No, No, No, No, No!!

Seriously? It's the end of March? Why am I getting slower while the months are flying by faster? Sure, I've had stuff to do and been busy, but I've also had a lot of other stuff that hasn't gotten done that was supposed to have been done by now (I believe I've been singing THAT song for years). Anyhoo, apparently today we're saying goodbye to March. Fine. Goodbye March of 2016. It's been a lot of fun.

Maybe I should go back to that list-making theory. Yeah, that really worked out well ...  Oh, and tomorrow's another day that I REALLY love (nope, not at all).

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Thankful today for:  getting stuff packed for Dollywood (yup, going there again!)

Fun In The Sand

At least for Everley. After a heated debate on going to the park (or not), the trip was made. After the jungle gyms were climbed, Everley found the sand pit and dove right in - literally. At least the case was made for a bath tonight ...

Sure, it starts off with just sitting in the sand.
Sans shoes, of course.

Then for some reason, it becomes necessary to belly-flop.

Followed by sand angels ...

I have no idea where she gets it from ...

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Thankful today for: Airport run for Lindley and Lynnette; playing in the park with Everley and Emmatha

Just Some Baby Stuff - Old and New

Doesn't she look smart??

Swaddle with a zipper.
Don't be fooled - she still manages to squeeze her hands
out the top and hang on.
I expect her to figure out how to unzip the zipper
by next week ...

Interesting page from my own baby book.
Apparently cows milk and veggies were
on the menu by 5 weeks ...
At least the cows milk was pasteurized ...

This one confused me. Pet Milk?
As in the one I use to make fudge?
That would explain a lot ...

Gifts I received when I was born.
The fun part was to see the moms of my Princess Bridesmaids on the list.
As I've said before - we go back a long way!!

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Thankful today for: finding my baby book and unearthing lots of fun information; Everley and Emmatha time

Lazy Monday

Just in case you needed some affirmation for being lazy (and generally, truly lazy people need it not), here are some. But you will have to supply your own cape ...

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Thankful today for: Nice Monday for doing very little; Emmatha time

Happy Easter!!

I hope your Easter is wonderful, as we celebrate the resurrection and the promise of eternal life. May your day be blessed with all the things that make this life so wonderful and precious. And speaking of those things, since today is a quiet Easter at our home, here's a few photos of Easters past ...

Easter 2010. We had a new granddaughter!
And Maggie Cat found new meaning in hunting for eggs ...

Easter 2006. Looks like we were having work done on the house.
When have we not had work done on the house?
Looks like Molly is ready for a cut-throat egg hunting experience.
Because that's just how we roll ...

Easter 2007. Easter baskets double as Easter bonnets.
Because we believe in multi-use things.
And yes, in the background was our DVD collection.
Which has since been whittled down.
And by the way, each of those DVDs had a library check-out card in it.
Again, because that's how we roll ...

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Thankful today for: Jesus and his ultimate act of love for us all

My Favorite Easter Chicks!

 

Sam took the girls on an Easter Egg hunt today in his neighborhood. Looks like everyone found some eggs and had a great time!  LaLa has been sorta busy lately, so the Easter Egg hunt at her house may have to wait - like a year or so ...

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Thankful today for: Sam taking the girls to the hunt; beautiful spring day

Girl Time At The Doik

Today I had the pleasure of having all my grandgirls over. We played, we ate, and we had fun. How could a Friday night be any better?!

Maybe I'm getting better at the swaddle - only one hand it out.
Or, she just hasn't had time to get the other hand out!

Cousin Lindley takes a turn at feeding Baby Emmatha.
It seems like only yesterday that we were feeding Baby Lindley!

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Thankful today for: fabulous Fridays with my granddaughters (and daughters)

Just A Week Ago ...

A week ago, it was St. Patrick's Day. A week ago, Emmatha was born. A week ago, Maribeth spent 10 hours in the operating room. A week ago seems like an eon ago, but it was only a week.

