Thanks...

This post is for my very supportive friends and family. This past month or so has been very trying and these past week especially has been a pretty tough. All week I have been recieving LOTS of support in the way of phone calls, emails and food (thanks mom) from my sister, my almost/might as well be a sister (Julie), and my mom. My school sounding board has also been a great listener lately and has offered helpful advice and plenty of Kleenex. Thanks for putting up with my invasion of your space and for listening, Michele. Today I got a special package in the mail from one of my closest friends, who seemed to know that I really needed a laugh and a cry. The package evoked both, at the same time. Tracey, you are great and I really appreciate your thoughtfullness!! Today, I also got an email from a friend whom I have not seen in over a year and finally we caught each other on the phone. She called just as I was opening the email that she sent. Really, I had only read the first sentence when the phone rang! It is amazing how people two people can be separated for so long and then just fall right back into sink. Marguerite is right, that is Grace---knowing, without really knowing that a friend needs you and being there. It is so comforting to have such great relationships with friends! I am a very lucky woman!
To you all, and you know who you are, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I do not know if I would make it without such great friends and family!

The State Museum

"Who knew our state museum had SOOOO much to offer. We decided to add a little more fun to the weekend by touring the "grown up museum" on Sunday afternoon. We had planned to get up and go to church, but daylight savings time foiled us. We would have needed to leave by 9am to get the dog home and get to church in time for Sunday School. Well, my sweet princess slept until 8:30 and it was 26.6 degrees so early.....this was not much a decision. I was easily swayed to be a heathen due to the cold and tight timing!

The museum was a great experience. Margaret was delighted that Jonathan got home just as we were leaving and agreed to go with us. She said she "really, really" wanted him to go and he could "be the leader" since he has been there before. There is so much to see that we could have stayed for an entire day. However, after about an hour and a half both girls had "tired feet" and were ready to head home.

Beauty and the Beast

This was a really big weekend for the girls! Jonathan was out of town, so Margaret and I had a "sleep over" at the Columbia house for "two nights!" Margaret was really excited and stated that we should stay there more often because there are "many more rooms and bathrooms than our little St. Matthews house." Yes, it is time to move!! I had a class on Saturday morning and Margaret was DELIGHTED to stay with "Miss"Tracey for a few hours. When I got back, Marg and I made a mad dash to find a dress for me to wear to the ballet and a purse for her. She was VERY well behaved and we got home just in time to change clothes and head off to see Beauty and the Beast.

The show was wonderful. There were 2 intermissions and we read each act before the dancers started back. Below are a few pictures of Margaret before the ballet and at intermission. She was quite engrossed during the performance. She whispered questions to me about who was who throughout, but was basically mesmerized. After the performance, we went backstage to see the costumes, dancers, and well back stage stuff. Margaret got REALLY shy at this point and would not even stand by the costumes for a picture. We (Tracey and I begged her) did finally get one picture of Margaret with the Beast "in his nice clothes" just before we left. When we got in the car Margaret was pouty and then burst into broken hearted tears. Either the ballet was quite cathartic or she is turning into a teenage early!! Luckily, after a few tears and some tight hugs she was better and just as her tears were drying she nailed her head on a side mirror of a car she was passing as we walked in to a resturant to eat dinner. What terrible timing!! This was the second BIG bump on her head of the weekend. On Friday night she jammed her head into a door frame. So, the bruises on the forehead in pictures for the next week or so are not due to abuse.....just tired clumsiness. Anyway, she recovered quickly from this injury and was thrilled to eat pizza and then walk around the corner for icecream. YUM! All in all it was a great day!Margaret was not so thrilled about this picture.

I tried to get Margaret to pose next to the pretty costumes and Beast mask, not so much... After the ballet, Margaret had a bit of a moment......

Margaret was completely cured of her mood by the time we went for icecream!

Washing my OWN hair!!

Margaret has been into taking showers lately. She says she is a "big girl." I love for her to take showers because the steam seems to help with her recent stuffiness and it is just easier. Well, tonight she washed her own hair! She usually washes herself but I always do the hair. I did help to rinse her hair but she did everything else by herself. She was quite proud of herself!

The pour..."is this enough?"

Scrubbing with Shampoo

The rinse...."I can do it by myself!"

Day of the Dentist

Margaret and I have been talking for weeks about the trip to the dentist that happened this morning. For her first dentist appointment she did GREAT! She let the hygenist clean and floss her teeth and let the dentist check her without fussing at all. I was SOOOO proud. Today I took the camera anticipating the same excellent behavior and I really was going to make a big deal about it. Needless to say, todays visit was NOT photo worthy--unless we could have gotten a shot of me holding Marg down with my arms and legs and the hygenist prying her mouth open to clean her teeth! YIKES! She was ok at first, but then she decided she was done and she REALLY was. We went to lunch with Jonathan and Tracey after the dental visit and she told them a little about her behavior. She told me she would really try to be a good girl at the next visit. Hopefully she is not going to follow in my footsteps with a dental phobia.

Our Fabulous Find

Madeline is very thrilled to have a new stroller. Margaret and I found this antique baby carraige at a yard sale at her school last week and have been having fun cleaning it up and preparing to add some new ribbons to make it "beautiful for Madeline." We are planning to find some fabulous ribbon or lace this weekend at one of our new favorite places, JoAnne's. We will post a picture of the final product when it is finished!

Lunch with Laine

I forgot to post about Margaret's play date last week with one of her best friends, Laine. Margaret was very excited to pick Laine up from school. We were sad that Ren was sick, but the two girls had a fun time eating pizza at Joe's Deli, playing at the park, then were both really helpful with my patient that we all went to see!

We can't wait for both of the twins to visit again soon!