Archive for October, 2008

A Jack O Lantern, Chick Fil A, and A Duck

Published
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annette
on 29 October, 2008
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Today, the girls and I met our friend Melissa and her little boy at Chick Fil A for lunch.

I think McKenna ate about 2 bites of her chicken nugget (not 2 nuggets, mind you) before she decided she needed to go play.

Call me a pushover, but I let her. Simply because, if you know my daughter…and I mean really KNOW McKenna, then you know she just plain and simple doesn’t eat. Quite honestly, we’re wondering how she’s still alive…

In all seriousness, I knew I could get her to eat them on the way home, so I didn’t bother with forcing the issue. (Although, I DID win a grilled cheese sandwich versus Halloween candy battle yesterday.)

The minute Caia saw Kenni make her way to the playground, she had a fit. She wanted to go play too. So, she had a nugget or two and a french fry or four (and spilled the rest on the floor, of course), before I let her go.

Now, I thought she would play on the little “toddler area” they had underneath the actual play gym. 

Oh no. That was not going to cut it. She had to be on that play gym. And the minute she walked into the play area, she bee-lined it to the top of the (enclosed, don’t worry) play structure.

McKenna would NEVER have done that as this age. In fact, the summer before this past one, she wouldn’t even climb past the bottom two steps.

I was a little nervous at first, but it was just a handful of other preschoolers playing on there…so I calmed down.

Then, something happened and the big kids were released.

I don’t know where they all came from, but they invaded the place, running amuck and completely paying no attention to the little people who were playing there. And poor little 6 month old Landon was not really appreciating the loud screaming so much. (For that matter, neither were Melissa and I.)

Now, please understand…I have nothing against “big kids”. I LOVE kids. But, please don’t knock my babies over or kick them in the stomach while you’re racing to the top of the Chick Fil A playground.

So, with that…we cashed in our “toys” for ice cream, and Daddy surprised us with a visit as we were getting ready to go.

The rest of the evening was pretty normal, except that Daddy came home early enough to eat dinner with us…a treat on a Wednesday night…(SPAGHETTI NiGHT…the girls favorite!), and we carved our Halloween pumpkin.

Last year’s pumpkin carving was a nightmare. Caia was refluxing and screaming because she was constipated (she was 3 months old at the time), and we felt like Kenni got shafted in her pumpkin carving experience.

It was Caia’s bedtime by the time we got ready to carve the pumpkin, so we put her to bed. But the girl was not going to sleep yet. (She’d had a late nap, so I wasn’t surprised that she was just chatting it up with….herself.)

Kenni was so excited to carve a pumpkin that she talked the ENTIRE time. She gets chatty when she’s excited. (We have no idea where she gets it from….cough, cough.)

Once the pumpkin was complete and lit, we took it in to let Caia look at since she wasn’t asleep yet anyway. (See? you were thinking she didn’t get to be a part of the family tradition…)

Here’s the Parris pumpkin….sorry, that the picture quality isn’t great. (We lost the cord to our digital camera, and I need to replace it. Until then, I have to use the iPhone’s not-so-great-in-my-opinion camera.

And, just because I think it’s cute, here are some pictures of Caia and her “lovey”. She’s recently become attached to this stuffed duck…we’re calling it “the new Choppy”. (If you know McKenna, you know Choppy.)

Oh, my kids and their loveys. It’s like keeping up with two extra children…

Honorable Mention

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annette
on 27 October, 2008
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Tonight was the West Ridge staff party…I love that party…

It was too cold for a hayride or to roast marshmallows, but we had some great chili and desserts!

Every year there’s costume contest and a pumpkin carving contest. And every year, Stephen and I place for something.

One year, we carved a pumpkin with Matt and Brian’s silhouettes. We didn’t win…there was some question as to whether we used a stencil or not.

We did. Although it was created by Stephen…I don’t think that should count.

That same year, we dressed up as Roy (from Sigfried and Roy) and his tiger. That was the year his white tiger attacked him. Is that wrong? I don’t know…but I think we got second place.

The year after that, I was pregnant with McKenna and we came dressed as a “bun in the oven” and Stephen was the baker. A bit risque? I don’t know, but we won first place.

The year after that, we were Dr. Jerry Falwell and the purple Teletubbie. We won that year too.

The next year, it was a country western theme…we were a cow and a scarecrow. I think we got second place that year.

We were so tired this year, and honestly, we weren’t sure until the last minute that we were going to get to go, that we had no carved pumpkin and no costume. (Although it was the country western theme, once again.)