A week later, we are taking Emmatha for her one-week check, to make sure she's doing well, and she is. Everley and I dropped Maribeth and Emmatha off at the doctor's office, intending to stay for the appointment. However, between the four-year-old mind and the fifty-eight-year-old brain, we decided to leave the other two and head to Smoothie King for a snack. Once our (and Maribeth's) orders were complete, we got the call to return and pick up the others. Emmatha is growing and meeting all the marks - for a one-week-old baby. She returns in two weeks for the one-month check (in between Everley will go in for her four-year-old check, which includes inoculations - yes, shots - but we're keeping that little news item quiet for now).

Anyhow, in the space of a week, a lot has happened. And for all of it, we're so very thankful! But then again, a lot happens in every week of our lives. We just have to remember to be thankful for all of it!

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Thankful today for: healthy baby visits; Smoothie King visits and snacks; fancy mini-vans in which to transport all ages of people

Work

Just because there is a new baby in the house doesn't mean that life has to stop and revolve around the new little one. As you can see here, baby care can be done along with "important work" (as Everley calls it). Here LaLa and Everley are clearly busy on their laptops (Everley's is her pink one she received for Christmas - clearly I need to upgrade) as they do their respective work. And of course, along with their laptops, they have the other important items needed for important work - drinks and chips!!  The only question is - who got the most work completed?

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Thankful today for: my work companion and snacks; Everley and Emmatha time

LaLa/Swaddle Fail

A picture is worth a thousand words?  Well, you're going to get a lot of those, what with a new granddaughter and all. And in case the 1000 words don't make it onto the page, I'm sure you will be able to add your own! And so, here's today's 1000 word photograph, thereby documenting my ineptness with the modern baby innoventions - in this case, the swaddle ...

Now, in case you are like me, and have little knowledge of said swaddle, I shall impart what knowledge I know. First of all, the swaddle is like a papoose kind of article/garment that is supposed to wrap around the baby, encasing them in the warm secure feeling that makes them happy and restful. Maribeth has two versions - a zipper one and several velcro ones. The one above is a velcro one (in case you couldn't tell by the lack of a zipper).

Anyhoo, because I want to be a good LaLa and do all the things that are important and that should lead to a happy and restful baby, I do attempt the swaddle. And upon the first look (in other words just after said swaddle is swaddled around the baby), I have successfully completed the swaddle endeavor. Then I leave the swaddled baby, go do whatever it is that needs to be done, and then return to see said baby and said swaddle in this predicament.

I don't know if I did it wrong, or the baby is a burgeoning Houdini. In the end, it doesn't matter too much - she's still asleep!!

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Thankful today for: sleeping babies; Maribeth's continued remarkable recovery

Just So You Know ....

I haven't been abducted by aliens. Today Emmatha and her mommy came home from the hospital, and things have gotten a bit busy. Yes, Maribeth (and Emmatha) were discharged today. Not because the insurance ran out, but because Maribeth is doing so well. Yes, she had MAJOR surgery less than a week ago, but it obviously takes more than seven units of blood to keep that girl down. And so once she was discharged, we had to wait around for Emmatha to be discharged, and talk to the baby nurse about what to do and then talk to the quality control lady about quality control with the hospital (like we were going to tell her the truth about the yucky food). Anyhow, eventually everyone was discharged and we left - now to get some real sleep!!

Clearly someone is thrilled to be here ...

Clearly someone is thrilled that someone else is here ...

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Thankful today for: getting Maribeth and Emmatha out of the hospital and home; sleeping in a real bed; Everley's joy in having a little sister and having her home

Sunday

Today Emmatha (and Maribeth, for that matter) got to finally wear regular clothes. Actually Maribeth started yesterday when she got a shower, but Emmatha finally got her IV out, and it was time to dress her up a bit. Also, in the hospital, she only wore a t-shirt, which meant her feet were not covered, which will result in colic (according to my grandmother, who knew of such things). So it was a great relief that we were able to stuff her into a sleeper with the feet attached. Of course, it only adds to her adorableness! In other news, the medicals folks are suggesting that she might go home tomorrow - that would be Emmatha and her momma, too!! To say that everyone is getting better quickly is an understatement!!

