This and that

**Thank you all so much for your messages about my neck!  It’s feeling much better today and will (hopefully) continue to improve as the days go on.  I wouldn’t wish that kind of soreness on anyone, but it’s always nice to have friends and family who cater to your pitiful need for sympathy : )**

Frances’s Kindergarten class had a Valentine’s party two weeks ago:

Parents and siblings were invited to attend.  George and I aren’t one to turn down an afternoon of Oreo cookies.

Frances’s teacher, Mrs. Linkous.  

She adores her, I adore her.  If only she could be her teacher forever (or at least through elementary school).  Sometimes I think those one-room schoolhouses were on to something.

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A day in the life of Marshall

1.  A nap in the sunshine, if available

2.  Dinner

And that’s about it.

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Frances and George pretending to run so I could take their picture.

I think they should keep their day jobs.

And an actual action shot for good measure.

Frances was racing; George was the finish line.  I’m sure you can envision how this scene ended.

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The extent of any privacy I get during the day.

A closed door with two sets of hands immediately on the other side.  And I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

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For the umpteenth time this year, George and I braved Maymont.

It was cold, but sunny and we were the only souls around who weren’t park employees.  The animals came out just for us, calm and almost human-like.  I like to think they missed seeing park guests for the better part of winter.

For some reason, the fox always reminds me of Marshall.  It must be his penchant for a sunny spot to nap.

George and the fox

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My kitchen sink desperately needed a good scrubbing, so I spent an hour or so one morning with the Clorox bottle and a (now) very white washcloth.

Wala!

By the way, these are the posts that my mother reads with a sigh and thinks, “So this is what seven years of higher education gets you.”

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Frances with her very first French braid.

It was a messy undertaking with her too short hair and my inability to braid on anyone other than myself.  But she loved it and wore it for the rest of the day.

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And what better way to end a post than with a gorgeous sunset.

I took this picture a week or so ago when we were leaving Frances’s dance studio for the evening.  Each year, around mid-February, you realize the day is suddenly a minute or so longer and every day after that the sun sets a little later.  It won’t be long now until it’s still light outside when Will arrives home.

Maybe.

Happy Friday, everyone!  And happy first day of March - yipee!