She Shaved

T got ahold of my razor tonight, and proceeded to shave above her upper lip and below her nose, aka the mustache area. In the process, she slightly cut her upper lip.

Took a minute to realize what she had done, then she fessed up. When asked why she did this, her response?

"I had bubbles above my lip". Guess she thought that she'd scrape the bubbles off with the razor. Sigh.

But for the fact that I know she hates blood and it scares her a bit, she'd be in huge trouble. For now, she's in semi-big fat trouble.

We're Back Home

Well, the weekend was not so bad. My mom's not any better, but I don't think she's any worse, either. Dot, T and I were able to survive it all, and are happily back home. When Icolene arrived, she and her husband brought their bird, to visit with T. I swear, the thing said, "Hello Taylor".

T was beside herself with excitement.

Before going home, we stopped by a friends house, and T got to swim a little with Sophie and Nick. Since she was so good this weekend, I didn't have the heart to say no to her.

We're on Duty

Unlike what this picture implies, we are not at Merrick Park eating, shopping, and having fun. Instead, we're over at 123 street on nurse duty. Icolene had been here 3 weeks straight, and needed some time off. She very much wanted to go to church on Sunday, probably to pray for our sorry souls. I suggested that she might want to say a prayer for my dad, and she said she already had. Yeah, I bet she has.

So we're here watching a new TV that I bought them. There would be no way at all that we would ever survive the weekend, without a TV. Theirs had major problems, and fixing it would have cost over 400 bucks. I'll probably spend the weekend trying to get their taxes in order, to send to the accountant, who always files an extension.

That's it for now. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Silly Faces

...at John Paul's birthday party. You can see the ball pit, the scene of my discontent, in the background in the upper right corner.

The Things They Say

"Look, Mama, Barbie needs to go pee-pee"


In other news, we're home sick today. One of the things T did at the party at My Gym was play in that germ cesspool that's also known as the Ball Pit. For those not in the know, imagine a 2 foot pool filled with small balls instead of water. The kids dive in and have a ball. They are also a haven for every germ known to man. Right on cue two days later, we're home sick. slight fever, runny nose, cough. Hoping it doesn't get worse, but it probably will.

The Weekend's Too Short!

boy do I wish the weekend was at least another 2 days. Its been a pretty good one, comparatively. Yesterday, we got up bright and early and went to Allens Drugstore, in South Miami. They have a real, old-fashioned diner there, that's been there for over 60 years, I think. My dad reports that he used to heat there in the 50's. The diner is conveniently attached to a drugstore, that has supplies for my mom for a slightly less price. Bonus! T ate about 1/8 of one of the two biggest pancakes I have ever seen in my life. Why the waitress didn't clue me in on how big they are, when it was obvious that I was ordering for a 5 yr old, is incomprehensible to me. Oh well, lessen learned.

We then went and picked up glasses that I had ordered for my mom and the aid. The temples had broken off of both of their glasses, and could not be fixed. You think its hard picking out frames for yourself? Try doing it for someone else who is not present. Oy. Anyway, I'm thrilled with them. They were fairly inexpensive, and were a gift to the aid, for putting up with my father's lunacy.

Then, we did the most important thing of all....T was invited to a birthday party for a boy in her class. This was the first such invitation, much to her mother's secret glee. It was held at a local My Gym, and T had an absolute ball running around the place for 2 hours.


I must admit that i got a bit sentimental. The first bday party t ever went to, was at a mygym, days before her first birthday. Boy was she little then, and just barely walking. Where the hell did the time go?

Its a bit of a rainy day here, so we're just hanging out. T is campaigning to go to the toy store, and I'm putting her off for the moment. I suspect that I'll cave, though, and go and get her some craft or project she can do indoors on this yucky day.

That's all to report from here. Hope everyone has a fun-filled sunday!

Oh yeah: T is still asking to wear her thumb guard to bed. However, we caught her sneaking to suck her thumb as she was falling asleep in the car seat yesterday. So, not sure what progress we're actually making.

Progress

Guess who didn't suck their thumb last night? And seemed to enjoy having this contraption on their hand, despite the fact that I think I put the thing on wrong? Got to go back and investigate that.

My Life is a Farce...