In other news, Sam and Lindley are embarking on a quick tour of the South during her spring break. Today they were visiting GDizzle in Columbus, Mississippi, and Lindley attended an Easter Egg Hunt at his church. Apparently there were 500 eggs but only five kids showed up because the weather was cold. Never mind Lindley's outfit - she has never been a slave to fashion. As you can see, she made out quite well at the hunt!

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Thankful today for: baby clothes and our patients feeling human again; possibility of going home tomorrow; Lindley's Easter Egg Hunt success

Saturday

Last night was last night. Nurses coming in to check on Maribeth and/or Emmatha. One getting to sleep just until another nurse came in. Feeding Emmatha. Helping Maribeth get out of bed on her way to the bathroom. Trying to figure out the right temperature for the room, which tended to be stifling hot or freezing cold. And then there was the VUMC helicopter, which was located out our window. I have to say it was pretty neat to see it land/take off, but it was very loud. Oh well, none of this matters when you see that your daughter and granddaughter are healthy.

Molly came to stay with Maribeth during the day, and Lynnette brought JAlexanders for lunch (Maribeth's request). Not that the hospital food isn't delicious. Especially after major surgery. Anyhow, Lynnette was paying it forward, since when she had Lindley, her request was JAlex's, which she received after I had to argue with the manager that while they may not officially have "take out," I was getting some food in some way to take to the mother of my first granddaughter!!  Anyhow I digress ...

Maribeth is continuing to improve, impressing all of the medical people that troop through her room. Of course everybody asks the same questions - what's your pain, do you feel any shortness of breath, and so on. And then, "Are you nursing?" The answer to that is always "No - not yet." She's thinking that perhaps she would like to regain control of her body before adding the next thing. But she's feeling better and getting some sleep - in between vitals and meds and everything else.

Still not sure on a release date, but they really didn't think she'd be out of SICU so quickly, so who knows? Everley came by again today, and this room really shrinks when it gets full of people. Oh well, here's to another night!

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Thankful today for: the continued care by the VUMC medical staff; continued health progress from Maribeth; cuddling Emmatha

Happy Friday!!

Today's highlights (the rest will be photos):

• Everley finds out she's a big sister. Of course she wanted to go to the hospital as soon as she heard the news, but because she had a photo book of her baby sister and stuff for her class for a big sister party, she decided she will go to school. And yes, she is super excited about her new baby sister!
• Maribeth gets moved (late in the afternoon) to the regular maternity ward. Which is a surprise to the SICU personnel that she is doing so well.
• Everley (and Sam and Lindley and Lynnette) get to visit Maribeth and see baby Emmatha
• Emmatha gets moved to Maribeth's room - never to leave until she leaves the hospital - apparently that's the thing these days.

Since Mommy has a new baby, so does Everley!

Cousin/Sister bonding time!

Everley coming in to find her baby sister!!

Everley feeding Emmatha. And nobody could touch the bottle except her!!

Best. Photo. Ever!!

Making plans already!!

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Thankful today for: Maribeth's remarkable recovery and all the medical staff in all areas who care/cared/will care for her; Everley and Lindley meeting Emmatha; Emmatha's good health; Chair that makes into a bed (at least I could spread out)

A St. Patrick's Day Story

Actually, it's the story of Emmatha being born. That's right - Maribeth had her baby today!! And what a story it was!!  Let us begin ...

Apparently yesterday Maribeth started having contractions. Her official due date was Monday, so it was about time the contractions started, since she was now several days overdue. She also had a midwife appointment today to make sure everything was okay. Maribeth was hoping and planning for a VBAC, since Everley was born via an emergency c-section four years ago. She had talked it over with her midwives, and everyone was willing to give it a shot. Maribeth was not putting all her eggs in one basket though, and she had already decided that if it seemed that the baby wasn't on her way at today's appointment, then Maribeth would schedule a c-section for Monday.

Mathieu is in Cuba on deployment until December, so obviously he wasn't going to be available for the birth, no matter how the baby decided to make her appearance. So Maribeth had recruited Molly to be her birth partner. I was only going to be called if there would be a c-section and operations were involved. So much for plans ...

