Day 11

Only one more day to go! This week has gone by much faster than last. We didn't get home until Monday night, then Wednesday morning we headed to IL to spend a couple of days with family. We got to go to my parents' church on Wednesday night, which just feels like home even though I've never been a member there. My sister and best friend were in the class, and my brother-in-law taught. I went to high school with nearly everyone in there. I just love being home.

Today I got the rest of the stuff for Little Sissy's party and ordered the pizza and cake. I still feel like I'm forgetting something. I'm just not used to event planning by myself!

Only one little "I need Hubby" problem arose this week. I was desperately trying to catch up on laundry after our weekend away. After about the 3rd load, I opened the door to get the wet clothes out of the washer when gallons of water came gushing out. I slammed the door back shut and put all of the towels that were next in line in front of the washer. In the slamming, though, I shut one of the shirt's sleeves in the door. It was no longer gushing, but there was definitely a steady stream coming out since it wasn't completely closed. I had to open it again to fix the problem, knowing another gush would follow. I ran the cycle again and just now checked it again (after 2 days). Thankfully there was no water this time. Hopefully it was a fluke and not a problem with our washer, which is not even paid off yet. As I took the trash out tonight, I realized I don't like being responsible for every single thing in the house. Come home!!!!

Hubby is actually having a very good trip. His training has focused on team building, which has forced him to get out of his comfort zone a bit. He's also resolved to be a better listener and be more involved in the church and community. Go UPS!

Bible Story Time

We try to read Big Sissy a Bible story every night before bed. She has a great Toddler's Bible, which I would recommend to everyone (well, not everyone). It's simple but true to the text, and it has GREAT illustrations. She could sit and flip through the pages for a half an hour. We always end by saying, "Tomorrow we're going to read..." in anticipation of tomorrow and also to remind ourselves where we left off. Tonight she asked if she could read me a story. She doesn't really get where one story stops and another stops, so she just "read" as she flipped through the pages. Here's how tonight's story went:

This is brave Queen Esther. She doesn't have leprosy. God told her to go get some fish. Then Jonah said, "If you throw me off this boat I will lose my shoes." And he did. The end. Tomorrow we will read, "Peter Goes A Floatin'." Let's pray.

Day 8

We made it home with no major issues. We spent another hour and a half at McDonalds on the way home. This time the play area was outside. It was nice to get some fresh air, but I was totally grossed out by all the bird poop on the playground equipment. Ughh. Poor Little Sissy barely got to play since she can't walk and I wasn't about to let her crawl through that. Since no one really napped in the car, everyone went to bed early (except me). I guess I'm back to my old ways--staying up late.

We had a great trip. Yesterday we got to see my cousin Adonya, who I haven't seen in about 9 years. Last night we went to Rainforest Cafe, which the kids loved. It wasn't exactly a vacation, but at least it was a really fun weekend away. Now that Hubby's back to his workshop in KC, I'm really glad to be home. Now I need to plan this big birthday bash this weekend. She's only going to be 1, so she won't care if I forget something, but I basically invited the entire family and that's a lot of people!

We got some cute pictures at the farm. Feeding the goats was particularly funny. I guess they don't get fed except by the visitors because they acted famished. Big Sissy was a little excited and a little freaked out.

Day 6

Well, we're here in KC. We made it. Yeah! I forgot Hubby has a laptop here, so I'm typing in the dark while Little Sissy naps (the fun of staying in a hotel). Daddy took Big Sissy swimming for a while. She is SO excited to see him. She's also back to loving Howdy Doody...weird. She loved him about this time last year, and then I didn't hear much about him for several months. All of a sudden she wants to take him everywhere. All the older people here (those who actually know who Howdy Doody is) are cracking up b/c she helps him walk everywhere we go, he sat with us at the breakfast table, etc. The trip turned out to be pretty good. We got on the road about 10:30. That's a little later than I wanted to leave, but I figured that was a pretty realistic time. We stopped at McDonalds in Columbia for lunch and stayed about an hour and a half. I couldn't seem to get my stroller open, which might have something to do with the suitcases being piled on top of it. It's probably all bent up...so I had to carry Little Sissy. That's been the only snafu so far, trying to figure out how to carry her and a tray full of food or carry her and help Big Sissy go potty and wash her hands, etc. Anyway, the nice long break was great for Big Sissy. No one really napped in the van, so they both fell asleep about 6:45 p.m. as we were on our way to visit some friends in Lee's Summit (the MO side of KC). It was so great to see our friends. I used to work with her at Covenant, and they have a 9-month old baby boy I had never even met. I love catching up with friends! This afternoon we're going to go visit a "farmstead" here. As much as Big Sissy loves animals, she's never been to a real farm. We're excited to see all the farm animals. One other weird thing about being in a hotel room is that I actually went to bed at 10:30 last night. I haven't gone to bed before 2 a.m. in at least a month. I didn't really want to sit in the hall by myself, though, so I thought I'd try to go to sleep with everyone else. I woke up a lot, hearing all Little Sissy's noises and Hubby's terrible snoring, but I feel really great today. Hmmm... Signing off for now. Praise God for a safe trip!

