6.2 Miles Later

Just a 10K through California Adventure and Disneyland.  Except that it was kinda warm.  And the water at the water stations was very warm.  And the water in thee\ fountains that we passed in the parks was warm also.  And since my training has been more walking than jogging, my time was not so great.  But the good news is that I finished and got my medal! And the bottle of water the volunteers passed out at the finish was nice and cold!!

Of course the best part of any race is if you get to return to your room, take a nice shower, have something yummy to eat, and then burrow into your bed and take a nice long nap. Which I did.  As did Molly, who participated in the 10K with me, finished before me, and then waited for me to finish after.

Tomorrow will be a busy day as we get ready to head to Vancouver to spend the night and then on Monday, board (wait for it .  .  .  ) a Disney cruise to Alaska!!! 

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Today was a great day because:  I finished the 10K; Molly waited for me at the finish; Molly and I did the laundry, watched two ABC tv show pilots, mailed a box home; procured lunch and dinner, and took naps; Charity had fun and made new friends; I face timed with Maribeth and Everley

A Little Disneyland ... In Case You've Never Been Here and Only Know Disney World

When you flip a switch, the bed lights up and plays "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes."  Clearly, not everyone is as enamored about it as I am ...

The mini-monorail.  That you can't stand up in.  That has a center bench in the middle of the cars.  That has open windows.  That goes around and in Disneyland and stops in Tomorrowland.

As for other facts, we can see the Disneyland fireworks from our window (there is no balcony to step out on).  Downtown Disney is a quick walk down the sidewalk.  The bathroom faucets are shaped as Mickey heads.  Sleeping Beauty's castle is tiny.  There is no finger-stamp thingy at the entrance, but they do scan your ticket and then take your picture.

Officially, it's "The Happiest Place On Earth."  It's pretty cool to go back to the original!

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Today was a great day because:  I spent time with Charity and Molly at California Adventure and Disneyland; the crazy crowded expo and talking to the people in the pickup line and the pay line; lunch and dinner at DD; lady "helping" me pick out a wallet; face-time with Everley and Lindley

I Made It!!!

Yep, got packed.  Yep, got a few hours sleep.  Yep, got to the airport with Charity in plenty of time (a Davidson quality), although I managed to drip my breakfast sandwich all over my shirt (and then went to the bathroom in an attempt to prevent the grease from completely ruining my shirt, only to emerge with big water blotches all over my shirt).  Anyhow, the point is that I made it to California.

Charity made a few good pictures and I had a few cat naps on the plane (which was smooth and fairly quick).  Although we waited forever for the Disneyland bus, I had some time to chat with Steve, who was waiting for his plane ride back to Nashville.  Charity and I got to the hotel and checked in, only to find out that our room wasn't ready.  However, after wagging our four suitcases to the nearest restaurant and wolfing down some burgers (a casualty of traveling from Nashville to Anaheim during Nashville time zone lunch), we got the call that our room was ready!

From there, we unloaded our stuff in our room, I changed Charity's ticket from a 2-day to a 3-day and then pointed her in the direction of Disneyland and California Adventure, I went back to the room and passed out (during which apparently Charity returned to the room to retrieve her purse unbeknownst to me), Molly finally arrived and I ate with her, Charity returned to the room, and we passed out for the night.

A most excellent day!!

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Today was a great day because:  The plane ride to LA was smooth and quick; Seeing Steve at LAX and his bringing me a new camera; nice cast member at hotel check-in; great room location; Molly's arrival; Charity's fun times

Nope, Not Panicking (Or Packing) - Yet

Yes, my flight leaves at 9:15 in the morning.  No, I haven't packed.  Yes, I have gotten a lot done today.  No, none of it involved making a packing list.  Yes, I will be gone for about 10 days and will experience a variance in temperatures.  No, I really haven't thought about how that may affect my packing. 

"So what have you been/are you doing," you might ask.  I shall not tell you, lest you have a frustration fit, shaking your fist and questioning my sanity (I question it all the time).  Instead I shall inform you that I have a plan.  The plan is to be ready when Charity arrives at my house at 7am tomorrow morning.  The less sleep I get the better, so that perhaps I will sleep on the plane.

