Well, THAT Didn't Go Well!

So, once again playdate was another bust!

It boggles my mind because Hannah seems to play so well with the other children she has playdates with, but K and Hannah seem to fight like cats and dogs. Perhaps the trick is that the other two playdate partners are a bit older (like about a year older) and one of them is a boy.

I have a feeling that we will have to scrap the playdates with K from now on or at least for the time being... it just really is not worth it for either of them - I can't imagine how it could be fun with such crying and lamentations on both sides of the fence from these two. They cry if they are together and cry even worse if they have to be separated. It is like a crazy high school love story!

I wish I could say that Hannah was just tired because she had been up since 6:30 AM and she
did IMMEDIATELY go down for a nap, even before they pulled out of the driveway. There is also of course the off chance that she has a touch of a cold which I am just starting to get over. Perhaps one of those is the reasons she was not in the playdate mood - or maybe it is because she is three and a half. WHO KNOWS! All I know is I am tired of playing referee!

Three year olds are exhausting!

Now, the only thing left to look forward to in this day is the new GUIDING LIGHT! I am so excited... can you tell?

Happy, Happy!
Beverly

Leaping Into A Fabulous Friday!

Good morning blogger friends! It is Friday and we are ready for the weekend!

This morning we are excited to have a playdate with our friend K and her mom L. Previously, these playdates usually end up with someone crying - but we are hoping for a better day today. They are coming to our house this time, we have rearranged our playroom and K has not yet seen our beloved Charlie - so we are hoping for big oohs and ahhs from our friends.

On another note, since I was twelve, and my grandmother introduced me to the Guiding Light, I have spent practically every afternoon 3-4 PM checking on the antics of the residents of Springfield, USA. Today is a banner day for the longest running soap on television - they are changing their format and I am on high excitement mode just anticipating! I know, I am a soap opera nerd!

Actually, my secret dream as a teenager was to go to New York and become a writer on the soap and truthfully, when I have time to daydream now, that is where I find myself - except in the forty year old's daydream, I have already retired from a successful, emmy winning soap opera writing career, married a former soap star, and live in a converted 18th century barn in Connecticut or somewhere cool like that, with our four yellow labs and of course with my beautiful daughter Hannah. I would also be finished with a novel and preparing to travel this Spring on a worldwide book tour! Go ahead -- laugh - I am laughing at myself too!

edited at 10:00 AM to add -- I just saw this quote -- "It is never too late to be what you might have been!" George Elliott -- so do you think there is a chance for me to be a soap writer????? Hee Hee!

So - we have a playdate, Guiding Light is up to something new and then later... Hannah and I will ride to my parent's house to check their mail and paper - whew - what a day to look forward to - glad Feb. 29th on comes once every four years!! :-)

Here's hoping your Friday shapes up just as well as ours promises to be!

I'm Back...Whether You Like It Or Not!

...okay...I have logged on and what is so pitiful is that I actually haven't logged on in so long that I had to go look up my username and password to access the blog - great heavens -- I sure have messed up the commitment to blog once a day for a year, haven't I?

So, it is Thursday - traditionally on this site, it has been Take You Back Thursday, but for this entry - we will have to just call it I'm Back Thursday.

I really have missed the writing. It has just seemed like a chore for me - and I really couldn't put a finger on the reason why, until this morning, as I was perusing a few blogs I haven't visited in a while. Both of these bloggers had "heavy" emotional blogs today about major events going on in their lives and how blogging about these events and blogging in general had been hard for them this month. I could SO relate. While I don't really have any major life events going on, this month has been hard for me - baby wandering drama notwithstanding, there have been other things as well. The worst part has been that it has all been mostly internal stuff to sort through and not anything really worth blogging about or sharing with anyone but my Heavenly Father and so therefore I haven't felt like even starting to post about anything - the everyday stuff that has happened hasn't been that exciting - trust me!

After taking a few steps back to stop and appreciate this medium and the gratification it brings me to write here - I must say I am happy to be back and hoping that March brings more to blog about than February did.

Oh and more on this later, but today is my mom and dad's 50th wedding anniversary! That is another blog in itself - maybe even an interview on how in the world you survive the world of marriage to meet such a milestone! Happy Anniversary M & D - I love ya!

1,2,3, JUMP!

Hi blogger friends! Not really a post - but I just had to share this. Right now... my hubby and daughter are jumping on the trampoline and guess who is jumping right along with them? Charlie - our hamster! Poor Charlie -- I do hope he survives being a pet of a three and a half year old! Would ya take a moment and pray for him?

Happy, Happy!
Beverly

A Bloggity Makeover!

