No monitor

In case you've wondered what happened to me, nothing. It's the computer. All of a sudden it didn't like the monitor anymore. We have another monitor in the garage, but it's been cold outside. Today I actually brought in the Christmas boxes but forgot the monitor. So I'm borrowing Dominic's laptop. I've always been able to borrow it, but I don't think about it until he turns it on.

What you've missed: one Sunday morning we were rushing around like usual, when I noticed the degu cage was open and empty (I'm not a fan of scurrying animals). Dominic! Help!! He came rushing into the kids' room, found and caged the free-roaming rodents.

It's amazing Dominic came rushing in so quickly, because he was knocked out from taking pain meds for torticollis, or wry neck. It happened fairly suddenly and painfully. He wore a neck brace until he could see a doctor and start physical therapy. He is doing so much better now. But the effect is that now the boys put on the neck brace (or anything resembling a neck brace) and say, "I'm Daddy. Look at me! I'm Daddy."

And of course, Thanksgiving. Dominic's brother Devin came down from Idaho, and we all went to Emily and Troy's house. The Abbotts and the Pauls were there, too. The house is large enough that the kids can play while the adults talk, and they don't interfere with eachother. Very nice. The Smalleys and Abbotts helped me a lot when I was a student, so to return the favor we sent Devin back to school with a trunk full of food; I'm glad we could do that for him.

On Saturday we helped our downstairs neighbors move. They were great neighbors - the kids never bothered them, even when jumping off the furniture. They are moving into a house, so I'm happy for them and hope our new neighbors will also tolerate our noise.