Yesterday afternoon I was sitting in my comfy chair holding Elisabeth. She was being her usual, calm self; just sitting, staring at nothing, and thinking about whatever it is that sweet babies like her think about (probably a stocking full of Binky's).
I decided to turn on the TV to one of the music channels and get some Christmas tunes playing. So I reached past Elisabeth and picked up the remote control from off of the end table. As I pulled my arm back the remote went right past Elisabeth's eyes....AND SHE JUMPED!!! Really, truly! She was startled by it and gave a little jump.
Do you know what that means????? SHE SAW THE REMOTE CONTROL!!!! So I quickly moved the remote back in front of her face and gave it a little wiggle. She started laughing. I gave it another shake...she laughed even harder. I called Alexandra and Lorelai over, this was a moment that had to be shared. We shook and shook that little remote control in front of her eyes and she laughed as if it were the funniest thing she had ever seen (well, in this case the only thing she had ever seen). It was one of the most joyous moments of my life.
Donald got home a few minutes later and I tried to duplicate the experience for his benefit. Unfortunately, the vision had gone. I waved that remote like crazy in front of her cute chubby face, but she didn't see a thing. It just wasn't happening.
So I got to thinking about the moment of sight and how Elisabeth hasn't had a cluster of the Infantile Spasms in over a week. There must be a connection. Maybe her brain is finally getting the opportunity to heal itself. Maybe those few minutes of sight yesterday were the beginning of something more. Maybe there is hope.
Oh, how they adore their baby sister!
I am crazy about the dresses that Alexandra and Lorelai are wearing. Something about those collars...I couldn't resist them!
Elisabeth was not in the mood for this. Can you tell?
Reading Goodnight Moon together...my favorite children's book.
My head's been spinning. So many thoughts...so much I have been trying to sort through in my mind. I won't go into details here except to say that life can be confusing sometimes. Why is it that people tear each other down rather than build one another up?
I cried yesterday....and I almost never cry. It's a rare occasion to see me broken down in tears. I think I cried once in the past year, twice at the most. But that's OK, it keeps life interesting. An interesting life is a good life, right?
On a happy {and much different} note: This marks one week of Elisabeth being spasm free. I was not letting myself give in to the idea that they were really and truly over for fear that they would come back and crush my hopes. But a week....that's encouraging. Maybe it really is over.
For those of you that read Donald's blog you know all about this car. It is our newly acquired 1971 Chevy Nova.
But this isn't any old Chevy Nova {trust me, I would not allow an old hunk of junk to take up residence in our garage}. This happens to be the exact car that my grandmother bought back in 1971. She owned it for something like 25 years and then my siblings and I drove it during high school. Yep, it was my ride.
So you see, this car holds a certain sentimental value with me. I smile every time I walk into the garage and see this piece of my family history. And I never would have imagined that one day I would stand in the front yard of my own home and watch my own husband drive down the street with my own little girls buckled into the backseat. I love that life keeps moving and changing...yet some things stay the same. There is comfort in that.
A few weeks ago I said to Donald, "Maybe the girls will drive it when they are in high school."
Donald looked at me with a smirk and said, "I don't think so." {he is already very protective of his new 'project'}
"Well, what if it's spirit week and they are having a '70s day?" I asked.
"Maybe" Donald replied.
So there you have it:
A new car,
an old car,
a classic car,
a family heirloom,
and Donald's new pastime....
all rolled together in one.
Isn't it wonderful??
{4 days...no spasms!}
She made the most of her sick day, don't you think?
{Elisabeth update: 3 days....NO spasms....I can hardly believe it!!!}
So what do you do while your big sister is at school for the day and there are no playmates to be found??
Apparently you gather all the hair ribbons you can find, carefully tie them together, secure each end to a stationary object, and have fun! Dance, twirl, jump. There is no limit to this girls imagination.
My neighbor came over from across the street yesterday to hand deliver a poem that she had come across. I was deeply moved by it...and by the fact that she wanted to share it with me. Have a read:
My darling little ladies.
Thanks to all who posted guesses about my age.
You see, the girls were shocked when I told them that I am 28 years old. They thought I was much older! It had me wondering, "just how old do I look?".
Needless to say, you all made me feel better...thanks!
I was recently called to serve as a youth leader in my church. A few nights ago some of the girls asked how old I was. So I told them. They were shocked! Which left me wondering 'do I not look my age?'.
