Rainy days

This is the intersection of my street with the main boulevard running through our neighborhood. At least, this is what it looks like after about twelve hours of steady rain. Luckily, just a few hours after the rain stops, the streets are back to normal. You really never know when something like this is going to happen, so the first thing you have to know about living in this area is don't drive in to standing water. There really is no way to tell how deep it is. Here, it is about knee deep, but you only have to check the local news stations to find pics of cars floating at underpasses because the owner tried to drive through water that is 10 feet deep because it didn't look that deep. And once you're in, the only thing you can do is climb onto the roof and wait for someone to come get you or swim for it, because your car is toast. One of my irrational fears is driving into standing water and having the car stall. Definitely a good way to ruin a day.

Dirty secret

Here's the thing that mommies whisper about when they get a chance to have a conversation. It isn't easy to take a shower every day when your world is populated by rugrats. I used to think it was difficult when we had just Little Bit. But I could put her in her play pen, or strap her in a bouncy seat and take a shower. I hated to do it, because she would scream bloody murder, but at least I could catch a shower when Spiffus wasn't around.

She's too big to do this to now, but every once in awhile I make an attempt. Yesterday was one such day. Tank went into his bouncer, and Little Bit was placed in a chair in front of Noggin. Noggin usually stops her in her tracks, because she gets to watch TV. I neglected to take into account Little Bit's love for the bouncer. She still tries to use it, and has cracked her head on the floor when she loses her balance trying to get in and out of it. It is hard for her three year old mind to understand that if you are big enough to get in by yourself, then you are too big. Anyway, I'm in the shower with the hair all soaped up when I hear Tank start screaming. Screaming loud enough that I can hear him through the wall and over the water. So I race out to find Little Bit with one leg in the jumper. Because Tank is also there, she is stuck and on top of him, hence the screaming.

So, no showering during the day for me. Unless I lock Little Bit in her room, and put Tank in the bouncer. . . .she'd find a way out, I bet.

Things that frighten three year olds

The vacuum cleaner has always been a no-no. But recent additions include car washes, and today while visiting the drive-thru at the bank, we added the little canister return tube. She does NOT think that it is fun to watch the canister swoosh away. Apparently it sounds too much like the vacuum cleaner.

I'm betting thunder storms are on the list now too.

Random things from a full week

So, it's been a weird, happy, sad, full week; and I'm just going to do a brain dump in order to help me get past this a little.

1. On Thursday, Spiffus and I took our little darlings to the zoo. I'd been wanting to go, since I thought Little Bit was old enough, and it was best to go before it got too hot and too crowded during summer vacation. It was a good day; we got a late start of course and parking was atrocious. We went through the drive-thru at Mickey D's and had a picnic lunch at the park before we went in. The wild life was a little too brazen for my taste. One squirrel climbed on the table trying to steal food, and at one point, I had to threaten it to keep it away from Tank. Little Bit was especially enamored with the train, which just reopened after renovations, and we will have to ride it soon with Bear and Kiwi Mama and their brood. Granny let us borrow her double stroller, which came in handy but was a pain (literally) to push. My shoulder muscles got a workout. It pivoted well, so if I had to make a 90 degree turn, we were good, though Tank got whiplash. It was gentle curves that were horrible.

2. On Friday, the day had started badly for the kids when they were awakened by the ringing phone. So, after calming whining and doing the morning routine, I had to hunt for my keys, and my DL, and my phone so I could leave the house. I remember looking up and saying "so it's going to be one of those days, huh?". If I'd only known. I find my stuff, get out the door, and find a car that is running on fumes. Get gas, get to my appointment, step out of the car, and my favorite pair of shoes is toast. Right foot completely seperated from soul. Hold my head up high and limp through my appointment; who cares what a bunch of pregnant woman think anyway? Make two more stops, which I won't bore you with, but were equally ridiculous and head home. Frantically pack for trip to my mother's for #1 neice's wedding. Run late, of course and leave an hour and a half later than scheduled. It is storming, and I don't say storming lightly. It is dark at three in the afternoon. There is lightening and thunder and wind blowing the rain over the car. And in my car is a 3-year-old who recently informed me in no uncertain terms that she is afraid of carwashes. Anyone wanna guess what this storm resembled? She was in hysterics for 40 minutes until she passed out. I was cold and shivering from getting soaked loading the car, and trying to decide if I should just ask Spiffus to turn around. A two hour drive took us four, and in the middle, a mom of a friend calls to tell me that my friend had passed away. A truly awful day.