Well, blogger friends... I am trying out a new look on the ole blog. I am hoping that this will inspire some exciting posts - because quite frankly I am facing blogger's block. I believe I am suffering "post - my child wandered away from home- syndrome" -I have hope that it will pass soon and I will be back to my old bloggity self soon.

Please let me know if you like the new look --

And please don't give up on me -- I feel better just changing up the blog's look --- a post can't be too far away!

Valentine Edition - Take You Back Thursday

Happy Valentine's Day my internet friends!

I hope you are enjoying lots of candy, plenty of chocolate, and tons of flowers and jewerly, or if you are like me, just enjoying the sounds of delighted child playing with her Valentine balloon that her daddy brought her!

Ah... Valentine's Day - the sweetness, the sappiness, the fervour with which we agonize over the perfect card for that special someone. It really is fun, isn't it? As I scanned the local card shelves this past week, I was reminded of the Valentine's of my past - they have all been interesting and exciting. So interesting and "exciting" that I felt the need to share them with you as a sort of retrospective of my Valentine Day memory bag - a Take You Back Thursday of the Red, Pink and White Kind!

• My first Valentines, of course, came from my sweet parents - there was always some special treat and a small trinket or two waiting on me at the breakfast table on Valentine's Day - always - even until I got myself married off - I still miss that.
  
• In Junior High - two boys had crushes on me - now, you would think that fact alone would have thrilled me - but unfortunately, these two boys were the geeks of the class and the last thing I wanted was for either of them to give me a valentine -- but, lucky me, I got one from each of them. I believe one was a Hallmark card - no doubt bought with two weeks worth of allowance and agonized over by the adolescent boy - but it caused me tremendous pain and humiliation. The second lovely valentine, also accompanied by a ridiculously dramatic "to my love" card was a set of ponytail holders!! Now, looking back, I realize that this was a very thoughtful Valentine gift - I did wear a lot of ponytails back then, so it was practical and because of the bejeweled plastic balls on the ends (sure to clack together in such a sweet, melodic way) I guess it could have been considered jewerly as well. And it goes without mentioning that this boy bought a card AND a gift - so he was obviously the more wealthier of the two - allowance wise. Perhaps junior high Bev should have been a bit more tolerant - but I was most humiliated and my girlfriends laughed and I hid both those Valentines very quickly! This boy is probably a millionare and showering his wife with diamonds this morning - oh well! So much for my "love radar!!"


• The year I had my first boyfriend, our church planned a Valentine's pary for the youth. We were all excited and naturally, I was thrilled to be 15 and going to a party -- with a BOY! Of course, luck is always on my side and the night before the banquet this particular boy, who shall be nameless - Tracy D. - went and wrestled with his dad and got his leg broken! So, Valentines came and I went to the party - dateless. But he did get me a cute card -- oh well!


• There was also the Valentines Banquet in 1984, when I was boyfriendless and a nice boy who was truly a good friend, asked me to go as his date. I accepted, I mean after all, my ex-boyfriend was going (see above - broken leg boy) and this year he was bringing his new girlfriend - there was no way I was not going and showing everyone what a mistake he had made - HA! Now, of course, in between the accepting of the date and the actual party date - I did have a date with a guy and fell head over heels in high school love! But, I kept my date with my friend and went to the party - I was miserably sad not to be "with my love" on Valentines but I managed to make it through the party - and except for the fact that I spilled mashed potatoes on my dress and gave the new girlfriend of my old boyfriend a big laugh -- it was a delightful evening. As you may can tell, Valentines have not been all that great for me.


• I am sure there were lots of other humiliating days of Valentine joy in my past - I think I have tried to block them away. There were many awful days in high school where you could buy carnations and send to people at school, courtesy of the Key Club or the Anchor Club - and you would sit all day, just hoping someone or some ones would send you a flower - usually I got one or two from good girlfriends - we would always send each other one so that none of us would be seen leaving the school at the end of the day - flowerless. Gosh, I miss high school - HA !

Once I met my hubby, my Valentine days seem to get better - the first one with him was great - he came to my work, bringing roses and a teddy bear and a balloon. Then, the next few years he would have a florist deliver... always something sweet! Of course, there was the year when the florist did not deliver the flowers until 7 PM that evening - of course, hours after I had left work for the day -- that was a sad Valentine's Day, for me, for him and even worse for the florist the next morning!

But this morning, I cannot complain one bit - my sweetie brought me a dozen beautiful roses and a card that expressed him better than anything he has ever given me. He finally has figured me out after seventeen years. I am so happy to have him for a Valentine!

Well, that is some of my Valentine history -- hope you enjoyed the comedy at my expense! So, do you have a funny Valentine tale to tell. If you do, please leave me a comment or email - I would love to share the misery!

