Wisdom

I was trying to make a new post last week, and my Internet was all funky. I pay almost $90.00 per month to have some sort of speed on my Internet service. I know, ridiculous, isn't it? But, DSL is not available in my area, nor are any other services besides dial up and that alone will make me want to do bad things to my computer. Several years ago, the girls and I all pitched in and had to pay $300.00 for the satellite equipment, and now I pay this $90.00 per month. You would think for all that money I would get GREAT Internet service. Well, I don't. Not only is it unreliable, but apparently it is not "unlimited". In getting to my point, with Catherine home and all, according to my provider, we have gone over our FAT time, and now, have limited, and VERY slow use. Until the end of the month. Besides, some one near by is also feeding off of my wireless signal, and I need to know how to block them from using it........Ok, enough on the computer.

What I was going to post about was wisdom TEETH. Yep, Catherine needed all four of hers out, and me, well I needed to get two of mine out (yep, I still have/had mine). Anyway, the oral surgeon that I was sent to said Catherine's would be $2000.00, and mine would be $600.00. I do not have dental insurance on Catherine or myself, and needless to say I don't have $2600.00 just laying around.........so, the solution........we went to Mexico and had it done for about 1/2 the cost. Mom and Dad went also, and they had some dental work done as well. I have a photo of Catherine's teeth, before they were pulled, but I can not load it on my computer at this time (see above paragraph). Hers were really tough to get out. I won't go into detail, but when her dentist said he had to "cut away some bone", I pretty much quit listening at that point.

As I am sure my previous post indicated, I was feeling a little unsocial. It had nothing to do with the wisdom teeth, just wisdom in general, of my lack there of.....anyway, I am learning to deal with my dilemma, or ignore it, I am not sure which yet, but, no matter, I still don't want to talk about it, so, don't ask me "how's it going".

One more topic and then I am done for today. It is an old one re-visited.....last night I watched the original "Star Wars" movie. That movie came out when I was a senior in high school (1977). Back then, the special effects were awesome, and the movie was great, and so on and so forth. I use to know a group of young men who were beyond fans of "Star Wars"....obsessed is more like it. Let me just say, I laughed watching it this time..........but, even if for the laughter, it was still entertaining. (Luke was a whiner!)

Weak Week

I am having an awful week, and I don't want to talk about it, and I don't want anyone asking me about it, and I don't feel like being social. I just need to have a weak week. So, now I have "vented" and I have been told it will make me feel better. Well, it doesn't. Go away and leave me alone. ( I am not sure to whom I am speaking, maybe the whole wide world.............)Besides, I think if you were all honest, you have felt the same thing at some point. They say the first step in getting help is admitting you have a problem.........so I say, admit that you have had entire days, or weeks, months, or maybe even years that have stunk! That is all I want to say about it.

Adams Rib

One of the things I like about living by myself is watching old movies. I have a Netflix two movies per month membership and so far I have watched "Sergent York", "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington", "The Ghost and Mrs. Murier", "To Kill a Mockingbird", and "Mrs. Miniver",to name a few, and tonight, I watched Tracy and Hepburn in "Adams Rib". I truly love these old movies. One of the things I enjoy is seeing many of the same people in each of these different movies. I know this was a time when the actors and actresses had contracts with specific studios, so they were in multiple movies, but it is fun to spot them in bit parts in one, and then major parts in another. It's like "Where is Waldo", but on screen.

I love the costumes, the dresses the women wore were so fabulous, and the nightgowns and robes were flowingly beautiful. Hats, everyone wore hats. The men and the women all wore hats. Mostly, I think the women's hats were ridiculous, feathers and birds and netting over their face. Apparently I am not a hat fan, but I appreciate that they were a part of the movie and the ambiance of that movie. Oh, and the women, WOW, did many of them have these knock out figures. Katharine Hepburn, in "Adams Rib", what a beauty she was in her costume dresses. I watched another old one with her in it, I can't recall the name, it had Cary Grant, anyway, she wore this white swim robe, and she looked like a Greek Goddess in it.....oh, and I love the fact that obscene language has yet to be introduced to the film industry......my "hats off" to old movies!

Confessions of a Mediocre Mother

Hmmmmmmmm...where to begin.

Ok, so the whole Catherine coming home. Let me state a few facts up front, and then ramble from there. It was a great surprise. I love her very much. I am always proud of her. I do like having her home. That being said......