Anyhow, I have to go now and think about what warm clothes I might take.  At least I've started the process - I have an open suitcase on the bed, just waiting for Maggie the Cat to notice it and climb in.  Maybe she will pack for me ...

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Today was a great day because:  I got many errands and tasks complete (however, packing was not on that list); I got to spend time with Everley at her house; Sam and Lynnette's bathroom got finished; dudes helping me with my Goo Goo purchase

Definition, Please ...

Today my new dining table was delivered.   My nephew agreed to take possession of my former dining table, the Lewis family dining room table  that I was never allowed to touch while growing up.  With a big blank spot where a dining table should go, I finally had the opportunity to pick out a table I wanted.  I wanted a great big oval table so that everyone could grab a chair and eat at the table.  I finally found one and got ten chairs to go with it.

Anyhow, I told Sam, Lynnette, and Maribeth to bring their respective daughters (Mathieu, Steve, and Molly were out of town) for dinner and we would break in the table.  This is where I failed by not defining what "breaking in the table" meant. 

All those invited arrived and the chicken casserole I made was put out for everyone to help themselves.  I was feeding Everley who was in her high chair in the dining room.  After a few minutes, I noticed no one was in the kitchen anymore.  However, no one was in the dining room, either.  I got up to find everyone and found them in the den, our usual place of eating during our dining table drought.

I corrected my error and taught them what "breaking in the table" meant.  They all came to the table and we finished our meal there.  The new dining table is hereby broken in.  Now I'm wondering what else I have failed to teach my kids?

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Today was a great day because:  my new dining table was delivered and the delivery dudes were really nice for that delivery and the subsequent one to Maribeth's house; I got to spend time with Everley and Lindley; I got a few errands and tasks completed

Ruh-Roh!!!

If I'm sitting around doing nothing, it must mean that I'm getting ready to go out of town.  And I have about a million things to do.  And the house is a wreck.  And I need to pack.  All of which are true.

On Thursday, Charity (family friend) and I are headed to Disneyland for the weekend (Molly is flying in from New Orleans where she is at a work conference).  After some weekend activities, we are headed to Vancouver on Sunday for the night where we will board a ship for a week headed to and from Alaska (I would tell you which cruise line, but that's too easy).  So I need to pack for a wide range of weather.  Hopefully in a carry-on suitcase.

I also need to do a lot of stuff around the house, like clean it and purchase toilet paper.  Guess I'll go watch a rerun of "Friends" ...

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Today was great because:  I made two airport runs for Steve and Molly who had safe flights to their respective destinations (LA and NO); I found a pantry cabinet for Maribeth and they will deliver it with my dining table tomorrow; I spent time with Maribeth and Everley (which included bath time and bed time with one of them); I made our hotel ressies for the 3-Day walk; Sam came over with stickers for a project

One Day Later

Your birthday should be happy and fun and free of stress.  You shouldn't have to worry about your age or your looks or your anything.  You should just celebrate being alive and being you.  However, eventually the sun sets and the the sun rises and there you are - firmly entrenched into your new age.

Today I have been thinking and wondering if I should be making some goals and plans for my 56th year.  Then I laugh at myself because I know that it's not "the making" of the goals and plans - it's the following through and working on those goals and plans.  In other words, I would probably make the same goals that I've every year since forever.  The question is whether or not this is the year that I actually accomplish anything.

Sometimes when you hit a "six" year, you might think about that slide into the next decade of life.  Suddenly that decade seems so old compared to your current decade.  And in the heart, you really know how quickly those years are going to fly by when suddenly you're 30 or 40 or 50, or - yes - 60.  You cannot believe that you are that close to being that age, and if you're me, you cannot believe that you still have not accomplished those simple goals and resolutions that you renew every birthday.  And New Year's Day.  And the first of the month.  And every Monday.

And so you (and I'm talking about me, I just like to pretend that you and share might share this characteristic) declare that once again, this WILL be the year that change is made.  And secretly, in your heart, you really believe it. 

So the question is, on this first day of my newly birthed 56th year, will this be THE YEAR? 

I just think it might be!!

