family affair

Our favorite little girl came to visit over the weekend.

Ivy Rose is in the house.

She came with her parents but they didn't come running to hug us at the airport. 

They were only here for two and a half days but we tried to fit everything in. I gave them an award-winning tour of our new town. It takes less than three minutes to drive through the center of town (even if you get a red light) so it was a very short tour. We visited a new coffee shop and were flabbergasted that the people making the coffee didn't know how to make ice coffee. We had to tell them that regular ice coffee is not the same as a latte. "You want us to pour coffee from the refrigerator over ice?" Yes. That's literally all there is to it. We went back the next day and ordered one drink with whipped cream and one without. The lady at the drive-through window made sure she pointed out which had whipped cream and which didn't. HOW WOULD WE HAVE KNOWN WITHOUT HER.

I expect this is what it will look like when I have another child.

Neither child is looking at the camera and I look exhausted.

Except I'm already exhausted so only half of it will be new.

We visited two playgrounds and the zoo. It was so hot on Friday that I got sunburned after an hour at the playground. I love sunshine but I'm VERY concerned about what temperature it will be in by April when it's already over 80* in February.

Erika helped me hang up outdoor lights on my front deck. I have visions of a Pinterest worthy deck with a rug, flower pots and maybe a fountain. Currently, it has a kids trampoline, pink Frozen pool, and black and white teepee. It's not exactly an outdoor oasis but the lights were supposed to kick it up a notch. We came home from a pizza dinner at Mellow Mushroom to my lights twinkling in the darkness. The sky was clear and we looked at the constellations. The girls ran around playing and giggling. It was lovely. I had carefully inspected the area for frogs and having seen only a small one that hopped away I thought we were in the clear. I sat on the swing and enjoyed chatting with my family. For whatever reason, I decided to check the wall behind me. THERE WERE MORE THAN  TWENTY FROGS. They were everywhere. I'm not embarrassed to say I screamed and yelled and jumped. I swear I could feel them crawling on my skin. I have no choice but to burn the place down. So much for my outdoor oasis. 

Aside from the frogs we had the best visit. We live 7 million miles from home and I've missed everyone so much. Daniel and Erika came right at the knick of time to boost morale. 

look for "The Hotel" on all the best sellers list

Several months ago Christopher mentioned he was worried that Sesame might not have much of an imagination. I told him not to worry about it. It is with as much humility as I can muster that I'm here to report I was right (again). Her imagination is in tiptop shape.

She has three imaginary friends. This is Goldbug. He is a gold bug. He wears a white shirt and purple and white mask.

This is his wife Garby. She's a pink unicorn with blue and white spots. "Ok, Mom. They're regular spots, not polka dot spots."

The very recent addition to their family is Carla. She's a girl and therefore a unicorn like her mother. She asked me to write a letter to Goldbug and Garby telling them she was "worried that Carla cried two times last week." 

Last night was Goldbug's birthday. I was tired and not really in the mood for yet another birthday party, but I throw together the lowest of low-key parties. I banned presents and all decorating. Even I have a limit when it comes to throwing a party after bedtime for an imaginary friend. We all, except for baby Carla, got a chocolate and sang happy birthday.

I swear Sesame has been talking from the day she was born. Her first word wasn't even a word. It was a short sentence- "Hi, Daddy." Yesterday she talked to me about the history of Frozen nonstop for forty minutes when we were trapped in the car. She talks from when she wakes up in the morning to well past when she's in bed for the night. I was a talkative child so what goes around comes around. The first story she made up over a year ago was, "Happy cat, happy mouse." That evolved into "Happy cat ate the happy mouse. Happy cat."

This past weekend she wrote the following story. I acted as the scribe and part-time illustrator.

This is Princess Watermelon. She was in her bedroom one morning getting out a bright pink dress. She saw that her bright pink dress was dirty so she got a red dress. She put it on then picked up a pair of black pants. She saw the surfing hamster getting out of his pajamas.

The surfing hampster cleaned his surfer and then he put on his new water shoes and his sun hat and sunscreen because he was going to the bed with the watermelon princess. Then he packed to go to the hotel.

The watermelon princess jumped into the water with the surfing hampster to look for fish to bring to the hotel. They caught a whale to bring back to the house.

They checked out their room. They thanked the one who cleaned the room for cleaning the room. They put the suitcases under the bed. The surfing hampster packed some extra bathing suits and water shoes. The watermelon princess thanked the one cleaning the room. 

I'm touched she included the part about thanking the one who cleaned the hotel room. I always leave a thank you note for housekeeping when we stay at a hotel so it's sweet she followed my example and added it to the story.

