Weird Day

Today was a weird day.

1. I got my first handicapped parking permit. Or whatever it's called. It was really easy, but the lady laughed when I came up to her counter. I don't know why. Maybe because she thought I didn't really need one? Also, we went to the wrong building first, and Bill parked really far away. Ironic?

2. I just found out that my friend had a gun go off and shoot her in the leg. I am worried about her.

3. I was stupid and went to Costco when I was really hungry. I came home with lots of chocolate and pastries and candy. I don't know why Bill didn't stop me from putting all that junk in the cart. I am going to be fatter this time next week. Probably this time tomorrow.

4. Sadie threw three separate tantrums where she yelled, "I don't wike it!" over and over, for about twenty minutes.

5. I have been looking up things to do when we go to Tennessee in a few weeks. It is surprising how expensive everything is in a state that I always think of as backwoods or hillbilly. 

6. Really cool people were born in Tennessee. Chattanooga, baby!

7. We got Sadie a new coat today at Costco. She will not take it off. One of those tantrums mentioned earlier was because Bill took the coat off so she could eat lunch. And it is really warm today.

8. Avery and Sadie played hide and seek. They just took turns hiding in the coat closet. 

9. As I was typing number eight, Bill brought me the huge tin of Belgian chocolate cookies because he had to take it away from Sadie, who had climbed onto the counter and was helping herself to my chocolates. What a punk.

Scary Bubbles

Sometimes, when I come home really late at night, I look out at the dark field next to our house and feel a little bit of fear, thinking of what kinds of wild animals could be out there. I am usually imagining a cougar or something similar. I usually try to hurry inside quickly before I freak myself out too much. I just never thought that the thing I should actually fear would be a bird trying to attack me as I try (unsuccessfully) with my fumbling numb hands to put that stupid key in the lock so I can get inside. I might have a new phobia now. That bird diving at me over and over really freaked me out.

Sadie had her first bubble bath tonight. She kept saying, "Bubbles everywhere!" Then, "The bubbles skeered me," as she pretended to be scared.

Preston made some Harry Potter trading cards this afternoon. He took it very seriously, trying to look up online each character's favorite defensive spell to include on the cards. He was very disappointed that he couldn't find that information online. He also expected me to remember all the spells from the books and how to spell them and exactly what they did. 

Me: Sadie, do you know who loves you?

Sadie: Mommy does. And Hedder.

Me: Who else loves you?

Sadie: Carter does. And Avery. And Preston. And Daddy does. And Wizzie. Everyone wuvs Sadie. A hug, Mommy? Mmmmm. 

Sadie brought me "The Monster at the End of The Book" to read to her today, that book with Grover from Sesame Street. I read about two pages before she said, "No, I don't wike it. The monster skeered me. Don't read it, Mommy." Then she threw it on the floor and asked for a hug.

When I sing to Sadie, sometimes she sings a word or two along with me. So, it really surprised me today to hear her sing six or seven songs pretty much from beginning to end and on key enough that I could clearly tell what songs she was singing. As she finished up singing, "Five Little Ducks," she said, "The mama duck skeered me. She said quack quack quack." Then she pretended to be scared again. How does she even understand to be scared? She's only twenty-one months old!

Random Afternoon Thoughts

I was so happy about the weight I had started losing after my surgery over a month ago. Then I started on this medication, and I have gained almost all of it back. In my face and neck. I have been informed that it's normal and temporary, but I kind of look freaky, if I do say so myself.

Sadie goes around all day lately saying, "I don't like it" or "I don't want it" as she waves us off. It would be cute, but it's about EVERYTHING! At least she has a personality and opinions...

I was so excited about the kindle book I just bought. It was by an author that was actually really good, and it was only a dollar. A little less excited when I finished it less than half an hour later. If I would have paid attention, I would have seen that it was just a short novella. Now I need another book for the afternoon. I have stacks of books sitting on my shelf right in front of me, just waiting to be read, but it is too hard to turn actual pages when I can't feel my fingers. So, I've been reading on the ipad or kindle instead. I guess all the money I am saving on gas and shopping while I am out of commission makes up for all the money I am spending on books. Right?

Preston came into our room around two in the morning. I asked what he needed, and he said, "I just can't sleep." So, Bill put him back in his bed. I don't know what an almost nine year old kid expects his parents to do to help him. I think I would have gotten in trouble for waking my parents up like that when I was that old. He does this about every other week. 

Avery brought Sadie up to me yesterday. They had been playing downstairs, and a bug had crawled past them. For almost half an hour, Sadie kept saying, "Da bug skeered me. It was a skeery bug." Then she would shiver. How does a one-year-old know to be scared of bugs like that?

Every once in a while, when Sadie is playing with toys, she will stop, look at me, and say, "Ivy's a baby. Ivy's cute." Ivy is her little baby cousin. She probably says this to me about five to ten times a day, for no apparent reason.

Ivy does happen to be about the cutest baby I have ever seen. No exaggeration needed. 

My sister is awesome. She came over last Saturday and helped us around the house and garden for hours. Then, she watched Sadie all day Tuesday. Sadie talked all evening after she came home about "Wizzie and Ty-wer and Aunt Wara." 