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Today was great because:  KB, Molly, Sharon, and I managed to get in a few training miles before we caved in and quit; I got my scraggly toenails fixed up pretty again; CPK with most of the family for lunch; Lindley and Everley time; going to Sonic for a Charity chat

And So It Begins. Again.

Today I turned 56.  As my other five-sixers discussed this morning, we are astounded as to how we got to this age.  We certainly never thought about being this age (notice I did not say "this old").  For me, I always thought there would come an age where I "had it all together."  I'm still waiting for that age to arrive ...

Anyhow, today has been a lovely day.  The new "Fitty-What and Their Caretaker" did a 5K out at Gaylord Opryland Hotel.  It was in conjunction with a women's cancer survivor conference, and was a great way to remember my blessings on this day.  It was sunny and warm, but we managed to make it through (ignoring the fact than in less than two months, three miles will seem like a stroll compared to the 20 we will be doing each day for three days).

The rest of the day was spent with family and friends - another reminder of how blessed I am.  And of course, updating the look of this blog took some time (have to make changes for a new year).

Anyhow, just wanted to say thanks for stopping by and taking a read whenever you do.  You are among the blessings I celebrate and are thankful for on this day.

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Today was great because:  I did a 5K with my buds; I spent time with Lindley and Everley and the rest of the fam; I got some tasks completed; Steve picked up Cheesecake Factory for dinner; I chatted with Marilyn via phone and John and Anne via text

The Double Nickels And Their Caretaker

These are group photos from last year's 3-Day walk.  For the entire 60 miles, Sharon, KB, Molly, and I walked together - and limped together.  We picked up those who fell (that would be two of us), waited while blisters were "attended to", and generally kept each other going.  Because each of us "older" ones were born in 1957 and therefore were 55, we dubbed ourselves the "Double Nickels."  We gave Molly the honorary designation as our caretaker, since we needed one, especially the last day when we were struggling to keep going (and to keep Sharon from wandering out into traffic).  Anyhow, today is the last day of our Dub Nicks.  Tomorrow we will officially transfer to the "Fitty-What" gang - and Molly will still be our caretaker.  But I just couldn't resist posting these pictures - what a great group I am blessed to be a part of!!

 

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Lindley videos from school; safe travel home for Steve and Mathieu; Sharon's birthday breakfast with KB, Molly, and Bruce; picking up Everley from school and more Everley time; Las Palmas lunch and cruise planning with Mollyyj

It's Thursday ...

My back is slowly getting back to normal movement.  I actually cleaned a room.  I picked up two toddlers from two different preschools.  I did some other stuff.

So if I don't have a super-inspiring, awesome blogpost for tonight, it's okay (and you shouldn't be surprised).  Some days it's enough and important to celebrate the victories, no matter how small.

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The Good Stuff From Today:  finishing projects; picking up Everley and Lindley at school; Maribeth picking up Sonic for dinner; seeing the new bed/tile work at Sam and Lynnette's; getting one room clean (it's a process people)

Tonight's Post Has Been Prevented By ...

Maggie the Cat, who was not content just sit in front of the computer, but had to hog the keyboard, which causes problems when one is attempting to type.

Oh well, at least I had an excuse tonight ...

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The Good Stuff From Today: breakfast at the Pantry with KB; getting a few errands completed; beef tips dinner with some of the family; Lindley and Everley time

Newlyweds

Thirty-six years ago I got hitched to the boy I had met the summer before.  We met at the college swimming pool, it took him a week to ask me out on a date, and the rest is history.

As I look at these two young people, I thought about what I would tell them, knowing what was ahead of them.  And the longer I thought about it, I realized that I would tell them nothing.  Mainly because the young me wouldn't have listened to or paid attention to anything the old me said.  Because the young me knew it all and knew exactly how to handle every situation.  But I also wouldn't try to tell me anything because part of living any life is dealing with what that life unveils to you.  You have to learn from every situation, decide what you want your life to be, and just do the best with what you have.  And when life takes those turns that aren't what you planned, you have to figure out how to make your life become again what you hope it to be - on your new life plan.

So I would just wish the youngsters in the picture all the best wishes I could muster.  Because looking at it 36 years later, I would say they turned out just fine.

