A Long Overdue Update

**********WARNING: VERY LONG POST AHEAD********

There was a little girl, who had a little curl...

That seems to be Ella and Lil's mantra these days. When they are good, they are very very good. And, when they aren't, well, they're two and three year old little girls, so you know how it goes. They love each other to distraction and can irritate each other within the blink of an eye. If toys are involved, watch out! Yet, if one is sleeping or not around, the other is desperate for her to be found. It's all so sweet and delightful one moment and frustrating as the dickens the next. Ah, life with kiddos.

Gabriel is the sweetest of the sweetie pies. He reminds me so much of Lily as an infant--sweet, uncomplicated, HAPPY, wants to sleep--and is just as laid back and happy as any baby I've seen. To illustrate this point, Gabriel was diagnosed with reflux at 6 weeks old. Now, those of you who have had an infant with reflux, or know of a baby with reflux, you know they are quite miserable at times. Even at his most uncomfortable, Gabriel still smiles and coos and flirts.

He began to experience some rash on his hiney the other day and Jessie and I concluded he must have a yeast rash as a result of a recent bout of thrush. My pediatrician very kindly fit Gabriel into her incredibly busy schedule, agreed that was the trouble and gave Jessie a 'scrip for Diflucan. And, still, the baby is as giggly and happy as ever. He is truly a joy. :o)

The trip to NoVA seems whirlwind somehow. I was there and then we were on our way home!

Here are some photos from the evening I went to dinner with Kati. Ella's Ama just loves her and wanted to make healthful food for her that she would enjoy. To that end, she made sushi rolls that night--no raw fish, but seaweed, sticky rice and peas.



Turns out, Lil loved it too. :oP


They also had corn on the cob which Lily thoroughly enjoys. In fact, I can't remember seeing a toddler eat the corn so deliberately. She'll turn and turn and turn the cob, searching for spots she's missed. She cleans it as thoroughly as many adults!


Oh, and this one was from this afternoon. Hee hee! Remember that dessert I mentioned? The one with whipped cream and chocolate wafers? Guess who found the stash of leftover wafers and shared with her offspring? Hee hee!

We went to Tyson's Corner Mall yesterday morning--Allie met us at the house and went with us so we had one adult per child, which was a good thing considering how exhausted and unruly Lily became. I stopped by the Bare Escentuals store on the way out and decided the Bare Minerals will work quite nicely for me, came home and ordered them on-line. Hee hee!

Lily, true to form, was just peachy-keen happy one moment and a raving wee beastie the next. Her difficulties sleeping continued to plague her on the trip. She was up until 10:00 and then up at 7:00, having had no nap the previous day. She looked awful and apparently felt worse, poor wee Bit. :o( She finally fell asleep in the car so I let Jessie, Allie and the G kiddos out of the car and drove around as Jessie packed and made ready to leave.

Just as we were backing out of the driveway, panic ensued--Jess couldn't find her wallet. We tore up the car, the luggage, the diaper bag, everything searching for it, all to no avail. At this point, we were well past the time we were supposed to leave to meet up with Sandy and Sammy and Jess and I were in a fine panic. Suddenly, she remembered the wallet was in Allie's purse (thank the lord!) and we were able to meet up with Allie, get the wallet and head down the road to meet Sandy and Sammy.

Sammy is my sweet, funny, delightful 11 year old niece. Her daddy, Brien's brother, Josh, lives across the country so he doesn't have many opportunities to see her. Josh and Dana are flying in this evening and I knew they would then need to travel to NOVA to pick Sam up and then drive home, and well, that made no sense to me. I therefore volunteered to pick Sammy up and bring her home with us. There we were, two women and four children packed into my mom-mobile. ;o)

Sammy is, without a doubt, one of the best children I've ever met. She's not a phoney, nor is she an Eddie Haskel, she is truly a sweetheart of a child. She sat in the very back of the van with Gabriel, keeping him happy, entertaining the two little girls, holding their hands, leading them to the potty, you name it, she did it--WITHOUT BEING ASKED!!!

