My Love for a Munchkin Named Lily

She is the most precocious and precious 2 year old you would ever meet. She is my niece Lily. She is beautiful. She is becoming her own person with her own unique personality. We had a conversation today. She told everyone that "Mom and Jill are running in the Bolder Boulder." Although it wasn't said with that much clarity or concise speech. It was more of a "mom and jiw run in bower bower." But when she realized that it would make us laugh, she was so proud of herself and then would repeat it at random intervals through out the day. She really does have a good sense of comedic timing (It doesn't hurt that Aunt Jill loves to laugh). Then, just ask her about camping. Do you like camping Lily? Uh huh. By the way we had to leave the camp site at 6AM because she did not sleep well at all that night and would not stop crying, but even through the tears she does like camping. (Of course, she actually had a great time up until the time that the temperature dropped to about 30 degrees--for that matter, my enthusiam for the camping excursion was dropping by that point as well.) But tonight we did a little bit of indoor camping. She has this cute, cute, cute butterfly tent (strictly for indoor use). She would crawl in then tell poke her head out at me and say "let's go, jiw" (did I tell you that this all started when she woke up from her nap and said "I want jiw"--I so love this kid). So we would get in the tent--she would then take off her "pack pack" (backpack) where barbie was stashed, next would come the order to zip up (meaning the tent flap), inevitably she would open the pack pack and say "hello barbie" and then request a zip up of the pack pack. The next was one of two options-- woooaaa or shake it. Woooaaa consisted of her sitting on one side of the tent, me on the other leaning back and forth saying (can you guess... wait for it...) "wooooaaaa." Upstairs Craig and Rhonda weren't sure if she was crying until she would bust out into a crazy loud super fantastic giggle (she has one dimple, too cute). Shake it consistend of her standing in the middle of the tent (please keep in mind that the tent is maybe 4'x4'--great for a 2 year old but not so roomy for a grown up) and we would shake the side of the tent also ending inthat crazy loud super fantastic giggle of hers. The the normal routine would be a request for help in putting the pack pack back on, then she would crawl out of the tent poke her head back in and say "let's go", I would crawl out follow her around the pool table and repeat the entire process from the beginning. This only stopped because dinner was ready and resumed immediately afterwards.

The plan tomorrow... I get her all day to myself. Craig and Rhonda both have to work. We will truck on down to the park for some fabulous playtime. I don't think I have expressed it enough, this kiddo has my heart. She is the best super-kid in the world and she is only two (it can only get better because I hear the twos are terrible).

New Phone

I ordered myself a new phone this week. I guess that I am very important and everyone wants to talk to me, because my phone has been ringing off the hook (do cell phones have a hook?, do phones in general have a hook anymore?) So for the 2nd month in a row, I have exceeded my minutes--and I was oh so careful this last month (using my home phone whenever possible, waiting until 9:00 to make other calls). The problem: 1. Well, I should probably stop calling people so much. 2. Client's have been picking up--I use my current number for them to call and call them from this cell phone (leaving me a voice message at a place I go for maybe 15 minutes once a week just doesn't work). 3. It seems that no one I know, except maybe mom, dad, and my aunt have AT&T anymore (I am talking mainly about my friend CG--you have abandoned me to join with your husband's cell network, what's up with that? *she said with a sarcastic smirk*). So I deliberated, and I deliberated, and then I did some research (of course) and then I thought about it some more. Strangely enough, it works out as cheaper to get a second cell phone with a different company than to add more minutes and another line to my current plan (actually it would be about the same price--but that still wouldn't help with the CG issue as she also has to really watch her minutes too). Again I ask, what's up with that? Of course, AT&T doesn't really care what I do because they have me locked into a 2 year contract. I am free to roam about the country and other cell phone companies as long as I keep my current cell phone with them.

I Noticed It One Day Too Late

Strange blog post here, but yesterday I noticed that the anniversary of my divorce had passed by and it hadn't even registered with me. It was only when I went to work on monday and noticed the date on the calendar that I started thinking, "hmm, wasn't it this time last year..." This year the day couldn't be any different. Last year was a dark day (not literally as the sun was shining bright). Not only did my divorce go through, but I was stuck in a training--Grief after Trauma. In this training (as if talking about grief and trauma for 2 days isn't bad enough by itself) they showed a video about a church shooting that happened in Fort Worth, Texas in September 1999. Yes, for those who know me and are doing the math, I was in Fort Worth at the time of the Wedgewood Baptist Church shooting. A man walked into a See You At the Pole Rally and shot into a group of teenagers, killing seven before killing himself. (Thank God he was horrible at making pipe bombs or this would have been even worse). This was during my first semester of practicum and I led one of the many debriefing groups later in the week--my first ever therapy session (trial by fire). There were seminarians there that were also wounded or killed. This was my divorce day last year. The end of a marriage and a reminder of a very real tragedy. I remember last year driving from the training center to home trying so hard to keep it together, not succeeding at all. So I changed course slightly drove straight to my parent house and just cried while my parents held me. I am so thankful for my family. I am so glad that I came back home to live before all of this happened.