Happy Valentines!!
Beverly

There's A Mouse in My House!

Happy child with her hamster - in HIS pink castle home.

My life has gone off track somehow -- how did I ever get to the point in parenting, where I decided it would be a good idea for her to have a hamster -- lordy bee.

His name is Charlie. He is beige and white, eats apples and loves his spinning wheel. Now, if only we could figure out how he could spin gold from straw in that thing - we would be rich. Hannah "read" him her favorite bedtime story Rumplestilkskin trying to teach him to spin gold. She is her father's daughter -- always trying to make a buck!

Here is another shot of the newest addition...

Heaven help us all!

A Quiet, But Spicy Monday!

Monday came and went without incident - a feat in our household these days.

We went with the grands out to celebrate my hubby and my daddys' birthday. Hannah is always thrilled to be in the presence of a grandparent and to be with all four at one time is beyond her excitement scope!

We dined at Tony Roma's - yummy and SPICY! I ordered the bbq sandwich, which typically is not spicy - last night - it sent my nose a runnin' and poor Papa and Poppy ordered the Chipotle Chicken Salad and spent the night trying to cool their tongues and soothe their throats from their burning spicy sensation!

Hey Roma's - lay off the spice!

All, in all, we had a great evening - we left the restuarant and went to MeMa's and Papa's for chocolate cake and ice cream, present opening and lots of laughter! It was fun and apparently exhausting.

For the first time, my whole household slept until 9 AM this morning! Maybe we should eat spicy foods every night!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my Daddy!

Hope you have a wonderful day - we love you!

D, B and H!

King Ranch Casserole -Not Now, Not Ever Again!

You know how when you have a really bad experience, everything connected to that experience is forever tainted in your memory? I remember in college, I stopped one morning for a sausage biscuit from a popular fast food restaurant; later that day I got sick, then eventually found that I had contracted mononucleosis. To this day, a sausage biscuit from that place is off limits for me. I just can’t do it. It had nothing whatsoever to do with the mono, but for some reason it was the catalyst to the illness in my mind.

This morning, I feel the same way about King Ranch Chicken casserole. I first heard of this recipe from my favorite, Beth Moore. It intrigued me then and just the other day I saw it in a magazine and knew I was destined to make it. I made a special grocery store trip yesterday to get the few ingredients I didn’t have on hand and spent a few lovely moments in the kitchen creating it yesterday afternoon, anticipating the yummy, bubbly goodness we would enjoy for dinner.

As the casserole cooked, my daughter and I decided to go outside and enjoy the beautiful day. We played in our back yard for a while and then decided to clear up the garage a bit before going back inside.

She and our dog Georgia played in our front yard as I started to tidy the garage. I had already placed two garbage bags in the garage ready for the trash can, and I had one more right inside the laundry room door. I took a look to make sure all was well with my child; she and our dog were happily playing at the edge of the woods in the front of our property. I went into the garage and then opened the door to the laundry to get the other trash bag. I walked to our trash can and then turned – only to find that my child and the dog were both no where in sight.

Immediately I ran to the backyard, thinking that they had wandered back there to continue playing. No dog, no child! I ran to the other side of our house, making a circle back to the front, still no dog, no child! At this point, extreme panic set in and caused every adrenaline gland in my body to accelerate. I ran inside, calling all the while, hoping that she and the dog were inside the house. Of course, again, no dog, no child, only deafening silence. With the blood running cold in my veins, I grabbed our phone and frantically called my neighbor. She and her son quickly met me outside and began helping me call my daughter. Seconds later, I did what I never want to ever do again, I dialed 911. As the operator came on the line, sheer panic had set in and it was all I could do to get the words out of my mouth. I still can’t write those words. While on the phone with the 911 operator, my dog suddenly appeared, but my daughter did not. Since I had been on the phone, I didn’t even know what direction the dog came from, and "Lassie", she is not – no steady barking in the direction of the danger, no yipping at my heels, NOTHING. She just sat and looked at me as I screamed at her to tell me where Hannah was… she is fired as a Labrador RETRIEVER!! Retriever, as in retrieving and BRINGING BACK things – not leaving them. Oh goodness, my next dog will be a bloodhound!

Soon, I heard the wail of sirens and the panic was even more real as I came to grips that this was really happening, my daughter was no where to be found and oh, friends, I can't begin to tell you the countless things that rolled through my scattered mind at this point in the story.