We wound up taking a few pit stops along the way--we were traveling with two potty training girls and a nursing baby--so the trip took a LOT longer than anticipated. It was rather like driving toward a mountain--you see it in the distance and keep driving towards it, only NEVER get there!


Per the norm, I was taking the scenic route when Jessie determined Gabriel was out of sorts because he needed to eat. We were on Rt. 50 in Clarke County so rest stops were few and far between. I finally found a sign that said, "Peaches Ahead" and decided to go for it. My be all, end all favorite fruit is a fresh summer peach that is so ripe the juice dribbles down your chin and arms. That is heaven. Last year's peach crop was utterly decimated by late frost which was devastating. Not so this year! :o)


I followed those signs down progressively lonelier and lonelier roads until I was on a one-lane dirt path! Jessie decided we must be in Deliverance, LOL. ;oP I, however, was determined to have fresh peaches!! While Jessie got Gabriel settled, I left the ladies in the car and snapped a couple of quick photos and headed for the peach stand.



Imagine my surprise when the gentleman manning the stand queried, "You here for peaches? Take this bag and go fill it up." Um, what? It wasn't that I was against picking my own produce, having done so on many many occasions throughout my life, it was that I KNEW I was leaving Jessie and the kids in the car and uncertain as to how long the harvesting would take.

I had a peck picked in five minutes. Flat. It was the most amazing thing. I loaded the bag, paid for my purchase, and we were on the road again in fairly quick order. :o) The peaches are not quite ripe and they rolled all over the car as they dumped over. :sigh: When Jessie went to get Lily out of the van when we finally got home, one went bouncing down the driveway and rolled into the street. Ha!



And, yet, aren't they loverly? :o)



Lil of the two "hassies". She knew she was being silly and was quite tickled with herself.


And, look who was awaiting me upon my arrival home. :o)

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Today's Sparklies:

1. I ordered the most beautiful butterfly wings, skirt and crown from A Toy Garden on Monday and they arrived today. Ella received them for her birthday and brought them with her and I thought they would be perfect for Saturday. As I anticipate a number of little girls coming, I purchased an additional dress-up skirt as well. Here they are:





I'll take a photo of Lil wearing the wings, I promise. They are truly wonderful. :o)

2. My medal for making it one year without Hannah:

Thank you, Rachel, from the bottom of my heart. You have NO idea how much it meant to me to find that in the package you sent.

3. This was inside said package(!):

I haven't opened it yet, as it is a "Crappy Day" present. The outside sack is just GORGEOUS. Rachel also made my beautiful reusable bags that I take with me EVERYWHERE. In fact, the baggers at Ukrop's recognize me because of my bags and I've received many compliments on them at the FM. Rachel, I think of you and your sweet, kind and generous spirit every time I use those bags. :o)

4. The rest of you who are still here. You come, if not every day, at least once a week or so and check in on us and that honestly means more to me than you will ever know. Knowing I had you all out there, supporting me, helping me shoulder even a piece of my burden, praying for me, sending me love and hugs has helped me move through this year more than you can imagine. Thank you, thank you thank you all. :o)

5. Sheri, I got your card. Thank you, Sweetie, you mean the world to me! :o)
6. Pamina, thanks for the update, I fear I managed to lose the eggs. :o( However, if J. Peterman and crew learn something from my loss, it is a sparklie. :o) Besides, the chicken is too darn cute and smells incredible! :oP
7. Having Jessie and the kiddos here. :o)
8. Josh and Dana should be landing soon and I'll get to see them tomorrow. YAYAYAYAYY!!!
9. Kat and Greyson are coming to visit tomorrow. Woo hoo!
10. Dani sent me the most beautiful Monet Waterlilies print. I LOVE it, and I know Han would have gone nutso about it. :o) I'm going to frame it and put it up in MS. Thank you, Dani--I miss you bunches! :o)

No Milestones today. I'm hanging in there, everyone. Keep the prayers coming, Saturday is going to be fun by tough.

And, with a dissertation written, I'm off. ;o)