I had such a great idea for the pumpkin that I saw on Martha Stewart, but it just didn’t work out for us to have the time to actually do it.

Instead, we brought in a paper bag pumpkin that McKenna had made in preschool. Yeah, we didn’t win.

But…I did get an honorable mention for my “costume”.

People, I was wearing a red sweater and a pair of brown pants. 

I was pretty proud of my “award”.

Snow White, A Chicken, and Trunk or Treating…

Published
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annette
on 25 October, 2008
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Tonight was McKenna’s preschool’s Trunk or Treat event.

Now, I’ve never been “trunk or treating”, and I had no idea what to expect. But, if you’ve never been, it is literally where people give you candy out of the trunks of their vehicles!

There were also inflatable “bouncy” things, a cake walk, face painting, funnel cakes, hot dogs…that sort of thing. It was a wonderfully….exhausting….evening.

We had mixed reviews from the girls about their experience.

First, getting Kenni into her costume was no small feat. Her GiGi had made her a gorgeous Snow White costume when she learned to use the potty…McKenna decided she would save it for Halloween.

We have talked that dress up for WEEKS. Literally.

But when it came time to put it on, she said,

This is embarrassing. I don’t want to wear this.

My sweet little McKenna absolutely HATES dresses. I have no idea why, because I have dressed her in them since she was tiny. She’ll wear a skirt and shirt ensemble, but there’s something about a one piece dress that she abhors.

After 10 minutes of cajoling, we finally got her into the costume. Then, all was okay.

Caia was going to be a chicken. But the chicken costume we have is so…fluffy…that I couldn’t fit her in the car seat with it on. So, I decided to put the chicken suit on when we got the church.

I had hopes of Caia being a bumblebee this year, but Stephen said that Dave Ramsey would be proud of us for recycling one of Kenni’s old costumes rather than putting out the money for a new one.

In my heart, I was secretly bitter at good ole Mr. Ramsey for not allowing such frivolities as new costumes. But in the end, I’m glad we put her in the chicken suit…cause it really is the cutest little costume! We even had one lady come tell us the best part of the whole event was seeing our little toddling poultry wandering around.

Speaking of the toddling poultry, she gave herself a bloody nose this evening. I was not around for the incident…Kenni and I were busy loading up on some candy. (Which by the way, that girl does NOT know how to say “trick or treat” to save her life!)

All I know is that Stephen brought one wounded and crying chicken to me after we’d been there…oh, 10 minutes or so. All Caia wants to do now is walk…which is great. But she really isn’t interested in whether you’re with her or not. So apparently, she was toddling along behind Stephen, when he hears passersby commenting on the fact that the “little chicken fell”.

He said he turned around to see this fluffy chicken suit face-down on the ground.

Maybe I’m a bad mom, but the image I get in my head makes me giggle a little.

Stephen was not giggling. He says he’s still traumatized.

At any rate, we finally finish scoring our candy, and right at the end of the line of “trunks” is some booth set-up with skeletons and whatnot.

McKenna takes one look at it and says,

Let’s get outta here!

I didn’t notice the scary creatures…”bone men”, as she calls them, so I was a little confused.

We finally make our way to a “jump castle” that she has been eyeing, and she gets about 3 minutes of fun in there.

We then trudge on up to the free funnel cake, and McKenna decides she needs a box of candy from her stash.  I figure, Oh why not? It’s a special event.

Well, by the time the special event was over, she had indulged in a box of Dots, funnel cake, and cotton candy.

Needless to say, she was a little punch-drunk for awhile there. 

Stephen leaves me to use the facilities, and I’m stuck with a cotton-candy carrying Snow White and Chicken Little…who is getting really upset that it’s past her bedtime, and I’m not letting her just waddle on off to the dark playground where the teenagers are skate-boarding on the sidewalk.

If you’ve ever watched Jon and Kate Plus Eight and seen one of the episodes where Kate loses it on Jon (”HELLO?! JOOOOOONNNNNN?!! A LITTLE HELP PLEASE!?”), well, I turned into Kate when he came out of the bathroom.

STEPHEN!! HELLOOOO?!?!

And, so we left.

With an injured chicken and a hopped-up-on-sugar Snow White.

I’d like to say that I have pictures of them in their adorable little costumes, but the opportunity never really presented itself for a picture-worthy moment.