As I said, yesterday Maribeth started having contractions. She didn't mention this at last night's pedicure, but after she had gone home, she texted to see if Everley could spend the night, since Maribeth admitted that she thought the baby would come today. Of course I said yes and asked if Molly was going to spend the night, and Maribeth said yes.

On our phone, the girls and I allow each other to locate each other. So, I checked in during the night, just to see where they were, and they were both at Maribeth's house. Then after midnight, I woke up and decided to check again - and they were in the Vanderbilt area. Which could mean only one thing - and they were not bar-hopping in the area!

At 2:24am, I get this text from Molly:  "C-section now."  Apparently when they got to the hospital, Maribeth got to L&D triage, found out she was dilated to 8, they noticed the baby's heart-rate was in the 50s, and they raced her to the OR (later she said it was pretty much like on television). Anyhow, I still had to get Everley eventually awake and off to school.

Molly's next text came at 3:26am:  "Midwife came. In 45 minutes I can ask to go to nicu and see baby. No uterine rupture. They are doing bloodwork and giving baby some oxygen. They don't know why baby's stats were so low.

Meanwhile, Steve is in Florida, volunteering at Arnold Palmer's golf tournament. We had already discussed that if the baby came, he wouldn't need to rush home, since there would be very little he could do and since we really didn't know when the baby was going to actually come. However, he is also in on our "location capabilities". So at 4:23am, he sent Molly this text:  "saw you are at hospital. I will not ask questions."  Molly asked if she should reply, and I told her to wait until we knew something.

At 4:45am, Molly asked for an update. Was told drs would be in to update.

Molly had Maribeth's phone with her. At 4:50am Mathieu texted that he was heading into a 5 hour meeting. Again, since we knew nothing concrete, we opted to wait until he was out of his meeting to tell him. Since any information we had would be "uhhhh..." And it certainly wouldn't help his concentration in his meeting.

The next text came at 4:53am - "Update: she's still in surgery. She had a uterine rupture. They have to do a hysterectomy. She was continuing to bleed and they couldn't figure out why. Rupture was on the back wall. Very rare."

At this point, I called Steve to update him. He asked if he should come back, but I told him to wait until we knew something more.

The next text from Molly came at 5:03am: "Saw baby. Only time I'm allowed to see her until MB fills out paperwork."  In other words, since Maribeth didn't have time to fill out any paperwork, there was no legal thing saying that we had permission to see the baby. Hello HIPAA! Which I totally get - unless my daughter is having a traumatic delivery and I need to lay eyes on my granddaughter so that when I first see my daughter, I can assure her that the baby is alive and well. The nurses couldn't even give Molly any information on the baby.

Molly's 5:04am text: "Baby has bruising on feet from after she was delivered and they tried to rouse her. Also has bruising on her forehead because they had to struggle t get her out. Has IV and oxygen cannula. They don't know how long she will be in nicu but they say she is doing well. Not allowed to take pictures without mothers consent." They said we could see the baby if we talked to Mathieu and he talked to the nurse, but Mathieu is in Cuba, in a 5-hour meeting, and knows nothing of what is going on. Which, as I write this, seems like he should have, but having no information to give him, we really didn't want to cause him to freak out. In Cuba.

Molly's next update at 5:50am:  "The nurse brought in a plastic pitcher and untangled a cord. I'm assuming the untangling of the cord means the surgery is complete and they are prepping room for her arrival. Though it could also mean her shift ends at 6 and she is on cord duty."

Molly at 6:51am: "She's still in surgery. Stable for now. They think she will be done soon-ish and she will be put in a surgical ICU room where they will take me."

Molly at 7:14am: "Just talked to day shift dr who has just come on. More of he same. Bleeding mostly controlled. She is going to assist in the surgery. Could be a few more hours.  She's also had transfusions."

At this point, Everley was waking up, so it was time to get her up, fed, and to school. Which takes several hours. Of course I didn't mention any of this to her, and luckily today she was happy to go to school. After I dropped her off, I headed to the hospital.

