If Only I Could Type Faster

I can't sleep. It's 12:40AM and I can't sleep. I fell asleep telling Four a bedtime story and in making the transfer back to my bed, seemed to have unexpectedly and unwantingly found my second wind. Earlier it would have been fine, but its far too late even for me to begin the skim coat that is proving to be necessary on our now paper-less walls. So, as I lay there in bed, trying to fall asleep all these images and stories came flooding back to me much like the scene in Finding Nemo where Dory has all these past event flash before her, many of them the same images and stories that eluded when I last tried to catch up after my brief return to income-producing labor. So, here are snippets in no particular order, placeholders really, to most likely (hopefully) fleshed out at a later date.

VW Eurovan test 'drive'

[Updated 9-22-2004] So I had this earlier post about our mini-van search. On Friday, I called a local BMW dealer who was advertising a 2000 VW Eurovan for sale. With our busy schedule we couldn't get over the weekend, so we scheduled an appointment for the following Monday at 10:30 AM. We made sure that gave ourselves plenty of time to get over there, drive the vehicle, and get Four off to his first day of pre-school. We get there and Liv is asleep (off schedule due to her middle of the night shananagins the night before). I go in to meet the salesman, who tells me that they've had all kinds of interest in this vehicle lately. Meanwhile, I am remembering that the photo online appeared to have snow on the ground around the vehicle. We haven't had much snow lately in this part of the county. So already, I'm leery of this guy. Once we get out to the van, he opens it and there are lollipop sticks and candy wrappers all over the inside of the vehicle. I don't think they touched since it was traded in, and it definitely doesn't seem that anyone was test driving this vehicle recently. Meanwhile, I am trying to allay my wife's fears about the vehicle. "It should clean up nicely". "Let's just see how it drives." I put the keys in the ignition and turn. Nothing. The salesman tells me to try again. Yeah, that'll work. Even after getting the slowest walking person on the lot to bring out the battery charger out, the vehicle would not run. Mon said "No." when the salesman asked if we could come back that afternoon after they replaced the battery. We put the kids back into the Explorer and left. Why did we make an appointment? Doesn't it seem like a good idea to prep a car when you know someone is coming in to test drive it. I will never buy a car from this dealer.

Kayaking at lake after dinner
To continue SAHD conversation with J.I.
LuLu singing
LuLu wrapping blanket at bedtime
"Situated"

[Updated 9-22-2004] Four was playing with one of his cousins and pretending to have a camp-out. He came out the living room asking us to "help me get the sleeping bags situated." We are constanty impressed with his (and his sister's) ever-growing vocabulary.