Monday Has Arrived

Sunrise over Riverside (Note ripple from mullet jump!)

Well today's the day. The hub and mom go back home. As much as I hate the hub leaving, it's a blessing that this was planned so he can take mom home. She was up at 5:30 this morning, bag in hand, ready to go. She's so excited to be going home. Miss Chatty Cathy she is today. Has her pep back, a little dance to her step and a gleam in her eyes. It makes me happy to see her feeling so much better with a simple solution. Thank God.














Yesterday, we had our Memorial Day bbq and christened the new Webber grill. Smokin' baby. Yum. Typical American fare, hot dogs and hamburgers and corn-on-the-cob. It was "gud."





Here are the boys heading out for a couple of hours on the boat--the kid being the spotter. They then went to the beach and stayed longer than expected so they didn't make it to Mobile to see the USS Alabama. Maybe the kid and I will go out there some time this week. I'm not a big one on military things. Guess it's more of a guy thing.

Well, time to head out to get another Adirondack for the dock before I lose my strong man. I'm sad to see him go. Pout. I'll leave you with quite a visual. The hub, who's never been one to work around the house, is being quite the new homeowner! I'm so proud!

Memorial Day '07

Taps

Fading light dims the sight
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright
From afar drawing nigh,
Falls the night.

Day is done, gone the sun
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky
All is well, safely rest;
God is nigh.

Then goodnight, peaceful night;
Till the light of the dawn shineth bright.
God is near, do not fear,
Friend, goodnight.

Good Morning!

One good thing about having to keep an eye on mom while she's here is watching the sun rise over the river. It is lovely. The only sound is the splash of the water as the mullet jump. They are amazing! The hub said one jumped right in front of his face as he was swimming on Friday! (Probably trying to get out of his way, hehe.) I borrowed the pic above from the internet. Haven't downloaded any of my pictures yet! Don't know if I caught any flying fish this morning or not!

Momma has settled in and did pretty well yesterday, considering. I moved upstairs last night to sleep and it was like sleeping on a cloud. I think we all slept a little better the second night here.

Well, I smell the coffee so it must be time to start the day. The boys are repeating their day from yesterday--boat, beach and then heading across the Bay to see the USS Alabama, a battleship from WWII. They're very excited!

Dazed and Confused

Things aren't going as planned down here at Riverside.

We arrived safely, it only took 6 1/2 hours even with holiday traffic. We pull in and mom, Frankie (mom's dog) and I go into the house. She had the hardest time going up those stairs, so the ramp is a good thing (if it ever gets done, that is!). We come in and go right to the back porch to look at the beautiful river. The boys arrived shortly thereafter. We sat there for a bit and then came inside. She sticks to me like glue whenever she is out of her element. I brought her to her bedroom and showed her the TV and set her up so she would feel at home. She looked at me and said "OK, I'm ready to go home." I swear. It was a straight flashback to my father when he was still living on his own but was beginning to show signs of dementia. We had brought him over for Christmas Eve dinner. Before we could sit down and eat, he started crying and said "I want to go home." That drive was only 45 minutes, one way. This one was 6 hours! I felt totally sick to my stomach when that came out of her mouth. The look in her eyes was total confusion and loss. I looked at her and said "What? You mean you want to go back to Nashville?" I think I was almost as confused as her. I tried to remind her where we were, we had been talking about it for months. She had no idea, no recollection, not a clue. She wanted to go home.

I can't tell you how scary it is watching your parent age and see dementia setting in. It just breaks my heart. And my nerves are just about shot. I have been on edge since we arrived. She's calmed down since arrival, but she is still ready to leave at any moment. I slept on the sofa last night not knowing her state of mind--yet another flashback to my father. Of course, the ramp is not finished and she is even having a time with the single short step out to the porch. I'm just terrified of her falling. This morning, I ordered the extra "layer" on Mediacom so she can watch her Game Show Network. That's all she will watch. It has helped. I sat with her today as she watched and I just feel asleep. As you know, I'm not a morning person and I was up at sunbreak with her, yawwwwwn. Now I'm refreshed after my "nap." grin. She seems fine with it but still gets up and wonders around not knowing where she is. Going a tad stir crazy, I sat up the laptop right behind her here in the kitchen and thought I better do something before I go mad.