It is still such a blur. Panic does that I guess. I remember the two kind policemen, Haynie and Lloyd, my husband’s calm voice on the phone, the sweet 911 operator, my neighbor, her wet hair tied in a towel as she and her son scoured the street and woods for my daughter. But the best memory that will forever hang in my mind’s picture gallery is the one of my other neighbors, coming into our driveway on their golf cart with my Hannah in their lap. The joy of that moment is going to last all my life, all my life. It was the second best time I have ever had looking at her, the first being as I gazed at her through the nursery window at the hospital for the very first glimpse of this gift sent from Heaven and God, Himself, all wet and warm and stretched out for the first time in nine months, sound asleep.

The drama ended almost as quickly as it had begun, the police gave Hannah a talking to about not leaving the yard and crossing the street alone, for you see, in the brief moment I turned to go into the garage, she had followed our dog (the FIRED one) across the street to the new house, where the neighbors weren’t home and where there lives a new puppy. She was found by my neighbors happily playing with the new pup – she didn’t even realize she was lost. The police left with sirens quiet this time, and my neighbors, who had all come to help, soon scattered back home. Hannah and I came back inside and I hugged her and hugged her and hugged her until she asked me to stop.

Oh – and the casserole, well, it ended up being a little crisp on top, but my husband said it was the yummiest thing he had tasted in a while. As for me – it will always be the casserole I was cooking the day Hannah wandered away from home.

King Ranch Chicken Casserole may be a great recipe, but I couldn’t eat it last night, and I don’t think I ever will be able to again.

I Still Love Sesame Street

I have no words to describe yesterday afternoon in my world. Those of you who know will understand and I promise a post is coming soon to delve into it all for those of you who are in the dark. Let's just say that the above video was on Sesame Street this morning and my daughter really paid attention!

Happy Saturday!
Beverly

This Post Brought To You By The Letter "S"

"S" stands for School - as in Hannah's first day - and for being a "Silly Willy" with her lunchbox!

Happy, Happy!

Three Little Things...

Click on, write a post, hit the publish button!
Three little things that have been so hard for me to do the last few days.

So sorry, my blogger friends. My life has been busy and filled with lots of fun times - so it is not a sad break - just a busy one and I am suffering a bit of blogger's block!

Hannah started her preschool and I am happy to report, both she and I survived the first and now the second day. Our days are now filled with school time, rest time and playtime - followed by early bath and bedtime. It is a great routine and we are settling in nicely. I really appreciate all of you who called or emailed to check on our first day. It meant a lot - truly, you will never know!

I will write more profoundly (hopefully) on this subject in the days to come, but for now, I have a snack to prepare and a little one who wants to play Hungry, Hungry Hippo!

Happy, Happy!
Beverly

Mommy on the Verge...

I believe that I am possibly on the verge... do you people realize that my baby starts preschool in two days. Yes, that's right - I said two days -- Saturday and Sunday and then MONDAY will be here. Oh lordy bee, gracious sakes and good gravy train all rolled into one. The unknown has never been my friend, and this is no easy one -- will she like it? Will she behave? Will I be okay? Questions running through my mind non-stop --NON-STOP I tell ya. I haven't had a night's sleep in three days.

The logical part of me says she will be fine, she will love it and yes, I will be okay. I might find that I actually can get some things accomplished, like developing the pictures on my camera card from Halloween, or having lunch with a girlfriend, or finally mailing that package of Christmas gifts that is still sitting in my dining room. But the mommy part of me is scared to death, gripping on for dear life, trying to block out the inevitable fact that no matter what parents try to do, babies grow into toddlers, toddlers into little kids and little kids grow bigger and bigger everyday until they are out the door!

THEN...

I still wish Hannah called an apple a "babu" and thought the Wiggles were the greatest thing since... well, since anything. I want her to be too small to reach the countertops or too little to even walk, only crawl like a marine on night maneuvers across the living room floor. I still want her to wear diapers so I get to change them one thousand times a day. I long for the days when she was too little to slide down the slide on her own - too scared to even try and she would fall forward in the toddler swing without a towel behind her to prop her up.

AND NOW...

I know most good mothers want their children to reach milestones, I on the other hand totally dislike the fact that she can open the fridge and get her own drink, and I hate it when she peels a banana on her own. I cringe when she opens a drawer and gets her own spoon, and I want to keel over when I see her turn somersaults across the floor. The thought that her bathroom habits are now completely her own, disrupts my world like you wouldn't believe and even now as I sit and type, watching her play on her own in the backyard is breaking my heart in two!

Monday is coming - no way to stop it. I didn't plan on her leaving me for preschool this soon - but I think God had a different plan. Here is what I am learning through it all, God is at work in her life too - even as a baby He was, but now He is directing her life and even though I was busy making my own plans for her, He was up to something else. I have to learn to let go and keep surrendering her to Him everyday - it is a hard thing- hard to learn, harder still to live.