2
Exhausted 2 Write Newsletter Archive
"This
writing business. Pencils and whatnot. Overrated, if you ask me." Eeyore from " ? "
The 2 Exhausted 2 Write
Newsletter
September 1998
The goal: A Fourth of July newsletter.
That became a "Friendship Day" letter. Which evolved into an early Labor Day
letter. Which is now a hope-it-gets-there-by-Labor-Day note.
The girls: Nikki and Kilory weigh about thirty pounds each and are quite talkative.
Nikki tells us every day that her "pink grandfodder lives in Mexico." Since
the Texas heat wave has made it too hot to go outside and climb trees, Kilory
climbs door jambs inside. Nikki is "a princess" who likes to wear a cape and
ballet dance; Kilory likes to crow "Ladies and Gennelmen, boys and girls,
watch me, Mommeeeeee!" then jump from one piece of furniture to the next,
bow and say "Ta Da! Thank you, thank you!" I'm glad there are personality
distinctions because they are otherwise hard to tell apart. Nikki has a mole
on her arm which helped us identify her...until we discovered Kilory has an
identical mole in the exact same place on her arm. Potty-trained, they regressed
when their grandparents (coincidentally?) went on vacation. On a tip from
Missy Pollick, they are now potty-trained again ala "larrypop" (lollipop)
bribes. We visit the zoo frequently. They love the doctor, and love to pretend
they are doctors. They were very upset when the last doctor appointment was
for me and not them. I tried to console them by telling them they could help
me be brave. Kilory: "OK, Mommy. I give you all my brave." Having watched
foreign-dubbed versions of their favorite Disney videos, Nikki now babbles
in Spanish. For all I know she's speaking Spanish fluently, but it's babble
to me! I'm thrilled Mom and Dad are paying for them to go to a bi-lingual
children's university once a week. The kids there seem as fluent in Spanish
as in English.
The Child Development Research Director: All creative projects have been dropped
except one...me.
~Too hot to work on Green Gables.
~Too exhausted to work on anything except my webpage, whose recent additions
are in the directory. One can tell I'm a mother
inundated with childhood-media, -joys, - woes, and -conversation because
new pages reflect the girls' obsessions with Baby Bop,
trains, and Veggietales.
~The xeriscopic butterfly garden is for the
most part taking care of itself, but most importantly is a haven for a multitude
of endangered pollinators — especially bumblebees.
For years I have worked side by side in harmony with the bumblebees, but this
year I guess the heat has been too much and they've gotten really cranky.
Maybe they're jealous we get air conditioning when we're finished. Alan's
been stung twice in two incidents, I've been stung twice in one incident,
Nikki's been stung once, and Kilory was zapped, but by what is unknown. Given
a choice I much prefer scorpion stings. In a nutshell...I
don't garden these days.
~All in all, the only thing I'm working on, other than a nervous breakdown,
is me. Two hours at the gym, three times a week, while the girls are at the
gym Kid's Club ("exercise school"). Our tenth wedding anniversary was a bust,
so there wasn't much to do but take stock. I was appalled at how much I'd
gained in ten years, decided I'd had enough, talked Leisl into being my exercise
buddy and headed for the gym. The results are satisfying,
but there's no time for anything else. Alan thinks I'm fine one way or the
other, but I don't.
Alan: Alan spends two Saturday nights a month fellowshipping with my old friends.
His own successful method of potty-training twins is to eat chocolate ice
cream with them if they've kept their pants clean. He takes all three girls
out for "a ‘venture" (dinner) every Friday. He is proud of the lush lawn we've
been able to maintain in the face of heat wave and city watering restrictions
(the well pumps have died twice). He is thrilled with the growth of the two
young trees in front and the two new trees in back replacing the sycamore
sent to its Maker in November 1997 (actually, we left the stump in and healthy
leaves are bursting out all over making it look like a swamp Muppet). We need
a new roof, a new front door, and a new garage door, but he wants to do it
after the 1998 Christmas Lights Extravaganza. I'd like the
blaze to emphasize our home improvements instead of the need thereof,
but...
Pets: I've dubbed Rudi "Nanny Dog." She must be with her girls, will endure
any indignity, and guards their bedroom door at night and nap time.
Family: Mom and Dad took a working vacation to Ogden, Utah, which turned into
a vacation to Glacier National Park, Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper, Yellowstone
and the Tetons. They were gone for a month, but should have stayed longer.
At home Dad developed a mysterious infection in his foot. The swelling was
bad enough to cut off circulation. In the span of a week in the hospital we
went from thinking he'd lose his life, to lose his foot, to watching him go
home. When he blusters about working around the farm on weekends instead of
elevating his foot and resting, I ask him if he wants to be back in the hospital.
That gets the fire out of his nose hairs!
Since the last letter, we added Tyler
Ray Mann (Van Sittert), Alex
Hofer, and Adam Fisher to the family; celebrated Rolando Cruz (Kieling)'s
first birthday; and are awaiting MacKenzie
Pollick. Dear Uncle Melvin is wrestling with medical bothers. Grampa's
the same. We celebrated Aunt Weeze's 91st birthday, Greatpa's 83rd, PawPaw's
60th, and Daddy's 37th.
Sally Van Sittert and Bob Davidson will visit "Agony Acres" for Labor Day.
Other than that, and the satisfaction from having gotten this note out by
then (hopefully), nothing's going on. As usual, Alan doesn't even get The
Day off. Bother.
Anything else?: Not that we've got room, energy or inclination to cover.
Until Alan causes brownouts all over Texas (a.k.a. Christmas),
Chrissie, Alan, Nikki & Kilory
weis@htcomp.net
Kilory
& Nikki at the zoo
Kilory's
Third-Birthday portrait
Nikki's
Third-Birthday portrait
Family
portrait on Kilory (with ball) & Nikki's third birthday 
Get
a load of that Speedo!
Fifth
of July Parade, 1998 
A,
N, C & K, July 24, 1998
We hope you enjoy your visit.