Confessions :

Within the first 7 days Of her being home, I asked her twice when her return airfare was for, I threatened to beat her silly, and told her I considered killing her ( by pinching her little head off). Most of these statements were said with a smile, I will not declare which ones were and which weren't.

I think I have stated previously in my blog how much I do enjoy living by myself. I like the peace and quiet, I like the lack of conflict, I like only having to pick up after myself.

Things I remembered after Catherine came back home.

I do not like her leaving her dirty dishes all over the living room. I do not like her setting her dirty dishes on the EDGE of the kitchen sink. Not IN the sink, not BESIDE the sink, but she sets them, actually, LINES them up along the EDGE of the sink. I do not like being told that she will get something done, and then, it does not happen.

In her defense, these things do not happen constantly. She has picked up her bathroom, the living room, the kitchen, mowed the lawn (twice), picked up some fencing materials and demoed them so they would fit in the trash can, painted part of an apartment, and spent a day running my errands with me (which, she hates with a passion).

Catherine came into my room, within 6 days of being home, proclaiming that being home "sucked". There was nothing to do, no where to go, blah, blah, blah..........So, I said, "suck it up". I told her "this is the same place you left", and that "she could chose to make the most of time here", and that it will only "suck" if she allows it to. I told her lots of things in my life have "sucked". Getting a divorce, her going away to college so far away, seeing my granddaughter move to Austin, and Rob and Cindy moving to San Marcus. (just to name a few).......but, that I had chosen to make the best of all of those situations, and made them be "ok" for me, since there was nothing else I could do about it, and that she should and could do likewise if she chose to.



So here is my point. As I am expressing myself to some friends, I start to notice the "shocked" or "mortified" looks on their faces. At some point, the realization slaps me in the face, "Jami, maybe you are not the loving, caring, nurturing mom you always thought of yourself as". I confess, I think, secretly, I have taken a considerable amount of credit for my girls being successful in their lives. For the most part, I was a single mom for Catherine (she was 6 when her dad and I split), and Jessica was 12, and Jennifer was 16. They are now almost 19, 25, and 28, respectfully. Now, I am thinking that maybe, just maybe, they are successful IN SPITE of me, not BECAUSE of me!

So, I had a discussion with Catherine about this "insight" of mine. And apparently, I am NOT a nurturing mom. Apparently, I don't give off the warm fuzzy's that I think I do. Now I ask, "How can that be?!" How can one reach the ripe old age of 49 and not know they type of parent she is.

Let me be clear here. I do not think I am a BAD mother. I still believe I am a good mom, the best mom I can be..........that is not my point. I am not bashing myself here, I am just acknowledging outwardly and openly that I am still learning about myself.

So, now the question becomes. Can I change, do I want to change, and would change do me any good at this point? Let's face it. The girls are grown and raised. I have pretty much done all of the damage, or good I can do.

I would say that I will make every effort to be a different type of grandmother than I have been as a mom, but quite honestly, that is already the case. I was a pretty strict mom, and I am not a very strict grandmother, just for starters.

So, I think I will take my own advise and just "suck it up". I will accept who and what I have been. I will adhere to Cindy's philosophy of "asking forgiveness and not permission". I love God, my kids, my parents, my grandbaby(s), my friends, and my life.

I hope you all feel the same about yours.

Biggest Surprise of My Life

Last night, at about 10 pm, my little dog, Meg, barks, like someone is at the front door. I was in my room, and didn't hear anything, but she is pretty good and keeping me informed. I went and looked through the peep hole, and Chelsea Arkadie is at my front door. Chelsea has been Catherine's best friend for years now. She lives in Waller, and goes to college at Prairie View. When I see her, I always fuss at her for not coming by to see me. So, I am very surprised and excited to see her standing at my front door.

We come in, sit on the couch and start visiting. I am sitting with my back to the kitchen area, and I feel something "nuzzle" my shoulder. "Nuzzle, nuzzle", I think it is Meg, wanting attention. I turn around to tell her to knock it off, and it's not a nuzzle at ALL..........it is CATHERINE !

Catherine who has told me for MONTHS that she was staying for graduation at Brown, which is not until the 25th. Catherine who told me she and some friends were going to rent a U-haul and drive home from Rhode Island. Catherine, who, every time I questioned her on how she was getting home, she told me "don't worry about it, I am not worried, you shouldn't worry". Catherine, who I did not expect to see until maybe June 1st, is standing in my house. Home!

Apparently, everyone knew but me.........and everyone has known for months, and kept if from me. To surprise me. Man, was I surprised. In fact, I don't know what word is bigger than surprise......ubersurprised?