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The Good Stuff From Today:  improved movement with back issues; Everley time; Micaela bringing me a diet coke; watching "Orange is The New Black"; deliveries and purchases; Sam visit

Happy Monday ...

Today started with my getting up around 5ish - not on purpose.  If KB and I had planned to walk, I would hardly be able to pull myself off the pillow, but a day to sleep in?  Up and at-em at 5.  Yes, I could have wogged, but I didn't - deal with it.  I knew I had a lot to do today, so I fixed myself some breakfast and got started.  I probably should have stayed in bed a little longer.

I went upstairs for the obligatory clean-up-after-company/get-ready-for-any-future-company.  Since we had a full house upstairs for the past week, I knew I was going to strip all the beds.  While I was up in the AK bedroom, I decided to amend some bedside tables that were not functional.  So, I stripped all the sheets off the full bed, the toddler bed, and the porta-crib (we are a full-service company pleaser) and decided to saw off the offending part of the table.  I have an electric saw - maybe it's a jigsaw - that I use to saw everything, so I was ready.  However, as I started to flip the table to saw it, my back decided to throw itself out/slip a disc/pull a muscle/pitch a fit.   Or to put it more succinctly, some invisible person decided to stab a butcher knife in my lower back.  Did that stop me from my intended task?  Of course not.  Using a comical combo of moves, I managed to measure (a first), saw, unscrew and rescrew the wheels on the bottom, and flip the table back over.  And then do the same to the other table.  I also managed to pick up the ton of sheets and toss them down the stairs.

After a round of Tylenol, I decided to take a shower, only after playing "How Greasy Is My Hair" and "How Hairy Are My Legs."  Definitely a shampoo and razor day.  I managed to get through the shower and shave without any fanfare, however when I got out and was preparing to prepare my underarms for human interaction, the deodorant part (I use a stick) fell out of the container.  Granted, there was only a little bit left, but I am the type that uses it to the very last part.  It fell on the floor, and since I haven't swept in there since 1992, we'll just say that it picked up a few microscopic (or not so microscopic) particles.  But (get prepared) do you know what I did?  I threw it away.  I know - I was a little shocked, too.  But at that moment, with the knife still firmly wedged in my lower back, I knew that (a) I could afford a new stick of deodorizer, and (b) I actually had a new stick in the vanity.  Just call me reckless.

Anyhow, freshly showered, shampooed, shaved, and deodorized, it was time for my next adventure - giving blood at the Red Cross.  After the start to my morning, I was a little wary.  But I decided to forge ahead. Or maybe not.  Basically, the knife in my back continued to twist and turn with every move I made, so I spent the rest of the day (and into the night) either on the couch, or attempting to move from a supine position to an upright one, or attempting to move from one room or the other, or reclining in my bed. 

Here's hoping for a better Tuesday ...

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The Good Stuff From Today:  clean hair and smooth legs; Maribeth bringing me drinks and setting up Netflix to watch on my computer; Steve bringing dinner and finishing the laundry; Everley time; text from John and Anne on their cruise; cabin assigned for upcoming Alaska cruise

This Was Dinner ...

Or maybe it was dessert.  Or maybe it was therapy.  Whatever ...

For sure, it wasn't on the "good healthy food wagon."

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The Good Stuff From Today:  dudes at Firestone; Everley time; safe travel for MB and Steve; Molly running shopping errand; Brigitte at Residence Inn Montgomery; phone chat with Marilyn, Lucy, and Tilly

My Bed Buddy For Tonight

Uh Oh - where did that paci go???

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The Good Stuff From Today:  8ish miles with Molly and KB, followed by breakfast at Puffy Muffin; Target and Sonic to see Charity with Molly; Everley time and ladies meeting at Molly's; watching a DVD (that's two in two days!)

Me and Elvis

When I was a little girl, my family was visiting in Memphis.  I'm not sure why, except maybe to take my grandmother to the airport.  Anyhow, my father knew where Elvis lived and he drove us to his house.  To hear my father tell it, he talked to the guard/caretaker who said that Elvis wasn't in town, and so the guard/caretaker let us drive up to Elvis's house.  I wouldn't believe it myself, except that we have video of us in front of Elvis's house - which I would post if I could figure out how to cut that little part from the 8-bazillion-hour dvd we have of all those home movies.