Day 4

Well, we leave tomorrow for our trip. So why I'm not packing, I have no idea. Probably the same reason I always clean my house the night before final exams...dread of the necessary. Procrastination. God has been good to us this week. Everyone has been calm and happy (except for all the wetting of the pants, which is still happening daily--Big Sissy, not me). The plan is to leave as early as possible tomorrow while everyone is still pleasant and stop at a McDonalds playland after Little Sissy naps in the car. We'll see how that turns out. I'm excited b/c I get to see a girl I used to work with at Covenant (who has a 9-month old I've never seen) and a cousin I haven't seen in about 9 years. Both live in KC. Today was a good day. We met my friend Amy and her girls at the park and had lunch at their house. This park has a water area, which I didn't know about. I was totally unprepared, but I let the girls play in the water in their clothes anyway. Amy's girls are exactly the same size as my 2 girls, so we were able to get a change of clothes at her house. I don't know why, but it made me feel so at home, like I was with family. And her house always looks "lived in," just like mine. I feel very comfortable with them. What would I do without friends? What a blessing. I probably won't post again until Monday since we'll be gone. Here we go...

Day 3

Hi. We had a quiet day at home today. I don't think we left the house at all. A friend stopped by at 11 and I still had my pajamas on. Oops. Tonight my cousin came over for dinner. That was tons of fun. She's so good with the kids. We had a good dinner and then made chai smoothies and watched a movie after the girls went to bed. It's 1:14 a.m. now and I'm thinking I should go to sleep. The movie was Mozart and the Whale...very interesting. It's about 2 people with Asperger's Syndrome (a form of autism) who fall in love and try to work through their challenges. Love is complex enough without extra challenges! I always love movies that give me insight into someone else's world. I used to tutor a boy with Asperger's Syndrome, and his mother was very patient in teaching me how to help him. For example, I used to whistle while he worked until she told me that that sounds like fingernails on chalk to him. He used to get really distracted by the high-pitched whistle of the fluorescent lighting, too, which I never even noticed. And if we switched to a different table, he was in a foul mood for the rest of the session. I don't understand much of how the brain works, but the rest of us definitely take sensory input for granted. OK. I'm going to bed now. One more day at home and then we travel. I'm excited to see Hubby. So is Big Sissy. She is starting to talk about Daddy a lot. Today she pretended she was having a birthday party, and Daddy was meeting her there. It's a little sad, but it is motivating me to get excited about the trip.

Day 2

Look at us...doing just fine. I made an actual meal, which felt weird with Hubby gone. But I figured I can't keep feeding the children pre-packaged frozen meals. Boy, being a mommy comes with such moral responsibility! H called after we ate, and Big Sissy told him we were eating yummy ice cream treats because we ate all of our spaghetti. He was feeling all sad and left out until I told him that our "ice cream treats" were actually plastic balls nestled inside of those shapes that fit into the shape sorter. She has such a great imagination. I love that about her. This was also the first actual conversation I've ever heard her having on the phone. That seemed kind of monumental. I don't know why he felt sad we were having ice cream anyway. He was eating at Chipotle. Yummy...

I took the girls to Toys 'R Us today because I'm trying to get ready for Little Sissy's 1st birthday party all by myself (poor me). I got her a fun "learn to walk" toy, and then I couldn't resist the Disney Princess bat & ball set for Big Sissy. I'm on a mission now to teach that girl how to hit a ball (as though I know how). We played catch in the kitchen with our "ice cream" after we finished our treats. They're small balls, but we've got some work to do...

