See how happy Annalie is in the above photo? She’s excited because she’s about to get her very own balloon animal, at long last.

A couple of years ago, we were at Spaghetti Works, one of our favorite restaurants in Omaha, and there was a balloon lady there. Annalie saw her while we were waiting to be seated, and asked if she would come to our table. We told her that she probably would, and that she could get a balloon animal if she did. Annalie spent that whole meal waiting and waiting for the balloon lady to come around. We finally asked about her, and were told that she had to leave. Annalie was heartbroken. We assured her that the next time we were there, if the balloon lady was back, we’d be sure to ask her to stop at our table. Since then, we’ve been to that same restaurant a half-dozen times but the balloon lady has never been back.

So when the balloon man stopped at our table as we were having lunch with friends in San Diego yesterday and asked if anyone would like a balloon, I watched Annalie’s eyes light up and knew I had to say yes. She chose a zebra, and all the kids watched with fascination as a zebra with a blue mane and stripes was deftly fashioned out of several long, thin balloons and a few strokes of black Sharpie. Annalie declared her balloon zebra was named Coyote, and that she loved him and would keep him forever.

“Remember that he’s made out of balloons, and balloons tend to pop after a while,” I cautioned her. “Enjoy him and have fun playing with him while he lasts, but know that he won’t last forever.”

Annalie looked stricken for a moment and said, “But I don’t want him to pop! I love him, and I’ll take him everywhere and take really good care of him!” I told her that I knew she’d be a good mother to her balloon zebra, but I just wanted her to keep in mind that balloons don’t last, so she wouldn’t be too sad when he was gone.

Before the meal was even over, one of the balloons that made up his hind legs popped. The balloon guy happened to be passing by when it happened, and he quickly repaired the damage with another balloon, cheerfully waving off my attempt to tip him for the repair.

After lunch, we set off towards the park so the kids could run around. We’d been walking maybe five minutes when Annalie tried to hand Coyote to me, saying she was tired of carrying him. I told her that she could carry him a while longer. She shrugged and walked on ahead of me.

Five or ten minutes later, Annalie decided she was really tired of carrying Coyote. She gave him to her friend E, who carried him for a minute before deciding he didn’t really want a balloon zebra. Next Annalie tried giving the zebra to E’s sister M, who politely declined. Bug didn’t want the balloon animal either. Noah wanted him, but with the enthusiasm for life that is typical of two-year-olds, he probably would have popped the balloons within a few minutes, so his mom said no thank you for him. Annalie pressed Coyote on me again, and since I had a shopping bag by that time, I took him and placed him in the bag with my purchases.

Later, on the 90-minute drive from San Diego back to Brenda’s house, Annalie spent a half-hour or so carefully untwisting the balloons until she had a long white snake marked with black stripes and a deflated blue balloon. Then she lost interest and abandoned the whole thing in the backseat of the car, where it slowly deflated overnight.

RIP, Coyote. You were loved briefly but fiercely, and you entertained my daughter well.

I know you guys want to hear about the new house, and see pictures, and all that good stuff. But because of all the moving-day craziness (being locked out, the previous tenants leaving stuff here including their very sweet cat, etc.) I didn’t get to take the photos I’d envisioned taking. [Edited to add: Yes, the previous tenants did come get their stuff and their cat that same day. It all ended about as well as that situation possibly could have.] The photos I got aren’t inspiring me very much. Honestly, you might not get to see many photos till after Brenda has the house whipped into shape in a couple of weeks.

The good news is, you’ll get to see photos in a couple of weeks instead of in six to eight months. Usually when we move our goal is to be completely unpacked by the following Christmas, but next week Brenda (and Bug) are coming to visit and help us unpack! I’m very excited about it, which is a first for me. I hate unpacking. I get overwhelmed trying to think of where I want everything to go, so I do nothing. Well, not nothing. I unpack and organize the kitchen right away, and then I stall on the rest of the house.

Given all that, you can see why it was SO COMPLETELY AWESOME when Brenda house-sat for us a couple of years ago and asked if we minded if she unpacked a few boxes while she was there, and then went and unpacked and organized the entire house for us. I told her that I would fly her to all our future homes if she wanted to help us unpack them all, and she enthusiastically accepted. That is why she gets free birthday cakes for life, people. Well, that and being one of my best friends. You know what I mean.

I’m sorry you won’t be seeing pictures of the house just yet. I’m sure I’ll get some of the “before” photos up on Flickr eventually, so keep an eye on my Flickr stream. Meanwhile, here’s a conversation that took place this morning as we were driving around trying to find a McD’s with a PlayLand:

“I guess there’s an election tomorrow.”

“On a Wednesday? Where did you hear that?”

I pointed at the election signs clustered on the median. “It says ‘Vote March 2nd’ on those signs right there.”

“That’s today. Which makes sense, because it’s Tuesday.”

“Oh. Oh! In that case, happy anniversary!”

Troy laughed. “Uh, happy anniversary to you too!”

Annalie piped up from the backseat. “What anniversary? What are you talking about?” I explained that it was the fourteenth anniversary of the day we got married. “Oh. Uh, Mom?”

“What, sweetie?”

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t get to buy you and Daddy an anniversary present.”

“Aw, thanks, but that’s okay. It’s been kinda crazy with all the moving and stuff, hasn’t it?” Annalie agreed. I winked at Troy and said, “Besides, I’m sure Daddy has a fabulous anniversary surprise for me. I can’t wait to see what it is.”

Without missing a beat, Troy said, “What do you mean? Isn’t the 14th anniversary the McDonald’s anniversary?”

Happy anniversary, Troy! Fourteen years, eight moves, six states, one Canadian province, two years of grad school, three cats, six years of parenthood, and countless remote controls…and you’re still the one who makes me laugh. Thank God for that!

p.s. New banner! What do you think?

A few days ago, I downloaded photos from my mom’s camera, and I found these pictures she took of Annalie and Bug. My mom was trying to take some nice pictures of their last day together before we moved, but they were both being so goofy that the photos are quite hilarious. We’re missing our California friends but I’m so grateful we have all the photos we do of our fun times together.

P.S. Dolly the dolphin made the road trip with us. Annalie begged to be allowed to bring her, and she agreed to not bring a pillow if Dolly came along. I’d say a good half of the time we were in the van, Dolly was on Annalie’s lap. Kids choose to attach to strange things for their lovies sometimes; I guess a four-foot plush dolphin isn’t the oddest thing I’ve heard of a kid dragging around with her.