Instead, I give you..Caia’s first bloody nose and a wasted Snow White…

We’re Walking…We’re Walking…

Published
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annette
on 24 October, 2008
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That quote was in a movie or a TV show from the 90’s, but I don’t remember which one. I just know that my friend Terri and I used to go around saying it all the time…

It was a scene with a tour guide leading people through…the White House? Maybe that movie An American President? Oh, I don’t know…

I had a point. I did. We ARE walking in this house.

Boo Boo (aka Caia) is finally an upright individual!!! She’s just made the transition this week, and I’m loving it!!! 

She still looks a bit like Frankenstein, but it makes her look like such a big kid to toddle around the house evrywhere! My baby is growing up… Sniff, sniff, tear.

But…that’s okay. I’m getting another baby soon, right?

For now, I’m relishing having another WALKER in the house.

 

They Could’ve Been Twins…

Published
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annette
on 22 October, 2008
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…if it weren’t for the extreme personality differences.

Kenni and Caia, I mean.

The minute Caia was born, we took one look at the tiny dark-haired girl, and said,

We had that kid two years ago.

Oh, but how wrong we were.

Although they looked nearly identical (and it’s still very apparent that they are sisters), their personalities couldn’t be any more different.

Kenni, purely out of frustration and eagerness, was RUNNING at 11 months.

Caia…well, at 15 months she’s still not too sure about this whole “walking” thing.

Kenni was speaking words we could understand at 14 months.

Caia…well, she talks alright. But we have no clue what she’s saying. Stephen says she speaks in Aramaic. I mean, she’s very emphatic about whatever it is she has to say. So much so that she can start shaking with determination while she’s talking…we just don’t know what point she’s trying to get across.

Kenni, ever the fireball, would not sit still in a stroller or high chair to save her life.

Strap Caia in the stroller, and I’m pretty sure you could walk to New York and back and she wouldn’t make a peep. She’s as content as can be being pushed around. Love that.

Kenni ALWAYS put up a fight when it came to going to sleep. To this day that child cannot stand the thought of going to bed.

Put Caia down, tell her night-night, and walk out. IF she protests, it’s for about 15 seconds. Then she rolls over, and starts sucking her fingers.

Oh, but before you start thinking that Caia is as meek as a mouse, let me assure you, she’s got some spunk. And she lets her older sister know it.

Kenni has always been very self-aware. Not much of a “trouble maker” when it comes to getting into things. 

Caia’s favorite toy is the toilet. She has thrown many an object in my toilet….many I never bothered to retrieve.

But, one of the most obvious differences between the two right now, is one that I love.

Even as a tiny baby, McKenna could not stand toys that shook, danced, play music. Scared her to pieces. She thinks everything is “too loud”. I can’t get her to come into the worship services at church when Daddy is singing because, “He sings too loud.”

Caia, on the other hand, LOVES toys that dance and sing.

My grandmother gave Kenni this Bear in the Big Blue House toy last Christmas, and Caia has taken it over. It’s absolutely her favorite toy.

She says, “Ba” (I suppose that means bear), and then drags it over to you and waits for you to press its paw and let the thing dance and sing. She’ll bop up and down and laugh and clap while the bear “performs”. (If I had a nickel for everytime I’ve heard the Bear Cha Cha Cha…)

Before our friend Tiffany moved to Boston, she gave McKenna her Tickle Me Elmo. Scared McKenna silly. But guess who thinks that thing hung the moon?

Last night, Kenni brought it to the living room and informed me that Daddy needed to get some new batteries for her “laughing Elmo”. (And that thing does eat some batteries. It’s unreal!) Caia found it this morning and brought it to me, eager for it to do its thing.

When it wouldn’t turn on, there were some squeals of protest. But she still carried it around, clutching it to her and bringing it back to me every so often to see if it would work. (Yeah, I’ll be buying some batteries for the thing soon, I guess.)

I LOVE watching the differences develop between these two kids. I love McKenna’s spunk and her drive. And I love Caia’s gentle and snuggly spirit.

They both love life, and they love to have fun. But they couldn’t be more different if they tried.

I told Stephen that I’d hire McKenna as my lawyer and Caia as my mid-wife.

Welcome to the Himalayas!

Published
by
annette
on 21 October, 2008
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That title has absolutely nothing to do with my blog post, but we’re watching Monsters, Inc. here in the Parris house tonight, and that scene with the Abominable Snow Monster gets me everytime. 

Always making the best out of his situation.

I suppose I could reeeeaaaaaalllllllllyyyy stretch and make it fit my post, but nah…I don’t think I’ll do that!

First off, let me start by saying….”Whew!”

I love blogging, and most of the time I try to do it every night. But the past several evenings have been so jam-packed, I’ve barely had the time to think of what I would write, let alone actually put forth the effort.

