Frozen Face

Man!

I didn't make the time to blog yesterday.

I know, I know, you all don't know what to do with yourselves when you don't have a new post to read...

Ha ha!

Anyway, yesterday was the day we actually took down the Christmas tree and all the Christmas decorations.

Sister didn't cry or anything. She even helped take the ornaments off the tree.

It felt so good to get things cleaned up and almost back to normal.

I say "almost" because we got all the stuff taken down, but now the boxes that contain it all are sitting, stacked my front room and kitchen.

*sigh*

I guess I just need to be grateful that it just needs to be carried out to the garage now.

Later in the afternoon we packed up the kids and ourselves and we headed down to visit with Marc's parents.

Lynne had food ready for us and even made a separate meal for the kids that she was hopeful they would eat.

It was nice, but a little disheartening as we talked with Lynne to find out that her health isn't doing the best it could be. It's not fun to see those you love get sick and not feel themselves.

Let's just face it. Watching your parents get old sucks!

But, there was a memorable UP that day when Lynne asked me to cut her hair. I really didn't have to do much cutting as I was just cleaning up a cut she already had but wasn't happy with. So, anyway, we started to trimming up her hair and she started telling me stories like when she very first cut her hair as a kid and then the time after she was married and cut her hair really short. It was quite daring of her, because it was in a day and age when not many women had short pixie cuts. In fact, it was cute because she told me that when she was a kid and had her hair cut short that the person who cut short hair was actually a Barber. When she was 23 she had had her hair cut for a change of style but the lady who cut her hair didn't seem to understand how much of change she needed. So, I think she said, the next day she was walking by a salon that advertised cuts and she went in and asked for the Sassoon cut... from what she described it was sort of the style that had been worn by Audrey Hepburn. She said she was so happy that day and it felt so good to have it short. It was just how she wanted it.

After talking and cutting we cleaned up the hairy mess I had made and she went to clean off to see how the cut would look.

My UP was when Lynne came down to join the rest of us while watching family home movies and she had a huge smile on her face. She said, "This is the cut I had when I was 23!"

It made me so happy to know that I had brought happiness to her and that I knew exactly the story she was referring to.

After our little celebration of a great home haircut we all gathered round and watched a home movie I had put together years ago of our time in Montana and Glacier National Park and family vacation. It felt so good to run through old memories and just remember the good times.

My other UP was when we finished the movie, Gary told me that he was so grateful for all the photos I had taken over the years and put to video to enjoy.

It was just nice to know, that for an in-law, I'm not too bad. (wink) I had done some good things and I really needed to hear that.

One of the other things was when Baby came in to announce to Lynne and Sister that she was, "Frozen" when she showed them the artwork of cherry chapstick she had drawn on her face.

She has been saying that a lot lately when she gets into my lipstick and puts it on her face like make-up. I guess "Frozen" is her princess of choice (Elsa from Frozen).

The plastered eye brows are what crack me up! Check those puppies out!

Oh my goodness I love this girl!

She even had her "Elsa" cape 

But the best part is the fact that she has now lost 2 teeth and the new ones are starting to pop up so it just adds to the hilarity of her smile.

...

Oh ya, I forgot to tell you she has lost 2 teeth. Finally. She's a late one for around here because Sister and Brother had lost have of their teeth by the time they were 5.

Funny thing about Baby is that we don't know where her lost teeth went...

so I guess, they are literally lost teeth...

hee hee!

Today we went to my parents house and I cooked the turkey for the meal in the dutch oven. It turned out well and that was a good thing. Plus it's always fun to see my siblings, I just love them!

My UP was actually quite simple and a little childish, but my brother had brought his remote control helicopter to show us and it was fun to watch and it was good to see him smiling like a kid too. The crazy part was when the helicopter got a bit out of control and flew safely between Yaya and Millie on the trampoline. We all screamed in unison thinking they were going to get hurt while the girls were just grinning with amazed excitement as the wind from the propellers blew their hair back. Luckily we could laugh about it because no one was hurt. I just love how innocently happy children are.

My nephew, Zac, has Fragile X Syndrome like my kids. Being around him often reminds me of my kids when they were little like him. I love that he comes to me knowing that I will give him some sensory input by giving him squishes and wrestling him a bit. It was so fun to hear his giggle and to be reminded of how easy it once was to carry little ones in my arms to make them happy.

Our kids are so big now that it makes for a VERY wearing session of sensory.

During that time with Zac I am also reminded of some of the challenges that are behind me.

Sometimes I think it gets easier as they get older, but I have been reminded lately that it doesn't necessarily get easier having older kids with special needs, but maybe I just get more used to my life... maybe I just get wiser and my nerves get longer.

Days 17 and 18 of 365 days of UP