Day 1

I'm in Day 1 of Hubby being gone for 2 weeks. He left last night for a UPS training in KC. I thought I would be freaking out, but it's actually been OK. We ate a very thrown-together meal for supper, and I didn't feel guilty. Of course I miss him, but we're doing fine so far. The girls and I are going to try to travel to KC Friday to see him. I'm more nervous about the trip than the being home. Thank goodness for the DVD player and McDonald's playlands along the way. I'll post next week about how that went. My plan is to just stay crazy busy for the next 2 weeks. Any ideas?

Someone Else's Baby Miracle

Today I went to take a meal to my friend Dawn, who had a baby 3 weeks ago. This is what's different about my life now. First of all, I would have never waited 3 weeks before. Second, as I contemplated how to actually make a meal and get it to South City at a decent time, I was totally at a loss. I could either make the meal at like 1:00 and take it after Little Sissy's nap. That's really too late for lunch and way too early for dinner. OR I could make it while the girls are taking their afternoon naps. But then they don't wake up until 5:30 and then I have to feed them and then we have to fight traffic, putting us at our destination at 7:00 or later--way too late for their supper. In the end. I took them a frozen meal from Sam's. Yep, me who prides myself on making yummy meals and hospitality. I took a frozen meal (still frozen--I didn't even cook it for them), salad still in a bag, and bread still in a bag. I'm a little embarrassed, but at least it's groceries they don't have to buy themselves. The other embarrassing thing was when the other daddy took Big Sissy out in the yard to play ball with him and his little boy. The boy was whacking the ball into the alley and Big Sissy didn't have a clue what to do. Hmmm...guess I've never played ball with her really. That seems like Daddy's job, but Daddy hasn't done it either. I think I see sports equipment in her future...birthday, maybe? But here is the beautiful thing about all of it. My friend, who has a little boy about Big Sissy's age, has a beautiful baby boy. I think she's had 8 miscarriages, so it's been quite a rough journey for them. This baby, who weighed over 10 lbs., came in less than 2 hours from the start of labor to the finish. Since they were planning to use a midwife, this finish entailed she and the daddy delivering this big baby at home in the bathtub and then leaving him "connected" for 2 more hours while they waited for the midwife to arrive. Isn't that crazy?! I love that story. He is healthy and beautiful and worth the wait. As Dawn's husband has been searching for a teaching position for quite some time since finishing his doctoral work, this baby is a visible reminder of God's presence in their lives.

I'm Still Little

As we're all getting adjusted to Hubby's new schedule, there have been some setbacks in our family. One is that Big Sissy has been wetting her pants with some regularity. I've been handling it fairly well, I think, but today I sort of snapped. I was going on and on about how she is a big girl and she knows how to go on the potty and all she has to do is tell me, yadda yadda yadda. She was actually listening and during one of my breaths, she just said, "Mommy, I'm still little." I'm teary now just thinking about it. Yes. She's still little. She won't be little long, and I don't want to waste it being angry about the little things. Thank you for speaking that into my heart. And if you ever read my blog after you learn to read, I'm sorry for trying to make you grow up too fast. And for anyone else reading, welcome to one of my yucky mommy emotional moments. I'm trying to share the good and the bad. I also just watched The Diary of Anne Frank (I wasn't able to find a current movie at the library--see last blog). I have no idea why I pick movies that I know will make me cry. Probably because I saw it in 5th grade and had nightmares for years. I wanted to see it now and see if it still affects me the same way. It does. Hopefully the Nazis will not find my hiding place tonight while I'm sleeping. Happy blog next time, I promise. :)

