Life is beginning to develop a rhythm again. I wake up, earlier than Clara, which is a feat in itself for me. We eat some breakfast and are out the door by 7:20. Then I go to work until it's time to pick up Clara at around 4:30. Then we go home to eat some supper and play for awhile until bedtime. Then I do some work and go to bed to do it all over again. Earlier in the week I was worried about being ready for class, but it all turned out ok. In the midst of the normal things, I also have to take care of the lawn and the trash since Brian is still in Iowa. Mowing the lawn with the reel mower is a workout. And, I am still getting settled into our rental house in Lincoln. It was pretty good until I brought back a bunch more stuff from Iowa last Sunday after being in Davenport for the weekend to celebrate Clara's second birthday.

When we arrived in Lincoln on July 1st we first began moving into a duplex. What Brian's parents did not realize was that there was a pit bull living in the other half of the duplex. We discovered this when the pit bull escaped from the backyard and came to meet us. Needless to say, we did not want to worry about how long the dog would remain friendly and Clara's safety. So, the next morning we repacked what we had unloaded for the night and got out of our lease. Then we had to find a new place to live. Some time at the public library using their wireless internet gave us some leads and after looking at a few places we found a little tiny house in north Lincoln that will suit our purposes. The location is a bit out of the way from daycare, but it is working. And, it has wood floors, which we had come to love in Iowa. The kitchen counter space is not particularly desirable, but after living without a kitchen for a few months this will work. My parents helped us move and stayed to help get settled. My mom cleaned most everything she knew I wouldn't have time to do and then some. All of the mini blinds are super clean!! Thanks Mom!

Brian is finishing the house. Painting the exterior of the house and refinishing the wood floors upstairs are the current projects on the horizon. Clara and I are hoping that Brian won't be away for too much longer. The other night Clara was in bed before we had talked with Brian and so she was laying in bed saying, "I need to talk with my Daddy!" We left him a message and that satisfied her.

I'll have to write another post soon about Clara's birthday. Fun times!