Saturday: Our Son and I Had the House to Ourselves

It's been quite a couple of days. My wife and #3 daughter spend much of Friday and most of today at my dad's place, visiting my dad and clearing the house for renters. One of my brothers-in-law and his wife took them up, picking up a moving van in Fargo-Moorhead, I understand. That left our son and me at the house with ourselves.

Friday was the last day of school for our son. He was none too happy to see the school year end. Particularly since his friends who were in sixth grade won't be in the combined-grade class he was in next year. On a happier note, he returned with stuff he'd cleared out of his desk, and some treats.

One of those was a can of instant string. He showed me how it works, spraying it over part of the family room. He offered to spray me, but I declined. Another treat was a bottle of 'stocky bubbles' - act like ordinary soap bubbles, except that when they touch a surface, they don't pop: they stick. Since he blew them in the living room, they stuck to the living room floor.

He agreed to wipe down that part of the floor: which is now quite clean.

He also mowed the yard Friday. Part of the yard, that is. He also got bored, doing a straight back-and-forth pattern, so part of the back yard had long grass with curvy paths through it.


I had a talk with a representative of one of the companies that are doing the Ash Street Project. He was touching base again, about what needs to be done in the front yard. My wife has been handling that, so I answered general questions, and made a note for my wife to contact him on Monday.

There are pink Xs on the three big trees in front, by the street. They'll be gone after next week. Can't say I'm happy about that, but I knew they would be cut down, when the city used them as an example of trees that would have to go.

Our son cut over most of the creative mowing today, and helped me set up for my wife and all coming home. More accurately, making room for the stuff they brought with them.


My wife and #3 daughter got home around 8:30 or 9:00, with my brother-in-law in his wife. And a van full of stuff, plus what they'd strapped onto a trailer or onto their truck. Following my wife's instructions, our son had fries and hot dogs ready for them. They'd done a lot of work already that day, and did more when they got here.

I tried helping them, but decided they'd get the job done with less trouble if I stayed more toward the sidelines. I settled down at the computer in the north room. Later, when it was time for me to read Garfield with him, he shifted some material around, so he could get to me - and so I could get out.

This weekend's work has cleared my dad's place, except, I understand, for two beds for us to sleep in when we go up there. That was pretty good work: and now we're ready for those renters, whenever they're ready to move in.

It's good to have more of the family under the roof.