Molly at 9:47am:  "Asked for an update. They are going to send a physician to update me. May have accidentally started crying. Charge nurse is going to see if we can get permission to visit baby."

Molly at 9:55am:  "MB still in surgery. The way her uterus ruptured, it affected the cervix and vagina, also, so they are having to repair both. Urology also had to be involved to check her bladder and such. When she is done with surgery, she will be in ICU. She will remain intubated."

At some point, Mathieu gets out of his meeting and texts Maribeth. Molly texts back that he should text her, and she fills him in on everything. She/Mathieu/the nurses all get together and Molly and I finally receive permission to see the baby.

Finally at 11:25am (I had arrived and was waiting with Molly, but she was our official information agent): "MB out of surgery. She is headed up to ICU. LaLa and I got to visit Emmatha. She isn't on oxygen anymore and looks healthy."

Eventually a nurse comes and collects Molly and me in the room that woulda/shoulda been Maribeth's room and takes us up to SICU, where they are settling Maribeth. Once she has been settled, we go in to visit her. Maribeth is hooked up to about a zillion different IVs and tubes, and is still on her breathing tube. She rouses a bit and we assure her that she is going to be okay and the baby is fine.

The rest of the day was spent with the SICU team tending to Maribeth. Sam brought us lunch and eventually I left to pick up Everley, not mentioning that she has a new baby sister. Molly says she will stay the night with Maribeth.

The good news is that Emmatha Marsh Perry was born and her mommy is going to be okay. Certainly not the birth story that anyone was wanting or expecting, but in the end, a very happy and blessed one!

All the information that Molly could get - at first.

Emmatha Marsh Perry
Happy St. Patrick's Day Birthday!!

The best way to end the day!!

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Thankful today for: Molly's presence and help for Maribeth's birth experience; physicians and surgeons and nurses and VUMC for their care for Maribeth and Emmatha; the PICU nurse who cared for Emmatha; SICU nurses; Maribeth and Emmatha's lives today!!

A Happy Day!

Today when I opened my mail, I got a sweet surprise from my friend Kat. Kat is very talented and probably does more stuff (quilting, jewelry making, sewing, baking, taking her girls to all their activities besides raising them to be strong women, being an excellent wife and partner to her hubs, decorating and organizing her house, working at some occupation that I probably wouldn't understand even if she explained it to me using small words, running and I mean Ragnar running, and a whole other bunch of stuff that causes my brain to hurt to think about it) in the time it takes me to figure out what day it is. Anyhow, because I had donated to a cause her daughters were advocating (yup, another thing she does - help others), she made these beautiful necklaces - just in time for some peoples Easter baskets!! Oh, and in between the time that she's doing all the above AND helping her daughter Jessica raise monarch butterflies, she also has an etsy shop.  On which she takes special orders. Personally, I don't think she ever sleeps. No matter - as long as I'm her friend!

We decided to finish out the day with a pedicure for all the girls. It was Lindley and Everley's first pedicure, and they weren't to sure about what was going to happen. The butterfly chairs helped, along with the fact that they were the first to have theirs done. The foot bath smoothed the way for the rest of the pedicure. The only problems were (a) we forgot their ipads, which would have been handy when (b) their pedicures were finished way before everyone else's. We all left with pretty trimmed toes, and after a quick stop for some take-out dinner, we all declared our girls pedicure a success!!

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Thankful today for: Kat and the lovely surprise necklaces; pedis for Lindley, Lynnette, Everley, Maribeth, Molly, and me

I Did It!!

Did you think I wouldn't? Ever get caught up again, that is? And do you think I'll keep caught up? We will see!!!

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Thankful today for: another beautiful spring day; getting caught up; travel planning for Alaska cruise

Happy Monday!!

Sometime probably last year, one of the eyes/burners/elements (depending on your heritage) on my stove decided to blow/quit working. It wasn't a huge deal, since I had others on the range to use. However, it was the second largest one, and if I wanted to use my bigger pots and pans, I had to use the ginormous one, which was entirely too big. A month ago I discussed the matter with Steve, who decided to research and then decided that he could fix it - he just needed to order the part.

