Michael Franti & Spearhead - The Sound Of Sunshine

The Overnight Adventure of May Lou and Grammy Baby

Mahala Louise, affectionately known as May or MayMay or May Lou, and her faithful friend Grammy Baby, had an overnight adventure.  They went to Gramps & Grammy's house in The Woods.  There was snow, and good food and new toys to play with and dogs!

 The first part of the adventure, there was homemade mac and cheese that Grammy made with REAL cheese and real milk and real whole wheat noodles; not that boxed stuff!!!
                                                                                                                                                                      




It was soooo good that May Lou had TWO bowls!  The first bowl she ate at the table like a big girl, the second one while sitting on the couch with Gramps, watching Wallace & Grommit.










After dinner, May took an inquisitive look around Gramps & Grammy's big house.  There were many things to look at and so many things she was not supposed to touch.  But, when no one was looking May touched!





MayMay and Grammy Baby liked chillaxin' on the couch with Gramps.  They had finished up the mac-a-noodles; then with full bellies they watched the remainder of Wallace & Grommit. It was a good time.

May and  Grammy Baby are best friends.  Grammy Baby goes everywhere with May, especially on Overnight Adventures.

Trying out her new slippers.  

MayMay got new slippers while on her Overnight Adventure to Gramps and Grammy's House in the Woods.  They are made from lamb's wool and are lined with fleece to keep little piggies warm.

Of all the toys at Gramps & Grammy's house, MayLou liked the wooden blocks best.

During her Overnight Adventure, Mahala made a startling discovery.  There was another little girl who looked just like her in Grammy's coffee table!!






After careful investigation, she realized it was her own reflection in the mirror-topped table.  This made her smile and giggle!












Later that day, Mahala and Grammy Baby took a nap in Grammy's beautiful princess bedroom.  Mahala and Grammy Baby were very tired and slept for a long time.  When they woke up, they were happy to be at Gramps & Grammy's House in the Woods and couldn't wait to go back to playing with those wooden blocks.

Gramps & Grammy's House in The Woods has a "circle" in it.  It goes through the living room, into the office, down the hallway and back into the living room.  Mahala ran round and round the circle, playing peek-a-boo with Gramps and Grammy, hollering like a mad woman the entire time.  She had great fun, but worked up a sweat and a powerful thirst.   Whew!!  That was a lot of running for chubby little legs.

After a refreshment, May decided it was time to get dressed.  So... she put her pink tshirt back on.  Well, sorta.

Then more Peek-A-Boo with Gramps.  This time using a cloth napkin.

 

Silly Gramps!  He's so much fun to play with!!












All good and fun days must come to an end.  Missy MayMay had played hard and it was time for bed.  So... faced washed, jammies on, chug of milk and she was off to go night-night.  But first, Gramps must give Grammy Baby a goodnight kiss.

The next morning, May and Grammy Baby woke up well rested and refreshed.  Grammy made scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast and then it was time to go home.  The Overnight Adventure of May Lou and Grammy Baby was a success!!

Muttlettes

My two dogs... they can be soooo frustrating at times that I've threatened to take them to the pound!!  Seriously, when your stupid dog goes bouncing across the meadow chasing tweety birds and conveniently forgets basic commands, like "Bailey, come here!", you get a little peeved.  Especially when said meadow romp ends up with lost dogs and me hiking my fat ass through the woods looking for them.

We try to be good doggy parents.  We try to take them for walks often; we give them snackies and treats; we feed them premium food, we love them, we train/discipline them.  I try to be all Cesar Milan on their hairy butts!!   But... there are days...  Like when Freda recently decides she has never been housebroken in her life and pees in the house, numerous times, in multiple places!! (insert terribly offensive language here!!!)  That literally sends me through the roof!!  I get sooo mad!!!

Then we have days like today.  The girls are so good, such obedient little puppies. No runaways, no messes in the house, lots of laying by the fire, snoozing.  Then an afternoon 4 mile walk with Mom and upon return - a treat - a biscuit.  Freda gobbles her biscuit in seconds while Bailey chooses to savor hers.  She carries it around in her mouth like a cigar!!  It's so stinking funny.

She even torments Freda with it; walking past her really slow, making certain the biscuit is right in front of Freda's nose.  When Freda tries to take a bite, Bailey wrinkles up her lip and grumbles.  It's ridiculously funny.


After Bailey is finished tormenting her poor Old Freda, she then shares her treat.


Crazy Muttlettes!!  It's disgusting how much I love them.

Algebra

I'm taking a math class this semester.  Currently, I'm working on the algebra section.

 I HATE IT!!  It makes me feel stupid.

 It makes me want to shove a pencil up my nose.

Cooper

So Cooper and Kristen came to visit over the weekend.  It was such a wonderful visit!  Cooper crawled around the house, bonked his head numerous times, patted and french kissed the dogs, and I'm certain ate questionable items that the broom missed.  Kristen was able to kick back, read a book, attempt to make butter, drink copious amounts of fresh ground hot coffee and have meals prepared for her.  It was delightful and I hated to see them go.