J had fought cancer for 4 years. Several rounds of chemo, radiation and surgery, and the tumors just kept coming back. She recently decided to stop all treatment and the doctor's had said that she would only have a year. It had been six weeks? Eight? I don't remember. She leaves behind a husband, and a 6 year old daughter.

3. The morning of the wedding greeted us with yet more rain. And a bride with car trouble and a hair appointment. My older sister, her mother, borrowed my younger sister's car to take #1 neice to town for their hair appointments. Older sister had errands to run while there. Meanwhile my mother had two other towns she was supposed to get to in order to pick up a dress for older sister (mother of the bride!). Why didn't she have her dress already? And to pick up the flowers that were ordered at the last minute, because someone kept putting it off. Oh, that would be the mother of the bride again.

Everything eventually got done, and everyone got to the church on time. The doors to the sanctuary open directly from the outside. Brides have traditionally walked around the building to get to the doors and make their grand entrance. Not today! Too much rain. The wedding party and bride ran through the sanctuary to get to the doors to make their grand entrance while we all laughed and averted our eyes. Something to tease her about later. No matter what happened, she is officially married off, and the day went well all things considered. In addition, I was particularly pleased with #1 nephew. He was very helpful with the wedding shenanigans, is doing a good job raising his son, has found new employment and sounds like he is getting his act cleaned up. Finally. I was worried I was going to have to call Dr. Phil.

4. Sunday, we came home and unloaded. Left the rug rats with the grandparents while we went to the wake, and Monday, I left the kids with Spiffus to go to the funeral and internment. I ran into J's husband at the store on Wednesday. She had finished a baby gift for Tank and he brought it to me after he finished shopping. She didn't have a card in the bag yet, but her mom and her husband were sure it was for me. It's a beautiful cross-stitch quilt that she actually started for Little Bit and was too sick to finish. She worked on it until after Tank was born and was finally ready to give it to me. I don't intend to let the kids use it at all, but I can't bring myself to put it away yet either.

Words fail me.

Ehh. That's all. Brain dump over. Going to move on with life now.

I feel sick.

I recently stumbled across Matt Logelin's blog. His story is compelling anyway, but since his precious Madeline is close to Tank's age, I am even more entranced by her. Warning: if you haven't read his story before, it will make you cry. This week, he posted about a friend and fellow blogger who lost her darling child. Another Maddie. Like Little Bit, Maddie was born 3 months early. I had to stop reading; I couldn't relive the NICU again. I've often wished that I had used a blog as a way to update people about Little Bit when she was born, just to have a record of the memories . . .

The horror of it is that Maddie was home, she was growing and doing well. I used to often say when Little Bit was younger that every day she breathed was a good day. So now I feel sick. Sick that another set of parents have lost a child, no parent should outlive their child, and sick because of how close to home it is. But grateful that today is another good day.

There's a house!

It's been a long ordeal to get Little Bit to start talking. And there are still many things she says that are not understandable. But sometimes, things that she says are loud and clear, and strike me as funny.

The neighbor's roof is being replaced today. The noise drew the kids to the open window, where Little Bit began to excitedly announce, "There's a house! There's a house!"

'Cause, you know, that house wasn't there before.

Stubborn

Wow. I haven't posted since before Tank was born. He's 10 months old and 20 pounds now. He'll catch up to Little Bit soon, she is still sitting at about 25, though I have to say it is nice to only have to buy one size of diaper. Little Bit just refuses to talk about using the potty, but when it is a little warmer outside, I'm just going to have a few naked toddler days to see if that helps encourage her a little. Everyone keeps reassuring me that she won't start kindergarten in a diaper, but I think they just don't know how stubborn she really is.

Other updates: Our house sustained some minor damage in September from Hurricane Ike. The yard debris is cleared away, and the new flooring is down. A neighbor on one side has put back up the fence between our properties, and the neighbor on the other side is slowly working on the other side. Next week, we'll have the roof replaced, and hopefully will be all done with repairs. Just in time for the next season. Hopefully, we won't get hit that hard again anytime soon.