Well, guess what - the part was never ordered. Which was fine by me, as my oven was acting like a moody menopausal woman, going hot and cold whenever it wanted. So I decided to fix the entire thing, and while I was at Home Depot (my appliance shopping center of choice) purchasing a doo-dad, I decided to also purchase an entirely new stove. And while I was at it, I decided to go ahead a purchase a new microwave, since ours had a noise level comparable to that of a 747 jet. Naturally they were out of the model I wanted (because it was on sale), so they had to wait for the new shipment to get in. All this to say that my new appliances were delivered today - early enough to start my day (but not early enough to start Everley's day, since she was adamant about not attending school today - the rest of that story in a bit).

Meanwhile, Maribeth had dropped off Everley at school (mainly because she was promised a zoo visit after school) and returned to the house to admire my new additions (and to test the microwave to see if we could hear each other over the sound when it was in play). Once everything was in place and the delivery dudes had left, we left to go pick up a package from Maribeth's Ebay Reject Store, where she gets her good deals. We also decided to eat at Demos', mainly because we like it and I had a gift card.

By this time, it was time to retrieve Everley from school and head to the zoo. We visited the reptile house, which houses the snakes, of which I am not a fan. Then we headed to the playground so Everley could expend energy while Maribeth sat on a bench (today is her baby's due date, by the way, but so far, baby girl is happy to stay incubating).

Eventually we convinced Everley to leave, mainly because the zoo would be closing and because we promised a walk-through the gift shop. Where the clerk and I had a lengthy discussion on Life is Good products and Mickey Mouse. And where someone might have purchased a large pink snake.

Anyhow, after a stop by Sonic for sustenance, we went to Maribeth's house and dropped them off, then I headed to Molly's for chicken tacos and then to Lynnette's to drop off some other stuff. It's been a full Monday, but a good one!  If only all Mondays could be!!

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Thankful today for new appliances and delivery dudes; lunch and package pickup with Maribeth; zoo time with Everley; chicken tacos and doughnuts from Molly and Plates; dropping off stuff at Lynnette and Lindley's

The Niceness Continues

Today a friend texted and asked if she could stop by. I said of course, and later she was at my doorstep with this. She has a fancy new cutting machine and used her newfound skills to create a personalized water bottle for me. Oh, and she included a gift card for a place that I might be visiting in the next few weeks.

As I've said before, in a world filled with darkness, it's the acts of kindness like this that can make a difference in the world. And going that extra effort makes it even nicer.

I'm blessed to know many nice people in this world. And I'm really blessed in all the ways they are nice to me!

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Thankful today for: another beautiful/rainy/typical spring Sunday; Cheryl's visit; a little Lindley and Everley time

Just Another Spring Saturday

Just me, some folding chairs (mine was out of the photo - the black one was Everley's), a 3-wheeler, Everley, the sun, and our safety man. Because LaLa believes in safety, and will take all the help she can get (never mind that someone does not have on a bike helmet)!!

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Thankful today for: a beautiful Spring day to be outside; Everley and Lindley time; shopping time with Molly

The Things I Learn

I am not generally a cussin' woman. I was pretty much cured of using inappropriate language after the time I said in front of my mother, "Curses, Foiled Again!" from my favorite cartoon show. She promptly used words from her mouth that let me know that that was the last time those three words would come from my mouth.

Now, I do admit that in certain situations, I have been known to cut loose with a few choice words and/or phrases that have certainly been on a higher level than those of Snidely Whiplash. And while I may (or may not) have regretted the use of words that need a mouth-washin', I did believe they were appropriate for that given circumstance.

Which leads me to today's discussion - words that I thought were innocent utterances that apparently are not. Innocent, that is. Usually these words are not in normal word circulation, and now I understand why. But I have heard them, and thought they were okay. Another reason I probably should stop thinking. Anyhow, here are a few words that I shall not be using:

Dingleberry. Which I thought meant a goofus, silly person. No, it does not mean that. The first meaning listed is "a particle of fecal matter attached to the anal hair of an animal." Granted, the second meaning listed is "a foolish or inept person." But after hearing the first meaning, I shall always think of it. And will still use it, but for a totally different type of person.

