The Incredible Bulk

Funny things: Sadie said, "Mommy, give me my book. Oh, Mommy, I can't see without my glasses!" Hmm. I wonder which grandparent she's been listening to! Also, this afternoon, Josie had a little meltdown, and Sadie actually grabbed her own chest and said, "Oh, Josie, you're breakin' my heart!"

Josie's First Birthday party was yesterday. It was a big event! We had lots of people over, and she had cupcake balloons, her very own "smash cake," and lots of fun presents! Of course, she really couldn't care less about opening the presents. I had to keep grabbing her by the legs and dragging her back to my lap so I could force her to open them. She wanted to eat paper. Period. It was fun, though, and the highlight was definitely the cake! The smash cake was a yellow smiley face with a big green icing nose... she went for the nose first. She smushed it into her mouth and then proceeded to smear it ALL over her face, up her nose, in her ears, and then I guess her head started itching because it wound up there, too. Her Aunt Cindy and I ended up taking her straight to the bathtub. Apparently, icing is made of pure lard, because she was as slick as a greased pig (as we say in the South) when I tried to pick her up. Also, the water had a definite greenish tint when we were done. It was a good day :)

The good news is, I'm feeling better. The bad news is, Jesse is sick now. We just keep on passing it around and around. We're beginning work on the house now, so we have to get up to speed healthwise, for Pete's sake.

These are pictures from Aunt Lyd's wedding... Sadie was one of the flower girls, and Josie was just cute :) Last of all, I can't remember if I ever wrote this down or not, so here is the song that Sadie's grandpa made up to sing to her:

"Rock-a-bye, baby, in the treetops...
Hiding in the limbs, away from the cops...
I never should have taken that candy from the store...
If they'll forgive me, I'll steal no more!"

This is a source of constant entertainment for him, and for others! (I had to teach Sadie the real words, but now she thinks the other ones are the real ones :)

The Birthday Girl, Among Other Things

Well, it's finally over. My summer of "events." We finished up our Bible School today, and it was a smashing success, overall. Some of the kids even said it was the best one ever! So, we were very pleased (and even more relieved that it's all over with). Looking back on it, it was a great week. During the midst of it, I wouldn't have said that! :)

Today was Josie's birthday! We sang to her at church today, and she had her favorite food for supper - meatballs and watermelon. I told her I thought she was going to turn into a meatball if she didn't stop eating so many of them. She's so funny. She has new teeth, too! Now she has a total of 4 on the top and 3 on the bottom.

Sadie had to go to the doctor this afternoon... she's on the verge of bronchitis, and the doctor said that it sounds like I am, too! I guess it's coming from being so tired and run-down. She keeps saying she doesn't feel good, but now she also says, "Whatcha got there?" and, "Oh, yes I do," or "Oh, yes I am." Today she dumped sand on her head. Let me tell you, SAND is not easy to get out hair.

That's it. As my grandpa once said, "I'm just about done for." I think I could sleep for 4 days straight.

My Girls... Talkin' 'Bout My Girls

This is us at my cousin's wedding... finally, a cute picture of the three of us! Nobody's crying! Oh wait... I was crying right before this because I was watching a slide show about my little cousin growing up (*sniff) and now she's old and married! Oh, well, who cares? With 3 females, someone is always bound to be crying over something.

Funny things that happened:
Today, in the bathtub, Sadie put her foot into her toy boat and said, "Look at me! I have a boatshoe!" I found this to be hilarious, and so did Josie. Josie also figured out that bathwater (we call it "bootywater") is yummy to drink. She scoops it up in her little yellow cup, chugs it, snorts and chokes, and then goes, "Heh-heh-heh!"

She has also figured out that screaming is the way to get what she wants... this is a problem, since I cannot stand the screaming. Don't get me wrong... usually, she's a very sweet, cuddly, fun-loving little chunky baby. But, man! When she gets mad, it's just a disaster. It really reminds me of myself. It's scary. Also, Sadie is becoming a bonafied hypochondriac. For a week now, she's been saying, "Me don't feel good. My head hurts. My tummy hurts. Me need go to the doctor. Me need a vitamin. I need medicine. Me need to take my temperature. I just need to hold you, 'cause me don't feel good, Mommy." Sheesh. Also, reminding me of myself. I certainly hope they get some of my good qualities, too! (Although I can't think of any at the moment....)

So, I'm right in the middle of our Bible School... today was the first day, and it wasn't nearly as much of a disaster as we anticipated. It was actually somewhat fun. Sadie and Josie had a good time, although by the end, they were definitely past due for naps. So was I, for that matter.