I cried, I hit her a few times (you know the love pat type of smacks)......and just stared at her...........I even asked her to hit me, so I would know it was real! She didn't want to hit me, but Chelsea took the invitation to heart, and frogged my arm!

Catherine is HOME.......and I am HAPPY...........

Catherine

Catherine posted several blogs last night/today. One of the blogs, she talks about how there is a photo contest for students to enter pictures they have taken at Brown this school year. I have only selected a few pictures to put here, maybe someone reads my blog and they don't read Catherine's. I don't mean to plagiarize (I assume you can do that with photos as well as writings). I just was so blown away with the extreme beauty. I can only imagine what it is like to live there and see these sights daily.

This first picture, I asked Catherine about, and yes, it is like that for several weeks



This next one is also a winter scene, but the buildings are beautiful, the sky is amazing and it is important to show this one before the next one.



And now I might be mistaken, but I believe these are the same buildings, the same court yard, but obviously a different season.





So her having posted those photo entries, and seeing the beauty, and knowing of the life changing experiences she is having, she also admits to being a little homesick. Family, friends, and Texas. She included in her blog a video from the Dixie Chicks..."Wide Open Spaces". I admit to liking the DC's.......not their politics, but their music. And I admit, when I have heard this song on the radio, I could have pretended to sing along, at least with the chorus..........but, I never really listened to the first part. When I did, I thought, "how Catherine" to put a song that so perfectly fit........so, for you readers, I am going to put the first few lines...........to read..........to understand, as I did, just a little bit of what my youngest daughter must have been and is experiencing in her life this past year.

Who doesn't know what I'm talking about.
Who's never left home, who's never struck out.
To find a dream, and a life of their own,
a place in the clouds, a foundation of stone.

Many precede and many will follow.
A young girls dreams no longer hollow
It takes the shape of a place out west (east)
But what it holds for her, she hasn't yet guessed.

She needs, Wide Open spaces
room to make big mistakes,
She needs, new faces,
she knows the highest stakes.
She traveled this road as a child.
wide eyed and grinning she never tired.
But now she won't be coming back with the rest,
If these are life's lessons, she'll take this test.......

Catherine took a leap of faith, she left to attend a college, thousands of miles away, not just up the road. She left saying "I can do it", "I want to do it", and I know in my heart, she will do it. For I too have faith, she just needs "Wide Open Spaces".

Oh how I miss her, look forward to her time home this summer.

More on Mia

I know I have not posted pictures lately and Catherine has been VERY unhappy about that. I really do have slow internet service, and it takes a long time to upload pictures, especially videos. But here is a clip of Mia being silly, eating Cheeto's in the back of her car. Jennifer and Mia were waiting for me. I had gone inside to order pizza, and we had spent the last hour and the children's museum in Austin.




And here is one of her playing in the sprinkler at her new home in Austin.



And my first attempt at this slide show.

Slide show of Mia

Something old and something New.......seeing something made me Blue

So I made my first trip to Austin to see Mia, Jennifer and Rex. It was an unexpected trip, Jennifer was having some issues of concern in her new pregnancy, and we all insisted that she get it checked out. Thank goodness it showed to be nothing, in fact, the baby is fine, Jennifer, Rex and Mia saw the baby in an ultra sound, saw the heart beat and according to Jennifer, the little nubs of arms and legs. Mia said the whole thing was "nasty". I suppose looking at pictures in black and white of your mom's guts could be construed as "nasty" even if you are not two! I got to see the new house, which is really nice, and spend time with lively lovely Mia.

That is my "Something New".....part.

Now for the something old.

Jennifer, Mia and I went to eat at Magnolia Cafe today. The food is always good, but I think I always get the same thing! I just know everyone we passed while getting seated had something wonderfully delicious sitting on their plate! Corey Ann (my cousin's daughter) could sure take some great pictures of the food. I have a link to her blog on my blog, and if you want to see some delicious pictures of food, check out her blog. I think she should be a food photographer............

Well, I digress...........back to the old, and made me blue.

