The problem with cars

Is that I know basically nothing about them. I guess I could learn a thing or two, and the problem would be solved, but it seems like the same basic thing happens to me all the time. Take today, for example.

So I went out to start the car this morning, and it worked like a champ. Or maybe it ran like a champ? I don't know car euphemisms. Either way, it started like I would expect it to. Grabbed some gas as I did my errands. Then I go to start it again, and it acts like it is out of gas. Now, I am an expert at deciding what I think could be wrong. The problem being that I have no real knowledge, so I am really just guessing at things that to a mechanic probably could never happen or really be wrong with the car. But I digress. SO. The painted car (as we lovingly refer to it) had to have the fuel pump replaced last summer, which Zach did himself. And in doing so, the fuel gage no longer really works. It's a quarter of a tank off. Which we recently discovered. Anyways. I have a theory (yep, one of those) that when the car is parked on a decline, it acts like it is out of gas because the fuel moves to the front of the tank. And the gage reflects that (see, I use evidence to back these babies up). It also goes the other way, meaning when I accelerate, motion moves the fuel to the back of the tank and it shows it being fuller than when it is on an even plane and not moving. Anyways, all that to say that I was parked on a slight decline this morning, and because of it ( I think ) the car wouldn't start. For me.

So I called Zach to come rescue me, and didn't continue to try starting it, as I didn't want to run down the battery. And after 25 minutes of waiting for him, when he got there, the car started right up.

Of course it did. This is how cars work for me. Or don't work, depending on how you look at it.

Anyways, nap time is over and Bishop is pointedly ignoring me while staying in my eye-line in order to keep track of how often I am watching him. And when I look, he whines. You know, your basic attention getter. Sometimes I think he has to stop hanging out with Jemme, as her dramatics are rubbing off on him.

Nothing much of importance

It is always interesting to see people who where a part of your life before and who, for whatever reason, are no longer a part of it. There tends to be an awkwardness, I think, because you once knew each other well, and don't anymore, and there is that gap there of time that you missed. I know that I am a much different person now then I was before, even so recent as 3 years ago. So it makes for a strange situation when you run into someone that remembers how you used to be, and treats you accordingly.

I don't know if you have ever experienced this. It seems to happen to me fairly often. I seem to be a much softer, graceful person than I was in my past, and even now I am not the most gracious person I know. And for anyone who knows me well, it might be hard to imagine, as I continue to be fairly cynical. It just comes out differently now than in the past. I imagine that being married and 'settled' whatever that means, has influenced the change to a part. I know my husband himself has influenced who I am. Makes you want to tell people to be careful who they marry, as they end up being a lot like that person. In my case, that is (in my own opinion) for the better. My husband is a man full of integrity, honesty, and a love for God that is inspiring, even after all the years of our marriage. We got a magnet from someone once that says "Love is seeing through someone and still enjoying the view"

And it's SO true. You learn things daily about each other. I know that I still enjoy the view through my husband, and am still inspired to be a better person because of him. I think there is a difference between inspiration and being forced into things. We went to a couple's breakfast recently where the speaker talked about how we need to be willing to change for our spouses. And I thought that was so powerful because I often hear of people leaving each other or divorcing for reasons that to me, seem pretty lame. The speaker said that everyone has 'irreconcilable differences' which is a reason often stated in divorce papers for the divorce. And it's true! We all have them in our relationships with others. It's what we do with them that changes how it effects our relationship.

Not that I believe that my marriage gives me a leg to stand on when it comes to judging good relationships. I am happy and content in mine with my husband. That is the only thing that I can judge, since I am not in the relationship with others. I think it's sad when we look at things from the outside and make a snap judgement like we might know better why the couple or who ever it is might be having problems.

And I am an expert at snap judgement. Believe me. It's something I know about myself and something that I have learned to stifle, in as much as not voicing what I think like I once would have. Like wine, we get better with age. Or maybe not even that so much as we learn to deal with people better as we get older and have more experience in life.

I have nothing sarcastic or pithy to say at this point so I am going to go out with the point that it is sunny, I am excited for spring and things to come. The end.

February 12

Another day, another diaper. Or something like that. Today Bishop and I watched his best friend Robert, and Robert's little brother Sam for their mommy. Altogether it has been a day of diapers for me. Though Bishop is not potty trained, there are many things that I have already forgotten about him being smaller, the main one being the number of diapers a little baby goes through in comparison to an older baby. Also, and especially for a mobile baby who isn't old enough yet to understand things, the amount of chasing involved.

This weekend is Valentine's Day, which as a married person, has less meaning to me personally than I believe it does for the single people out there. A mom in my mother's group yesterday commented that if Valentine's Day is the only day of the year that my husband showed me some love, he would be in big trouble. And that is the truth of it for me. Another complication that arises is that Zach's birthday is the 15th, and there is always the which one do we really celebrate question. Usually it is his birthday instead of Valentine's Day. Which, to be honest, is perfectly fine with me. I would rather celebrate the day of his birth than that of a saint who has little to do with my life.

Either way, it is a busy weekend for us. We have Couple's Breakfast at the church tomorrow, then we are headed out to my in-laws for combined birthday party. Zach's brother Jason and his dad Tim all share a birthday week, ahem, so to speak, and we always celebrate them together with the Ivey family. Should be a full day. Then church on Sunday as usual (even though it's Valentine's Day) which is an all day affair.

On a side note, Bishop is in love with Anastasia. The Disney movie, of course...not anyone we know named Anastasia...

I think it's the music.

Zach will be off in just under an hour, my house looks like a toy tornado hit it (or two 2-year olds) and we have birthday shopping tonight.