Then, I had to run home, change clothes, scarf down lunch, and head to work. Same thing the rest of the week, except for Wednesday. Wednesday, I have to fit our house closing (gasp!) in between Bible School and work. You may ask, "How does she do it?" The answer is, "Heck if I know." :)

Awww

I don't have time to write much... it is the weekend of the wedding and Bible School prep, but I had to record this for posterity:

On the way home from the rehearsal tonight (Sadie is going to be one of the flower girls, along with her cousin Teagan), Sadie and Josie finally stopped crying. They were both more than pooped from a week of crazy preparation, all kinds of company, and bad colds/no appetite/fitful sleeping. They were sitting quietly in the backseat for a minute, and then Sadie sighs and says, "I'm happy, Mommy." Surprised, I said, "I'm glad... but why are you happy?" She said, "Because I love you." As if that weren't enough to stir my heart, Josie pipes up and says, "Ohhhh, Mama," like she was agreeing. It was the sweetest thing.

In other news, I finally got the MRI done yesterday - the right way this time - and I had my follow-up visit this morning. No surgery, which is good, but apparently I just have "loose joints." No, I'm not talking about illegal substances rolling around in my purse... :) He said that all of my joints are loose. I'm in for a lifetime of physical therapy and pain medicine that they give to arthritis patients. I must say, it's somewhat discouraging. I was hoping for a shot or a quick fix of some sort... not something like PT that will take up even more time that I don't have. Sigh.

Is everyone watching the war in Israel as closely as I am? I am glued to the TV. This can only mean one thing! To be continued....

No Time Like the Present

Well, I'm back from yet another vacation. This time to Wisconsin. Wisconsin: The vacation capital of North America :) Just kidding. We went to a week-long, family-oriented Bible school/conference thing, and I ended up having a really good time. At first, I thought, "Oh no. What was I thinking?!" But then, as the week went on, I had somewhat of a spiritual renewal. This is a really good thing, considering what a slump I have been in for the past few months.

When we got home, Josie came down with a fever, and she's had it for almost 3 days now. I think I'm going to take her to the doctor tomorrow. She's SO pitiful when she's sick. She's not super-fussy or cranky or anything... she's just lethargic and mopey. She wants to snuggle all the time, and she wants to put her little head on your chest and just stay there. I like the snuggling, but I hate that she has to be sick to want to do it!

BUT, the reason I am writing this right now is to VENT. I needed something cathartic, and this won out over 1) eating a whole bag of Oreos and 2) throwing myself off a cliff.

I have way too many things going on this summer. On top of all the travel, I've had one wedding and I have one more to go. I'm also coordinating our church's bible school. As most of you know, I've had chronic shoulder pain for about ten years now.... it just so happens that the best shoulder specialist in the Northeast had only one opening in months... and that's for this Friday. He ordered an MRI Arthrogram for me... that's where they stick this big needle into your joint and inject you with dye so they can see what's going on with your muscles/tendons/joint/etc. I went for that today (so he can give me the results when I see him on Friday). Well, in addition to taking THREE hours that I can't afford to lose this week, I went through x-ray, through this painful dye-shooting procedure, and through another hour in the scary MRI machine. For those of you who have never had one, it's very disconcerting. It sounds like a variation between a very loud jackhammer and a hundred little trolls banging on pipes with tiny little hammers. Plus, you can't move AT ALL, so of course you start itching all over. And you can't fall asleep, because you might jerk awake suddenly and move. So, the only thing to do is sit there and wait. Of course, I start thinking that the building might catch on fire, or aliens might attack, or terrorists might take over the hospitial... any number of crazy things... and I'd never know it, because I'm stuck in this TUBE o' DEATH with jackhammers and trolls beating a silly song all around my head!!!

Gasp. I seriously did almost panic. Finally, when it was over, lo and behold - the doctor who did the arthrogram was standing there waiting for me. "I put the dye in the wrong area," he said. "It went into the soft tissue and it needs to go into the fluid around the joint," or something stupid like that. "Sorry!" And he walked out. AARRGH! I was - am - so mad. I now have to take ANOTHER three hours that I don't have (the 2nd wedding is on Friday/Saturday, and bible school starts Sunday, plus Josie is sick and I'll probably have to take her to the doctor, not to mention that I'm working at WORK three days this week, not to mention that I'm still not all the way unpacked from my FIRST trip which was three WEEKS ago, not to mention that we might be closing on a house on Monday and I have to start worrying about moving!) and go BACK to the dumb hospital, get my shoulder poked and injected and sore all over again (it hurts, buddy) and sit in that troll tube for another 3 stinking hours.

There. I've said it. I feel somewhat better, but now I've wasted another 20 minutes just trying to de-stress. Calgon, take me away....