Now that Katherine is walking back and forth from the car, it's become a real problem to get her away from the puddles and the rocks that splash so nicely. She is NOT happy to get put back in the car for the trip home. I think I could just put her in the fenced playground at 12 and pick her up at 3, and she would be fine.
Today was my grocery day, and I woke up to hard rain. Good day for sleeping in. But I had to get my taxes in the mail and so got up and headed out. I knew how nice it would be to finally get back home and get snug in the apartment. Right. Up. There. With a fire if needed.
The main street of Snoqualmie was blocked off, even on this kind of day, and I found out later there was some kind of run.
The North Bend Post Office. I'm so glad I didn't do this. Someone ran into the front with a car and did a lot of damage.
On a happy note: I've been dreading figuring out how to file income taxes since I've never done it in my life. Mike just always did it, and it was magic. Fortunately, Patsy, our "tax lady" from Thomaston, offered to help me. It didn't take much persuading - none, in fact. She and Mike had such a good relationship over many years, and he always trusted her to get it all done just right. It was so comforting to hear her say, "Don't worry. I'll take care of it." An answer to prayers.
Highlights of the week.
Graysen and I saw a little group of elk waiting to cross the road last week on the way to lunch. Emily said she called them antlers to her. She talked about them all the way to North Bend and all the way back. So many questions! Why do they go across the road? Where are they going? What do they eat? Where do they live? Why are they called elk? Why, what, where? I do my best to answer each one, but I make up a lot of stuff too. About mamas and daddies and babies and what they eat and living in a little homes behind the trees. Whatever.
I wish we could have gotten a picture, but it wasn't a big enough group to stop traffic for, and they were a little distance from the car. Mike loved so much to see them and would stop and spend so much time taking pictures of them. As we were on the way to get the car serviced the day before he went into the hospital, we saw a herd crossing the road. I was behind in one car and he was in front, and I wished I had been there to hear his comments. Sweet and sad memories.
I took the girls to Dairy Freeze for ice cream Thursday. They loved it. Katherine didn't particularly love the ice cream but did enjoy the outing. We went early this time to avoid a crowd and had the place to ourselves. Sweet little girls. I got them some hot dogs to take home for a picnic, knowing they wouldn't pay attention to eating there. Afterwards, they sat in the red chairs and ran like crazy around the picnic tables. Katherine, of course, found some puddles and rocks and had to be forced into the car.
Once home, we spread out a blanket and had an indoor picnic. No interest much in the food - just the experience. I didn't have too much expectation, especially after Katherine got up and wandered off, stepping squarely on Graysen's hot dog. Such howls of indignation from G! I don't blame her! Then we died laughing, thinking about how babies just walk all over our food and don't care.
St. Patrick's Day was celebrated somewhat. On Thursday morning, I found River Dance on YouTube TV, and we had a rousing morning. Graysen was determined to learn Irish dancing. I told her to wait until her mother got home, and she would teach her.
This is the outfit she chose Friday for the big day. She first had to go to the doctor and get her 4-year checkup (and shots). She was pretty dramatic about the shots when she got home, but I don't think it bothered her too much.
And I fell yesterday. I thought about not mentioning it, but I told Emily there is something about people when they have an accident or surgery or come through something dangerous that they need to discuss it! I guess it's relief that they survived! And I also knew it would get mentioned casually, and someone would say, "No one told me that!"
I've now have had one of those "I've fallen and I can't get up" moments. A few moments actually.
I was chasing the children. Probably shouldn't have been running, but they love it, and it's fun, and we were just getting some of the late afternoon energy out (for them - I could have just used another cup of coffee). They were running around the island in the kitchen, and I was mainly just leaping out at them and making them scream. Then I turned a corner, my rubber-soled shoe caught on the hardwood floor - and something happened. I remember knowing I was going to fall, reaching to balance myself on the refrigerator, and then realizing my hand had gone between the door handle and the refrigerator - and was stuck. I was falling one way and my hand was staying in the handle. Ouch! My hand got the worst of it, but it threw me off balance enough that I came down full force on my right knee.
I just lay there knowing I had broken something. LOTS of pain. Katherine thought it was part of the game and started to jump on me, but I told Graysen, "This is serious. I'm really hurt. Just wait a minute." She went into her nursing mode and sat by my head and rubbed my hair and said all the right things. She even took her little Auburn cup and got me some water. Sweetest girl. Once the pain started ebbing, I started moving everything and decided nothing was broken and could laugh about it a little. I did have to scoot myself across to the rug and couch because I couldn't put weight on my wrist or either knee. The girls thought that was hilarious and "rode" with me.
So I'm stiff this morning but feeling so lucky. My hand is puffy and has a huge bruise, but my knee is okay. I am so careful usually, especially on the stairs, because I figured if I ever fell, I would probably break something. Now I'm so careful on the stairs, I know my neighbors think I'm 80 years old. Two feet on each step going down. Thank goodness the girls are old enough to manage their stairs without me - except for a little hand-holding.
So that's my week(s). Pretty much the same. I'll add a few pictures of the girls and their playtime. We saw a partly sunny day and I know there are more coming soon!
This was last Saturday on the way home from getting my hair cut.
A peaceful 30 minutes before they both decided they wanted the watering can.
I think the word she was trying to get me to understand was dirty and not juice.
This was one afternoon at the apartment when I thought I would play sleepy music and have them rest or nap in the living room. Not hardly!
So much energy.
This was another day and a more successful nap time. I wonder if this is the way I sound reading this story!
