Technology to the rescue!

I wish I were as good as my friend Amy at capturing the sweet moments of life on camera. I try. With the purchase of a digital camera, I can say I have taken a ridiculous amount of pictures, knowing I can delete and repeat over and over. I got to see Amy and Pat, Maddie, Mia, and Monica today. Whenever I am around these girls, I can't help but want to capture every moment for savoring later, like when I am a thousand miles away. I lucked out again and got to bath time. This is a special treat because Mia and Monica follow Maddie's cue to be comfortable around me. They are so at ease in the warm, bubbly water. I even got to wash their hair! We told stories and listened attentively.

So sweet! I dressed them up for Christmas - a couple hours before the family mass, but Amy assured me they wouldn't get them so mussed. We had so much fun, and they were so beautiful. Reading and playing and showing off! Then I got the invitation to come back and stay at the house while Monica napped. Happily, I raced back to the house, so they could get going. There was a little too much excitement in the house, and I heard Monica wake before they left. I waited a bit to see if she would just cry herself to sleep, but I think we all know when the crying gets to distress. She was not happy to see me. She was enraged that I was the only other person in the house - how dare her mother leave her in such incapable hands as this stranger's. She didn't want out of my arms, but she didn't want them either. A tough decision for a 17 month old!

I don't claim brilliance, but resourcefulness. With my laptop open to my pictures of South America, I quickly switched the screen to the pictures I had taken earlier of Monica and her sisters. I even had a little video footage. She recognized the faces, and we just let that slideshow run and run. Later I changed the pictures to an album my uncles put together of my grandpa. Despite this great save, she managed to cry herself into the coughing gagging thing and ralphed on Ducky, her blankie. She was not amused to have to give it up to the washing machine. What a relief when Grammy came for her that she was not still a wreck!

I got home and did what I could to pitch in with dinner, help get ready for the after-mass party of hot buttered rum and Auggie's bourbon brie. I dressed up in a combination of clothes from my sister's closet and the top of my bins still in the basement of the Columbine house. Gratefully I found my big heels, the ones essential to "fitting in" with my six-foot family, but ended up sitting next to Grandma and dwarfing her. Ooops! The party was fun. I was glad my older goddaughters could make it, though we kept them off of the sauce. A late night...wasn't going to get my beauty rest for Santa...and family breakfast.