Let’s see, since last Monday, we’ve have had a funeral, three preschool days, one rehearsal dinner, two weddings, two Dinner in December meetings, MULTIPLE grocery store stops, one Gorga Monkeys playdate/birthday party, one Journey Group meeting, one doctor’s appointment, and one failed attempt at another playdate that resulted in one mini-mommy meltdown.

And let’s see…let’s throw in the fact that those lovely Braxton Hicks contractions have started and you can see why I haven’t been able too blog much. :)

But amidst the chaos and constant running that is my life, I feel like I learned a valuable lesson the day that I had my mommy-meltdown.

It started innocently enough last Friday morning. We were getting ready for a playdate with an old friend of mine that I grew up with.

The weather was horrible that day…cold and constant downpours. It was the set-up for the perfect storm.

Caia, perhaps sensing the coming commotion, was very needy that morning. Constantly in need of my attention. I thought I could avert disaster by putting her in the shower with me, but that only caused her more unrest. For whatever reason, an idea that she usually loves evoked screams of resistance until I could finally get her dried off with a towel.

Kenni was given a set of clothes to put on while I was getting ready. She was busy watching TV when I handed them to her, and apparently (I don’t know, I wasn’t around for this part) started playing “Flying Trapeze” with her clothes.

This is a game that involves her throwing things at random until no one can find the items. It’s fabulous.

When I was finally dressed and ready, I approach Kenni with one question….

WHERE ARE YOUR CLOTHES AND WHY DON’T YOU HAVE THEM ON?!

Okay, two questions.

What followed was a barrage of tears, screams, fruitless searching for said articles of clothing….and Caia screaming her head off just to add a little to the commotion.

And that’s when I had had enough. I was losing my cool. Oh, who are we kidding? I had LOST my cool by then, and it was over. Nobody was winning this battle.

And sometimes, you just got to know your limits.

I was in tears, it was still raining flood-like rains, and both children were hysterical.

I called my friend and cancelled the playdate.

More screams and protests from Kenni.

The day never really got much better after that. When it should have been nap time for Caia, computer time for Kenni, and rest time for mommy, Kenni was still in hysterics over her lost Choppy.

Maybe if you wouldn’t play Flying Trapeze with everything, McKenna, this wouldn’t be a problem!

I don’t think I really NEED to mention that that little outburst from me didn’t really help.

We had a wedding rehearsal that night for a wedding that Stephen was singing in, and I had already lined up a babysitter since I knew it would be a late night.

But as the day wore on, my tolerance level for…well, EVERYTHING…wore out. 

I called Stephen and told him that I was canceling the sitter and staying home.

He knew better and forbid me to do it.

He left his appointments early to come home and give me time to get ready. And when 5:00 came, I couldn’t get out the door fast enough.

We had a really great time, and I’m so glad that I didn’t let the babysitter get away! :)

It’s been a frantic and fast-paced several days, but such is life with the Parrises, I suppose. 

Yesterday, Caia had her 15 month check-up…she made the 10th percentile! Hey…that’s big news for one of my kids.

And we subjected both of the girls to a flu shot. Poor Kenni flipped out and tried to grab the needle while the nurse was giving her the shot, and she got marked with a nice little scratch.

But, to reward them for their bravery, I took them to Barnes and Noble to deplete the rest of my gift card from my birthday. And we did that pretty successfully…so successfully that I had to spend an extra $2.49. 

Then after lunch and naps, we headed back out to the store to scrounge up something for dinner to take to the church and finish one last writer’s meeting. Which, I might add, ended in a completed script.

I take no credit for last night’s addition and revisions, other than to say, “I like that. I don’t know about that. Now, that’s funny.”

But, even though the activity hasn’t slowed down, and the mounds of laundry and dirty dishes climb higher, strangely…God has quieted my anxious heart.

My house is such a whirlwind these days that there has been little time for cleaning…what time we are home, I TRY to rest. And take each moment as it comes.

Usually, and Stephen will attest to this, I am a ball of anxiety about the state of the house when it’s like this. And while I can’t say that I am pleased to have it be like this all the time, I am resting in fact that I am letting God be the Author of my day. I am choosing to let Him lead what I do and when I do it.

Stephen always says that he doesn’t care about the state of the house. That it’s more important to him that our family be happy and at peace. Dontcha love him?

So tonight, when that nervous feeling started to creep up on me that the kitchen was still in post-dinner status at the end of the day, I chose to stop and go sit on the couch with Kenni and Caia and Stephen and watch Monsters, Inc.

