2 Exhausted
2 Write Newsletter Archive
Eeyore from " ? "
"This writing business. Pencils and whatnot. Overrated, if you ask me."
2001
2001. Well...praise the Lord anyway. Once that's said everything else seems superfluous. I'll superfluous away anyway.
Everything
with the girls is wonderful...praise the Lord. They enjoy Spanish class and
Adventurers once a week. They love First Grade and tested above average in
every category. They aren't the same level of "above" in each category, so
it's a tightrope act to keep it from becoming a psychological sibling issue.
Nikki blows us away with her reading skill; Kilory blows us away with her
artistic skill. I keep telling them nobody should expect them to be identical,
not even themselves... Nikki has been wearing glasses for a year. Now Kilory
wears them, too.
They were needing me less and less at the piano; then we switched to violin in November. We call ourselves the Weis Quartet: Nikki, Kilory, and Mommy -- strings, and Buki dog – vocals (howling). Nobody blames Buki. Wally cat comes out and writhes on the floor...in agony or ecstasy we know not.
Sixth birthday (in a week or two it'll be The Seventh!): For the grownup Sabbath lunch we enjoyed a "Madeline" meal with French bread; French dressing; French-cut green beans; and (orecchiette) pasta and cake which both looked like Madeline's hat(s). The next day kids of all ages frolicked in the foam pit, and jumped on trampolines at Peterson's Gym. We wore our "100 Aker Wood" costumes and whacked at my homemade nearly indestructible Hunny Pot piñata.
I'm still web-authoring for money. Took on an additional client this year and have another prospective. Alan's still at Seminars Unlimited, which moved to its new location across town this year.
We promised ourselves a trip to Paris in May 2001 back in May 1996. One would think I dragged Alan to two ballets there, between April 26-May 14. And to High Tea at the Hotel LeCrillon. And to two fun, frumpy teas at Shakespeare & Co. with tourists, and hopeful and published authors. And a poetry reading. Nope. His idea. He (and we) had a blast.
When we got back I found Dr. Sicher (mom's and my favorite history teacher) was heading a historical tour to Europe in mid-September. Alan was agreeable for me to return so quickly to follow Sicher around with Mom in tow.
On June 8 we had to put our beloved Bubba to sleep. He was almost 13. A good
life for a German Shepherd. He used to hide bagels in the couch cushions.
What I'd give to find another bagel in the couch... Rudi, our 12-year-old
Lab, grieved so hard we thought she might die. So on June 12th – our 13th
anniversary – we ran to the SPCA to get her a friend. Since we couldn't choose
between two orphans, and we weren't sure elderly Rudi would pull out
of her slide, and we believe animals should have companions, and
because we're wimpy idiots, we came home with two dogs. Sylvia Beach weighed
70 pounds, Bruno Finnegan 65 pounds, and they've gained since. If one of them
walks under the dining table without crouching, the table lifts up and stuff
on top slides off. 
Quite
an experience to eat a meal at a table that's moving awayfrom you... It's
like having a rodeo in the dining room and kitchen.
When they readjust themselves during a nap, furniture gets displaced. I'm
not trying to be funny. This is gospel. And, Yes, we had to go BIG
because we didn't want to go MEAN. We want people to be afraid – very afraid
– of coming near our children in the house or yard.
So four dogs, two cats, two 6-year-old kids, one 40-year-old kid, and me, under one roof. Oy vay.
All of us, minus the cats, and plus neighbors Johnny, Lisa, and Kyle, rode in our float in the Fourth of July parade. It was kitschy kitschy cool.
On September 11th, Mom and I had a date to review and streamline our luggage for our September 13th flight. Oh, the humanity. We streamlined our luggage in shock, but the airline situation killed Sicher's European Tour. It's tentatively rescheduled for May 2002.
Texas laser-beam heat and drought didn't touch the record books or my xeriscopic butterfly garden. Blooms and butterflies Spring, Summer, and Fall. Ah! Lantana and Fennel totally rock! Alan's hand-dug well in the back yard hasn't progressed a single inch since last Christmas's newsletter.
We
wore our "100 Aker Wood" costumes in the Christmas Parade of Lights.
Alan and I walked with the girls who rode their light-decorated bikes with
training wheels. The Christmas lights from 2000 are still up at our house,
but Alan only plugged in a quarter of them. I'm sure this caused pandemonium
at the power company...their Christmas bonuses depended on Alan's Christmas
display.
Wally thought the Christmas tree was a seven-foot spike of catnip meant just for him. He was alternately flipped out/drugged out in its presence, and signed his name in Braille on gift tags.
Family news for the newsletter history archives: Suzy and Daniel introduced Isaac David Sheppeard on 3-8; Dorie and Rolando introduced DeAnna Madelyn Cruz on 4-23; Leisl, Gareth, and Diane moved to Florida; Carolyn Kearbey was voted interim AUC Academic Dean; Kim and David introduced Henry David Spells IV on 7-23; Shari and Roger introduced Clara Grace Arctander on 7-28; Ivan and Sonja introduced Trent Darrel Bartolome on 8-13; Amarillo Gramma was hospitalized for seven weeks starting 9-11 for a colon infection; Cousin Everett Morrison died in September; Uncle Melvin Woodland died on 10-5; Helen returned to Texas; Great-great Aunt Louise moved into the nursing home after 362 days with Mom and Dad.
Here's to 2002. May you be victorious with your resolutions,
Chrissie, Alan, Nikki & Kilory Weis@htcomp.net
We hope you enjoy your visit.
