April Showers Bring May Flowers!

I have discovered the fact that if I don't get up at 5 a.m. and do a bit of writing, no writing gets done at all!  Early mornings I'm in the zone, I have my coffee at hand and the whole world is quiet, and  I have lots to say.  Afternoons--after doing my parking lot jobs, feeding and cleaning up after the babies all day and teaching ABC's and colors, and hanging out with mommy friends and maybe cleaning one room of the house--per housekeeping goals--there's no writing left in me at all and all I want to do is put my feet up and watch the latest episode of The Goldbergs.  (Except I can't, because TJ would kill me if I watched it without him!  Best. Show. Ever.)

It is the magical month of May now, and the whole world is waking and changing and growing.  Our grass is just about ready to mow for the first time, and I think I'll do it today because my sister Heidi is coming to visit me, and I want the yard to look all pretty for her.  We love going on long walks in the evenings with the girls in the double stroller, and it seems like all the world is a-bloom with flowers.  One neighbor has a solid bank of magenta roses fencing in their yard.  Another neighbor has the most gorgeous magnolia tree I've ever seen.

Little Lizzy Bee is five months old now, our pride and joy and little Sunshine.  She sleeps through the nights most nights, in her own little bed.  She loves her big sister Bella, and is patient with Bella's attempts to be helpful and take care of her.  Once I caught Bella trying to stuff three binkies at once into Lizzy's mouth!  You can't have too much of a good thing, right?  Or so Bella must have thought.  Elizabeth is doing her darnedest to crawl, and howls in frustration when all she can do is point her diapered bottom in the air and rotate as if on an axis.  Her legs are very strong and chubby, and I kiss the dimples in her baby hands every day!  She wasn't planned and has delayed our debt-free climb by a little, but I wouldn't trade her for a bazillion dollars and can't imagine life without her!

Monday morning I went to traffic court for my speeding ticket, and it was enlightening, educational, and quite a fun experience actually!  About a hundred other fellow lawbreakers were there as well as me, and the judge was a grizzled old character who looked like a veteran of ten thousand traffic cases.  He obviously tolerated no nonsense and had little patience for those of us who were repeat offenders.  About 18 cases were called up and heard before mine, so I had time to get over my initial nervousness.  It was actually rather amusing: after hearing case after case of failure to appear, driving without license, suspended licenses for repeat offenses--one little old lady with a walker was charged with driving 106 MPH--it was anticlimactic when I was called.

"Jenna Elizabeth Greer, you are charged with driving 35 miles per hour in a 25 zone.  How do you plead?"

"No contest."

The judge actually looked up from reading the records (he obviously saw I had 12 years driving with a squeaky clean record), and actually smiled.  "Would you like to know your fine?"

"Yes sir."

"One hundred twenty four dollars.  Any other requests?"

"Traffic school please" (so this wouldn't go on my record).

"Granted. Dismissed!"

And that was that!  What a blessing.  He knocked over $200 off my fine--thank you sir!  And thank you God for looking out for us.  We really didn't want to be set back so far on our debt paying goals.  Oh and wow does it put the fear of the law in your heart to watch all those poor souls get handed $400, $600, and $900 fines for everything from failing to have your license with you while driving, to failing to appear in court.

In other related news, we have decided after much discussion and prayer not to take our trip to Kansas next month.  It would set us back at least $2,000 and I had a long conversation with Aunt Kathleen, and Grandma is deteriorating so rapidly she no longer recognizes anyone, not even her own daughter she sees every day.  So she would never know the difference if we didn't come, and it would definitely be a hardship for my little family.  We made the hard decision and feel very happy and at peace with it.  Grandma is going to heaven, and I know God will take good care of her there and she will see Grandpa again.  She is probably very happy about that!  I know she was when she was still cognizant.

Yesterday I drove out to Shafter for a fun play date at Amanda's house.  Miranda came too with Reagan and little Oliver (who she's babysitting for a friend), and Amanda was the perfect hostess as usual, despite being 7 months pregnant and looking ready to pop.  Olivia, Reagan, and Bella had a grand old time splashing and playing in the kiddie pool and wagon full of water, and eating a delicious lunch at the little picnic table, while we mommies chatted up a storm about all things baby and relative (pun intended). I love my support group!  Especially Miranda--I don't know what I'd do without her.  She watches Bella for me so I can clean homes on Fridays, and we see eye to eye on almost everything so it's easy to trust my babies with her.  Plus she's just plain awesome!

Also yesterday Bella came out with a four syllable word.  She is so smart!  I put her in the little pink and purple swimsuit with the tutu that I bought for her before she was ever born. It's the first time she's been in a swimsuit since last summer, and she is much more self aware now at 19 months.  I showed her her own image in the floor length mirror, and she stared, fascinated.  "Aren't you adorable?" I said.  She started running her little hands down the pink and purple fabric, and said with an exaggerated accent, "A-dorable!" Then she repeated "Adorable!" several times while looking at herself in the mirror.  She cracks me up and amazes me more every day!

Well, I'd better get the dishes done and the house put to rights before the day takes over and passes me by.  Dear TJ did my porter work this morning because he had to leave early, so I had more time than usual to write and catch up a bit.  I'll save my soapboxes for next time!