The Boy, The Drama

WB is sick today. Nothing too serious, just stomach "issues".

It's funny (probably sad, really), he has a "flair" for the dramatic. (Wonder where that comes from?) And, unlike his sister, he's got a very low tolerance for discomfort and pain.

Tonight, after his 100th trip to the restroom, he crawls up in our bed and says, (in the most pathetic, whiny voice) "This is the worst day of my life...the worst day I've ever had...the worst day that I'm ever gonna have."

(Oh the DRAMA!!!)

So, I point out that, in the grand scheme of things, today may suck...but it ain't the WORST ever. Things can always be worse, I say. I know he doesn't feel good and I don't want to minimize his pain, but I'm trying to give the kid a little perspective. I can almost see the little wheels turning in his head as though he is now contemplating the truly horrible...like getting all your Pokemon cards thrown away...never getting to play Wee again...having to eat vegetables everyday.

I guess he realizes that he has a bit of life yet ahead of him because he finally manages to whine out..."Mom, can this just be the worst day of my childhood years?"



Sure baby.

Sleep well. Feel better tomorrow.

What's In A Name?

Several months ago, we began to realize that Little Sister was going to be a fairly "active" little girl. At around six months, she really began to wiggle, well squirm actually. I can't even begin to recount the number of times that I've felt like I was gonna drop her because she'd suddenly shifted her weight, reached for something, or dig her feet into my side and pushed off as if she was trying to launch herself. I thought it was cute. In fact, I don't believe I fully started to clue-in until our pediatrician said, "God help you when she starts walking."

I joked about that comment. (Ha ha, isn't it funny? My doctor thinks our girl will be active.) Little did I know that it wouldn't be long before I was eating those words. For the last couple of months we've called her "Busy"...Busy Booth. It is unbelievable how it suits her. "DoriGrace" is pretty and all, but "Busy", Busy is who she is!

Today, I added another nickname. Today, she's "Nails". Nails Booth because she's tough as...tough as nails. She is T.O.U.G.H. I should have realized months ago when she started crawling around, 3 hours after surgery, with stitches in her armpit without even whincing.

This was today...




She's OK...she grabbed the cord of my flat iron and pulled it down onto her arm...she was on the floor and stopped crying as soon as I picked her up. I checked her out and didn't even realize she was hurt until almost an hour later! The mesh is really to keep Busy from pulling her bandage off. She hasn't cried or been fussy, but she's lost some skin and her arm is a little swollen. She's tough, she seems to feel fine.

On the other hand, her mother has felt like the biggest loser in town. Her mother...Loser...Loser Booth...who will be childproofing the house this weekend.

Keepin' It Real

The picture of DoriGrace that I posted yesterday is one of my favorites. It was taken on the 4th of July. I was sitting in a lawn chair waiting for fireworks down by the river in Tulsa, and she was trying to crawl up on my lap and grab my camera. I've been carrying that shot around with me for a few days. See, folks always seem to want an update on Little Sister and that picture draws comments like, "She is absolutely beautiful!" And, frankly, I love to hear that. So, that picture-it's a winner..does the trick, every time.

I'll just post it again...cause it's my blog...I can do stuff like that when I want to!



(Now...say it collectively..."She is absolutely beautiful!" Oh, she is, isn't she? Thank you very much!)

But that picture,

the one with the angelic smile,

the one in the pretty dress with the perfectly-placed bow...

folks, that picture...it ain't my reality.

This...

This picture...



This is my reality.

Ain't she grand?!

Just keepin' it real...

Sharing the Journey

Every time I ignore this site for too long, I'm gently reminded that there are still folks that check on us. Even though I sometimes wonder how long I'll keep this up, I am humbled that you take the time to read this and comment on "our" little corner of the world. So, I guess as long as there's a HOO in HOOVILLE....

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Lew, Lo, A, W and J

We had a great holiday! Granted, not quite as picturesque as last year but still a good time. As we floated in the pool and pondered family traditions and the beach vacations in our future, I smiled when Aunt Lo asked, "Remember this time last year?" Of course I did...we were enjoying a great vacation, on a perfect beach, in a lovely house, private pool, beautiful weather... I waited for her to begin what I thought would be a trip down memory lane, recounting the adventures of our joint family holiday vacation. Instead, her comment caught me off guard a little, "We were moving up to number 3!"

Of all the things to remember, of all the holiday associations, Lo remembers what was most important to me last year. Last year, we were deep into the wait for our referral that would match us with DoriGrace. Lo and I spent a fair amount of time floating (cause we're floaters, Lo and I, we love to float) and talking about having a "baby" around again since A,W and J, (along with WB) were getting older. We talked about diapers at the beach and "floaties", and we talked about what "she'd" look like and how "she'd" enjoy the sand. And this year, we were afloat on rafts, land-locked in Oklahoma but lucky enough to have PaPa's pool, and we were able to glance over at "our" little girl, lounging in her floating lily pad. (She's a winner! She loves to float too!!)



What a difference a year makes!

And, how blessed are we...to not only have our girl, but to have loved ones in our lives that care enough to share our most important journeys...