Thank goodness, the boys are having a blast, yea! They've been swimming in the river, floating on rafts, taking boat rides and are are now at the Gulf. (Yes, the hub is included in all of the above fun, the big boy he is.) The dogs are chillin'. Rootie is down with her arthritis, poor ol' girl. Those stairs take her out every time. I sure can't wait for that ramp to be done for every one's sake! Frankie is hovering right along side momma. That dog. I swear. Meek and mild -- NOT! She went after our sweet Reese and bit her yesterday! I was so mad! So much for having the fence built too. Poor Reese hasn't been back. I'm so sad.

Well, with all that said, the good news is that Bob was heading back on Monday to take the kid's friend home (and I guess someone does have to work--hehe); so guess who will be catching a ride on that train? Mom cannot make Monday come soon enough. She is ready. She wouldn't even unpack her clothes! At least this afternoon, she seems comfortable and there's only a couple of hours til sundown at which time I can tuck her into bed and relax a bit. (Did someone say pina colada??)

I was a tad nervous about this trip and now I know why. The funny thing is, she was so excited about it. We had fun packing her clothes and talking about the river and everything. She just completely blanked when we arrived and is ready to go home. Oh well. I guess that's a good sign that she is happy at home. I'll say my blessings for that.

I have lots of pics once I set my computer up--teaser. It is just a lovely as when we left last time. Sigh.

Big 13!

Happy Birthday Madeleine!

Southern Bound

Riverside, here we come! I can't wait to hear the tree frogs "bate bate bate bate." Love THEM! (This is the doorknocker I have on our "back" door.) I'm going to try and record their croaks, it's amazing!

We all have been busy today and are totally pooped. Both boys finished their finals--school's out for summa! The kid got his braces--poor fellow. He's having a time with them. We went to lunch directly afterwards, he said he was up for it. But as he tried to eat rice, he had tears rolling down his face. Just breaks my heart. I haven't seen tears from him in ages. Awww. He's still my baby. Sniffle. I gave him a Advil and sent him to bed, he's been asleep ever since. His best buddy next door ("movie star") is going with us to Riverside for the weekend and he's been over twice to see if the kid is ok. I think between having his exams this week and all the excitement in getting braces, the poor guy is just tuckered out.

I got mom's hair cut this morning and then ran to the bakery for some goodies for the kid's school's office. Sometimes those staffers are overlooked and they do so much work behind the scenes. I try and get them a basket of muffins and croissants for the last day to show our appreciation. I did, however, forget to get the teachers something. Oh well. Ms. Ditzy here. I then ran momma back home before running to the school to drop the goodies off and pick up the kid. Got to the ortho on time and sat and sat in the "adults' lounge" where I watched Martha Stewart! What a treat. I have never seen her show before; and I know that sounds strange, but I swear. I've seen a couple of her original shows way back when she first started on TV but I hadn't seen any since she's been out of the clanker! I told myself (famous last words) I would try and watch her show this summer. It was, of course, chock full of goodies and ideas. Today she had Donna Karen as a guest -- Miss DKNY herself. She is involved in this new "Urban Zen Initiative" which they barely had time to talk about after spending so much time on cooking tuna (ew). It sounded fascinating and I'm interested in learning more about it. From what I gathered, it's a mix between Eastern remedies and Western medicines, yoga, aromatherapy, whole foods, etc. I look forward to reading up on it as I settle in down South.

I've just about have everything packed up, I think. Got mom packed, the kid packed, me--I'm half packed. Rootie is walking around panting, nervous. Whenever she sees a bag out, she knows someone is leaving. I've told her that she and Frankie are coming with us, but she's still hovering. Which brings me to . . .

"Mom's ramp" is yet to be finished, of course. Which means the fence isn't done either. Gonna have to keep mom and the dogs corralled now somehow. The carpenter called today to say that he wasn't done. Like I knew that was coming, right? But, his son was in the hospital this week, so what is one to do? Well, if he had worked on it like he said he was going to two months ago (and I quote, "Ma'am, when I begin a job, I like to work on it until it is finished) it could have already been done. Ok. I said my peace. Well, not really. I think all these guys go to the same school. "Two weeks, it will be done in two weeks"--which somehow always turns into two or three months. I have to laugh at the movie "The Money Pit" (one of my all-time favs). It is sooooo true. Whatever they tell you, double it--time, money, whatever. Frustratin'. Ok, now I've said my peace, promise.

