Too Much Drama

     No matter where I go there's drama.  I don't plan it, I don't want it, I don't even like drama, but there it is....staring me in the face...snickering....waiting.

          I went shopping with my daughter in law the other day and we were having a really good time.  I wanted to check out a baby items consignment shop, so that's where the fun started.  We asked the lady in charge if there were any other consignment shops that sold baby items around town.  You would have thought we asked her to eat fresh roadkill.   Her face puckered up and she got this look that said she smelled something nasty, and she said, "The other place just accepts...."donations."  She said the word "donations" like it didn't taste good.  She informed us that they paid for their stuff, but the other place just took...."donations."  However, she reluctantly gave us the directions and made me feel like I needed to go stand in the corner some where.
     We really didn't realize there was a consignment shop class system.  So, we left the top of the consignment shop hierarchy to go to the lower class, peasant consignment shop. 
     When we arrived, we saw a really cute book shelf that would be so pretty in the new nursery, so we went in and checked it out.  Sixty dollars!  Really?  In the peasant shop?  We didn't stay long.  We asked directions for the servant consignment shop. 
     As we were leaving, I heard somewhere in the parking lot, a small, little yapping sound.  Uh oh.  Here comes the drama. 
     It was ninety seven degrees outside and we heard the sound of a little puppy coming from inside a parked car.  NINETY SEVEN degrees people!!  We drove around to see if we could find it, hoping that it would be in a vehicle with the windows down, but noooo, that would be way too easy. 
     There it was, in a car with the windows up to about 1/2 inch, it had on a little doggie sweater, it's leash was hung on something, and it was crying.  It was licking the window and licking a bottle that was in the cup holder. 
     You can call me a redneck, or you can call me a hotheaded red head, but I was furious!!!  We asked a young lady if it was her car, she said no but that she would go back in the store and ask.  No luck.  So, my sweet, little, soft spoken daughter in law went in to ask around, while I stood guard outside.  She asked an older lady if it was hers, and the lady was quite taken aback.  She said she would never do such a thing, but that Della should yell it out in the store. HA!  Well, of course, Della was too conservative for this, so the older lady took it upon herself to yell through the store for the owners and when they were located, the yelling didn't stop.  She yelled to them that if they didn't go RIGHT NOW and take care of that puppy that she was going to call the police.
     So, as they left their overloaded cart of peasant consignment shop goodies, I saw them begin to say something to my daughter in law.
    Number 1...don't leave a puppy in a hot parked car with the windows up.
    Number 2...don't ever, and I mean EVER, talk bad to my daughters in law.
    Number 3...always take heed of a mad, redheaded woman standing by your car, patting her foot, with her phone poised to dial 911.
     Well, after we said our words, and I used the word "stupid" several times, they got the message, got in their car and left. 
     After my blood pressure came back down to normal and my daughter in law quit shaking with fury, we headed out for the servant consignment shop and began to giggle about our little confrontation.  
     I don't recommend parking lot confrontations, and the right course of action would have been to call the police, but I did, and I didn't.  My bad.
     See what I mean....drama. 

Lovin' those Grandkids

     I'm not sure how it happened.   I was blindsided.  The first time I looked at my little granddaughter, I was smitten.
     When I became pregnant with my second son, I would sit and wonder how in the world I would be able to love him as much as I loved my first son.  I don't know about you all, but it was a real concern for me.  Maybe I'm just a little neurotic, but I just didn't see how that was possible, and how would I go through the rest of my life keeping the little secret of "mommy loves you better than the other one."
No one gave me a heads up on the whole kid thing.  And what if I loved the second one more than the first?? It was all so confusing.  It was like I had this bucket of love and I had to use some of it for one child, then use up some more for the other one, and then heaven help me when I became pregnant with the third one!  The bucket would be dry! 
     I remember the day that I was going home from the hospital and I was loving my second baby so much that I was having the whole love conversation in my head.  I walked to the window and saw my husband holding Josh's hand as they walked through the parking lot to come pick up mommy and baby brother.  As I stood there, I was overwhelmed with love....love for son #1, love for son #2, and love for my sweet husband, and  I realized I needed to forget the whole bucket thing.  It wasn't a bucket, it was a waterfall!
     And I'm here to tell ya that when the grandbabies start coming, that waterfall just keeps pouring.  I think grandbabies are God's way of letting us parents have a second chance.  All the times I said, "wait a minute, mommy's busy" or "I don't have time right now" is now replaced with setting everything aside to just get a flash of a smile....a hug with little dimpled arms....a bouquet of weeds...a candy covered kiss...and yes, even a chance to change a diaper.
     I get phone calls from my older grandkids about what they want for their birthday, what they did at school, and how well they ride their bikes.  Now, I'm looking forward to conversations with Princess Marilyn (yes, she's a princess and I'm her loyal subject), I'm looking forward to colored pictures to hang on my refrigerator, and I'm looking forward to seeing her manipulate her Poppy into wearing funny hats and having tea parties.
     We parents are so busy in raising our kids that sometimes we miss the special moments, so God gives us grandchildren to love, to give our undivided attention, and to spoil so rotten their parents can't stand them. 
    

     So, I'm just gonna enjoy every minute possible, quit worrying about how much love there is to go around, get as many hugs and kisses as I can, and spoil my grandkids as much as possible.         

Laughter at Aunt Joy's House

I'm writing my first blog!  I feel so...so...technical! 

Riley in the desert

  Well, last week was full of cleaning, cooking and family.  We had a three year old in our home for several days and boy, does that make things interesting!  He wanted to know why I was cooking, why I had dogs, why I had stripes on my shirt.  He was "spiderman" so I was tied up with imaginary spider webs all week.  We went down to our pond and played in the desert (the dirt around the pond)
  And no matter what I cooked, he always ended up with mac and cheese.
  How I loved hearing the big voice.  You know the one.  When he's a seargant and sees the enemy, his voice gets deeper, his steps get bigger and he walks around giving orders.  
And of course, there's the ever present cape (only it wasn't a cape, it was a fake beard that he tied around his neck with the beard hanging down his back).  That cape holds special powers that only kids know about.
  I pulled toys out of the closet that I haven't seen in twenty years!  They're universal.  They work for any kid in any time zone.  They worked for my boys, and now two generations later, they still hold the fascination.  (and by the way, I watched Toy Story 3 and now have a surreal attachment to them)
 So,(despite the feeling that the toys get out and play at night while no one's watching), I love watching how games, imaginations, and pretend voices are still the same in my house, even after all these years and that little boys still have fun and make memories at Aunt Joy's house.

Psalms 9:2  I will be glad and rejoice in thee; I will sing praise to thy name, O thou Most High.