Monday, August 6, 2012

This Week and Next

This week is going to be a little hectic, I suspect.  We have friends coming from out of town with their three kids.  We have a Pirate game on Thursday.  We have vacation to Nags Head coming up next week, so we have to pack.

None of that is particularly stressful, except Lily's been a little. . . behaviory (shut up, it's totally a word) this past week.  A little more defiant, a little more fragile, a few nighttime potty accidents in a row, we suspect she may be coming down with something.

Her breakfast lunch and dinner routine's have been a little more dicey.  Her top front tooth is a little loose (I think.  Leslie reached in there.  I didn't tempt fate) so maybe that explains some of it.  I just hope she's alright for the visit.

Yesterday, in an effort to get the packing and organizing started for the trip this Saturday, Leslie and I dropped Emma and Lily off at Grammy and Pappy's house (Leslie's parents).  The idea was for them to take the kids to a movie.  We have three relatively successful trips under our belts so far, so we figured it would be alright to give it a shot.

As we we drove to their house, I saw a large glass-front building ahead and it prompted a memory.  I was thinking of a place we went for a wedding reception and ate in a banquet hall.  I asked Leslie, "Didn't we have dinner there once?"

Leslie was playing solitaire on her iPhone.  She's been playing solitaire on her iPhone for the past four weeks straight.  I can't play more than one game of solitaire in a row without being bored out of my skull, but solitaire to her is like a visit to the spa or something.  She glanced up.

"Where?"

"Over there," I pointed as we drew closer.  She glanced at it as we passed before returning to her solitaire game.

"That's a mausoleum, Jim."

So many responses occurred to me then. . . zombie references mostly, but instead I just sort of meekly replied, "Probably a different place then. . . "

She glanced sidelong at me but didn't otherwise react.  She's a good straight man.
Zzzzzzzzzz (File Photo)

Meanwhile, Lily slept in the back seat.

We dropped the kiddos off and drove home again.  We inventoried and made lists and then hit Sam's Club and Target, picking up snacks and sunscreen and paper products and DVD's for the ride before cashing in on a couple Applebee's gift cards that we'd received for supper.

I don't know that Grammy and Pappy really got dealt a great hand that day, Lily-wise.  For starters, there was a thunder storm, and thunder makes Lily very apprehensive.  So she started out the movie (Madagascar 3) disinterested, then I imagine she wasn't spectacularly happy about the thunder, then apparently the movie theater had a power failure, Lily had an accident, and ultimately, they ended up leaving early.

Next time. . . next time.

They brought the kids home and Lily systematically ate all of Pappy's fries.  She was SO.  WOUND.  UP!  They fed her McDonald's before the movie. . . because that's what you do when you're attempting to set yourself up for success on a Lily Outing. . . but she was SO hungry we accused them of not feeding her.  Then Emma spilled Pappy's McSlushy thing on the floor and then after we cleaned it up they took off and Leslie put Lily to bed.

Lily is a wonder.  She can be SO high energy one minute, but when she's in bed, no matter how much she protests that she's not sleepy and doesn't want to go. . . she's out in 5 minutes.  It's a strength.  I think she gets it from her mother who is a gifted sleeper herself.

Back to me. . . my boss just got back from vacation, and I have to get everything in order for MY vacation, so you may not see much of me for the next week or two (can't imagine I'll be spending much time online once I'm at the beach.)

There's still that looming big story that some of you are now aware of, and I'll probably address that starting sometime next week, unless I edit what I've already written about the history of it and post it later this week just to end the suspense.  All the suspense.

What do you mean you mean there's no suspense?

31 comments:

  1. have fun on vacation.. sounds like you need one!

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  2. I hope your vacation is wonderful. Autism is always a dance. Three steps forward, one step back. Casey cycles a lot, too. Sometimes we know why, most times we don't.

    Im super excited to not have to come up with mean threats for you on twitter for a whole week! Vacation for me, too.

    Send Leslie our love. I can't imagine what it's like having to put up with you...

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    1. threats? You're deluded.

      Will do! It IS awful.

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  3. I hope you guys have a good time and good job with all the organization. And I wish my son slept like Lily. We put him to bed at 10PM sometimes and he still won't sleep. But what can you do?

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    1. we're pretty blessed for the most part with her sleeping.

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  4. It's totally a word. I use the word, "Stimmy" a lot. It's totally a word too...

    And have fun on vacation, it sounds wonderful and a great time to get away with just your family. Everyone needs downtime like that and it will be worth it. Have fun.

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    Replies
    1. stimmy IS a word. behaviory I just made up.

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  5. Wishing you as stress-free as possible vacation prep and an even better vacation. You've all earned it!

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    1. stress-free is probably asking too much. . . even of a wish. Let's go with "manageable stress level" and I think a genie could swing it.

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  6. Hope you have great vacation!! And yeah, I'm with Lexi...

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  7. Behavior-y is definitely a word...at least in my world. I also like "stimmy" and "flappy" and "Tater-y". Yep. All words.

    Hope you have a great vacay!

    P.S. Hope to hear that suspense-y story soon. :)

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  8. Well, hell, I'm going to miss you, Jim. I hope you have a great time!

    I have a million theories as to what the news is. It's good news, isn't it? I'm worried it's bad news. Please just at least tell me it's not bad news so I don't worry my brain off while I'm waiting to hear what it is?

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    1. not good news. It'll all be fine though, don't you fret!

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    2. If I may quote a very wise man named YOU:

      DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO!

      (Yeah, you know I'm going to worry, right? I can't turn that off.)

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    3. I'll post something later this week!

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  9. Kids sleeping in car seats crack me up. They sell those expensive car seat neck pillows so that they don't wake up sore or with a crick in their neck... such a joke. You know kids are made of elastic :)

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    1. it's insane how bendy she is when she's asleep.

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  10. Have a great vacation! The car nap picture of Lilly is so funny! She is very bendy! The Murph says I'm a good napper too. I'm not that bendy anymore though.

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    Replies
    1. Me neither. I can't sleep in cars because of my unbendyness.

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  11. Do people really GO to Pirates games? Huh. Who knew?

    Well, have fun on vaca!

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  12. Your wife is a brave lass indeed. No way, no how would I stick my hand in my son's mouth! Have fun on vacation. Wishing you good behaviory days!

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  13. I'm already jealous of the vacation you haven't officially started yet. Have enough fun for me while you're at it!

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    1. step one of the upcoming vacation is. . . drive 14 hours to the beach. Don't envy me TOO much. . .

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  14. That story about the mausoleum - hysterically funny, more so in blog form. I'd like to get two m's in Words but they don't give those out that much I've noticed...

    Don't let Lily swallow that tooth - that would be painful both directions, although Tootles swallowed all but two of the teeth he's lost so far and that includes the two front ones. He lived. I believe there was some yelling in the bathroom but he was okay.

    14 hours to the beach?! What kind of beach is this? I'm sure I will hear about it later... Have fun. Take care of all three girls. :)

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  15. Have a great trip! Maybe you can have a picnic at the mausoleum sometime.

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