KC Visit with little Ruthie

Update: I’m writing this from our waiting room/hostel/bed situation at the hospital….and now from home. Annie can’t say that I’m not determined to get this published.

A little mish-mash of the past few months, because I’m awesome at keeping up on the day to day. Right now we’re all just surviving, with a little help from guardian angels…because by golly mama is still gonna take her nap every day even if the kids are awake in the other room. “Yes! Play on the fireplace! I’m napping.” And then enters their guardian angel who has taken care of them thus far. Hopefully they’ll stick around for the next few months.

We had our nasty 70s bathroom redone. Normally I like vintage, but not this grimy vintage. And apparently vintage doesn’t like us either because the money we stashed away for the entire project pretty much went straight to our 70s plumbing problems. It was bad enough that we had to stay in a hotel for a few nights….and if you’ve ever stayed in a hotel with toddlers you know what kind of special hell that is. At least there’s no fireplaces I guess.

The girls had fun though.

And we all jumped on Ryan when he finally came back from work. 5 o’clock could not come fast enough.

On the first day in the room, it was a last minute, throw any clean clothes into the bag and find a room stat kind of day. The plumbing stressed me out, it was starting to get hot outside, and neither of the girls napped in their bed. Ryan met us at a restaurant for dinner, Annie almost choked to death on some tortilla chips, and then Ryan had to leave to go pay the plumber. I’d left my purse in the car, so couldn’t leave the restaurant and both the girls were on the verge of dumping every bowl of salsa on the floor because they felt the power shift in their control. At one point I caught the eye of the waitress who came over and asked if everything was okay. I just nodded with tears in my eyes and suppressed the question “Could you turn up the flipping air at least?” And right when I was seriously debating on running away, the door opened and in walked Ryan. It was literally seconds before I was on a plane to the Bahamas…must’ve been those angels at work.

I let myself sulk that day and then sucked it up the other days…. fighting fatigue and doing lots of activities. What I eventually found out is that the more I do, the less irritable I am…until noon. And then I crash. But then most times, so do the girls…or at least Annie, which is enough for me.

To avoid more hotel time, we went up to my parents house in KC the week before Easter.

Ruthie and I went to our first movie together and she cried as I buckled her in, saying “I want Grandma to come.” Thanks.

So I bought her love with M&Ms and she perked up. We later had lunch and people smiled and awwwed at her in her dress-up heels. I love hanging out with this girl. I honestly feel like she’s my girlfriend and she’s only 3. Things can only get better from here. [update six months later. She’s still cool only I think she’s smarter than me. And I’m pretty sure she knows it.]

We also met up with my aunt, uncle, and cousin for Taco Tuesday. As we were sitting there, an entire fireman crew sat down behind us. This of course led to reminiscing about tailgating on top of a fire truck at one of my college’s football games.

Annie was shocked at some of the stories, and I’m pretty sure was judging me right this second. Settle down Annie, I was 19.

These two. Katie & Kaylee. They’re pretty much the sweetest. Katie needs to please show up next time with a pimple or something. While the rest of us were suntanning ourselves to death, this girl was actually wearing sunscreen and/or a hat to protect her light skin. And now she’ll look the same age for the next 50 years. Whatever.

Ruth acts weird around Kaylee. I think it’s a control thing, a center of attention thing, a i’ve-met-my-match thing, because she ended up in my arms for half the meal.

Annie. Still judging.

The weather in KC was just turning warm enough where the girls could take off their shirts and run around like the Arkansas hillbillies they are. Annie played in my mom’s pre-flower bed for hours while Ruthie rode bikes and scooters and rolled down the hill. Mom and I plopped down into a couple of chairs and soaked in the sun.

Later that week, we took the girls to see Cat in the Hat. The Coterie theatre is absolutely the best. Every show I’ve seen, I would’ve seen without kids…that’s how good they are. Ruthie has become a theatre lover, which thrills me to no end. I foresee many a musical with this girl.

Mom took us out to eat afterwards. I look at these pictures from 2.5 months ago and know I was tired. But all I can say is, Dang girl…you have no idea what you’re in for in the next couple months. ENJOY your current waistline, your ability to get up without having to roll off the couch, your still visible jaw line, and your controllable hunger. Ah well, we each have our own stresses on our own timeline and apparently I like to complain through all of it.

After we got home, their cousins came over to spend the night. Their cousins! They talk about their cousins every week at least. So when Annie saw them, she immediately laid on the ground and asked them to tickle her. She literally laid there for five minutes and waited for someone, anyone of her cousins to tickle her. I’m assuming someone did because she’s in her bed right now…otherwise I think she’d still be laying there.

Happiness. They had a pre-easter egg hunt in the basement…several times. The big kids are so patient with them.

Easter egg hunt followed by fort building? They’re setting a standard I can’t keep up with.

After the fort collapsed, I made them all watch my favorite scene from 7 Brides for 7 Brothers. It was a lesson in not rolling their eyes. But they did critique the obviously painted backdrop, which I can’t fault them for, but I still defended as if my life depended on it.

The Thursday before Easter we drove down to Wichita to spend the holiday with Ryan’s parents. It’s hard to remember now the little details (all the more reason I need to update this blog right when it happens.) All I know is as soon as we sit down, it reminds me why I need leather couches with small children.

Annie looks small here as I sit here listening to her argue with her sister over playdoh.

What I do remember is the weather. It was GORGEOUS. We tried to spend all day outside.

I took the patented belly shot. I was almost 7.75 months and felt decent. It took me 45 minutes to tug those boots on over the calves that’d been growing to support that beast of a belly. I would’ve just worn them the rest of the weekend if Ryan hadn’t pulled them off before bed.

We planted jelly beans to grow into lollipops.

And the next morning the Easter Bunny had come. This year the bunny had hit up some serious Crayola marker sales because the girls got stacked. [Update 6 months later, the markers are now on the top shelf in the back bedroom. Repeating “Pick up these dang markers and put the lids on them” got old and now we’re back in crayon heaven. My mom will be happy. She hates markers.

Okay, back to Easter. We had a hurried morning before going to church. I didn’t get many photos, but probably didn’t feel like taking any anyway. Things are turning around in that department. These girls WILL have memories, I’m determined.

Some other random tidbits before baby came:

Hiking Crystal Bridges, one of our favorite things to do.

My view from the toilet. It’s changed only slightly in that our bathroom has been redone. Annie peering around the corner has not changed.

Annie reenacting Anna knocking on Elsa’s door and singing Do You Wanna Build a Snowman.

Coloring Easter Eggs with Grandma:

Ruth’s family portrait. I need to work on being nicer.

We always end up dancing in the living room. Most times to the Nutcracker, other times to Les Mis.

Introducing the girls to cleaning the car(s).

Ruth started dance lessons over the summer. It was basically a one-on-one class because the rest of the kids were running around, laying on the ground, crying etc. I have completely unbiased witnesses about her teachability: her grandparents. Each one of them saw her and saw her talent.