Fast forward about a zillion years, and I was working in an office after I had graduated from college.  I had graduated in May, Steve had asked me to marry him, and we were getting married in August (yes, about 10 weeks later which put my very Southern mama into tailspin, figuring out how to throw a Southern wedding in 10 weeks).  Anyhow, I was working as a data processor (if you're not old enough to remember or know about putting data on long cardboard cards and feeding them into a computer, then you're too young to sit and have me explain) when one of the ladies in the office came out and told us that Elvis had died.  The next several hours were spent with the very tearful ladies in the office figuring out if they could get a carload together to go to Graceland in Memphis to mourn The King.  Seriously.  Of course I couldn't go because I had a wedding (mine) to attend four days later.

So, you can imagine my surprise when another zillion years later, after finishing a half-marathon in Virginia Beach, that I spotted Elvis and of course had my picture made with him.   Guess it really WAS a rumor of his demise!!  At least I can show you this picture ...

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Everley time; sitting with a sleeping baby; Steve and Mathieu's safe travel to/from Mississippi

Tilly's Here!!!

Apparently Tilly heard about her books so she decided to get out of her cocoon this morning.  She weighs 7 pounds 11 ounces and is perfect with a head full of dark hair just like her mom had when she was a baby.  Congratulations to Lucy and Jonathan on a most excellent baby daughter!! And now to plan her first visit to Disney World with Mae Mae and La La ...

The Real Mae Mae and Tilly

The fictional Nurse Mae Mae and Tilly

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The Good Stuff From Today:  playing with Dominic and Gabriel; brief Everley visit; beautiful day except for the mosquitoes who decided to come inside my house thereby prompting me to close the windows; Tilly's safe arrival in Virginia

What I Do In My Spare Time ..

Mainly because all the "stuff" that I said I had too much of and too much to do - well, I don't want to do any of that stuff, so I do other stuff instead.  Like write special little books for special little people.

My newest endeavors are for my new great-niece who will be born soon.  I started this series of "Nurse Mae Mae" books for my other great-nieces when I found toys that resembled my sister's car - a convertible (in other words, the toy cars had no tops).  For my great-niece Morgan, I found a Duplo car with a nurse (my sister's a hospice nurse) and since they call her Mae Mae, she became Nurse Mae Mae.  Her car was named Mabel by a friend of Marilyn's, Mabel being short for "Marilyn Mobile."

So anyway, I wrote little ditties for Morgan and her sister Madison, so now it's Tilly's turn.  Just as soon as I get pictures to put on the back of the books, I will send them off to her so she can start reading about the adventures of Nurse Mae Mae - at least the ones suitable for young eyes and ears!!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  almost finishing Tilly's books; beautiful day; walk around the 'hood with KB

Stuff

Got too much of it.
Got too much of it to do.
Will probably end up stuffing my face.

In other words, stuff sucks ...

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The Good Stuff From Today:  new dining table ordered; dude at Oak Factory Outlet; Everley time; sleeping in until 6:30

Pictures

Upon my return from my weekend, these were waiting in my mail slot from Disney Photo Pass:

Twirling.  With the best princess ever ...

I would like to say that she saw me and came running... but it was Princess Tiana!

The Mouse - need I say more?

and you wonder why I go to Disney again and again?!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Cheline and children as our houseguests; Everley time; fresh 'mater sammiches with Eddie's 'maters

Highlights of the Road Trip Back Home

• Realizing (but not really appreciating) how many country music stations there are between Nashville, TN, and Hildebran, NC
• Realizing (and truly appreciating) the random oldies radio station that I could eventually find
• Listening to several tibits of Sunday sermons
• Thankful that the ride home always seems quicker than the ride to somewhere
• Thankful that I still had 15 miles of gas left in the tank when I finally found a gas station
• Driving through a tunnel in the mountain
• Winding (and winding and winding) through the beautiful hills/mountains of NC
• Seeing sign for Appalachian Trail passage
• Take significantly less stuff back to Nashville than I took to Hildebran
• Enjoying a bag of cheese pretzel Combos, a long-forgotten treat from the old days
• Phone chat with KB
• Reaching the Tennessee line and reading every mileage sign that listed the miles to Nashville on it
• Arriving safely back at my house!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  safe travel back home; moving furniture with Sam; Lindley and Everley time; Steve picking up Applebees for dinner; phone chat with KB on the drive home

Saturday At The Festival ...