Now if only she'd follow my example and have more respect for quiet/less-talking times.

acts of love

I spent my Valentines day at the doctor, cleaning up two accidents and paying the washing machine repair man $79 to pull an apron out of the water pipe. It was every bit as romantic as it sounds.

After Sesame's appointment, we did a few errands and I rewarded us with a trip to DD. I had a coupon for a free doughnut and I know a girl who loves her some sugar.

I planned on making pancakes for lunch and needed maple syrup and a few things for supper so we stopped by the grocery store. I let her use the little cart and after 30 minutes of trying to help her navigate the store, I'm here to say she is not ready for her license. 

"MAMA! Can I make it go swoooosh down da food road?"
"I don't think that's..."
"SWOOOOOOSSSSHHH! DERE IT GOES! I WILL GO CATCH IT!"

Annabelle was confused as to why Christopher was working on a holiday. It was mind-boggling to her that he'd have to work while we stayed home and had pink and orange pancakes for lunch. I've been equally as mind-boggled many times in the past when the government required Christopher to work on a day I felt should be spent at home celebrating with me and my fancy straws. The apple did not fall far from the mother tree. We went to the movie theater to see Coco as a family after work. I went prepared with snacks. I smuggled in two small bags of potato chips, a bag of torilla chips, a piece of banana bread (per AB's request) and a water bottle. Fyi, you can fit a lot in those little Skip Hop backpacks. For someone who follows every rule I am good at breaking the no outside food in theaters rule. The movie was so much better than I was expecting and it was a fun little family event. 

We stayed very low-key with gifts. I gave Christopher an umbrella because he needed one. Newlywed Sarah would never have given such a boring gift. When we were at CVS I bought a Kinder egg for Sesame to give Christopher. I've never had one but he mentioned several months ago how much he liked them. I thought it would be a sweet little sentimental gift from his daughter. When she gave it to him he said he never had a Kinder egg in his life. I was SO sure he had said it was a treasured treat from his past. It was the thought that counted.

I wasn't anticipating the confusion buying an egg would cause. AB had a lot of questions about it, specifically wondering if the Easter Bunny was going to deliver it. I explained so many times that just because we were giving an egg didn't mean it was Easter but eventually I gave up and said sure, the Easter Bunny can give Daddy the egg. She had a point. It is weird to have eggs on Valentine's day. 

Annabelle has been asking for paper clips and we sped by some as we were charging down the aisles of the grocery store. That one dollar has brought her so much happiness. 

We wrote things we love about Annabelle and taped them to her bedroom door. I called it a heart attack. It's hard to read, but mine say "I love you the best. I love you the most. I love you the always." We say it to each other every night. I'd translate Christopher's but his handwriting is difficult to read.

This is one of the heart attack hearts I wrote for Christopher. If that wouldn't be an act of true love I don't know what is.

Annabelle made me this portrait of myself. I'm touched she spent time on it but HORRIFIED that I look like this to her. She did nail the top bun.

Christopher should have gotten me a gift certificate for botox. 

currently- the first Georgia edition

Enjoying: trips to the Walmart grocery store. Normally when I grocery shop I try to get in and out as efficiently as possible. I don't hate doing it but it doesn't have a history of being something I look forward to. Well. Let me tell you about my new grocery shopping experience. I have never in my life shopped anywhere with so many friendly employees. Everyone smiles and comments on the weather or my blue rain boots. They help me find things. They ask about my day. Between my three years in Tennessee and my three weeks in Georgia I haven't experienced the stereotypical southern friendliness. I guess I've been looking of the friendliness in all the wrong places. It's in aisle 7 near the chips.

It's sad that I get so much enjoyment out of Walmart. How my life has changed. Nineteen year old Sarah would be horrified.

Supervising: play dates between AB and  our neighbor Olivia. She just turned 12 so to Annabelle she's a big girl and can do no wrong. I was going to talk to Olivia's mother about paying for her to entertain AB while I get things done around the house. Before I had the chance, Olivia came knocking on the door and asking to play. Annabelle is entertained and I don't have to pay. It's worked out well for all of us.

Olivia and Annabelle have a little bit of an accent barrier. Olivia has a very Georgia accent and AB has a northern mother, southern father, lived in New York (don't even try to tell me all northern accents are the same) and she watches British cartoons. She has a very odd jumble of accents. Their conversations have a lot of "what? What did you say?" Annabelle had a deep conversation with Christopher about how she was confused that Olivia called her shopping cart a "buggy." I'm pleased to report I have finally ingrained into her head that the candy on a stick is called a lollipop so she was confused when Olivia offered to bring her a sucker. 

