Some deep thoughts, some not so deep thoughts and some Easter decorations

My grandma died a year ago today.

 

I really miss her. 

 

It's weird to spend 32 years talking to someone at least weekly and seeing them all the time and then go to just nothing.  I still think to myself, "oh I should call her and tell her about....." when I realize that I can't.  That seriously happens like once a week.

It still makes me sad that Elliott will never know her.  I've been working at maintaining the memories that Spencer has of her, but this was the only time Elliott met her.  It was in January, 6 weeks after she broke her hip.  She was still in rehab and there was still a small chance that she could recover.  This was before she really started rapidly declining in health.  Elliott was 6 weeks old.

When my mom called me last year to tell me that my grandma had died that morning I remember not feeling anything.  Not sad, not angry, not anxious. Just nothing.  March was the height of Elliott's liver disorder when we thought he was on his way to total liver failure and all I can remember thinking was that I could not possibly deal with one more emotion or my chest would just literally rip open and everything would explode out.

 

I do remember being relieved that he had outlived her.  How messed up is that?  I actually felt relieved that my 3 month old baby didn't die before my 94 year old grandmother.

 

She found out that Elliott had been in the hospital with sepsis a few weeks after he came home.  I actually told her right before we took these pictures.  Nobody wanted to upset her with that information while he was in the PICU and so critical, so everybody expained my mom's absence as just "oh, she's helping with the baby.". 

 

Nobody ever told her about his liver issues.  I lied through my teeth during this visit when I told her that he was fine.  I did feel guilty in the weeks after she died that we had kept that from her.  But it really would have served no purpose for her to have known, so I'm OK with it now.

 

I love this picture.  Elliott is her 4th great grandchild.  I'm sure there will be more (not from me), but he was the last one she got to meet.

I DO NOT think it is an accident that Elliott's health took a drastic turn for the better in the weeks after she died. Say what you will about the afterlife and miracles, but she had something to do with that.

 

 

That's it for the deep thoughts.  Sorry if that totally bummed you out.

 

Moving on to less serious topics.

 

I got a coupon for a free photo book last week.  I made one for our 2nd trip to Disneyland in October 2011 (I know, procrastinate much?).  Then Michael mentioned yesterday that he got an email for a free photo book as well.  I tried.  I really, really, really tried to get it done by 11:59 pm, but when I went to check out I had to change the address and the credit card info and it flipped from 11:59 to 12:00 just as I hit purchase and it denied the code.  I was very disappointed at midnight.

 

The book is done though, so when I get another offer in 6 months I can just order it.....days before the deadline.

On the Friday before spring break there was a training at my school.  I did not attend because I don't work on Fridays.  During one of the breaks they recorded a Harlem Shake video.  It is hilarious.  I saw it this morning when I got to work and then watched it about 2.9 million times during the day.  Probably because I know all of these people and I know their personalities, but this is just so, so, so funny to me.

You can click HERE to go to youtube to watch it. The guy at the beginning in the roadrunner mask is our principal, Eric.  The guy doing the frantic crazy push ups is our school counselor, James.  I think he is the funniest part of the video.  There is also a person dressed up like a taco in the middle that is just totally flipping out.  I'm pretty sure that is Leanne, a 3rd grade teacher and a friend of mine.  Something about her in that costume blows my mind.  She has 5 sons, which also blows my mind every time we talk about them.

 

And finally.

 

Easter decorations.

 

Spencer painted a lot of sun catchers during his spring break.

 

Still my favorite mirror clings of all time.  They just never get old.  I think I bought them 10 years ago in 2003.  Maybe 2002.  Wow.  I'm old.

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Friends

Lauren had a get together for our little ladies group on Sunday.  It was a Pampered Chef/Dinner Party.  I seriously had more fun than I have had in a long, long time.  My weak stomach muscles hurt from laughing so much! 

 

It got me thinking on the way home.  Thinking about friends, and how lucky I am to have so many good ones.  There are so many people in the world who are desperately lonely and it makes my heart sad for them because I wish everybody could have an abundance of wonderful friends like I do.