I'm totally exhausted, but I think I've got everything under control. Hopefully, we will hit the road pretty early. I need to be at Riverside by 3ish because the infamous armoir is being delivered -- again. This time, let's hope they bring the right amount of manpower to get the thing inside and up all those stairs.

And since we will be there for an extended amount of time, I'm taking my lifeline, my iMac. So you won't even miss me and me you. Let's just hope I remember to pack it up in the morning. hehe.

Ta ta for now.

Youch!

(WARNING: Graphic Dentist Material!)

Yesterday was my dental appointment. I had my permanent crown put on my back molar and my four filings replaced. I used to think I had a big mouth. Yea, not when you have like four hands in there trying to get to that last tooth! I swear, I had a salad at lunch today (thinking I wouldn't have to open my mouth as much as for a sandwich) and my jaw was killing me with every little bite! I kept saying "ah" every time I took a bite.

I think they've come a long way with Novocaine injections because now the doc kinda shakes the jowl when he inserts the needle and you hardly feel it. Thank goodness, because, as you know, that is always the worst part! Anyhoo, the crown on my left side was a no brainer, no biggy at all. They just glued that sucker in and cleared away any access cement. Boom, done. Now, on to the right side of my mouth. After he inserted the crown, he patted me on the shoulder and walked away. I thought "Oh boy, oh boy, he forgot about my fillings!" No such luck. He returned with that God-awful syringe with the huge metal finger grips (what's with that?). Sniffle. But, like I said, not a big deal. Hardly felt the needle at all. But, then came the drilling!! Geez Louise! Bzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz BZZZZZZZZ. Smoke, smoke, smoke!! And the smell of fire! Reminded me of when the mulch was on fire outside the bedroom window! hehe. Lordy. He did two and I thought my jaw was going to break in half. Of course, again, the teeth that needed attention were in the back of my mouth. When he started to do the second two, I was like whoa! Give me a clamp baby, my jaw is about burst! Since it was already sore, it helped only a little. Next time, I'm asking for one of those suckers right at the get-go! Phew! Good news is it's done and over. Only cleaning from now on. PTL.
Now it's the kid's turn. Poor little guy. Braces tomorrow. Today, like in five minutes, he gets spacers prepping the teeth for tomorrow's application. Joy. I think I'll take some Advil before we go!

Pretty Momma

Mrs. M Dove allowed me to open the door and take a snap of her this morning. Isn't she pretty? No more eggs today, still only two. She always looks so content, except here where she looks quite frightened. Poor thing.

We all chipped in and got the rec room and the garage cleaned out today. Even got started on the infamous office (at least the hub did his part--the rest is up to me and my junk!). You'll remember that I moved my computer from there last winter when I got tired of looking at all the mess. Now how pathetic is that? And, the rec room? It hasn't looked this good since Raphi and Regis came last summer! The teenager said today he has dibs on the old furniture when he goes to college next summer. Good riddance (furniture, I mean. Well, hmmmm. . . ) hehe.

The garage doesn't take long to get completely blown up, so it was probably last fall that we last cleaned it. I was tired of mom having to step over things to get to my car (not me, mind you--I'm used to it!). I was worried that she was going to stumble on some of the teenager's junk that he's had lying around all winter. So, we just bit the bullet and did it. Just have to sweep up the kitty litter from the oil drips (teenager's car) and it will be done.


Doesn't it feel good when you get things done? Oh oh oh! And, guess what else I did today? I took my Alabama boating license test and passed at 93%! Wooohoo! Now, I am really ready to hit the river! The hub passed his last weekend and the kid will take his this week before we leave. Last will be the teenager. Getting him to do anything is like pulling teeth. I always wait until I have the energy to fight with him before I ask him to do anything. Sigh.

But Two Are Better!

Yes, and then there were two! Yea! Mrs. M Dove has laid another egg! Woohooo! You go momma!

One Isn't So Lonely

It's better than none. Mrs. M Dove only had one egg--so far. (May I add my thrill that she has a little decorating diva in her. Note the hot pink thread entwined in her nest?) I remember our last dove had three. Yes, that was the year they nested in a hanging basket on the front porch. Yes, and that was the year we had horrible tornadoes touching down close by off and on for over a week. Ugh. Uh huh, that was me out there moving the basket down to the porch floor after I saw it swinging horizontally. Oh yea, and the babies? Yep, they hatched. They were fat and adorable. I was able to witness one stuck on the top porch and then frantically flew away, good job lil' chap! I was also able to find specks of blood on the front porch after some critter (cat) caught one in its attempt at first flight, I'm guessing. It broke my heart. Mother Nature, hard at work, I always have to remind myself.