...if its not my crazy parents complicating my life, its my daughter. Let's review just 3 things she did last night:

1. Around 6 p.m., T is in the living room with her little broom, pretending to mop the floors like Leonor. She even had some water going. I was going to make her stop, but she wasn't doing any real harm and was having a ball. At 8:00 p.m., I was on my hands and knees cleaning up after her with clorox wipes. Why? I discovered where she was obtaining her water. Though clean (thank god), the thought of dried toilet-bowl water on my floors was just creeping me out. I then launched into a long lecture on why we don't use toiletbowl water for ANYTHING.

2. T came up to me smiling, and all lovey. I thought she was going to give me a kiss. Nope. Instead, she drew her head back and head butted me in the forehead! Luckily, she's not that experienced in the move, and did no real damage. She had been watching one of the Shrek movies on TV, and I know there's a fight scene where Fiona headbutts somebody. I then launched into the 2nd lecture of the night, on how we don't headbutt ANYBODY!

3. Later in the night, she come prancing out of her bedroom in a Sophie hand-me-down dress that's beige lace. She was also sporting her mickey ears with a veil. She comes prancing up to me, puts her arm around me, give me a very serious look....I started saying how she better not headbutt me again....when my darling daughter, mid-lecture, tries to frickin french kiss me! Yikes! Again, I blame a scene in Shrek. That started the 3rd lecture of the night, on how we only kiss boyfriends and husbands like that. Not mommies...or aunties...or grandmas...or teachers...or boys in school...or ANYONE in school...Oy. After, I realized I probably should have limited to list of acceptable people to french kiss to husbands, but I was so shocked I wasn't on top of my game. Figure she'll forget the lecture by the time its really relevent to her life. Lets hope!

So ends my crazy evening. Sometimes I truly think that somebody could read this blog, and write a really good sit-com based on my crazy life.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Sunday Wrap-Up

This old picture has nothing to do with this post. It just makes me smile with that hair-do. Anyway, Dot and I spent alot of time at my parents' house this weekend, hoping to diffuse the situation a bit. Don't think we were so successful.

Today, Dot and i did our taxes and headed over there. I got there first, to find a huge fire engine parked in front of their house. The aid went to the bathroom, and my dad proceeded to get my mom out of bed and take her to the bathroom. Of course, she fell, and they had to call the fire department to come and get her up, as neither my dad nor the aid could lift her up.

It just never ends. Luckily, there were no visible injuries this time. I'm going to try and make an appt for him with the dr this week, to get him on some kind of medication.

Meanwhile, T is very excited to be going back to school on monday and seeing her friends. Mom, not so much. I was enjoying sleeping in a bit and not getting to work until 9:00 am. Those days are over for a while.

Is she 16?

Apparently T took exception to my making her go to bed and actually sleep last night. She was threatening all last night to make a sign so that I couldn't go in her room. Woke up this morning and got right to work. I gave her no help, at all, with this crazy project. Unfortunately Aunt Dot, the turncoat, supplied the spelling for room. T then got a small table, climbed up on it, and posted it on her door, at the perfect height for me.

I thought this didn't happen til she was at least 16?

This and That

Well now, what can I report tonight. My creative juices just aren't flowing. So, whenever that happens, I simply resort to bullets:

• Based upon this post on the Salsa sight:

http://salsainchina.blogspot.com/2010/04/first-thumb-free-night-well-see.html , I bought a thumb guard for T, in hopes of getting her to stop sucking her thumb. It should arrive soon.

• My trial got continue AGAIN. Its now going on 5 years. This time, the reasons were two-fold: First, the defense attorney has been suspended from the practice of law for 30 days ending 5/4, and Second, the defendant claimed to be too sick due to some thyroid condition on which she's supposedly having surgery on....coincidently....the day the trial was to start. yeah, right. Since the defense attorney is unavailable anyway, it wasn't worth calling her on her nonsense. Sigh. We're set 5/12 to SET a trial date.

• Our tranquil, euphoric time of all under control at 123 is over. Its not, its just not a the breaking point yet. Seems my dad is driving the aid crazy, getting in her way, not letting her do the things she believes that she should. Plus, I suspect he's acting like an asshole. She lodged a complaint to her agency who called us today to burst our bubble. I went over. No drama or anything, just the aid is not happy and doesn't like to complain. Don't know where this will lead other than her quitting sometime soon, and having to get a new one in. I figure we'll burn through them every couple weeks. Very upsetting.