Not understanding: most of the people around here. The nice man stocking the milk shelf at Walmart had a very animated conversation with me about the weather. The only word I understood was "sun'' but I smiled and nodded. 

Being rescued from: large bugs. We have several lady bugs in the house and I can handle those. What I can't handle is a HUGE cockroach crawling up my kitchen wall. It honestly was the same size as Annabelle's hand. I could have dealt with the cockroach myself but Olivia said she doesn't mind bug and would squash it for me. A while later she left to go home then running back in yelling, "Miss Sarah! Miss Sarah! There's a bird on the wood pile and I'm scared of it!" I knew it was my moment to shine. I marched out to the woodpile ready to defend our new friend (Olivia, not the bird). It was an odd shaped piece of wood, not a bird. 

Not visiting: neighbor Mike Peedro's home tattoo parlor. The day we met he said he sometimes does tattoos at home because he doesn't want to rent a spot at a real shop. My personal belief is he has a ban restricting him from travel thanks to parole and/or house arrest. At any rate, I heard from Olivia that Patty was over getting a tattoo. I was kind of hoping she'd invite us over to see the spectacle but she did not.

Attempting: potty training. Again. Apparently, I enjoy self-torture. I take back everything I ever said about preferring to potty train over teach a child to ride a bike. I hate them both. I've been telling Annabelle everyone I can think of who wears big girl bottoms. It probably isn't the best manners to tell her Olivia wears big girl undies during Olivia's first visit but desperate times, desperate (possibly rude) measures. 

Holding back: tears of joy when Sesame finally peed on the potty. I think it was more a coincidence of timing (being told for the 48th time that day to sit on the potty) than her feeling the urge to go BUT A VICTORY IS A VICTORY. 

Holding back: tears of sorrow that she probably won't do it again for the next 12 days.

bullet points are were it's at

I don't even know where to start. My brain is mush.

* We're still unpacking like crazy but there's a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. My craft room is the catch-all room for everything that doesn't have a home and it won't be unpacked until July of 2022 but other than that things are sloooowly coming together. 

* I had been really proud of myself for getting around town without the gps and without getting lost. Pride cometh before a trip to the Walmart 15 minutes away turns into a 45-minute excursion. I was at the end of my rope. I wanted to turn the car around and find a town where I knew all the roads and the location of all the Dunkin Donuts. My fellow passenger wasn't any help. She kept up a steady stream of questions such as "Why do we have toes? Why do we have toes? How do fish clean themselves? Do you know where Walmart is? Maybe you should use the map next time."

* Every Saturday Christopher and Annabelle go out for Daddy Daughter Breakfast. Before we moved they rotated between a small diner and Denny's. At Denny's they always had the same elderly waitress named Ann. Week after week they'd visit as she served their pancakes and bacon. Ann even started giving Annabelle small gifts. On one of their last weeks, Ann gave Annabelle an official Denny's nametag. They promised to write each other letters. I wasn't sure if Ann would really send AB anything, but the week after we arrived she sent a Valentines card. It was so sweet and unexpected I almost cried. 

 * The other day we were outside looking for ants. Mike Peedro the neighbor wandered over in his bathrobe for a chat. He is unemployed/on parole and taking one of his many smoking breaks. He wanted to know if he could use the hose in our front yard. I said he was welcome to it and wrongly assumed that would be the end of our visit. He asked how I liked the weather. He asked if I had seen any salamanders yet. He asked how I felt about bugs. He wondered if I had ever lived in the south before. I was getting the feeling he thinks I'm a whimpy notherner who came from the big city and knows how to hail a cab but is afraid of everything that moves. I wanted to change the topic so I mentioned the frog incident. I don't know why. I should have mentioned literally anything else. Annabelle piped up that I hate frogs and screamed when I saw it. Sometimes the peanut gallery says too much. And just like that she confirmed his whimpy northerner suspicions. I AM NOT WHIMPY I JUST DON'T LIKE FROGS. 

* Speaking of neighbors, I went for a walk and saw this down the street. Nothing on this land is worth a life. Just say "no trespassing." If you want to shot someone for trespassing there's no reason to sugarcoat it. 

At least the donkeys are friendly and charming. 

* Christopher and Sesame went to a Daddy Daughter dance this afternoon. We were going to go dress shopping but she said she wanted to wear her A dress. She was too excited this afternoon she wouldn't be quiet at rest time. I did her hair, pretend to put makeup on her cheeks and let her use my special lotion. Two minutes before leaving time she said she wanted to switch to her tutu dress. We nixed that idea. She looked at Christopher with such adoration while he got ready. When she got back she was so excited to tell me about it. The first thing she said was, "There's anudder daddy daughter dance next week, I mean I mean, next year and Daddy said we can go again!"