Gee Willikers. Which I thought was an expression like "golly." No. It most certainly does not mean that. According to my Internet sources, it means "A phrase originated in the 1950's for the ultimate climax." Yeah, that's pretty much leaving my word bank.

I would leave you with some words of wisdom, but I won't. Mainly because who knows what they really mean!!

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Thankful today for: quiet Friday at home; airport run for Steve

Throw Back - To When I Had A Waist ...

A long time ago, when real dinosaurs roamed Dino Land at Animal Kingdom (yes, why else would Walt purchase that land and never you mind that Animal Kingdom was only a gleam in an Imagineer's eye), Disney World has a shopping area called Disney World Village. We lived in Orlando at the time, and would go out there from time to time, especially once we had a baby and no money to do anything else. This photo is when we probably took Sam there for the first time. For those of you in the know, that is the Empress Lilly Riverboat, which morphed into Fulton's. And all those trees behind it? That would become Pleasure Island and The West Side, all of which is now Disney Springs. Anyhow, that's your history lesson for today, which all means we all have to grow - out, up, and in every way!!

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Thankful today for: chats with the builder dude about remodeling Maribeth's and Molly's houses; Steve's burgers for dinner

Just What All WDW Lovers Need

A Loo Review!! For you uncultured ones, that means a terlet review. In other words, now we have a guide to relieving oneself while at Walt Disney World. You know, after you've had the bag of cotton candy, the giant turkey leg, the pot roast mac and cheese, the funnel cake, and the kitchen sink, all as a precursor for the character buffet that you have scheduled for lunch. And dinner.

I'm not sure how I found this website. One wonders exactly what I was searching for on the Internet in order to be directed to a toilet review of Disney World. But I guess my computer knows me quite well.

Anyhow, it's a fun read. And quite informative. Apparently the author of this website wanted something "different" to review at Disney World. And apparently he found his calling. To review toilets.

Oh well, I guess it's kinda like the individuals who have to clean the toilets - somebody's got to do it!

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Thankful today for: picking up Steve at the airport; accomplishing small yet pesky tasks

A Sign Of The Future

Like maybe 10 years from now?  Today Lindley and Everley were at Everley's house and they got out the Barbie motorized car. We got the car when Lindley was getting potty-trained and Everley was a baby. Everley couldn't even sit up in it. Now Everley is driving it, and Lindley's legs are too long to even sit in it. The problem is that I'm afraid to blink, because I know if I do, they'll be driving each other places in a real life-sized car!!

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Thankful today for: beautiful day; picking up Everley and Lindley at their schools; outside time with Lindley and Everley; dinner with Sam, Lindley, Maribeth, and Everley at Maribeth's house

Crisis!!

There are some things that are very important to me. One of these things is to have an adequate supply of toilet paper. And by adequate, I mean while I would prefer to always have a dozen rolls on hand, as long as I know I have a half-dozen, then I can rest easy. Do I have IBS or chronic diarrhea? No - I just want the necessities on hand should I ever develop these issues.

Which leads us to the potential crisis that reared its ugly head today. As you can see by the photo (and please try to ignore the other things in the photo like the rubber gloves and the potty wipes - these were needed for another situation), I was down to one full roll and nearing an empty roll.  What if I ate something that decided to erupt my GI system? What chaos and calamity would possibly ensue (never mind that we have two other bathrooms with toilet paper - should the urgent need arise, would I have the fortitude to storm those rooms in search of provisions)???

I mentioned my potential disaster to the girls as we were group texting. And sure enough, Maribeth ordered me a box of TP via Amazon Now, which would be delivering within a few hours. Another act of kindness headed my way! And sure enough, soon I was back to being fully stocked. Crisis averted!

Acts of kindness are much appreciated - especially when it involves my terlet!!

