Vacation: Day 1

A mostly uneventful day, unless you count the power outages (2), the wild indian that is my oldest niece, and her whirling dervish of a sister.

I was awakened this morning by a wee voice saying "Wake up, Manna!" I woke up (I was already awake, since I'd been hearing the stirring of little bodies since earlier in the morning), and we started out right away reading books. It's good that they were just in Indiana for a visit a couple of weeks ago, because Olivia remembered me right away. We got up and at 'em at 7:00, and about 20 minutes later the transformer on the pole outside my brother's house popped and crackled and went out. A small tree limb had apparently fallen on the line. Georgia Power & Light was obviously in no hurry to get here, so we left the house and went to find breakfast at the local Cracker Barrel.

Side note: Those that know me (which, since my readership consists of 1, is everyone) know that I don't leave the house without showering, so don't fall over when I tell you that I did indeed venture out this morning after just washing my face and brushing my teeth. I put my greasy hair in a ponytail, covered it with a hat, put clean clothes on my dirty body, and went. It was so cute... when I brushed my teeth, Olivia was in the bathroom with me, and she said "Wia brush, too." It's obvious that she wants to do whatever the adults are doing, and she's so smart.

Anyway, we came home from Cracker Barrel to find that the lights were still out, but power was restored a short time later. We watched some TV, and the girls went down for much needed naps. Olivia is coming down with a cold -- her runny nose made it so hard for her to sleep lastnight or today, so she's not getting very good rest right now. Tonight she got some Benadryl, so we'll see how tomorrow goes.

Emilia got up from her nap as happy as a lark... her little bottom lip came out a bit when she was left alone with me for a while, but she did okay. Hey, she's only 8 months old and she doesn't know me as well as Olivia does. Olivia slept fitfully, so she and RC laid down on the couch in Emilia's room. Michelle, Emilia, and I were in the living room, when we heard a buzzing sound -- it really sounded like someone sawing something. Next thing I know, a tree branch at the house next door is on fire, then some sparks are falling from the power line, and then the transformer blows again! This time there was a very bright light... the branch was actually en flambe twice, and something blew up. RC, being the firefighter that he is, called 911, telling them there was an arcing power line (which it wasn't), and then he called GP&L again... in order to get them out more quickly, he told them the power line was down, and that it was arcing. I hope he doesn't get fined for that little white lie. It only took about 20 minutes for the power to come back on, but we're a little leery to go outside after all of that.

Olivia is so fun... 22 months is such a cute age. She's scary smart... she may not talk in complete sentences, but she understands so much, and communicates in long strings of real words. Nothing is garbled; the only word we couldn't immediately understand today was "ticka", which RC explained was obviously "sticker". Duh... I gave her the label off a banana today... thus, sticker. Michelle and I both felt pretty stupid. Olivia and I sat in the dining room after supper tonight and had a lengthy conversation... we smelled one of Michelle's nice candles that had been lit earlier today; we talked about dinner; we sang "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Row, Row, Row Your Boat", and "Twinkle, Twinkle"; she told me about her trip to Indiana and who she saw; and in general she just floored me. She's full of hugs and kisses and she wants nothing more than to sit in your lap and read book after book after book. I tell you, I don't know if I could be more enchanted and in love with my own child.

More tomorrow... I'm wiped out for today. I'm hoping to get outside to take some pictures tomorrow.

PS - We did get to see a turtle today. I don't know what kind it was, but it was crossing the front yard, so RC went and picked it up so Olivia could see it. "Hi, Mr. Turtle", she said, and then RC put him back where he found him. I pretty much melted.

Pool, cup, splash

Oh, my. It's been a while since I've posted. It's not that I've been too busy, just too lazy, I guess.

I talked to Olivia today while she was eating lunch; it seems like whenever Grandma's there, she wants to talk on the phone. She wanted to remind me that while she was visiting in Indiana last week, we went in the pool, with a cup, and we made a splash! It's everything she knows about time she's spent with me, or everything her little noggin can remember. I'm impressed... that was over a week ago, so I guess I made a little bit of an impression.

I'm off to visit the fam this weekend, and will be gone for a WHOLE week. Away from the bunnies, piggies, and cat; away from the house and the jungle... err, yard; away from that dreadful dungeon they call a cubicle at work. I'm excited to go away, me and my new camera, where I'm planning to take lots of pictures of just about everything. I'll try to upload to flickr and post, but internet access may be an issue, since RC doesn't have wifi! I may have to get him all hooked up while I'm there. I AM tech support in this family, you know.

The Girls, February edition

Every month my brother and sister-in-law publish pictures of the girls, Olivia and Emilia. You can usually tell what they've been up to for that month, and for those of us that are far away it's a way for us to see the family without actually seeing the family. Of course all it does for me is make me feel like I'm missing out on all the hugs and kisses and coos and gurgles.

Last month they went to Tybee Island for an afternoon. Living in Savannah, they've had decent weather all winter, so while it was a windy day, it wasn't unbearable. Here are just a couple of my favorite shots of Miss Olivia:







And not to be left out, here's baby Emilia cooking up some kind of devious plot to eventually steal the show from her sister:



I think she looks like she's got so much to say, and just can't get it out! I'm sure she will, eventually.

Olivia, 14 months

Olivia, 14 months
Originally uploaded by Little Miss Magic.

On my last trip to Savannah, Mom and I kidnapped Olivia for a few hours in the late afternoon (post-afternoon nap). We went to the fabric store, which was a staple of my childhood shopping trips -- O was interested in all of the pretty, shiny, see-through fabrics, and loved that she was actually allowed to touch things! We left there and went to World Market, where there weren't as many things to touch and feel. There were, however, clothing items on clearance... and so we decided to put her in a hat and scarf. She actually smiled *after* I snapped the picture; I'm always either too quick, or not quick enough.

After we finished shopping we decided to go eat pizza. I don't know if she knows what pizza is, but if you ask her if she wants some she nods her head vigorously. She did such a good job being out with just Grandma and Aunt Manda -- she was even out past her bedtime. She was just so friendly and outgoing to everyone she met... she's a sweet girl. Just like her aunt, right?

I survived Tybee Island

I got a sunburn. 30 years old, and you'd think I'd know how to apply sunscreen, yes?

NO.

It was the new-fangled spray sunscreen, and probably would have been fine if I weren't standing on a windy beach. I felt it land on my skin, but apparently it wasn't sticking. The good news is that where it did stick, the SPF15 worked! I have a nice red strip across the top of my right thigh (when I sat down, my shorts rode up, leaving a 2" wide strip exposed), a strip down my right shin, a WIDE strip down the back of my left leg, and my right shoulder and the top of my chest is crispy. CRISPY.

If it weren't for this stuff

and 650mg Tylenol, I don't think I could have made it through the rest of my vacation! Oh, yes, Internet. This happened on Day 1 of 7. I am a Midwesterner! We have no beaches here!