Cotton Headed Ninny Muggins

Six weeks away is far too long! I've been writing in my head for weeks, but after a while it just felt silly to pop in for a few short lines.

So here I am:

Every time I thought about blogging, part of my brain would say:



I'm ignoring that part and coming back all the same; there's far too much to catch up on to let my inner Phoebe win.

Later today (or tomorrow, if you're a night owl too) I have drafted a post spilling the beans on everything. Stay tuned!

And also - I miss you. And merry Christmas! And I'll save the rest for later....

xoxo,
Your Long Lost Friend

Day 31: A Sweet Halloween

Tonight was our first Halloween as a family of four, and possibly the first holiday of Mary Brooks' that I can actually remember.

She was born on Valentine's Day, which was an absolute blur, but a delightful one. I can't recall a single thing (besides what I captured on this blog) about Easter, Mother's Day or the Fourth of July; they came on the heels of MB's surgery and the shock-induced amnesia that kicked off this spring and lasted 'til fall. It's the oddest thing.

I feel like I'm getting my wits back about me - as much as I ever had them, that is - and I enjoyed trick or treating with my favorite fireman and our baby dalmatian.

 

Our friends invited us to join them trick or treating, and we couldn't refuse a quiet street with great company and a host of other flashlight-wielding little people carrying jack-o-lantern buckets. Such fun!

Mac was high on life (no sugar required), whooping in the street and squealing, "Happy Halloween! Let's go!"

Upon ringing each doorbell, though, he became tremendously shy, barely managing a "thank you" after getting his candy. Once his little feet hit the curb again, he morphed back into our little extrovert, giddy as, well, a three-year-old on Halloween.

Macky struggled a bit with the bulky fireman boots, but his costume was recognized everywhere we went and the reflective stripes served a purpose beyond looking extra fireman-ly. I call that a win!

Bradley had the difficult duty of holding Mary Brooks, wearing the softest hoodie of all time, as we walked down the block. Not a bad gig.

I hope y'all had a fabulous evening, too! The pics of dressed up dogs and candy crazy kids have made my night on Facebook and Instagram. Keep 'em coming!

*This post is day 31 in my 31 Days of What Matters. And just like that - it's November.

Day 30: Pearly Whites

After school today Mac had his second-ever visit to the dentist. Last spring his first visit went swimmingly; he didn't make a peep or move an inch. I presumed this afternoon's appointment would be the same, but I underestimated the three-year-old mind.

Mac knew just enough to be a bit squirmy in the chair (bless that hygienist's heart!) but overall it was more of a sitcom episode than a true disaster.

He was especially particular about the shades they offered to shade his delicate peepers from the overhead lights. First we tried on the blue pair, then the black, then the blue again. Somewhere in between I caught a pic, and it captures the essence of Mac perfectly:

Mr. Cool

He even pointed out the "purple paper towel" that "keeps my shirt from getting dirty" had fallen off. He reminded the hygienist that "you said I haf to have one of those on me, you a-member that? Well, it fell. You think you should probwee get me a new one now, please?"

Half of me was mortified as he sat straight up, waiting for the hygienist to comply to his marvelously high standards before carrying on with the cleaning. The other part was tickled to death at the first-child fastidiousness he has inherited; the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, after all.

When Mac was tired of the cleaning process, he told the hygienist she had "just onnnnnnne minute and then we hafta do something else. Like get that toy you said I could have out of the toy box."

Thankfully all she needed was that brief time period in which to work her magic, and the dentist swooped in to give her own seal of approval. After a nine-minute picture-taking ordeal in which Mac blinked just at the moment the sweet-but-not-a-photographer employee snapped a shot, we were back in the lobby.


Mac asked to play for a bit, as we'd barely walked in the door before being taken to an exam room. (A doctor's office with no wait!)

So Mac bypassed the toy trunk and played in the waiting room instead. Now his teeth are pearly white and, in the name of his oral health, I'll be consuming 98% of his Halloween candy. The sacrifices I make for this kid...

*This post is day 30 in my 31 Days of What Matters. And it went up on time, unlike most every other post this month. Booyah!

Day 29: Sick. Again.

Today marks my sixth sinus infection in as many months. That doesn't include the ear infections, bronchitis and strep throat that hopped in the mix during that time period as well.

I'm not sure what on Earth is going on with my insides, but I am hopeful that this super long round of antibiotics (this time they came with an ENT's phone number) might do the trick.

I take vitamins, exercise, sleep, eat (relatively) well, drink water - what am I missing?

*This post is day 29 in my 31 Days of What Matters.

Day 28: Home Again, Home Again!

Look who's back under our roof:

And her brother too, I promise.

Mac and Mary Brooks arrived on our doorstep this afternoon via Mimi and Grandpa's chauffeur service. They went straight to bed for belated naps and slept right through our small group gabbing away in the living room. Fantastic timing!

Even at times Mac and MB would have been sleeping, our house felt extra-empty without them this weekend. I'm thankful for the extra hours with B, but we were very glad to have our tiny people back in our arms.

With a trip to "Mimi's library," a full-on hayride and Halloween party extravaganza and a massive Southern breakfast under their belts this weekend, they were worn out and awfully cuddly this evening. Thanks, Mom and Dad!

*This post is day 28 in my 31 Days of What Matters.

Day 27: Solo Saturday

Mac and Mary Brooks are still in Columbia with my parents, so today was spent taking full advantage of our sans kids time.

The smile is a lie here; it was still dark out!

We woke up at 5:45 am (eep - that hurt) for a group run across town on Furman's gorgeous campus.

Biscuit tiiiiiime!

I was far happier afterward, when we were headed for breakfast. Mmm!

After a morning on Caesar's Head enjoying the view and marveling at the freezing temperatures (how is it so much colder just thirty minutes from home?), I indulged in a long mid-day nap. Heavenly. It's amazing how much longer a day seems when you rise before the sun; that's a new feeling for lazy ol' Anne.

After naptime came a two-hour phone call, long overdue, with my best friend, plus a luxurious hour of getting ready. All by myself. It was a total flashback to pre-baby years!

Upstairs solo fashion show!

B and I enjoyed some "on the town" time, and took in the spectacle of some truly, er, original costumes. Holy nudity, y'all. If you can make a costume "sexy," somebody tried. Sexy hamburger, sexy nun, sexy plumber. It was bananas.

We fuddy-duddies enjoyed the good giggle, and after my relatively long (for me) run, my legs were thankful for the walk.

Here's hoping we can sleep in tomorrow, since we didn't today!

*This post is day 27 in my 31 Days of What Matters.

Day 26: Truck Stop Trade Off

Packed up and ready to go

Tonight Bradley and I drove our kids down I-26 to meet my parents halfway between our home and theirs.

In the light of a truck stop parking lot, we handed off our children as one might gingerly pass along the goods in a drug deal. It was (almost) as shady as it sounds.

Mimi!!! Grandpa!!!

But the excitement - wowsers. The giddiness was in the air, both for Mac and his Mimi and Grandpa; my eardrums are still ringing.
As soon as we pulled in and saw their car, the squeals were unstoppable. Mary Brooks, turned backwards, was confused but couldn't stop giggling at the hoopla.

I don't know who's going to have more fun this weekend - the big people or the little ones. I'm grateful to  my parents for loving our bambinos so well, and I'm excited to have one full baby-free day on Saturday. It's a foreign but fabulous feeling, and just imagining all that free time makes me smile.

I'm off to bed for an early morning - earlier than if Mac and Mary Brooks were here. Whew. Wild weekends are a thing of the past, kids.

*This post is day 27 in my 31 Days of What Matters.