Waiting for Emily

 A big sky through a dirty windshield.

Homecoming 2019

Rose got to be in the homecoming parade for the second time (she walked in the parade in elementary, too) and her picture is currently on the homepage masthead of the Washington High School website. How cool is that?

Walking in the parade:

The homecoming bonfire:

And the homecoming game where the Warriors got slaughtered as usual. They're not... great. But it's still fun to go to the games:

Getting ready for the homecoming dance. Too bad her parents weren't going, cuz that would be super awesome:

Rose also went to homecoming at Marion with some of her friends. They went out to get pictures taken first and then dinner:

Yup, that's about it.

Cheerleading

Sue and both sets of grandparents showed up for Rose's first time cheerleading. The Warriors played against Prairie (and lost) and we finally got to see Rose in action. The cheerleading squad practiced about three times a week for the two weeks leading up to their first game:

I think that look means she appreciates all the close-up shots:

It was a fun night and bit hot out. Might as well enjoy it while we can, it's gonna be cold on those bleachers soon...

Old Man Winter

February is a horrible month, I wouldn't recommend it. After a winter of record snowfall and record low temperatures I think we're about done with this. On the plus side we read lots of books and got stuff done around the house. Rose had her orientation at Wash and registered for classes. It's crazy to realize that she's kind of a real person now and is going into high school. She was just a little kid and then all of a sudden she's growing up. In the fall Emily will be going into middle school which is also difficult to comprehend. She's been the baby for so long, but now she is looking so grown up. Dang kids.

Emily decorated a pizza box for Marco's Pizza at school again this year:

I took this picture during a foggy walk downtown before another soul-crushing snowfall:

And the snow never stops...

And the shoveling...

We tried out an escape room with the Von Thuns and had a blast! We didn't completely solve the Underground Casino within the one-hour time slot, but we gathered up the clues, unlocked the vault, solved most of the puzzles and ended up with a respectable score. Not bad for our first escape room experience and I can't wait to do it again.

To stave off cabin fever and restlessness, I launched into a minor home improvement project. As usual, I didn't think to take a "before" picture, but the wooden ledge along the second floor stairs had forty bajillion coats of paint on it and was kinda jankity. It's been bugging me for a while, so I pulled it off and tossed it, then went to Menard's and bought an oak board to finish and install in its place. First of two coats of stain after cutting it out:

Four coats of semigloss polyurethane:

Before installation:

Finished!

Now if it will warm up a little I need to finish installing the new basement windows...