Mariah's Birthday #1

This was the best night
nothing special
just a dinner out
but very special
all of us together
remembering that my mom said
"well, you're in a helluva mess now!"
when we told her Mariah was going to be born.
(I was 25 and married , for Heaven's sake.
I guess she had  been practicing for that occasion since my teen years)
We played our game where we all say what we love best about each other.
Mariah said that she loved her daddy because he always treated her like a princess
so now she would never take any meanness
from any man.
She said whenever she tried to decide what to do in a situation,
she asked herself
"what would mama do?"
because I always told her
you never regret doing the kind thing.
(okay, please excuse my bragging a bit here....
this is the kid who,
when asked to write in her yearbook what advice her mother gave her
 that she would always remember,wrote
"Never go in a 24 hour bar!")
Mariah is unswerving loyalty
dotted i's and crossed t's
in a pink fluffy sweater.
She is kittens
and bunnies
and motorcycles.
She gets things done
and looks good doing it.
She takes care of us all.
And Caitlin
is sunshine
silliness
sweetness
giggles
and gumption.
Our family is raucous
noisy
messy
always on the verge of ...
close to the edge
but saved in the nick of time
by love.
(and luck)

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Spring Break Story

Well, the city of Mobile pretty much emptied out this week.
School was out and it was beach time.

No matter that it was 40 degrees, away we went.

My friend Paula , the most courageous woman I know, who threw a secure life in Atlanta to the winds to make a nest by the bay in Florida, has been having hard financial times.Starting a new job with a dead car is not easy.
So we were able to roll up with four good wheels, good will and groceries in the nick of time.
Paula, Stephanie, Dana , Stacey and me...we are each other's bankers, psychologists, mixologists, strong backs and loving arms , as needed....So the tribe gathered....
Mariah was horrified at the idea of working while Caitlin and I were off, so she came too.
 My niece Holley appeared at just the right time and hopped on board.
I t was so relaxing..
.long talks....long walks....enjoying the kids as grown up friends now.
I loved the fact that our kids all stayed with us and didn't do the drunken condo scene...we are the fun moms! I love getting to know people I loved as children as adults.
If you enjoy your kids while they are little, you won't have to wonder where they are when they are older.and I know that it's never too late to have a happy childhood...even if you're riding on the coat tails of the one you made for someone else.

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Penny's Memorial

Mariah brought her to us.

The woman she belonged to

bought her for breeding purposes .

She drove all the way from CO to AL

 with the 6 week old puppy

shut up in a garbage can.

Mariah stole her out of the car at a rest stop.

She met me at the door with her.

"oh, no", I said, "we have too many animals."

"okay", said Mariah,

"hold her a minute and I'll find her a home"

I picked her up,

all blonde and frightened

 and big as my hand.

"Put the phone down"I said.

and she was ours.

or we were hers.

She was so scared at first.

She bit everyone who got near her.

A blanket thrown on the floor

 would send her into hysterical barking.

But Tom took her everywhere he went,

carried her in his jacket

and she learned

to be petted

to wag her nub of a tail

to love us all

but to worship Tom

as the center of her universe.

She made every step he made.

When he had to leave her,

she perched on the back of the couch

listening for his steps.

She still bit him when he tried to groom her

or put medicine in her ears

or get her out of the car.

She was always her own dog

never did tricks

wouldnt' come to anyone but Tom

but she did love a party

never sat on the floor

always in a lap

slept next to Tom

and put her paw on him possessively

when I tried to wake him up.

when we knew the time had come

to say goodbye

Tom wouldn't let the vet tech take her

and she bit him one last time

when the needle went in

but she forgave him

and licked his hand

looked into his eyes

and left us.

She went everywhere with Tom

and he went with her as far as he could.

Caitlinism II

We are talking about

 telling the future

 with chicken entrails

 (I dont' know why,

 it has something to do with a Sublime song)

Me: They do that in Haiti.

Caitlin: Where Satan lives?

Me: Satan lives in Haiti?

Caitlin: yeah

Me: (after a pause for thought)

Hades!

Caitlinism

Caitlin to Mariah

 as she lets her hair down

 and shakes it:

Oooh , you look like Patricia!

All: Who's Patricia?

Caitlin: you know,

 the chick in Greek mythology

with the snakes in her head!

Teaching Caitlin to Drive

Penny

oh my baby is gone. I am so sad. Later I will write a tribute, all I have now is an empty spot right next to my calf where she slept so I can't go to bed...I was prepared but it is worse than I thought it would be.