You own my heart Little Man!  I love you beyond all the stars, past the ends of the universe!  You're big blue eyes melt my mind and all I can do is look at you and grin.  When you snuggle your fuzzy head into my neck, I want to wrap my arms around you and never, never let you go.

I love your chubbiness and the softness of your cheeks.  I love the sound of your soft baby snores as you sleep.

 




I love your sweet baby breath on my face when you grab and tug at my necklace or earrings.  I love to listen to you speak "bah, bah, bah, bah, bah" over and over again.  You have important things to say, don't you?












I don't want you to get big, but I can't wait to know you when you are.  I'm so happy and blessed that we are together as much as we are.  I'm always going to be nuts about you, Coop!  You're my favorite little boy on the planet!!!

The Cure

I woke up in the wee morning hours with that nagging tickle in my throat.  The one that tells you, "Uh Oh... I think I'm coming down with something!"  Since I have Coop coming tomorrow to see me, I've got to nip this crud in the bud, ASAP!!  Hence, The Cure.   Ugh.  It is NOT pleasant.

First you take The Bomb which is a capsule of several essential oils that are known to kick a virus' ass.  It's disgusting!  In fact, when I prepared the first capsule, my throat wasn't prepared for it.  I mistakenly popped it in my mouth and did the most stupid thing I can think of.  I went to wash it down with hot tea!  Duh!!!  Hot anything will melt those capsules likety-split.  So, there I am in the bathroom with the capsule lodged in my throat, hot tea quickly dissolving it, OMG!! I can taste those oils (which is why I put them in a capsule in the first place, because I can't stand the taste) and I'm willing myself to stay calm, swallow, swallow...  NOPE!  Not working.  I actually puked in my bathroom sink and then quickly made it to the toilet to up-chuck again.  To add insult to injury, those hot oils, thyme, oregano, frankincense and lemon are now coming out my nose!!  I honestly don't believe my nose has ever burned like that before. EVER!!  I don't think my eyes have watered like that either.  It was not a pretty sight.

After I'd regained my composure and reassured my hound dogs that I was not going to lie down on the bathroom floor and die, I decided on another cup of tea before I went on to the next phase.

Tea consumed.  Now it's time for the garlic.  So far I have noshed 4 cloves of garlic, RAW!  Again, not pleasant, but the antiviral/bacterial properties in raw garlic amazing.

 After that, another cup of tea and another attempt at The Bomb.

Success!!

I have absolutely NO time to be sick.  Likely to get a call for a birth this evening.  Little Mamma is "doing stuff".  Plus I do NOT want to get Cooper sick.  So, a little discomfort now and I'll have this cold licked by morning!! 

Hallelujah.

Company's coming!!

Well, not really company.  My daughter Kristen and her darling, perfectly wonderful, handsome son Cooper are coming to stay the weekend with us.  So... that means do a little extra gussy-ing up around the house; clean sheets on the guest bed, plenty of yummies in the cupboards etc.  You know the drill.

Cooper gets his pick of yummy fruits while he's here.  Shall Grammy make some applesauce? How 'bout a pear wedge to gnaw on.  That will feel good on those new teeth he's working through.  Mashed banana, anyone?




















Chonchita was NOT happy that I woke her up so I could get those clean sheets on the guest bed.  I'm certain SHE doesn't think this is a guest bed.  "Move it on over, Cat. Coop needs this room."

The weather is perfect for fall house guests too.  Chilly, drizzly, damp.  The perfect feel for a fire in the wood stove.  If you don't have wood heat, you don't know just how wonderfully warm it can be.  Sometimes too warm.  We run around the house dressed for summer because it's so warm in here.  But I like it!!

Cooper, are you here yet?

Eva Cassidy - Ain't no sunshine...

This pretty much sums it up today.

 Come on home, Big Daddy!! I'm missing you.

Gratitude

Today was one of those days that makes me thankful to be alive.  The skies were clear and beautifully blue, the air crisp and clean.  Then, as a little slice of delicious life pie, I attended a darling home birth this afternoon.





This bottle of champagne was my thank you gift from the proud papa.




I love home births.  I am always amazed and awed at women who get all primal in their own living space and birth their babies.  This particular mama was walking around stark naked, leaning over furniture, her partner, her mother, myself, swaying her hips to some deep seeded rhythm-memory that reminds us of how to wiggle a baby out.  It's spectacular to observe.

I love to have my hands on a birthing woman.  I feel so tender toward her.  I stroke her head, smooth back her dampened hair, wipe the sweat beads off her upper lip and forehead, massage her, support her weight, and always, always speak words of love and encouragement.  Time stands still in those moments.  It's all about HER, focusing on her needs and easing her travail.

I love that moment when the baby has arrived and she is placed in her mother's arms, all slippery, gooey, and fresh.  I adore watching parents fall ridiculously in love in less than a split second.  I love watching big daddies bawl their eyes out when they see their new one.  It truly is the most raw and real moment in our lives.  I get to witness it often.  I am blessed!


When I'm home after a birth, when the adrenaline is gone and I'm spent, I treat myself to a glass of wine.  Tonight's flavor is a lovely Pinot Noir I picked up at the grocer - Red Bicyclette.


 I sit on my couch, roast my tootsies by the wood stove and thank God that I am a midwife.