• We were hoping to maybe go to the beach this weekend, but I doubt we'll make it now, due to 123 street issues.

• I still haven't done my taxes. Sigh.

• My Aunt Connie needs to join facebook. I just found the Taylor girls: Kelly, Kathie and Erin and kin on it. Also the Tyler gang. Neat way to stay in touch/catch up. Next time I'm able to get up north, I'll help you with that.

Games People Play

Here's my little swinger. She loves the swing. As you can see below, she has lost all fear of the swing that she used to have, and likes to go so high, she can touch the sky.


Meanwhile, T dragged out an old box of an Uno game, that's been stashed away for over 30 years. Inside was this score card, that made me smile. My aunts and uncle, parents, sister and her now ex-hubby, and often my cousin Erin would come over to our house for a blisteringly competitive game of Uno. Connie, who is still a card shark to this day, apparently won the game this night over 30 years ago.

I just wish everybody was still around, either in mind or body, so T could know how much fun they were.

More Downtown Disney Fun

Magic Kingdom and Dwntwn Disney

Day 2 - Magic Kingdom

More Day One - Epcot Flower Festival

The Girls at Epcot - day one

Word from Disney - updated

Dot reports that they're having a ball. They drove up, and T wanted to go in the pool. 3 hours later, she allowed herself to be fished out and they made their way to Epcot for dinner.

On Tuesday, they were up bright and early and off to the Magic Kingdom. First hour or two was great, then it was a mob scene. They went on its a small world, the carousel, explored Toon Town, and caught a parade. Then it was back to the hotel for more pool time. After some naps, they took the hotel boat to downtown disney and hung out there for dinner.

Today, they play to go off to Hollywood Disney, as T calls it. I just received this picture from my sissy, who doesn't know how to download I now learn. I suspect she was able to take this pic with her phone, and then send it off.

T is one girl who LOVES her mickey waffles!

UPDATE: Dot reports that they arrived at MGM, saw the Mickey Mouse Club show then T wanted to leave and go swim in the pool. No amount of bribing would get her to stay through the character lunch for which Dot obtained a coveted rez. Poor Dot had splurged on adding a park-hopper to their tickets, to allow them to go to more than one park in a day. Ka-ching. Turns out that wasn't necessary, as all T wants to do on this trip is swim. Go figure. Every trip to Disney with T over the years has been a totally different experience. This time, its all POOL all the time. Perhaps our next trip will be a beach trip to the gulf coast. Live and learn!

Home Alone

That's what I am. T is on spring break this week. Since I'm running short on leave time, what with my parents and T's doctor appointments, etc., Dot was able to take off work to look after her. Since things seem to be settling down some at my parents' house, and my dad seems to be accepting the new aide, Dot took the opportunity to flee. She and t took off bright and early to Disney for a quick impromptu trip.

Therefore, as I said, I'm home alone for the first time in almost 5 years. Any other time I've been separated from T, I was staying elsewhere. Its really odd to be in the house and not have her here. So, I'm glued to the computer, awaiting my sissy to email me some pics. So far, nada. They return on thursday.

In other news, my cousins who are my Uncle Ronnie and Aunt Nell's children, found me on facebook. Haven't heard from them in years. It was really nice to hear from them. That facebook is amazing.

That's it for now. I'm off to go to sleep in my oddly quiet house.

Easter Pics - Part III - The End

After the hunt, we tried to con the kids into taking pics. They cooperated with limited success. This is the best one of Nick. He is one kid who it is almost impossible to take a good pic of, as he doesn't sit still and is almost always looking off at something else.


T, of course, poses with the skill of a runway model. Here's the one pic of the two of us. Yes, you may recognize my easter dress from years past, as I've worn it every year for the past 4 years. Just don't have the time or energy to go out and find another one.

T's dress, however, I was thrilled with. Beautiful on her. I scored it at the Nordstom Rack, which is their discount store.

Love it!
See what I mean about that Nick? No cooperation!
T was quite upset to have to leave her beloved Sophie and Nick, but luckily didn't pitch a fit. We went over to my parents house to check in, and then came home. I made the mistake of telling T that she could pick where we were to eat for lunch. Certain that she would choose "the restaurant" aka Nordstrom's Cafe, she instead chose McDonalds. :( So, we're happily at home chowing down on happy meals.

Hope everybody had a really great day!