Do you ever read through your posts and then erase everything you wrote? I just did that. It seems that my childhood dream of being the next Jo March or Anne Shirley, celebrated authoress, is not much of a reality. Let's get to the pictures before the writing disappears again.
In February, it snowed. A fair amount, actually. And it was cold.
In February, Morgan, Grandma and I took a trip to AZ. Grandma is the best toy Morgan could have asked for.
I'm afraid this trip was a little more eventful than the last one with Grandma. On our return flight, Grandma went through security with just the wheelchair guy, because she didn't want to wait as I said my goodbyes. When I met up with her at the gate, she needed to go to the bathroom. So I draped all the bags over me, carried Morgan with one arm, and pushed the wheelchair with the other. I was a little fatigued at the end of that process. Then we got ready to board, and discovered that Grandma couldn't find her boarding pass. Thankfully, we finally found her license and they accepted that instead. She is on the plane when I realize that she is missing her carry on. With medications in it. The people at the gate are completely helpless, so I had to run back to security, grab the bag from the 3 idle security guys who couldn't possibly have brought it to me, and then run back to make sure that my child was still alive. LAST time I EVER let her go through security alone with just a wheelchair attendant who could care less about her bags - or boarding pass. The actual vacation part was very nice, though. And warm.
Morgan managed to charm money out of my parents.
And was well fed, as you can tell by her chocolatey mouth. She loves going to Grandma's.
She loves her "Baba," as she calls Grandpa. We tried to go to the Phoenix Zoo one Saturday afternoon, but were disgusted to find out it closed at 5:00. Who does that? Not willing to pay a ridiculous amount of money for 2 hours when Morgan was thrilled just to see the ducks at the entrance, we found a park nearby. And as it happened, it not only had a marvelous duck pond, it had a kiddie amusement park.
It was so warm that Morgan and I were roasting in our long-sleeved shirts.
I never thought Morgan would make it through this ride on her own, but she actually loved it! She turned the steering wheel, and would wave to us when she passed. I was practically tearing up with pride as my offspring exhibited independence and bravery. Not to mention intelligence, as she knew just what a steering wheel was for. And then I slunk away, cocky pride deflated, when round two was met with anxiety, screaming, and attempts to climb out. She also tolerated the carousel and the train ride. Next year might go a little better. Did I mention that it was warm?
Morgan was excited to be home where everything is familiar and child sized, although she has been pining for her grandparents. She has tried (and succeeded, might I add) to call Baba numerous times. I have been missing the warmth and the company, although not my mom's eagerness to feed me. I must have gained 5 lbs in less than a week. I also miss the bike riding. My dad is an avid cyclist, and over Christmas finally got me on a bike. And this girl, who pretty much hates anything to do with exercise, enjoyed it! I really wish we lived in a climate that was more conducive to biking year round - maybe then I wouldn't be such a sloth.
The main reason we went to AZ was to take Grandma away for a while. Erik's uncle Randy was very sick, and it was too much for all the aunts to help the Noorlanders and Grandma too. Randy passed away on Valentines Day, right before we flew back. He was such a dear friend and uncle to us, and one of the best men I've ever known. He had struggled with bone cancer for over a year, with amazing courage and optimism, and finally made the hardest decision when treatment wasn't helping. We will all miss him so much. His passing has really emphasized for me the importance of living fully in the time you have, without regrets, because you never know when you might be called home. He certainly excelled at that. I've also been so grateful that this life is not the end; that even though we grieve for the time we are apart, we will see him again and be reunited as families.
It's been a sad month for us, but Morgan has helped cheer everyone up. She has really taken to the piano (and it's not because she sees me doing it - as soon as I try to play, she tugs on me, screams for attention, or wants to play herself). I've been helping her to play little songs, and now she's playing with fingers instead of fists. She has this little routine, where she goes to the bookcase to select a piece of music, and then "asks" for help up, and then plays and turns the pages. She really looks like she knows what she's doing, which is kind of a riot. Let's hope she always remains this interested.
And that was February. Let's hope that March holds less sorrow and a little more spring.
