Happy Birthday!

Today is Gary's (Jason's Dad and my excellent Father-in-Law) birthday and my own granddaddy's birthday! Since Siennalee has just added "Happy Birtday!" to her word repertoire, I thought it would be a nice tribute to share the little video I took for Gary's birthday.



So happy birthday to two of the best men in my life, as well as in my family! We're blessed to have you!

A Swell of a Day

I find that it's been quite a while since my last post. It's amazing how time slips by, especially for a stay-at-home mom who finds herself suddenly unable to account for several days which have just passed. She has this feeling that she's been terribly busy, and has the exhaustion to prove it, but what, oh what has she been doing? Eyebrows are raised, looks are exchanged.

So whilst yesterday is still somewhat clear in my mommie brain, allow me to recount one of the days that have so utterly taken up my time, energy, and apparently, memory. At least, let me recount it before it gets swallowed up in the new busy-ness that today will bring. And tomorrow. And the next day. ...What was I saying? Oh yes, my day.

Yesterday was a scheduled trip to the dentist.

I got up that morning and immediately began laundry, packing Jason's work lunch, and getting things together for our day out. Siennalee and I made it out the door a little late and rushed off to Anne's house.

Anne and I had long ago scheduled our appointments back to back in hopes of saving time and gas money. I think we had visions of leaving the children in the care of a beloved babysitter and scurrying away to the dreaded appointments and afterward rewarding ourselves with some sort of non-child treat.

Alas. It was not to be. No babysitter was available and, fearing we would not be able to get back in for quite some time, Anne and I chose to take the girls with us to the dentist’s office and take turns watching them while the other had her appointment.

My appointment was first. As I lay nearly upside down in the dental chair, absurd Paris Hilton safety glasses firmly in place, mouth pried open, and six shots of Novocaine later (that's right, six), it occurred to me that I really was grateful for the dentist and his abilities, but I'd almost rather give birth again (yes, even cesarean) than have this experience repeated. Visions of Sweeney Todd with a Novocaine needle and dental instruments danced through my head.

Then we were done. Half my face and most of my nose and mouth numb, I sat woozily on the edge of the dental throne and considered passing out. But alas, again, it was not to be. It was time to go watch the three girls while Anne got her time with Sweeney Todd.

The girls were corralled in the play area of the waiting room. I stumbled back there and managed to sit, drooling and swollen, while they played around me. Details are blurry, but I do remember breaking up little toy and territory skirmishes, repeatedly trying to reply to Isabella's repeated "Where Mommy?" queries (difficult to talk with no working mouth & tongue), retrieving toys dropped behind the couch of said waiting area, intercepting a long distance call to my grandmother in Texas after my daughter got a hold of Anne's phone and then having to quickly hang up when Gracey fell and received a nice head bonk, and feeding the girls lots and lots of raisins, homemade granola bars, and crackers - just to keep them happy, quiet, and away from each other’s sippies (warning: this can backfire; they begin to mob you and then you have to fight them off yourself, as well as each other - so use with caution).

Finally, Anne returned and we packed the girls up and drove away.

Somehow I made it home to Albany, fed my kid, and put her in bed.

And that was my day.

I probably won't remember it next week when you ask me what I've been up to.