Poor Queen V had a nest and lost all her eggs to a critter. Therefore, I am honoring those lost with this one single egg. Brava Mrs. M Dove!

Finally!

If you'll remember last year, we had at least three bird nests going at any particular time, from February until August. And, of course, along with the nests we had Miss Bev, the huntress, watching each step along the way and sometimes going in for the kill. This year, we had no Miss Bev and no nests, pout. Boom or bust, always the way.

Today, I went out the side door to water my window box and just before opening the door, I saw Mr. and Mrs. M. Dove nesting in my geranium basket! Awwww. (Sorry, pictures are taken through the back window AND screen door!) Momma looked as though she were laying her eggs already! A little while later, I peeked out and the love birds were gone; so I spied on the nest and it looks as if they are only in the first stages. Guess it's time to start worrying over my new family. Time to keep the babies (cats) indoors. The nest is awfully close to the porch railing. Eeeeek.

It's beginning to feel like spring again. All the old dead growth from the first spring that died from the late deep freeze is beginning to come back. It's refreshing to see the pretty green rather than all that dead dark brown. I was afraid a lot of it really was dead, but now I see most is ok. Even my azaleas are blooming! Squeeeel!

Pining for Summer

Nine days 'til summer. I can taste it. I can smell Riverside. I can hear the little tree frogs singing. I want to be there, NOW!


Not helping matters any, today I received the new Sundance catalog. I open it up only to find the boat of my dreams!! I really want it! Whine. Can't have it, but I really want it. Of course, it all began with an episode from The Sopranos--you know, the one when Tony and Carm visit Bobby and Janice at their lake house. They had the sweetest vintage boat similar to this that I fell in love with. Oh yes, that's the one that would fit perfectly in the Riverside boat house! hehe.

I have a special place in my heart for these vintage vessels. My Uncle Vin (married to my father's sister Ollie) bought a beautiful used 1960s Chris-Craft cabin cruiser; and my father lovingly restored her to her original elegance by stripping all the painted over teak and mahagony. She was absolutely gorgeous when he finished. We spent many a day cruising the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic on the this boat. If we weren't on the boat, we were at the beach almost every weekend. I found this old ad, and it sure does bring back memories. This looks very similar to the ol' Honey Pot of Washington, DC.

Anyway, even though the Honey Pot was a lot different than this gorgeous gal, it still tugs at my heartstrings when I see a beauty like this. Sigh. (The hub is going to cringe when he reads this post! hehe)

On Being Mothers

We have to possess both yin and yang. Can't help it. Comes with the territory. We can be all warm and fuzzy one moment and have to turn on a dime to be strong and authoritative, sometimes downright mean. Lordy. The teenager. Seventeen going on 32. This was my mother's day present from him. Like mother, like son. We're both hippies at heart, love our incense, oil burners etc. I have some wonderful scent burning now, don't know what it is, but it sure smells good. I needed it to calm me down. The teenager probably knew he was going to get in trouble for something and thought the present would save him from my wrath. Wrong. There is nothing that can protect you from your mother, really, now is there?

We had a wonderful brunch this morning at The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville (see last year's post for more). It was absolutely delicious. I could handle a few more mimosas though. I'm actually craving another as I write this. Hmmmmm. Maybe the hub and I could hit another place and sip a few more???? Mom and I had one each, shoulda had a few more, obviously didn't get my fill. Of course, dessert was my favorite. They had European macaroons! I've never seen them here in the States. What fun! Remember the ones I brought back from Switzerland? I'm going to have to call and see where they got them. Yum! Made me "home" sick for Europe (like I'm European, hehe). Pout. You know here we call those little clusters of coconut macaroons. Over there, they're two small "bun" shaped meringue with a s"schmere" of flavored cream in between. They just melt in your mouth if they're the real thing. Today's were a tad chewy, but good just the same over here in "Amurica." I was just so excited to see them!

Mom looked so pretty and ate so well. Actually, she ate half of my cheesecake after eating all of hers. That's always a good sign! (We both get the munchies when we drink, hiccup.)