Putting out our stuff ...

A customer, maybe?

Or maybe not ...

Our biggest moneymaker - "Feed the Pig, Choose a Prize!"

The Cross Guy has gone green - or solar.

We found our peeps - our Udderly Pink Peep, that is!!

The winner of our "Bucket of Pink Stuff" raffle!

All in all, it was a great day.  Sunny and warm long enough to unload some merch, then enough of a threat of rain so we could pack up our few remaining items and head for the house.  We made a total of $405 for our 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk, which was HUGE!!  Special thanks to Kat for all her beautiful homemade goodies, KB and Molly for the cookie baking and decorating, Eddie for loading up the tables and chairs and everything else we needed and for his salesmanship, and to Marilyn for coming up with the idea!!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Beautiful day for the festival; threat of rain just in time to pack up everything, take down the tent, and justify leaving the festival; afternoon nap from the festival; dinner with Marilyn and Eddie at Tex's Fish House

One Way to Wake Up On A Road Trip ...

First, you wake up out of your road trip daze, quickly realizing that the truck is indeed, not headed toward you.  Then, as you pass by, you certify that it is indeed, being towed by another truck.

Back to playing the A-B-C game ...

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The Good Stuff From Today:  safe trip to North Carolina; seeing Marilyn, Eddie, Mikey, and their new home; Eddie picking up BBQ for dinner

A Domestic Thursday

First I did this, mainly because we're having guests next week.  And mainly I did it to the upstairs because that's where they'll be staying.  And the sheets haven't been changed since ....  And I wanted to make sure that either of the cats hadn't left any "surprises" up in the corners ...

Then, KB and I met at Molly's last night to make cookies for the fair at Marilyn's where we hope to raise money for our 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk.  While they may not have been the prettiest cookies in the history of cookies, we're hoping that people will contribute to the cause.  We will be manning a booth at a community festival in Valdese, NC, where Marilyn lives. 

More on that later ...

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The Good Stuff From Today:  rainy day to get stuff done inside; Everley and Lindley time; pizza with most of the fam; cookie-making with Molly and KB

Reality TV

So I watched too much of it tonight.

Between the chewing tabaccy, the sleazeball realtors, the momagers, and all their entourages, I don't even know what reality is.

And I thought my life was weird ...

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The Good Stuff From Today:  working out at the park with KB and talking to the dog man; Everley time; MB's shopping finds; picking up Molly from the airport

Shopping With Baby E

No problem if you:

1. Let her fasten the seat belt herself

2. Let her stand up in the seat part and scream "LaLa!!"

3. Let her hold her hand out and touch all the racks of clothes

4. Let her put the toy in the basket and then tell you "no" when you ask if she wants it

Of course, later when her mom came to pick Everley up,

I was told that I had dressed her in her pajamas ...

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Everley time; Cracker Barrel lunch with Maribeth, Everley, and Mathieu; 4 miles with KB; hotel booked for future DL trip

A Poop Perspective

Tonight I was over at Everley's house and we jointly decided that I would give her a bath.  She loves the water and thinks nothing of filling up her little pitcher and pouring it over her head.  I filled up the bathtub, she got in, she played with the water and her bath toys, I washed her hair and her squiggly body, and then she continued to play and splash about.  And then decided to squat, pass a few toots, and then proceeded to produce more substantial toots - that would be a full-fledged poop.  In the bathtub.

The reason I bring this up is that my reaction could go either way.  Certainly, upon first recognition of the activity, I was a bit horrified, as was Everley's mom who had stopped by the bathroom for a visit (she was busy about the house while we were enjoying bath time).  She immediately scooped Everley up (or perhaps rescued would be a more accurate word) and whisked her away to be dried off and pajama-ed.  Which left me with a tub full of water and bubbles ... and one sunken treasure.