As we were being seated, there was a man, I would say 50's maybe 60, in a nice business suit. He was sharing the table with, what Jennifer and I assumed to be his elderly mom. The mom was wearing a little pill box hat, and a light brown fur coat. As we walked up, he was standing wiping the mouth of a teddy bear sitting in the highchair at their table. Yes, I said a teddy bear. Wearing clothes, sitting in a high chair, with a messy mouth. It actually looked like a Paddington Bear. Jennifer and I assume that the elderly "mom" had fed the bear. We both just wanted to cry. Our minds raced with the story that must belong with that family. There was sadness and love all wrapped up in the table next to us. Like Jennifer said, the man, obviously a business man, who had to, in a simple way, humble himself, stop making crucial multi-million dollar deals for a while, by taking his mom out for brunch, and indulge her age by asking for a high chair for a stuffed teddy bear, and then wipe the mouth of that bear. It was such a poignant moment, it almost felt like we were seeing a very private moment between a son and his mom. It was beautiful and sad.

Not being one to stay focused on the beauty of the moment, I told Jennifer that I hoped someday, my girls would have to take me and my teddy bear out! It would serve them all right! ( I was just kidding!) I must admit that I now have a new saying, when I am having one of those "senior" moments, I will now say, "I am just one step away from a teddy bear". I do not say that in mockery of what we saw, but it just was so precious that I think it makes growing older seem a little more positive.

Maybe it touched me so because today is my birthday. I am 49. I am waiting for my teddy.........

Late night blogging

I have several things to comment on...........first, Mia moved away today. I think that says something when I think of it as Mia moving away and not my daughter! In my defense, Jennifer has moved away before. Colorado, Italy..........Mia on the other hand, well, she moved to Tomball, but really that was not too far. Now she lives in Austin, and while it is not (thank goodness) Colorado or Italy, it is still not just up the road, so to speak. I am happy for Jennifer and Rex buying a house and living where their hearts lead them, but, I miss Mia already.

Rob got the great job with Texas Parks and Wildlife, managing the fish hatchery in San Marcos. They are in the process of moving. I went with Cindy this week to see their new house, help unload some items and help paint. Again, I am so happy for them, but.......well, I will miss them dearly.

I have a membership to NetFlix, where I get two movies per month. I have enjoyed getting old movies, and not having anyone complain or give negative input.("Mom, just because it's an old movie, doesn't mean its a good movie" said by one of my beautiful and wonderful daughters.).....that being said, my last movie this month was "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid". I saw it originally at the movies, YEARS ago, and once since then..........and I remembered tonight while watching it......I refuse to watch the end of the movie! I do not like the ending, but the movie is entertaining. I also watched "To Kill a Mockingbird" this month. Trivia question, "What role does Robert Douvall play in "To Kill a Mockingbird"?"

I have pictures to post, Mia, my Dad's 83rd birthday, and some other events, and I will get them on soon. Now that everyone is moving away, I will have LOTS of extra time on my hands!

Well that's is for now. It is 1:30 in the AM and I think I will try and get some sleep!

OH, PS, I will put these pictures here, because, well I have them loaded on my computer. Catherine has several pictures on her blog of this tree. I call it a Pink Magnolia, but I am not sure of the real name......anyway, I love these trees!

A visit with Mia

I did promise Catherine I would post a blog with pictures of Mia. My excuse Catherine is that when Jennifer loaded the pictures from her camera onto my computer, she loaded them in Kodak Easy Share, and man, it takes an act of congress to move them!

Anyway, Catherine, here is the video that we took just for you!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

And the slide show from that day is here if you have time to check it out.


Visit with Mia April 4, 2008



Oh, and by the way, I going to be a grandma again! Jennifer and Rex are expecting a baby! We are all VERY excited. I already bought "her" a cute little outfit! Yes, I am saying "girl" because, well, that is what I know, but everyone else is saying that little "boy" sure is going to look funny in that pink outfit! Even my dad is hoping for a boy..........Catherine said that should not be a surprise to me, since all I had was girls, its been over 50 years since they had a little boy around. So, all things considered, I guess its time for a boy!

Easter and Birthday Weekend

March 24th is Jessica's birthday. We have a wonderful video when she was a little girl talking about how her birthday was on a "Good Friday". She was almost an Easter bunny baby.

Jessica and her boyfriend Tommy came home for a visit this weekend. Jennifer and Mia were here also, because Rex had to go out of town.

Catherine was missing from my nest.

We ate grilled steak and veggies, and played croquet, and Mia dyed and hunted eggs. It was a very nice weekend and I loved spending every minute with my girls and their families and my parents.

Here are some pics I took.

And if you have time, are interested and don't have dial up internet, here are some videos I took. The background noise from the motorcycles next door is VERY annoying!

More Mia Pics from our March Visit

Mia Pics 3/17/08

My Little Ponies

When Jessica was a little girl, she loved "My Little Ponies". She played with them for hours on end. Every pony had a name and a story, and a voice. Through life changes, some pony items are gone, but there is one box that remained. I got the box down from the closet the other night and Mia is now LOVING the ponies.

