Finally Friday

Wow, what a week!  Sophie is finally feeling better and her crazy energy level is back to normal.  Last Friday, she was so lethargic because of her fever, it scared us.  She found a winter hat somewhere in the house and insisted on wearing it all day.  Even when she's sick, Sophie knows exactly what she wants and won't stop until she gets it!

Thanks to my mom, who flew to Nashville at the very last minute to help take care of Sophie, Jason and I got a bonus date night last Friday.  It was so nice to enjoy a few hours out, alone, without watching the clock and thinking dollar signs as the minutes passed!  We made a stop for a cocktail before dinner, and I had my first caipirinha.  It was delicious and refreshing.  And a great reminder that I have no tolerance!

Mom flew home early Tuesday morning, but she and Jack (my stepdad, aka, D2) are coming back 4th of July week for several days.  She and Sophie were like two peas in a pod and, despite Sophie not feeling well, they enjoyed being together.  The extra treats from Grandma (ice cream, slushes from Sonic, getting to watch Bubble Guppies) probably didn't hurt!  One of the highlights of her visit was teaching Sophie to work on saying "airplane" and waving bye-bye to all the planes that flew overhead. 

Sophie spent a lot of time loving on Sparky this week and chasing both Sparky and Lucy around the yard.  She loves imitating them, even chewing on sticks when they do!  She and Sparky have an especially close bond and it's so sweet to watch them together.  Sparky is such a sensitive soul, he howls if he hears someone cry.  He has always loved Sophie and been protective of her, and as she gets older we love seeing them interact more and more.

Powell for Tennessee had a fundraiser on Wednesday night at the Waller office downtown.  I've attended quite a few events there over the years, but I'm always awed by the view from their 27th floor offices.  The fundraiser was really successful and Sophie was quite the family ambassador.  Early voting starts in just a few weeks, so things are really heating up now.

My only alone time these days comes with my early morning runs around our neighborhood.  I have a few different routes, one alongside the Nashville Zoo, another winding through the streets of Caldwell-Abbay, and third starting in our neighborhood and meandering through parts of Crieve Hall and around Ellington Agricultural Center.  This is my most peaceful run and I often spot deer and other wildlife, despite being in the city.  I was fortunate to see a deer this morning and most mornings see the Metro Police Mounted Patrol horses grazing in a field at Ellington.

We have another busy weekend ahead, with a political event tonight and hopefully a trip to the zoo, maybe the park, and maybe more for Sophie and me tomorrow and a hectic day of campaigning for Jason and his team.  I hope you stay cool and have a great weekend!  Until next week!

Life

I can't believe it has been almost three months since I composed my first blog entry (which I never posted), but it shouldn't be surprising.  A lot has happened since the end of April!  I don't think most of my posts will be this long, but here goes:

We ran the Country Music 1/2 Marathon (both Jason's and my 5th) a couple of days after the last post and, although neither of us set a PR (I'm blaming that on the heat and the crazed pace of life due to the campaign), we had a great race and enjoyed making that memory together.  May was a whirlwind of campaign events, work events, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, and it seems as though we blinked and missed it. 

Life threw us a bit of a curve ball last month in the form of a herniated L5 disc for Jason.  He's in a rigorous routine of physical therapy that combines traditional PT with some holistic approaches.  We're praying for his healing and my sanity!  One of the consequences of the herniated disc is that J is temporarily sidelined from running.  That's a big loss for us as a couple because it has always been our outlet together and as a family.  We both feel confident he'll be on the mend soon, with a lot of hard work, but it has been hard to give up that really enjoyable part of our lives temporarily.  

The Powell for Tennessee campaign is in full-swing.  If you want to check it out, we have a website (www.powellfortennessee.com), FB page, www.facebook.com/powellfortennessee and Twitter handle, @PowellforTN.  We have another fundraiser tomorrow night and the next financial disclosure deadline is July 1.  Jason out-raised his Democratic challenger 16-1 at the last disclosure.  He is totally energized by talking to voters, meeting new people, canvassing, phone banking, and all the other components of a campaign.  I'm proud of him for running an honest campaign.  Jason has no need to lie or spread rumors about his opponents because he is a naturally gifted leader who can win on his own merits.  

Like all change that makes your life bigger and fuller, campaigning can be a real test on a family.  It means that most waking moments when he's not at work, Jason is knocking doors, meeting with people, making phone calls and raising money.  It means he doesn't see as much of Sophie or of me.  It means virtual strangers pulling in and out of my driveway, spending time at my home, and countless phone calls early in the morning and late at night from people who want to know more.  Weekends are consumed from morning til night.  We're working on finding a balance, both as a family and as a couple.  Part of that balance means more frequent date nights, and we're both excited to have a babysitter on Friday night!

Sophie came down with the roseola virus last week, waking up from her nap at her childcare center with a 104+ fever on Wednesday afternoon.  My daughter, who normally never stops moving, was at a virtual standstill for three full days while she battled a high fever.  She spent lots of time in my lap, just snuggling.  My mom flew in from Illinois on Thursday afternoon, thank God, to help us.  I had a work event Thursday night and Jason had a neighborhood forum the same night, followed by a full weekend.  I don't know what we would have done without her and absolutely can't wait until she moves here later this year.  

That's probably more than anyone would want to know about our family for now, but I'll be back, and sooner this time, with more.   Until then, here's a quick pic of Sophie from last week, thanks to my friend Amy Anders.