We all came home fat and happy. That is until the kid comes home and asks "Does the teenager smoke?" What? Why? A neighbor saw him driving down the road with a cigarette! Wha????? I called his butt up and told him to throw every cigarette away that he had and to come straight home, NOW! He walked through that door and didn't know what hit him. I swear. What a dumbo. We have talked about smoking cigarettes and talked about it and talked about it. He has sworn to me that he didn't smoke. After I let him smoke his hookah (stupid on my part, I know), he progresses to cigarettes? Uh uh. Ain't gonna happen. No more hookah, no more cigarettes. Ooh, I let into him. Momma done gone ballistic. Just when I think he's doing well, he's pulls some stupid stunt like that. Brat. Oh, and after I ream him out, he comes downstairs with my mother's day present. Like that's going to make me feel better. Brat.

Motherhood.

Mother Memories

Promotional Photo Circa 1962

Each year for Mother's Day, I am going to try and conjure up memories from my childhood with mom. It's hard when you sit down to try and recall your oldest thoughts and visuals, isn't it? Well, today, I dusted off the old filing cabinets in my brain, blew off the cobwebs on my childhood folders and pulled these memories out of retirement. I really enjoyed thinking about my childhood, way back when. The more I wrote, the more I remembered. I think the boys will get a kick out of these stories one day.

I took the photo above the last time I was in DC. I wanted a picture of one of my oldest childhood memories. I remember being very young and Mom driving my brother Johnny* to piano lessons not too far from our home in Arlington and then driving into DC across the Memorial Bridge. I have loved these huge bronze statues ever since. They (Arts of War) flank each side of the bridge as you cross the Potomac River and just before you enter Washington. I thought about that memory each and every time I passed by these statues--each and every time, from that day on--hundreds and hundreds of times. (Perhaps there was more to the day than I truly remember, I don't know.) You can imagine how big these seemed to a small child. The shiny bronze made them even more stunning to me. That was the only time I ever remember my mother driving a car. She must have given it up shortly thereafter. (I was later told why. My father, who could be the most giving person around, gave her car away to a friend in need. She in turn vowed never to drive again--and she never did, honest. Oh yes, momma can be stubborn! I'm told it's a Bailey trait. Hmmm, ya think that's where I get it from, hub?)

When it came to weening me off the bottle, my mom was very lenient, to say the least. I remember my oldest brother Joe (14 years my senior) still living at home and dating (Mary Jane?). One night my mom refused to give me a bottle, so I just just pranced my little self right downstairs, poured milk into a bottle, hid it in a paper sack (so no one would see, of course) and then take it back up to bed. Mom told me some nights I would drink up to three bottles--throwing the empties against the wall before producing the next one in line. One day, she just took all my bottles and threw them away. Boom, done. There was no weening period at all. Cold turkey. She said "No more bottles" and that was that. I have never drank another drop of plain milk since. (See stubborn in above paragraph.) hehe. Now, on the other hand, she told me that I was out of diapers at an extremely early age. I couldn't stand to be wet. Again, I would take it upon myself to do what was needed to make myself comfortable. I would march upstairs, change my own diaper and return. I swear, that's what she told me! I crack myself up. (Those pins must have been a bee-otch!) Had to be trainers she's thinking of. giggle.

I guess I've always been a Ramblin' Rose. I used to wander off from time to time when I was very young. One day, pre-school aged, I told my mom that I was going down to the basement to help my dad. He had his photography studio down there at the time. Well, I guess it was just a front because I went down, saw that he was in the darkroom and walked right out the basement door and proceeded to prance myself all the way up to the park (see Ft. Scott below) through the woods, no doubt! Mom said two men came knocking at our door about an hour later with me by their side. Said they "found" me up there. hehe. They told her she should keep a closer eye on me! I bet I got a pop on the rear that day!

I'll never forget the first day of kindergarten at Oakridge Elementary School. (Is that not the best name for an elementary school? And, of course, it matched its name. It was soooo sweet.) We walked hand-in-hand all the way to school. It was just over a mile and the walk took us through the loveliest of neighborhoods. We lived down the hill from the "expensive" neighborhoods in a duplex house, yet I never once felt embarrassed or self conscious about it. I owe that to my mother's unpretentious nature. I can still remember all the smells of the pastes (which I even tasted because it smelled so good!), pencil shavings and erasers that sat in my cigar box. Kindergarten was only half a day, so I really enjoyed it. Jump to first grade--full day--and there my friends lay a whole other story. First of all, I had to take the bus! That didn't' settle in too well at all. I cried the first week (or perhaps longer) even after she walked me instead of making me take that stinky bus. She later told me it just broke her heart. I can relate as the kid did the same thing to me. (The teenager would say goodbye as soon as we walked through the door--like, "don't let the door slam ya on the butt on your way out, ma!")