Now, I won't tell you if they thought I looked older or younger than my actual age, but I will ask...'how old do you think I look?'. Answer honestly.
I realize that many of you already know how many years I've been around, so to you I ask...'do I look my age? older? younger?'..JPG)
Have you ever stopped to think about 'the greats'? You know, those handful of people who are {and will be} in the history books because they were the best of the best. Lately I have been giving them a lot of thought.
Thoughts like, what if Michael Phelps had never taken a swimming lesson? What if Joshua Bell had never owned a violin? What if Claude Monet had never picked up a paint brush? Is it all by chance? Or were these people destined for greatness from before the world began?
How many greats go undiscovered? How many of us have some hidden potential that for some reason or another is never found? Maybe we are all greats, but only a few of people actually discover their talent and have the means by which to develop it.
Just thoughts...
The Crown
The Rose
Bird of Paradise
Bishop's Mitre
Rosebud
Arum LilyA few days after Elisabeth was born I bought her an elegant cradle. I splurged a little bit...but she was worth it. After all, I was going to bring Queen Elisabeth home soon, and she needed a royal place to slumber.
I expected her to use the cradle until the new year. She would be 3 months old by then, and surely she would be ready to move into the crib.
Well, months ticked by. The new year came and went. Winter, Spring, Summer...and back to Autumn again. My little queen is still using her cradle. She doesn't move much, so safety isn't an issue. But alas, this dear baby is growing! A bed that at one time seemed so big is now getting very, very small. There are just a few inches in length to spare.
The cradle has stayed at my bedside for the past 13 months. To be perfectly honest, I just couldn't bring myself to part with her. But soon I will have no choice but to move her into the crib. So to help her with her transition I decided that it was time to move her cradle from my bedroom to the room that she will share with her big sisters. Then, in a few weeks, and after she has gotten used to her new space, we will introduce her to the crib.
Elisabeth did OK last night...and so did I.
What better way to spend a cold, wet afternoon than with a box of fresh new crayons? 120 to be exact. Lots of exciting colors...Robin's Egg Blue, Razzmatazz, Macaroni and Cheese, and Granny Smith Apple to name a few (yes, those are the actual names).
Lorelai and I worked together and colored fairies in all shapes and sizes.
And of course sweet Elisabeth just listened to it all. Wondering about things like crayons...and color.
It was 'mauvelous'! (yes...another color name)
It's getting chilly outside. It's not so bad when we are at home in our comfy clothes and enjoying the glow of the fireplace. But unfortunately, we have to pile into the cold van every morning at precisely 8:20 and head off to school. So to keep my children toasty warm I have started throwing 3 blankets into the dryer at around 8:00. On our way out the door I wrap each girl into a cozy bundle.
They seem to love our new little tradition.
So for now we have decided to keep her on the Depakote but increase the dose.
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Lorelai's Audiology Appointment
It was recommended that we take her to an ear, nose, and throat doctor to try and get those questions answered. So I will (you know me).
5 Things on my to-do list today (it's late, so I am going with tomorrow's list)
5 Things I would do if I were a millionaire
5 Places I have lived.
5 Jobs I have had.
7 Random Facts About Me
tagged by Erin
7:00 Got the children up and ready.
8:00 Scripture study and family prayer.
8:20 Took Alexandra to school.
9:00 Dropped Lorelai at preschool.
9:15 Therapy appt. for Elisabeth.
11:00 Picked Lorelai up from Preschool.
11:30 Made lunch.
12:00 Taught a cello student.
12:45 Cleaned the upstairs.
2:45 Went to pick up Alexandra.
3:20 Meeting with the Laurels class (did I mention that I am YW president now?)
4:30 Taught a violin student.
5:30 Went to work.
9:20 Got home.
9:30 Went out running and took 17 seconds off my mile (I think I really wanted to get home).
But this was the best part of my day:
I walked in the door at the end of it all and heard the blessed hum of the dishwasher and saw the lines of freshly vacuumed carpet. Thank you dear Donald for helping me make it through each day. You are my best friend. Love to you...always.
Good luck to the McCain*Palin campaign today. They earned my vote. God Bless America.
...the Jack Black look alike.
(no, that's not my brother...that's Jack Black...but he looks just like that...so maybe it is him...or maybe it's not...there's no telling who is who.)
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