Little Bits

I was totally super mom today. I did a HUGE shopping trip for the party on Sunday. Then I baked two cakes and a dozen cupcakes, decorated them, and did it all while helping Chloe with school work, keeping the baby happy, and I didn't get all crazy and stressed out like I usually do when cake decorating is involved.

I really hate decorating cakes. Neither one is perfect. Not even close. And after all the flippin' work I put into them, I don't really even care. For Pete's sake, they're for a ONE year old. She won't even know any different.

I also made a black bean and corn salsa (with home-grown tomatoes and peppers!) and a cole-slaw that needs to sit for a couple days to really be good. I made lunch, made dinner, washed and folded two loads of laundry, dealt with Mark when he picked Chloe up, and probably a million other things that I just do out of habit and can't think of at the moment.

And now, I am sitting here, enjoying my second margarita and listening to the thunder storm that's starting and watching my baby wreck havoc on the pets. I feel rather good about myself, very accomplished. Now if only I could muster up the energy to bathe her....

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I was in Wal Mart earlier (where inevitably there are half a dozen children screeching and running wild at any given time) and this girl, probably about my age, was scolding her maybe three year old son. She scooped him up, obviously frustrated and angry, and said "That's it! You're going to grandma's house," whereupon the little boy started screaming "No!!!!!!!!!" as she dragged him from the store. Seriously, how sad is that? My kid would be skipping out the door singing if I told her she was going to grandma's house. I can't imagine what kind of grandmother that poor boy has, and it makes me feel sad for him.

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My dad called last night to let me know he won't be attending Cora's party, because he's going fishing. In Alaska. Yeah. I'm really not that upset, though I suspect he thought I would be. Heck, I'd pass up a toddler birthday party if I could go to Alaska! While we were on the phone though, he said "Those sure are some special little girls you have." He proceeded to tell me how much he loves them and how much he enjoys our Sunday morning breakfasts and that he misses them when we aren't there.

There aren't words to describe how happy that made me feel, to hear him say that. I know he loves his granddaughters, but he must really love them if he's willing to tell me about it. My daddy isn't usually the mushy type.

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There is a heck of a thunder storm going on right now. Andrew's out scouting for elk, and Chloe's at Mark's. Cora's completely oblivious. I wish there was someone here to share it with me. I really love thunder storms.

Yesterday I went out and worked in the garden while it rained. (did I already mention that?) It was awesome - muddy, but so pleasant. There weren't any wasps flying around, and it was peaceful to listen to the rain land on my garden.


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Andrew has to leave as soon as Cora's party is over, to go to Wyoming for work again. I hate this Wyoming crap. I always say I want to move there - if he keeps going there for work, we may as well! At least then we'd see him more than once a week, eh? And he's got hunting licenses for pretty much everything, which means his weeks off from now until mid-November are going to be taken up hunting. I have a feeling I'm going to be a very lonely mama for awhile.

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Baby is a climber. She pushes the laundry basket around to climb on to things. Yesterday she pushed it to the couch, climbed on up, then promptly fell off and cried. As soon as she was done being comforted, she pushed it up to the recliner, leaned over the side, and fell off and cried. Then she pushed it up to the window, stared out for awhile, then fell off. Some day she's going to learn how to get down, right? :o)

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Chloe collected a pocketful of rocks while we were camping, which made it into the washer (and some into the drier too.) I told her "Chloe, I just found a bunch of rocks in the washer." She said "Oh, thank you for washing them! They're all clean now!"

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Cora's got a runny nose. I don't think it's too much of a cold, just a little stuffiness. Chloe had it the day we left to go camping.

So all day long I hear "Mom! Cora's got snot!" ...... "It's a really big one!"......."She's licking it now!"..... "Ew, Mom, it's kind of green this time!"

All day, my daughter narrates the nasal secretions of her baby sister. It's lovely.

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Ooh! It just rained! It poured. For about 30 seconds. I wonder if that means I can skip watering the garden tonight....

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Baby climbed into the laundry basket full of laundry. And just fell out. I suppose I should go. :o)