One year, we had a field trip to Ft. Scott Park. (This is the same park I "ran away" to.) It was just up the hill from our house--a short walk if you took the path through the "woods." I had forgot to bring my lunch for the trip and I remember being terribly embarrassed. I suppose someone called my mom because by the time we walked to the park, she was there waiting for me with a freshly made scrambled egg on toast sandwich. It was the best sandwich I had ever tasted. To this day, I can almost taste it, really. I remember my dad having a Buick station wagon that had a heater that smelled just like that when you started it up in the winter. It was very comforting then, sounds kinda gross now!

After kindergarten, mom got a job at my elementary school working in the kitchen of the cafeteria. (Back then, everything was cooked fresh from scratch--can you imagine?) I guess she figured she better be close to me in case I had an "emotional" breakdown. hehe. She continued through the years to follow me when I graduated to the next school--jr. high school and then to my high school. It was wonderful having her there in elementary--not so good in jr. high school. You know, "that's NOT MY mother!" attitude, although everyone loved her, of course. She would give everyone extras except me while serving. Pout. Poor me.

Mom used to make iced tea each summer. But I couldn't stand it as it was sweeter than the law allowed. (Oh yes, she is the perfect Georgia Peach.) All my friends would come over just to have here iced tea, I'd stick to water. She would then let us cook hot dogs on skewers over the gas stove burners. I can't even imagine allowing my kids to do that! When she cooked them for dinner, she would lightly score each hot dog spirally to keep them from curling up, I guess (?). She would also cut a slit from the center out of a thick slice of bologna, again to keep it from curling up while frying. (Talk about Southern!) Yum, I haven't had a fried bologna sandwich in years! Of course, it was served on the softest of breads, Wonder Bread!

What wonderful memories. Happy Mother's Day mom!

*Johnny-Lee-Hoo, how old were you when you took piano lessons????

(As I wrote the beginning of this, mom has come upstairs half-a-dozen times to ask me what to wear tomorrow to our Mother's Day brunch. God Bless her. Give her something out of her routine, and it sure throws her for a loop. I try not to tell her anything until the day of; but I had to wash her hair and give her a shower for tomorrow and explain that we had big plans for the day. I picked out her clothes and put them out but she is confused as to when she should get dressed. I pulled out a pretty pair of shoes to wear and she keeps bringing them upstairs to make sure they are the right ones. We just giggle with each other every time she comes up. Better to laugh than to cry, she always said.)

Weekend Cupcakes

For Mother's Day, I purchased two dozen of these scrumptious things (broken down into six to a box) to pass around to neighbors and, of course, us. There's a little shop here in town that sells these luscious deliectibles singly and I thought it would be "festive" to have some for Mother's Day weekend.

When I emailed Flour Power (isn't that the cutest name?) to get directions to her bakery, Ms. Baker (isn't that perfect?) emailed me back to let me know that she doesn't have a store quite yet. Oh no, 'cause these are the bestest cupcakes I've ever had and I was havin' a cravin'! Whoa! She told me she would make them up for me and deliver them though. Ok. Now that is SO Nashville! Everyone here is just too acommodating, I tell you.

There were pink ones, blue ones, green ones, yellow ones and I asked for one chocolate (have to keep the dads happy too) to be added toin each box. I think this will satisfy everyone's sweet tooth, what do you think? (Can you notice these are jumbo?!!)

Our little movie star neighbor is coming home this weekend--yeah--and we can't wait to see him! I gave his little sister a box of the cupcakes to take to welcome them home. I didn't know it until later that she took them back to their playhouse in the back yard (FULL SUN) and didn't bring them in until a couple of hours later! Eeeeek. I hope they're not just big ol' blobs of colors melted together when everyone gets home. Can you imagine? "Oh, wha? How very pretty (NOT!)." hehe.

Motherhood--it may not be beauty to the eye but it is still sweet to the heart.