These are in no particular order...... like the minutes of my days..... a bit random, but, to me, quite enjoyable......
1. Mary's first NATIVITY! I collect nativity scenes and keep them up year round..... and as I've thought about collections that I'd like to start for Mary and add to throughout the years, nativities are at the top of the list. This week, Mary got the Little People Nativity and she loves it! She can already identify the baby Jesus and sticks the angel up on the top of the stable. We have spent much time already pointing out who is who..... and every time we get to Jesus' mother Mary..... our Mary points at herself and then points to her, like, hey, we have the same name! And at this very moment, you'll find Mary, the mother of Jesus, having a conversation with the Little People Cinderella that came with her Disney Princess set - cause Mary turns her cups upside down and sets them all on top. So, there's that. Mary's first Nativity.
2. These bowls went with us to China and provided MUCH fun for our girl. Today, they just about did me in. Cause today, Mary decided to use them for food - FRIED PORK SKINS, to be exact. Every bowl had ONE fried pork skin in it.... and Mary would "deliver" the food to Jack and Max in the living room. Trouble is, the bowls have HOLES in the bottom of them..... and pork skins are VERY DUSTY. So, by the time I recognized what was going on, there were smashed pork skins ALL OVER the living room. I'm pretty sure I gasped and then moaned cause Mary started pointing and grunting at all the piles of pork skin "dust" like, hey, do you see this? Look what those silly pork skins did. So, I went after my vacuum, which is THE SORRIEST VACUUM IN ALL THE WORLD. Basically, it sucked up the pork skins up through the front, smashed them up REALLY good, and then spit the dust out the back -which will be GREAT for all the ANTS that keep coming into my house. So there's that.... Bowls and pork skins and that darn vacuum.
This is the worst vacuum in the history of the world.
3. Last week, Mary had some testing done by the sweet folks at the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind. Our ENT suggested that we go ahead and start working on some speech/communication therapy, so, we sought out the experts in Early Intervention. This week, AIDB came over and went through the test results with us. You have to have a 25% delay to qualify for their services.... and our girl DID. In ONE area: expressive language. Yep. Girl takes it all in, has great gross and fine motor skills, and is on point socially and cognitively.... but her expressive language is at a 40% delay! FORTY! Her RECEPTIVE language puts her at the 31 month mark, but her EXPRESSIVE language is like that of a 7 month old. See that gap? That's why we sought some expert help! So, we're going to see a speech expert a couple of times a month, but MOST of the work is done at home through the family. The first line of defense? Only give her what she's asking for it she attempts to say the word. When she points to her juice cup on the table and then signs "cup".... don't give it to her. Wait for her to at least attempt to say the word. "Mary, what do you want? Do you want your CUP?" ** Mary nods profusely and frantically signs cup.** "Mary, CUP. Do you want your CUP?" ** Mary begins to whine and grunt, points several times to the cup sitting RIGHT THERE, WOMAN and continues to sign "cup" over and over. ** "Your cup? Is that what you want? Say CUP, Mary. CUP." ** Mary falls to the floor in protest and Max walks into the kitchen, hands her her cup, pats her on the head, and then passes on through. ** THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE EASY. So there's that..... speech therapy.
4. During our recent Rotavirus epidemic, Mary and I stayed VERY close to home. Thanks to Pinterest and some crafty friends on FB (thanks, Erin!), Mary had a new little game to play. She loved dropping those little colored pompoms through that paper towel tube, then dumping the bowl out and starting all over. Wasn't sure it would actually keep her busy, but it did! She happily played as I washed dishes, and then I looked down, and she'd changed the game a bit - she'd started sorting the colors. That girl. With a little help from Mom, we had them ALL sorted in no time. She's so clever. So there's that.... Rotavirus survival games.
5. I continue to KILL IT at the CVS. I was a little late getting there this week, but tonight, I scored the following items for $2.31. And they gave me back $6.00 in extra care bucks. So there's that...... awesomeness at the CVS.
