My little girl

She sat in the armchair by the sliding glass doors 

watching and waiting. A look of concern darkening 

her usually happy face.

Bryan and his girlfriend had arrived that evening 

and Alexis had received a phone call about her 

grandfather - he was likely to die at any time. 

Alexis' eyes had teared up and she left out the sliding 

glass door no doubt for some alone time to collect 

herself and have a smoke away where the children 

wouldn't see her.

Dolly waited.

When she came back Dolly gave her one of her 

signature tree frog hugs - legs wrapped around her 

waist and arms thrown tightly around her neck.

Saturday Bryan and Alexis stayed behind while we 

shopped in downtown Disney. The Twinkies free 

birthday passes also came with $63 Disney Dollars 

a piece. Gapetto and the Bunny went one direction 

and the Dolly and I headed off for jewelry.

We looked and looked and added up different things, 

then we looked some more. I thought perhaps she 

just couldn't get over the hump of actually spending 

any of it so I was talking to her about how much 

I knew she REALLY wanted the charm bracelet. 

She quietly led me off in another direction.

Finally we added up her things: one charm bracelet 

and four additional charms, one pink Disney watch 

and a light green necklace with a big 'crystal' jem 

on it - exactly $63. [I threw in the tax money.]

I put the charms on her bracelet and hooked it on 

her wrist, I pulled out the watch and did the same. 

She began to close up the box and put it away.

'Dolly don't you want to wear your pretty necklace?'

She shook her head no.

'It's for Alexis.'

How I love that little girl.

To Whom Much is Given...

What a day! 

A day like no other. 

I plan to be GLUED to the TV. If I were 20 years younger 

I'd be in the middle of that mass of humanity but alas, 

now I prefer in-door plumbing, a cozy couch and TV 

close ups.

Yesterday the offspring and I participated in a community 

service event. We decorated bags that would be filled with 

hygiene items for women and children in shelters. As we 

were driving away I decided it was time to talk with the 

children about service and giving and helping those who 

are 'less fortunate'. (An awfully sanitized phrase.)

As we drove through the city The Bunny was noticing 

places where someone might sleep for the night. I impressed 

upon them that some of them were mothers and children.

'Mommy where do they sleep?'

I spoke of shelters and old cars and under bridges... things I 

wasn't sure they could comprehend. Gapetto and I have spoken 

many times to the children about cutting back in these times. 

Business has been down but we have always assured them that 

they/we will be alright. We have a cozy home - we have each 

other - we just can't buy things as usual. (You know - they are 

in THAT stage.)

I told them that even when times are tough we must give 

back because what is tough for us looks like heaven to someone 

who is without. We talked about the lottery (the Bunny's solution 

to our financial woes) and I told them that the first thing we 

would do is to open a shelter (or some such) for women 

and children. 

We spoke of all of this for a bit.

For Christmas our friends gave The Dolly and The Bunny each 

$40 - The Bunny had his eyes on some action figure things and 

he and Gapetto ordered them online. The Dolly has been thinking

and thinking about what she REALLY wants to do with hers.

'Mommy?'

'Yes Dolly?'

'I want to give all of my money to the poor.'

Mmmmmmmm.... I have EVERYTHING I need.

Baby Jay

I took my twins to the dentist in July and both needed fillings 

(which the Bunny Rabbit and the Dolly Llama call 'feelings'). 

I left promising I would call and set up the appointment when 

I was in front of my (mythical) calendar. 

The family calendar is something I clearly can't master. 

Perhaps it is more my expectations of the family calendar.

Gapetto and I definitely fly by the seat of our pants - all the 

time - with VERY mixed results. I imagine this large color-coded 

calendar with a key at the bottom (like on a map) and who's 

cooking when and who's cleaning up and when we bring snacks 

to school, and on and on. Now being graphic designers that 

probably isn't that far-fetched but it is what I expect the 

calendar will provide...

A calm and orderly life.

Yeah, right.

So I forgot to make the follow up appointment for the 'feelings' 

till they left a message a few weeks ago. 

OOPS! 

We went back to the dentist and found out that one of the 

Dolly's cavities had progressed to where the tooth needed to 

be removed by an oral surgeon. It was a baby tooth in the 

spot where someday a 12 year molar will grow into.

We went for the consultation and discussed the procedure 

with the doctor who was fabulous. The Dolly seemed pretty 

comfortable with him too.

The night before the procedure the kids called me into 

the bathroom during tubby time. Clearly they had been 

having a lengthly discussion because no actual washing 

had occurred yet.

'Mommy, do you think I should keep Baby Jay or give it to 

the Tooth Fairy?' Two expectant faces looked up at me. 

What the....?

It took me a moment to deconstruct this sentence. 

Hmmmm, tooth fairy - AHA! She was talking about her 

baby tooth which happens to be in position J in her mouth 

on the tooth chart. Who knew she was paying such 

close attention?

I certainly should have - not much gets by this child.

She had the surgery yesterday and after a rocky couple of 

hours was back to her (6-1/2 year) old self.

As they wheeled her out to our car I was struck by few things. 

Somebody help me if something ever really happens to one 

of my babies because I don't do so well even seeing them 

sedated. I thought of all of the mothers who are actually

dealing with something BIG with their children.

And I felt empathy and gratitude.

Then I thought of the privilege of being able to do a health 

procedure that is prophylactic. And I wondered about all of 

the people who have to wait until something is terribly wrong 

and then go to the emergency room and wait in pain FOREVER.

And again I felt empathy and gratitude.

I have high hopes for this new administration. 

I also know that the man is taking on one hell of a mess. 

And yet I hope.

I hope that one day every child will have health insurance.

EVERY CHILD. 

I hope that one day every single person will have health 

insurance. But the children are a great beginning.

As for Baby Jay? She is resting comfortably [in the special 

little box that the nurse presented to the Dolly] up on the 

window sill in our kitchen.

And miracle of miracles, somehow the tooth fairy knew that 

Dolly had lost a tooth even though it wasn't under her pillow.