Maybe I’ll be more like the Abominable Snow Man someday (I said I wasn’t going to try and tie that in, didn’t I?), and focus on what’s RIGHT with my situation rather than what’s wrong.

Wasteland?! I think you mean WONDERLAND!

 

 

Dear Makers of Tylenol PM and Unisom,

Published
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annette
on 16 October, 2008
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I am not sure what your product is made with. 

Oh yes, I can read the label just fine…and I could google “ingredients” to my heart’s content.

But I’m pretty sure there’s something you’re not telling the American public.

There is most definitely a mind-altering drug that you have added to these so-called “sleep aids”.

My husband has repeatedly told me that I am no longer allowed to take Tylenol PM. And last night, he added Unisom to the list.

Apparently, I become rather….mean….when I take these medications. So much so that I awoke to him saying,

Please stop pushing me.

I am unsure as to what part of the brain takes over once the medicine is consumed, and I am finally asleep, but it must be the one that creeps out in those affected with serious anger-management issues.

Oh, and by the way…neither medication helps me fall asleep quickly. Nor do they help me stay asleep.

Thanks for nothing. My husband will send his counseling bills to you…

Don’t These Make You Giggle?

Published
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annette
on 14 October, 2008
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Those just made me smile. If I had children who still took pacifiers, I’d so buy those.

I found them on a website that I was surfing for “how to treat sciatica in pregnancy”. (If you have suggestions, I’m all ears. I’m sure getting my 15 month old to walk would help some, huh?)

I have lots of stories I could share this evening…like how we ran out of gas on the way to my grandmother’s funeral, the incredibly sweet and romantic story that was read at that funeral about how she and Paw Paw met (I WILL share that one when I get my hands on a copy of that story), how I spilled pancake batter all over my kitchen, my three year old’s night terrors, or how an entire can of Pringles got ground into my carpet…..but I’m too tired to even think about these things anymore. Maybe another day. :)

Instead, I’ll give a “shout out” (yeah, I’m way cool like that) to my future sister in law Paula and my brother in law Jon.

These are Little Dude’s first articles of clothing….and the first blue blanket to make its way into our home (unless you count the ones that I’ve found that my friends have left)…

Aren’t they cute? Thanks, Paula and Jon!!!! 

I have to say, I LOVE having little girls to dress up in hairbows and pink, but I am way excited to bring a little blue into this house!

By the way, for those who are curious, yes…we are close to a name for Little Dude. But Stephen is seeking some more direction as to the middle name. We’re way into the name MEANINGS, and have tossed out quite a few great names due to the fact that they meant weird things…

…like Cart-Pusher, Casket-Maker, and Stephen’s least favorite….Son of the Gray-Haired One.

 

Wicked

Published
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annette
on 14 October, 2008
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It’s been a busy few days, and I haven’t had a chance to write much.

But I did want to mention how much fun I had on Saturday night going to see Wicked at The Fox!

I went with my dear friends from my Journey Group, and we had a blast!

Here we are looking fancy…I don’t care for this picture of myself, because I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb, but hey….it’s a good group shot.

We went to Loca Luna, a tapas restaurant, and that was pretty good. I’m not real big on spicy food, but the things we ordered weren’t that bad. I think the overall consensus was that the chicken skewers may have been the favorite.

And sure, we could have saved the rest of our appetites for a nice dessert out after the show, but the chocolate craving was a little too strong for some, and we hit up a local gas station for some candy to shove in our purses.

Finally at the show (and I’ve been to the bathroom…no joke, FOUR times since we left the house at this point), and I decide I need a water. There’s no way I’ll make it through the whole show without something to drink.

I go wait in the line where I get behind four people ordering their mixed and poured cocktails and elixirs that took FOREVER! Finally, I’m able to pay my $3.75 for a bottled water (why I didn’t get that at the gas station too, I don’t know…), and I scooted back to my seat right before the curtain went up.

About 10 minutes in, I hear this really loud couple just chatting away behind me, and I’m starting to think this could get annoying really fast. That’s when the guy on the end of the row tells them to pipe down.

I was glad he did, but then I got really paranoid that he was going to tell me to shut it as well because I kept rattling the paper on my KitKat bar.