6. Max and I have been spending quality time together each evening here in Powellville. No, we aren't discussing the day's events. No, we aren't reading a grand book together. No, we aren't going on long walks. We are watching DOWNTON ABBEY, baby! We've already watched all three seasons once (back when we were in the WAITING of the adoption process, DA was a great distraction!), but now, we're gearing up for the January 5th premier of Season 4 and We. Can't. Wait. It's our THANG! And it's funny..... I now find myself speaking in a random British accent and saying things like, "I fear that Mary has an unclean diaper." and "Perhaps we'd all like to freshen up before luncheon." and "Why must they assign so many bloody projects just before the holidays?" (said THAT one today!) So there's that..... Downton Abbey with my Max.
7. The Strings in Schools Christmas concert is quickly approaching and the Jackster has to have a TUXEDO since he's in the high school orchestra this year. So, we got one. And then, we needed to have it altered a bit. Enter Jenny's Alterations (which is what is says when I google "alterations in Tuscaloosa", but there's no sign of or mention of "Jenny" at the place)..... Anyhoo.... this week, we returned to "Jenny's" to pick up the tux. I must admit..... I am drawn to this place. At Jenny's Alterations, they, of course, have a sewing shop. They also sell videos for $3.00 each or 2 for $5.00 (titles like September Dawn and Boom - ever hear of those?) AND, if you like, you can visit the tanning bed there, too. Sewing, video, and tanning beds. All surrounded by 78 buddah statues and a GIANT fish tank with ONE goldfish in it. (Is that how you spell buddah?) But those things are not what make me smile at Jenny's Alterations. No. It is the tiny Chinese man that does the alterations. When we took the tux in and he started pinning and marking, he looked at Jack and said, "Do not worry. I know what I am doing." This past Wednesday, when Jack came out in his newly altered tux, that little man walked all around him and said, very proudly, "I do a VERY good job." And then he walked away and said no more. I like him. So there's that..... Jenny's Alterations.
8. I am going to be 40. In 10 months, I am going to be 40. So, I have made a decision. For my 40th birthday, I am going to participate (I did NOT say RUN, I said PARTICIPATE) in the Walt Disney World Princess Half Marathon. I have ALWAYS wanted to do this and, in 2015, I AM. So, because run I do not, I have started "training." This gets quotation marks - "training".... cause I'm not sure that all the huffing and puffing and staggering that has occurred in this past week is actually considered "training." But I trust in the RunDisney expert, Jeff Galloway. He says I can do it, and I BELIEVE HIM. So, every night after Joe gets home, off to the Quad I go. If between the hours of 6-9 you pass by and see a lump laying on the sidewalk, please call for assistance, cause those stupid college kids will just walk right over ya and keep yacking on their cell phones. So there's that..... marathon TRAINING.
9. Each day, Mary and I are trying to get a little Christmas shopping done. Mary is not a good shopper. Oh, she's sweet - never fusses. But she is an OCTOPUS in these places - ALL HANDS. AT&T store - pulled down a HUGE banner displaying the new data plans. Sorry about that. Barnes and Noble - emptied the shelf in the mythology section while we were looking for something for Jack. Sorry about that. Belk - pulled about a dozen purses off the table and started walking around with them on her head. Sorry about that. Hobby Lobby - literally SPIT on a plastic Christmas tray and laughed while it streamed down Santa's face. Sorry about that. And there I am.... the maniac woman picking everything up and redirecting the little black-haired toddler. I love her. So there's that.... Christmas shopping with the Mary.
10. What else? Oh, there was Mission Day at church, so we got pictures made in front of the Chinese flag. Mary has PRECIOUS new red glittery shoes which I have no pictures of, but which have SHED all over our church building. Jack is working on an EPIC epic project and had every computer in the house tied up at once. And I have about a go-zillion projects in my mind that I want to accomplish in the next 13 days. Cause people - Christmas is in THIRTEEN days. So there's that.
Blog: updated.
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