Getting Nervous

I feel like I'm pretty well adjusted to having 2 children in my life. In fact, it's great fun. Last night I had to go to the library because I never can seem to return the DVDs on time and I always have a late fee. First we go to the book section. I mean, we can't go straight to the movies. It is a library, after all. Big Sissy finds a Big Comfy Couch book, which she wants me to read to her right then. The kids thought it was "story time with Ms. Christy" because they all started gathering around. Anyway, it was kind of a long book. By the time I finished and the children scattered, Little Sissy had cleared the entire Mary Kate and Ashley section as well as the Little House on the Prairie section of the shelves. By the time I cleaned all that up, Big Sissy had "picked out some more books" for us--about 27. I held Little Sissy and cleaned up the extra books. We promptly headed to the movie section with my bag stuffed more full than I wanted it. We found movies for Big Sissy pretty quickly. All I wanted was one movie for myself that didn't have subtitles and was newer than 1983. As I was looking, Little Sissy was clearing the entire mystery and drama sections on the shelves she could reach. As I was cleaning that up, Big Sissy was "picking out some movies for Mommy," which was mostly Monty Python. I'm hunched over picking up MORE movies (thankfully I'm not too big yet), and I looked up to see another mom smiling at me knowingly. "I have 4 kids," she said. "I only brought my oldest." I can see why! I want my children to have the library experience, but I was sweating by the time we left. Today I'm a little nervous about adding a 3rd to the madness. I think, though, that I'm actually more nervous about getting huge and just getting stuck in that hunched over position someday. I always seem to be picking up something. Maybe I should attach one of those call buttons on my belly, not for emergency labor. Just for emergency getting stuck.

My Little Laundry

I don't have a lot to say about this one, but aren't they cute? There was another cute one of them kissing in the laundry basket but I had to hold the laundry basket up with my foot since Little Sissy was making it tip over, and you could see my big nasty toenail in the picture. Even painted, it definitely marred the beauty of the girls.

Going on a Date

Sadly, I can't remember the last date Hubby and I went on. This is proof that it's been a while. You can tell by the picture that I was way excited to get dressed up and go out and that Hubby is not interested in dressing up if he doesn't have to. Anyway...we got to go see Les Miserables at the Muny tonight. It's my favorite show ever. The music makes me cry. I think this is my 4th time to see it on stage. This was not my favorite time, but it was still good nevertheless. I think when Inspector Javert kills himself at the end because he can't live with knowing his pursuit for "justice" keeps getting returned with mercy is such a great picture of what legalism will do to a soul. At one point we had a counselor who recommended this movie to us because we were struggling with grace/forgiveness/justice issues. This might be why it's my favorite show. I can relate to so many of the characters on different levels. My sweet in-laws came to stay with the girls and let us go enjoy. It was also my debut into maternity clothes. That kind of felt weird and I think I look a little like a Target bag, but I had a cute headband that matched. I'm obsessed with my clothes right now (see the minivan mom entry). Sorry. Anyway, if you've never seen Les Mis you should go see it (after you've seen the version of the movie with Liam Neeson that will fill you in on all the details you'll miss from seeing it on stage). It might change your life. If not, you might at least cry. If not, you might at least enjoy a good night out. Get the lemon freeze if you see it at the Muny. It will definitely enhance your experience.

All Worn Out

Big Sissy crawled in my bed mid-nap this day, which is very rare. I thought she looked so cute in her little pigtails, all snuggled up with all her sleeping friends. It was actually a cool day (clearly not from this week!!!), and we had had a picnic and played in the park with our friends Beth and JJ. I think she's just the cutest thing. :)

Minivan Mommy

Well, it's official. I'm a minivan mom. I always pictured myself as more of a jeep mom. I thought minivans were just for moms with bad haircuts and too-short jeans. I should just stop that list right there....anyway, we traded in my cute little Honda Accord for a used Honda Odyssey. I have to say that I'm really liking it so far. Sunday I sat in the floor and fed Little Sissy lunch after church while we were driving home (not safe, I know). But the point is that I had room to do that. And cupholders everywhere...it's heaven on wheels. If I really got to pick what I wanted, it would be newer and have leather seats and one of those systems that tell you where to turn to get anywhere (although I have Hubby for that). But it does have a built-in DVD system, which we haven't even clued the girls into yet. We're taking an overnight road trip this weekend, and it has room for both a big double stroller and luggage. Woo hoo! I'm really excited about all this room. As I think about it, I might have a minivan haircut right now. Ughhh... I went out and bought some new clothes just in case I was dressed like a minivan mom too. Aren't I vain?! (no comments to that, please). I felt so sad to drive away from my little red car. I think our young salesman is buying it for himself. It looked so shiny and familiar in the rearview mirror. This is why I could never break up with anyone when I was younger. I have a hard time giving up anything even for something better. So...I'm forcing myself to move on. I am switching my loyalties to our cute, gently used silver Honda Odyssey. And I'm tugging on my pants at this moment, just in case.