So... This year. Again, totally different from last year. I went to church (always a place of healing for me), I sat next to my friend--flower goddess, enjoying an occassional laugh (or two or three--do we ever stop laughing), playing handbells (enjoying the last of the season--ready for summer break), watching graduating seniors be recognized (some that I have worked with for the past three years). After church I had lunch with another friend and then met yet another dear one at the park for a little bit. It was almost as if God was saying, "When you remember what the day is, I want you to know that you were well provided for, that there were friends to be there for you, but I will protect you from actually needing their shoulder." What a difference a year makes. When I did finally sit down and remembered what Sunday was, I did shed a few tears (it was inevitable). Not many tears though, healing is such a beautiful thing, sometimes it seems so stinking slow in coming, stuck somewhere along the way. And sometimes, it can take you by surprise, not even realizing how far you have come. What a great day.

Kids and their Wishes

I didn't experience this story first hand, but it was really cute and I have permission to blog it. My friend Amy took her son to Disney World last week. They had a great time and Spencer a.k.a. Spider Man was a trooper. He was not one of the screaming/crying kids. He wasn't too tired or too hot. He was not demanding or irritating, but truly a superhero.

So, the cute part. They went on the "It's a Small World" ride. Toward the end there is a place to throw a penny and make a wish. First cute thing, he had to think and then ask about this whole wishing thing. Amy explained to him that a wish is something that a person really, really wants to have happen and the penny sometimes helps that come true. So Spencer closed his eyes up tight and thought really hard and then threw in his penny. Amy didn't ask and Spencer didn't tell. Well, that is where the second cute thing happens... As I understand it, a couple of hours later, Spencer looks up at Amy with a serious expression on his face and asks, "When am I going to turn into Spider Man?"

So make a wish, you just might get to be a superhero.

I Don't Think It Could be any More Unlucky

That would be my day. Not a horrible day, but things have been happening to me today that are just plain annoying. I do have a blog though, this means I get to vent here...

Started off this morning with the light bulb in my bathroom going out. No problem I get a new bulb and drag the piano bench into the bathroom, remove the glass globe, go to unscrew the light bulb. That is when the unlucky part started, the light bulb shatters. That is right, I am looking at the light bulb directly above my head while still barefooted and in pajamas and it shatters. The amazing part--none of the glass got in my eyes, I wasn't cut at all. The dilemna--I am in my barefeet and surrounded by broken glass. I manage to gingerly walk to the closet avoiding all glass and get some shoes on and sweep up the glass. I still have the task ahead of me of getting the rest of the bulb out of the fixture (maybe I should wait until my luck turns).

Next stop on my way to work was to grab a breakfast burrito from Sonic. I do believe that they pour grease to the burrito because 5 bites into it, I have grease dripping from my hand onto the front of my dress. (Ladies you can sympathize I am sure). But I have had a great big grease spot on my right boob all day long. Need I remind you I work with ALL men and one woman (and she happens to be on vacation this week). So I go into the bathroom first thing and I try to wash this spot out. IT DIDN'T WORK, it just gave me a wet boob for the first 30 minutes of work. So I spent most of my day trying to cover up my boob, without being obvious about trying to cover up my boob. Everyone was a gentleman and I could tell that they were trying not to look, but oh my goodness.

Next is the simple fact that it was a crazy busy day. There were shipping orders to process (and Oh, by the way the truck is waiting in the parking lot). There were labels to print (of course I can't do anything else while printing labels as I have to sit with my hand in the print and manually feed each and every one). There were requisistions to get approved and sent off (would it be too much to ask that the entries in the roladex reflect the companies current name and not who owned them 15 years ago). Lots to do, but there is a steady flow and a rhythm that I am getting into with this. As I am feeling good about getting so much accomplished and I am patting myself on the back for keeping caught up... a problem was discovered in payroll. The checks had mis-fed 1/2 through and was off by a line (only one l line!!!!). This wouldn't have been that big of a deal except that it was the heading of the next check on the bottom of the previous check--this means that someone else's name, SS#, and pay-rate on the bottom of the previous check. This was discovered a 1:45. They pick up their checks at 2:30. I had to void out the checks and re-issue them.

There is more. Oh, there is more, but right now I am looking forward to a long walk and maybe some icecream later. Whew. What a Day!