In short, I scooped and disposed and then waited for the water and bubbles to drain so I could finish the necessary cleaning/disinfecting.  And while one might be repulsed by this sequence of events, I have chosen to list for you 10 reasons why this was not a disaster.  They are (in no particular order);

1.   It was not diarrhea and was scoop-able - need I say more?
2.   Somebody got a clean bathtub - and not only clean but disinfected and Cloroxed.
3.   I didn't get a clean bathtub, but it also wasn't in my bathtub!
4.   Everley was not traumatized - in fact, I think she was amused and proud.
5.   Everything was contained in a small area - not like on the floor from the kitchen to the bedroom.
6.   Availability of Clorox Scrubbing Bubbles in reach of the contaminated area - and a full bottle to boot (that is no longer the case).
7.   Everley did not choose to use her produced product as a medium in which to finger paint.
8.   The very close proximity of Everley's toilet to her bathtub.
9.   Enough toilet paper left on the roll to begin and finish the initial clean-up procedure.
10. I was not in the bathtub with her.

So in the end (the end - get it?), I guess you have to just realize this one thing - poop happens - and it's not always a bad thing.

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The Good Stuff From Today:  shopping with Everley; tech at CVS Pharmacy; great summer weather

There's Lists And Then There's Lists ...

Is there a difference between a to-do list and a haven't-done list?  I was attempting to research this via my favorite source, Google, when I came upon this list: 

I'm just trying to figure out whether this purple list might be more attainable than my current to-do-because-I-haven't-done-it-yet list(s)...

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Lindley time; checking in on an improved Everley; Steve's safe travel back from GDiz's; airport run for Molly; watching Tiger and his son on tv post-win

Weekend Fun

Today started at 6:30am when Lindley told me it was daytime.  The rest of the day was spent trying to make sure nobody had a crisis at the same time - from having to be put down and not carried around on someone's hip, to leaning against the baby gate and having it crash down, from being denied the 518th sack of Capri Sun, from wanting a popsicle and then not wanting a popsicle, to having a diaper change, to having to take a nap, to having to eat anything, to having to take Tylenol because you don't want to eat anything, to having the potty seat not be stable, to having your hair brushed, to there being no Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on television, or from from any other blip that would cause a meltdown.

I did not always succeed in this attempt ...

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Everley and Lindley time; Everley feeling better; Molly coming over to play and bring lunch

What Happens At LaLa's ...

Sam and Lynnette both had out-of-town engagements, so Lindley gets to spend the weekend with me (or I get to spend it with her, depending on who's doing the talking).  Everley had her first week of day school this week, and today she stayed out due to a fever from catching new germies from her classmates.  Since both her parents were working today, Baby E also came over for the day. 

Just because I used to teach for a living doesn't mean that we have organized activities when I am in charge.  Well, unless you count having recess all day.  Anyhow, just thought I'd give you an idea of our Friday ...

Coloring.  Which mainly consists of Lindley coloring one tiny object then telling LaLa that she needs to color all (yes, ALL) the rest of the picture or add some windows to the already-drawn house.

743 hours of Disney Jr.

A new princess dress - Tinkerbell to be exact.  It was necessary because of the dangers of running through the house in a full-length Cinderella ball gown.

Another 783 hours of Sesame Street.  Which is best viewed up close and personal.  Actually, it's only viewed for 76 seconds.  It just needs to be on for the rest of the time in case something important happens to Elmo.

There was food consumed - several popsicles and containers of Capri Sun (the flavored water edition, and what are those containers - sacks?).  There were also a few spoonfuls of tomato soup and a piece of a cookie (which Moo only allowed if 5 spoonfuls of soup were consumed).  There were two cans of baby Cheetos that were inhaled and maybe some other baby food sponsored treats that grandmas like me want to believe are nutritious but probably aren't. 

There were naps (by everybody) and books read and baths actually taken (by the kids - LaLa is looking forward to a shower in the morning).

All in all, a successful day, as no babies were harmed in the documenting of the day ...

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Lindley and Everley time; Molly coming over to help out and get dinner, accompanied by Lindley; Lindley in her new Tink dress; pics from KBs trip; safe travel for Steve to GDiz's house