Stupid Stuff, Lost Shoes, and Prancersizing

Maybe about six months ago, I bought a whole bunch of cute shoes for Sadie and a few for Avery. I was so excited for these little red Mary Jane's, but they disappeared with the boxes. We thought Bill threw them away. Now that they are way too little for her, we found them. In a coat I NEVER wear, in the pockets. I promise I didn't put them there. And now, anytime we find something in a weird place, Bill reminds me that it's never as weird as remotes in the shop vac hose.

Sadie has weird hair these days.

Carter's cello now has all four strings. We'll see how long before another one breaks. 

Stacy's Pita Crisps are way better than pita chips. They are thinner, more like tortilla chips, but without the corn that I can't have. And because of those crisps, I ate almost a whole jar of salsa in the last two days. It was homemade, so it's kind of healthy.

Bacon Alfredo sauce is not very good. Don't buy it. It is not at all healthy. And it leaves a gross aftertaste.

I need to find something to do to help others. Lots of people have been helping me the last few weeks, or at least offering to help me even if it didn't work out, and I really needed it. I was just thinking about how much better I feel when I am helping someone else. So who needs my help? I am not good with my hands, so pick something else for me to do... I'll share your cinnamon roll if it is too big for you to eat. I'm good at that.

Bill is helping to coach a team of ten kids for a lego robotics challenge. The organization sent tickets for the kids to get into the Natural History Museum in Salt Lake City to see the exhibit on natural disasters, which is the theme for this year. We are going tomorrow, and the kids are really excited. I hope four adults can keep up with the eleven kids we will have there. One of them will be Sadie. She is not on the team, unless you count her as the natural disaster. 

I really need to start working out. Maybe I will prancersize. It would look cool if I did it with my ankle weights. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can look it up on youtube. I saw the video months ago, but I still feel amazement when I think of how awesome her workout looks. 

Drooling and Washing My Hair

My husband is awesome. He made fresh salsa, carnitas, and raspberry jam today. The produce was from our garden. The pork came from Costco. He made guacamole, too. The avocados were not from our tree. It is not even a foot tall yet.

Sadie loves guacamole. So does Avery. I am envious that they get to eat it. I almost drooled looking at it.

People are nice to me at church. Not one person commented on my perpetual drool because of my numb mouth. Who knew that drooling would be a bonus side effect of MS? At least I could walk today...

My kids all cried or yelled most of dinner. Then they went downstairs and dressed up like characters from Super Mario Brothers, the cartoon, and acted it out. I missed out on the acting, but at least I got to see the fighting right before, so that was another bonus for today.

Preston is supposed to bring a small artifact to school to highlight his interests or talents. He wants to bring either his giant stuffed puppy or Sadie. 

Sadie waved to the cute baby behind us at church for almost ten minutes. I don't think the baby ever saw her.

And a slightly embarrassing conversation that I had:

Me: Hi, Miranda. I was wondering if you could help me out this evening. I have to wash my hair, but I can't get my PICC line or the bandage wet, so I was wondering if you could possibly help me wash my hair. Bill is just not very good at washing long hair.

Miranda's Eleven Year Old Son: You do know this is Tanner, right?

Me: Ummm, can I talk to your mom?

Later, I got a text, "Tanner is ready to wash your hair now."

Eyelash Extensions

Avery: I whap people who tickle me.

Me: What?

Avery: Oh, it's just something I started doing...

Interesting Facts of the Day:

Ten minutes of a twenty-month-old playing the harmonica feels like two hours.

The nurse stabbed me fours times yesterday, and she still couldn't get the IV line in. I am really not looking forward to having a little tube thing put in so I can get my medication. I wish it was just a pill I could swallow.

My nurse has eyelash extensions. They are so long, and I can't look away when she is here. Apparently, I have terrible manners sometimes. Also, Avery will never need eyelash extensions. Or mascara. It's ridiculous.

Carter broke his cello string this morning. We have only had the cello a few weeks. He was really embarrassed to have to take it to class today with a string missing.

Sadie is going around the house with keys, trying to lock and unlock all the doors. Right now, she is using Bill's keys. Sometimes she uses her little plastic keys. Also, if she ever finds something little like a toothpick, she tries to stick it into my bedroom door.

Carter talked to me for over an hour straight after he got home about how much fun he had with my parents at Disneyland and Sea World. Now I know exactly how much the souvineers cost and why he decided to get each thing for each of his siblings and which rides were best and how he thinks he saved my mom's life. (He ran to get my dad and woke him up to help her when she was choking.)

Preston has gotten into the Harry Potter books finally. He can't stop talking about them and asking questions about every little thing. I can barely remember most of the little details. He also reads faster than Carter does.

Avery went on a field trip yesterday. She saw them feeding goldfish to the bigger fish. I am grossed out still, and I wasn't even there.

Sadie yells, "Help me! Help me!" to strangers when she is in a shopping cart and wants down. It probably looks like we kidnapped her. She also says "help" kind of with a southern accent. I like to think she takes after me since that was my first accent when I learned to talk.