Here are some clips I took. And yes, in one of the clips, it does look like a pony graveyard........but they are only sleeping, not dead!


My Little Ponies 3/17/08

Old Age, I decided, is a gift.

This was actually an email I got from a friend...........I believe it speaks loudly to me. So, I decided to copy and paste an email on my blog. There is a first time for everything I guess!


I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have
always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometime despair over my body,
the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am
taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror, but I don't
agonize over those things for long.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving
family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've
become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself.. I've become
my own friend.

I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making
my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but
looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be
messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before
they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until
4 AM and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 & 70's,
and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love .... I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging
body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to,
despite the pitying glances from the jet set . They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just
as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not
break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when
somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what
give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never
broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being
imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning
gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep
grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died
before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about
what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even
earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I
like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but
while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have
been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every
single day. (If I feel like it)

Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band

Tonight I had the pleasure of going with Joanne McCay and Sheryl Stephenson to Cypress Community Church (which by the way, is the church where I got married) to see Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band. We went and had pedi's and mani's and Sheryl got her hair cut, and then we had a fabulous dinner at a place I use to eat many many moons ago, called "Clementine's". They use to be a burger joint with the best cheddar cheese soup EVER, and now they are a little more "up scale". But, Becky A............I FINALLY got my boiled shrimp!

Anyway, back to the Big Phat Band, truth be told, not following the jazz scene, I had never heard of them.............but man can they blow! Kind of a combination of big band and jazz.

Watching them brought back a lot of great memories of good times I had being a full blown band nerd, in high school and my earlier college year.

There are several clips of the performing songs on YouTube......... I hope you enjoy, because I know we sure did!

Thanks Joanne for a great time!

Rob and Cindy

I have talked in past blogs about friends and family and about friends who become family. I have yet to mention Rob and Cindy Schmid. Yep, I spelled the last name right, it is NOT "Schmidt".........the "t" is not there on purpose. Anyway I met Cindy I believe about 15 years ago, we were both band booster officers. Cindy and I chaperoned a band trip and I think we actually had more fun than the kids did. I remember being asked by the band directors to "keep it down a little" at an outside dinner! A terrible tragedy fell on one of our band directors, and as officers, we ended up putting in more time than normal. (I will not elaborate on this tragedy more)

One thing leads to another.........

Then a few years later, a tragedy happened in my life, and for what ever reason, I turned to Cindy first. We were friends, but, nothing like "BFF". I have since told her, I think I turned to her first because she was "safe". (I will not elaborate on this tragedy more either).

One thing leads to another............

At some point, Cindy and her husband Rob,their son Taylor, Catherine and Jessica and I start doing some "adventures in dining". We went to a Persian restaurant (smoked a bong!), we went to a Russian restaurant (had borscht) , we went to a Brazilian restaurant(most expensive meal I have ever eaten, and one of the best), and we went to an Asian restaurant(they served us a fried fish with his head still attached, sitting upright on the plate like he was swimming and it had a red sauce poured over it, it looked like blood....I did not eat that). Several of these were very international experiences. When we went to the Russian restaurant, we had an authentic Russian dine with us. He worked with Rob and Cindy and was here in the US learning to be a fish farmer. (Oh, by the way, that is what Rob does for a living).

One thing leads to another.............


When I went white water rafting in Colorado, I rode with them all the way there and back. Now, if you have ever been in the car with me for any length of time, you know that can not be an easy thing for them! I HATE riding in the car. They graciously let me ride in the back, with all of my pillows and sleep all I wanted! Possibly more important than that, they let me listen to HOURS of John Denver as we were leaving Colorado! Now, that IS friendship!

One thing leads to another.................

Through them I have met some wonderful couples, with whom I have since camped and kayaked, and canoed and spent Fourth of July and New Years and birthdays with. They call their group the "EGGS".......which is the last name initials of the core families who camp and canoe together (Elbert, Goetzman, Garcia, Schmid). (They all have sons who have since all become Eagle Scouts).

One thing leads to another.................

One year, Cindy, Becky (see older posts) and I took a road trip and drove to New Orleans just to eat at Emril Lagassi's (spelling?)restaurant. Now I have known Becky seems like forever, and by now, I have know Cindy really well, but, these two do not know each other at all. Often, mixing friends can be like mixing oil and vinegar. Truth be told, I wondered how it would work out. Catherine, being the wise old soul that she is said "Mom, how can anyone not like Mrs. Schmid ?". I thought it was funny in retrospect that she did not say that about Becky! (and I of course told this to Becky). We had a SUPER time! And, again, being the friends that they are, they let me ride in the back seat with all of my pillows!