 

It also got me thinking about how many significant relationships I have that started because of Frank School.  Everyone at that party has worked there at some point.  Some of my most important current friendships have resulted from my working there.  And it's not like I was there for a lifetime.  I spent 3 school years there and left almost 6 years ago.  Even people who didn't work there until after I left are now my friends.  I never actually worked with Brenda, Lauren, Joni or Shireen.  They all came after I was no longer there. 

 

I could have never guessed when I took that job just how important it would be to my future.

 

I also could have never guessed how many people would leave that school because it wore them out and beat them down.  It's a really tough school.  It was a good first job though because I learned more there than I could have just about anywhere else.

 

Anyway.  I just wanted to go public with how grateful I feel to be blessed with my friends- Frank related or not.

 

Onto the party.

 

I haven't seen Jana (middle) or Jodi since I left.  It was great to hang out with them.  Jana is hilarious!  She left Frank at the same time that I did.  She was getting rid of a fan from her classroom (she is a music teacher) on the last day of school and I took it.  We still use that fan in Spencer's room.  Jodi is expecting her first baby in August.

 

Lauren with Elliott's birthday twin Dahlia.

 

Maryellen, Jana, Brenda and Dahlia's Mama Shireen

 

Jodi and Sydney

 

I was the speech language pathologist at Frank for 2004-2007.  Joni took the job after I left.  She was there for 3 years too.  Sydney is the current SLP. 

 

Me and Joni

 

Sydney and Brenda

 

The pampered chef representative and her trainee.  I, gulp, forgot their names.

 

Maryellen and Dahlia

Overachiever

I bought this snowman shirt at Wal-Mart in early December.  I wore it for Elliott's snowman birthday party.  When the party was over I took it off and put it on the floor behind the laundry hampers in our room.  I didn't want to put it in the hamper because it is red and I wanted to wash it separately.  If I put it in the hamper I would have surely forgotten and put it in the washer with all the other darks.

 

  Fast forward to today. 

 

I finally washed it about an hour ago. The shirt has been on the floor since December 15th.  I don't know why it took so long.  I didn't forget about it.  I've seen it every day for the last 3 months and a week.  There has been ample opportunity.  I guess this is a perfect example of procrastination.  Or pure laziness.  Maybe a little of both.

Now it will go into the closet.  I look forward to wearing it one time per December for the next decade.

Easter Bunny on Friday

This happened for the first time this morning.  I left Elliott alone for like 1 minute and he found the toilet paper roll.

 

Spencer kept him occupied with a little closet door peek-a-boo while I cleaned stuff up.

There is an Easter Bunny at the mall that will pose for a picture if you pay him lots of money.  We actually did it when Spencer was 2.  It is the exact same Easter Bunny this year.  Same outfit, same background, same everything.

I didn't think we needed to pay $20, $25 or $30 for some pictures, so I was happy to see that Pottery Barn Kids was having a free Easter Bunny today.  I figured we would have to wait in line for a little bit but it would be worth it to save the money. 

 

We went to story time at the bookstore first.  That ended at about 10:55.  Perfect timing.  The Easter Bunny started at 11.  We walked over there and......no Easter Bunny.  He was late.  There was also nobody in the store.  At all.

 

Spencer was very happy when he finally got there. 

 

 

 

We were going to leave as soon as we took some pictures but then the Easter Bunny put out a basket of crayons and some coloring pages.  So Spencer and the Easter Bunny colored together for like 20 minutes. 

 

Not one single person came in the store during this entire time.

The Easter Bunny gave Spencer his picture and Spencer gave the Easter Bunny his.  It was very sweet.

This was the best one I could get.  Elliott isn't crying, but he was on the verge.  It's better than the one that I got with them with Santa. 

 

Oh, and these are the coordinating outfits from Carter's.

We walked back through the bookstore on our way out.  They had a train table set up so we stopped to play.  I had to drag Spencer out of there, reminding him that he had a train table at home with about 75 more trains.

After Elliott took a horrible nap we played outside.  I feel like we have just days left before it gets too hot.

 

 

We had asparagus as a side for dinner tonight.  Elliott gobbled it up. 

 

Spencer ate his too, but he dipped each piece in milk first.  He said it made it taste better.  What a goof ball.