Sorrow and Snacks

Yesterday was my Grandma's memorial service. Such a sweet and sad time of being with family and remembering her amazing life. She loved her family intentionally and she loved us well. We pretty much could do no wrong in her eyes.
So, I'm sure she wouldn't have minded that I left halfway through the service to take the girls across the street to CVS for a bag of M&Ms. It was purely a survival tactic. They had been alternating between howling, standing, climbing, giggling, crying, whining... They just weren't going to make it through the service without a short break and some calories.
Next time I'll have the sweets packed in my purse before we get to the church.

The Fun Just Never Ends

We love Jalapenos, a nearby Mexican restaurant.


Well, I should say Matt and I love the food. The girlies love the quarter toy machines. They like to bring a quarter from their piggy bank to get a treat.

Cutie always seems to get a beaded bracelet or ruby ring. Sweetie always gets the same little green alien guy doing a karate kick.

Life can be so unfair.

The good news is that each cheap, plastic toy comes in a really cool clear plastic capsule. And the plastic capsules never disappoint.

See pictures below.

Watch Out World

The girls cannot WAIT to start their dance class tomorrow morning. We did a little practice run tonight-tights, leotards, slippers, even their little french twists. Just to make sure we were all set to go.

Laughter in Sadness

Sadness:
My grandma passed away last night. I miss her. I'm still trying to understand that she's not here anymore. She's always been here, so how can she not be here? I know she is in heaven, and whole and rejoicing. I will see her again. But for now, I miss her.

Laughter:
To break the news to my girls, I asked them to come sit with me on the couch so I could talk to them. Here's how the conversation went:

Me: Girls, Grandma Fisher went to heaven last night. She is with Jesus now.

Cutie: I'll miss her.

Sweetie: Why did you pause the TV?

Had to laugh at that one.

Riding Alligators

When we are in a mall or a big hotel, the girls refer to the elevators as "alligators." So sweet.

I have been riding alligators a lot lately, in the eight-story hospital where my grandma is right now. Up and down, over and over.

The girls like to lay down on their backs when they ride an alligator. But I prefer to take a deep breath and just get it over with. They make me dizzy.

It's been a few days since I've been home. But sometimes the demands of life take precedence over time at home with my sweet husband and girlies. My lovely grandmother is declining rapidly, has just a little more time left. I need to be with her and my parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins.... I need to tell her one more time how much I love her and to say goodbye.

I'd much prefer to be in my small, comfy, quiet home with my three favorite people.... But right now, as hard as it is, this is where I'm supposed to be.

It's good to be here.

Spending her Allowance

The girls get 4 quarters a week for their allowance. They've been saving it up for a couple weeks, so Matt took them to the Target dollar section to unload all that money.

Sweetie chose 2 spray bottles-one as a present for Aunt Lisa (so sweet) and the other to help me clean the house. All day she kept asking me when she could start cleaning the mirrors and windows.

But we had a busy day yesterday-a family wedding reception for my younger brother, with lots of cousins, aunts, uncles, friends, grandparents... The girls ran and played for hours and were wiped out and fell asleep in the car on the way home.

As we pulled into the driveway, Sweetie stirred. Groggily, she croaked, "When can I start cleaning?"

I wish I woke up with those words on my lips! We went in the house and I poured some Windex into the bottle and gave her a towel. She worked hard for about 20 minutes until I made her put the cleaning supplies away and get in the bath tub.

This morning she woke up and said, "Mom, can I clean some more today?"

Sure, babe. Right after breakfast.

Cutie's Monologue on Chewing Gum

It's NOT okay to throw your gum on the ground when you are done chewing it. Why do people do this? It's NOT okay.
If a mouse was walking backwards, he might step in something sticky. He would wonder what it was. It would be sticky gum.
Poor little mouse. That's why gum goes in the trash.