One thing leads to another.................

When Catherine was a senior in high school, she decided that Rob and Cindy needed more of a special designation than just friends, so she declared them her "God parents". She even thanked her "God parents" in her salutatory speech at her high school graduation.

One thing leads to another.................

When Jennifer married this past December, she asked Rob to be the master of ceremonies, I guess you could say. What ever it is you call the person who keeps things at the reception moving forward. She asked Cindy to be in charge of decorating the reception area. The hours Cindy spent planning and creating and designing and building was beyond words, even for me. This couple, these wonderful friends, took more than two days of their lives to travel and work and be a part of my daughters special day. They worked their tails off, and without them there supporting me, well, I would not have made it.

One thing leads to another......................

I love this wonderful, fun, exciting, adventurous couple.

Rob has applied for a job near San Marcos. He would be perfect for this job. I work hard every day, trying to be the friend to them that they have been to me, by praying that he gets this job. It would mean they move away. It would mean a big hole in my life. It could mean the world to them.

So, if one thing truly leads to another, my prayers will lead them to this job, a new town, new friends, and new adventures.

This is for Catherine

My Montage 2/29/08

Little Kids Can Sure Make a Big Mess

Last night when I was putting the freshly cleaned crib sheets back on Mia's bed, I had some random thoughts. No one asked, but I am going to share them anyway.

Little kids can sure make a big mess. When Grammie Hegar brought her over, she had already wet her diaper so much that is soaked through her jeans (Mia that is, not Juda). So, we started off with dirty clothes. Then after supper and a snack, we got our shirt, jacket and other pants we had put on dirty. I changed the jacket and shirt, but, due to lack of clothing at my house, we had to wear the dirty pants to bed.

Mia went almost two weeks using the potty, and now, not interested. Normally after she poops, or even has an obviously soggy diaper, and you say, "Mia, lets change your diaper." she says, "No, I fine." and trying to change her diaper can be a battle. I will NEVER understand how wearing poop in your pants is fine! Anyhow, yesterday morning when she woke up, this was the first thing I heard on the monitor " GG. I have wet diaper!!!" (this was hollered pretty loud, I might not have needed the monitor). So, I go in her room, and "I have wet diaper" may go down as the understatement of the week/month/day/year..........everything in her bed was soaked. She felt and smelt like urine...........needless to say, I ended up with a full load of laundry from one night of Mia.

Not that I mind....But, Little Kids Can Sure Make a Big Mess.

It Goes Without Saying

I suppose I should mention that I have most of my voice back. The high "excited" register is not back, but everything else it. I suppose that goes without saying, since I posted a conversation with Mia.

A Good Day for Grandma's

I got to spend some time with Mia today. She actually came over from her Grammie Hegar's to take a nap. Right after her 3 1/2 hour nap, we walked down to Memaw and Granddad's. We played cars and toys and had peach yogurt for a snack. Mia was in a great mood. Then Jennifer came out to pick her up. In all fairness, Mia was not ready to go home. Since she had only napped at GG's, she still wanted to "go to GG's for a wittle bit". Thank goodness her mom and Rex had nothing planned, so............Mia is getting to spend the night! This is our first time. It was a blast! We played, she pulled out every toy she has here, and we watched Bambi, and she always says "Oh, no, GG, what's gonna happen?". Now, understand, she has seen Bambi, or what ever movie, SEVERAL times, enough to know what is going to happen, but its still funny that she gets so concerned.

Later in the evening we had this conversation:

Mia: "You GG"
Me: "Yes, I am GG"
Mia: " My name Mia Hegar"
Me: "Yes, your name is Mia Hegar"
Me: "What does Cindy call me?" "What is my other name?"
Mia: ......just looks confused here and says nothing......
Me: "My other name is Jami, Jami Dauphin"

I do have a point of this story. Hang with me a second.

So, a few hours pass. It is bedtime. I have put Mia in bed and I am searching for her warm cuddle blanket. I leave her in her bed, light is still on, and door open, and I tell her I am going to look for her cuddle blanket. I am in my room searching my bed for the blanket and I hear Mia holler "Jami Dauphin!"

Well, it made me laugh and smile and just want to hug her more. Of course, I am a grandma........I get mushy over every little thing she does I think.