths. We told Ava she should keep an eye out for pretty leaves, and we’d collect them to bring home so we could make a collage. She paid heed. It was just about a perfect day for a hike. Ava […]

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It was an absolutely gorgeous day in Madison today. We walked to a little patisserie near Kevin and Rachel’s house for breakfast. There were some really cool bike racks outside the place: After a nice snack, we hoofed it the two miles or so over to the farmer’s market at Hilldale Mall. We stopped for […]

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Meredith Willson would’ve been proud. Between the UI’s homecoming parade on Friday night and the high school marching band competition that took place one block from our house on Saturday, Ava had her fill of drums, tubas, and flutes over the weekend. What’s more, the girls in the flag corps gave me a great opportunity […]

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Ava and I walked up the the nearby high school last evening to play with her ball. I used the opportunity to get some shots with the 75-300mm lens my friend Q loaned me. It’s a beauty. Not only did we have fun tossing the ball around, but I got some cool pictures, too. Here, […]

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We’re heading home on Sunday and will arrive back in I.C. on Monday. I understand it’s been very hot, muggy, and rainy in Iowa City while we’ve been gone. Makes me hesitant to mention it’s been about 80, dry, and sunny here every day. If it makes you feel any better, I’m sure I’ll have […]

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I took a stroll downtown at noon to see the sights and grab some lunch.  Along the way, I ran across a raised flower bed positively teeming with large, angry-looking wasps.  Leah and I had seen one of these bugs flying around the front stoop at home the other day, and it sure looked menacing.  […]

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Ava doesn’t like rain or thunder. When we picked her up from daycare yesterday, she was huddled on the floor next to her friends with a blanket draped over her shoulders.  She wore the blanket all the way home. But she loves jumping in puddles after the rain. So, it’s a great opportunity for a […]

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Leah was generous enough to let me come back early from Decorah this past weekend to participate in the annual Tour de Brew, which is put on by Millstream Brewing Company. The weather was gorgeous this year. A bit breezy, but it beats the 97 degrees we had last year. I think a good time […]

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(Over)heard this morning, as I was getting the bike out of the garage and Ava was waiting for me on the stairs leading down from the kitchen: “Darn it!  I got another bug bite.  Those little smageetos* really got me.” *We’ve tried a couple times to correct her pronunciation of mosquito, but she’ll have none […]

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We had a nice day with friends. Spent a couple hours at the local pool with Ava as she hopped around in the shallow end, then went over to a neighbor’s place to lounge by their (inflatable) pool. Then off to another neighbor’s for dinner and sparklers. They had a nice chalk mural waiting for […]

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Leah and I are trying to keep an eye on Ava for signs of stress or discomfort during our relocation. She seems to be doing pretty well, but we do get the sense that she’s off just a bit. So we’re trying to do fun things and get plenty of ice cream and read lots […]

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They’ll always remind me of this little house on College Street, I think. The place where we first moved in together–where we celebrated our wedding and brought Ava to life. The place where we yelled and cried and laughed together. It has a big old maple tree in the front yard that fills our living […]

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My dwarf irises. I know “dwarf” isn’t the politically correct term these days, but flowers don’t have ears. Yes, yes. Nothing’s stopping me from planting irises at the new house, and I just might. But I’ll still miss these plants.  I could transplant them, but they seem so happy there.  There’s enough transplanting going on […]

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Poom Poom shipped Ava a kite a couple weeks ago, and we’ve been waiting for a warm(ish), breezy day to give it a go. Today was the day. It wasn’t just a good day to fly a kite. It was an awesome day to fly a kite. Near perfect. Ava’s kite is a little ladybug […]

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Another crocus. Cool! And the daffodils opened up this weekend, too. Nothing like a little warm air, sunshine, and rain to get the garden moving. I’m most excited about my scabiosa, which looks like it may have survived the winter alive this year for the first time. I can’t wait to see if it blooms.

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Ava and I were in the side garden last evening after work, clearing some dead leaves and branches from the bed to make way for all the new greenery poking up everywhere. To our surprise, a clump of wet brown twigs were covering this beauty: A teensy crocus straining to get some sun. I don’t […]

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Here’s a rare public moment of cuteness for all you unregistered avablog visitors: Ava was eager to get out and shovel the snow after the storm we had last Saturday, but alas, all we got was a bunch of ice and slush. No matter. She picked up her little shovel and got to work clearing […]

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It’s kind of sad to be glad that a weekend has passed, but I’m not going to miss this past weekend one little bit. Oh, it had its moments. We had a nice time with Leah’s parents, and there was some birthday celebrating going on. But there was a lot of hassle, too, and I […]

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Here’s what it looks like in my back yard right now: The snow is supposed to get heavier here this afternoon before it lets up.  I already shoveled a couple inches off the walks this morning, and I suppose I’ll have more to do when I get home.  Man, that’s a good workout.

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