The show was absolutely PHENOMENAL, and we all loved it!!! I really wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was fabulous and hilarious! The cast was amazing! Now, if I could sing or dance or do any of that stuff, I would have totally had dreams to go Broadway when I was kid. (I say I would have had “dreams”, you notice….not that I would have ever gone…)

The best part of the night was spending time with my close friends. I love these girls, and they are amazing!!! They have been their for the birth of each of my children, and for all the crazy stuff in between! They’re the best, and I am so thankful that God has allowed our lives to intersect.

And, although this has nothing to do with Wicked, I had to throw in some pictures of my girls mowing down on some cantaloupe last Sunday.

I don’t why, but I love this picture. They look so innocent and like they’re enjoying sharing something for once that it makes me smile. 

I Couldn’t Think of a Title Tonight…

Published
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annette
on 10 October, 2008
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I have so much rolling around in my head tonight, and I couldn’t think of a title.

But, I will share with you something my friend Tara sent me. It made me giggle. It’s so true…

I’m not a computer genius like Stephen so I couldn’t make it any larger, but the caption says,

Never before have so many people with so little to say said so much to so few.

I’m much more a rambler than a true “blogger”, I think. And truth be told, I’m really not a “writer”.

See, I love writing, but not once in high school or college did I ever make an A on a paper.

Here’s why…I write like I think. Run-on sentences, short blurbs of thought. Grammatically and syntactically (is that a word?) I am a nightmare.

Comma splice, comma splice, comma splice.

One night after working on something I was writing, I had a dream that I was John McCain’s campaign manager.

When I told Stephen the next day, his response was,

And so…how did that work out for you?

Oh, it didn’t. I had no idea what I was doing and ended up feeling like a complete and total sham of a person. Ahhh yes, the insecurities were nocturnally creeping through.

Nonetheless, I blog away anyway. For better or worse. 

Soooo….on to the events of the weekend thus far.

My mom called this morning with two back to back (I mean, less than a minute apart) messages.

When I called back, I learned that my grandmother had passed away last night.

It was not unexpected, and everyone has had time to prepare. She had been diagnosed with leukemia a few months back and had never come home from the hospital.

As strange as it sounds, I’m not really sad. You see, all she has wanted since my grandfather passed away several years ago was to be with him. And now she is. I’m really more thankful that she doesn’t have to suffer any longer.

Not really sure how to segue into this next segment, so I’ll just jump right in.

I’m pretty sure that my house has it in for me. 

Yesterday, it was the washing machine.

Before I headed to school to pick up Kenni, I tossed some clothes in the washing machine. Now, my washing machine is located in the entry room (do you fancy people call it a “mud room”?) from my garage. You open the door from my garage to this little, and I do mean little, room that houses the washer and dryer…and the baker’s rack and all my baking pans. 

As I unloaded everyone (and all of the “everyone”s were tired and hungry and cranky), I went to open the door to this room. This is my only way to enter the house. I never bring my front door keys with me, but I should probably start after this experience.

As I tried opening the door, it opened about two inches, and then wouldn’t budge.

The washing machine had thrown itself off balance and wiggled out of it’s spot against the wall to squarely block my door…my only entrance to food and naps.

I panic. There is NO WAY I’m going to be able to get into my house! I call Stephen who’s having not the greatest day of his life either. 

I love him, but he was no help.

So, I do the only thing I know to do. I start slamming the door into the washing machine over and over again in hopes that I’ll budge it just enough to squeeze in.

This scares the bejeebies out of Caia who is now screaming and crawling all over the garbage bags in my garage that have not been taken out yet. Yum.

Meanwhile, Kenni is playing in the car and saying over and over again,

We’re trapped! We’re trapped! What are we going to do?!

Uhhh, no pressure. Thanks.

I finally manage to open the door about 8 or 9 inches. I’m thinking that if I weren’t pregnant, I could probably shimmy in there and rescue us. But with this belly, it ain’t happenin’.

If only there were someone smaller who could….

MCKENNA!

So, I pass her through the opening, onto the washing machine, help her down, and tell her that she needs to be my hero. I give her instructions on how to go to the front door, unlock the deadbolt, and let us all in.

Now, I hate it that she now knows how to unlock the deadbolt, but she did free us from our imprisonment in the garage. 

And she was rewarded with lots of Halloween candy for that.

So, needless to say, it’s been a trying week. Thank goodness for tomorrow night.

My girlfriends and I are going to Wicked at The Fox. We’ve been planning this for quite some time, and while it was originally SUPPOSED to be a WEEKEND away, I will settle for a night out without children.

Now onto tomorrow’s dilemma….

Finding sensible (pregnant kind of sensible) yet fashionable and cheap shoes to go with my outfit.

I need something mindless like that to dwell on for awhile.