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Thankful today for: Maribeth's toilet paper act of kindness; mailing packages and postcards; library visit

A Little Help Along The Way

Today while she and Lindley were at my house, Lynnette decided to go out for a run. It was a beautiful spring day and a great day for a run. Everley was also over and she and Lindley and I were outside enjoying the weather. Lynnette started out down our street, then turned around and ran past our house, where she had her own cheering section.

Whenever I do a race, it's always inspiring to wog past the groups and spectators on the sidelines who are cheering us on. Their support and cheers and encouraging words make me want to keep going and finish that race.

And so it is with life in general. If we can just have people along the way to encourage us, to love us, and to keep us going on our course, then it makes our journey all the better. And sometimes, when we're the ones cheering along the sidelines, we get to be a part of someone else's journey and joy and accomplishment. Because in the end, we're really all in this together. And sometimes, that's the only thing that keeps us going.

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Thankful today for: beautiful spring day; Lindley and Everley time

Acts of Kindness

Lately I have been the recipient of acts of kindness. Recently at Disney World, while our group was shopping and I was getting Molly a bracelet she wanted, Molly was elsewhere in the store getting a cookie jar that I was wanting. What a nice thing!

Also recently, Maribeth ordered (and subsequently installed) a new Otter Box on my phone, after I had told her that my most recent Otter Box had broken off a part on the corner (this being the third OB in recent months that has broken - at least my phone is still intact - knock on wood). Anyhow, it was a very nice thing to do!

And then today, Lynnette and Molly did a really nice thing. They finished painting Everley's room for me. After we had breakfast, we went to Maribeth's house. At first, Lindley and Everley thought they might help, but after a few strokes, they decided that it would be more fun to go shopping with LaLa. And so Lynnette and Molly could complete their task in relative peace and quiet. And yet again, a very nice thing that was done!

In these days of people being mean and yelling and calling names, there are people who go about their lives being nice to others. Sometimes it may not be a big deal to the person who is doing the kindness, but it can mean the world to the person who receives it.

I should know - it's been happening to me!!

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Thankful today for: breakfast with the girls at The Egg and I; Lynnette and Molly finishing Everley's room; Lindley and Everley time

Friday Fun Day

Today was a fun day.

First, I went to Maribeth's house in order to convince Everley to go to school (since I'm not the one who is 9 months preggers, some mornings it's easier for me to convince Everley to go than Maribeth, who would rather just go back to bed). Maribeth left to meet Lynnette and Lindley for pancakes. Everley was adamant about not going to school - until I asked if she wanted to wear her minion dress (which technically was her Halloween costume, but is more like a dress, so it's okay for school). Once she decided that this was available to wear, the sun came out and all was right with the world, and off we went to school.

I got her to her class in time for me to meet up with the girls for breakfast (I called in my order to them ahead of time). Technically, they shouldn't have been seated until ALL the party was there, but they fibbed and got a table. And then nabbed a nearby empty chair when I cut the rather long line and scurried to the table. In plenty of time to receive my pancakes and for the waitress to wonder what the heck was going on.

After breakfast, we headed to Maribeth's house and started preparation for painting Everley's room, which Everley had decided would be pink. We straightened up a bit, spackled holes and generally tried to get things out of the way for painting.

By this time, it was time for Maribeth to pick up Everley and then meet up with me, Lynnette, and Lindley for movie time - to see "Zootopia." It was a cute movie - well, at least the part I saw, since Everley decided she didn't want to see it all and we headed out to wander in the lobby. Until I convinced her that we needed to go to Home Depot to procure paint for her room.

Maribeth, Lynnette, and Lindley finished the movie, and the Ls went home. Meanwhile Everley and I had decided on the proper shade of pink and headed back to her house, where Everley decided she wold help me paint - which lasted about a wall and a half before I decided I was done (I generally hate painting to begin with). We went back to my house to sleep due to the paint fumes (and the fact that Maribeth has to work tomorrow), hopefully to head to bed pretty soon.

Man, that room is very pink ...

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Thankful today for: minion dresses; breakfast and movies with Maribeth, Everley, Lynnette, and Lindley; choosing paint and painting with Everley