I've tried to focus this blog on fun things our family does, and the great things my girls do that I like to brag about. I mean, really, if you're reading my blog, you're not the audience to whom I need to be modest about them. My girls are the best, and that's all there is! I do know three pretty nice girls who come quite close, though, in my nieces, and lately I've gotten to spend a lot of time with them. I'm pretty lucky and I've been enjoying it, although it hasn't come about in the nicest of ways. This isn't really my news to share, but things are not going well between my sister and her husband, and lately my house has been a refuge for her and her girls, off and on. Emily has absolutely loved all the "cousin" days, and they've had a great time here together. I just wish it was that way for everyone when they leave, too, since I know things are stressful at home for them. It's such a rude awakening, thinking about Travis's brother still in jail, and my other brother-in-law still being so awful to my sister. When it's just my little family at home, it's as though the world is a perfect place, and it doesn't take much looking around to realize situations that are just unfair and unfixable by any amount of me hoping, or even offering to help.
A funny story along those lines, though. First thing Tuesday morning, I was sitting at my desk trying to get my brain in work gear and out of my worry-about-home gear, and my boss came into my team's area and announced that he was certain that his day was worse than any of ours had been to that point. I realize that I have no poker face, of course, so when I turned around and looked up at him (he's like 6'5", 350 lbs, so yes, looked "up"!), I saw a look flash across his face that was undoubtedly, "Yikes! Perhaps I'm wrong..." He decided to tell us his story anyway, about how the contract employee that had been told by the hiring company that he hadn't gotten the job in our group after all (most likely due to failed drug test, but we can't know for certain) had decided to show up for what was supposed to be his first day of work, and was sitting in the lobby waiting to begin work. Oops! It wasn't my boss's problem, more for HR to deal with, but still, kind of a funny story. Really, in this economy, if you get a job with John Deere, are you stupid enough to fail a drug test?? But, I guess, there's that Real Life butting in on me again, and I know that it probably isn't about stupid. It was hard to hear my other team members talk about what a loser decision he made... and I really had some empathy for him because maybe he isn't stupid, and he's just in over his head with a problem he can't figure out. And I just hope that this will be hitting bottom for him and he can figure things out. Okay, that's a lot of judgement, considering I only met the guy once!!
I've also discovered that when talking about Real Life, people chime in with all kinds of their own things, and they're pretty hefty. I figure 95% of my interactions with other people are purely superficial, and that number would be higher if I weren't talking through heavy things with my sister. But, it doesn't take much allusion to knowing someone with a drug problem before other people chime in with cousins or ex-boyfriends of friends or whatever. It was ironic a couple of months ago when the conversation at work turned to siblings and siblings-in-law, and my boss volunteered a story about how he and his two similarly-sized brothers instructed their sister's abusive boyfriend to not ever contact her again, and how that seemed to do the trick, much to their amusement. I wanted to ask him if he might still be in that business, but didn't feel it was fair to make light of such heavy issues when they're still going on. I guess life just happens, and you laugh and love whenever you can. I'm lucky to be skirting by in my little naive, perfect cocoon.
Oh, and Audrey hasn't gone potty since the poop incident. Guess that scared her off for a while! Funny girl. She went on the floor before bath tonight, and then immediately sat down on the potty, so she knows. What a nice little thing she is! I still wonder when she's going to decide that it's easier to communicate using words instead of all her gesturing and pointing and howling. She has more words in her songs than she does in trying to talk: how-I-wonder, up-above, have-you-any wool, lullabye. In talking, she just says bye, yes, no, and I thought I heard her try "yogurt" the other day. I'm sure there are some other things I haven't picked up on yet... hmm, I suppose I should be helping her with that. :)
I'll also try to post a video of her singing golden slumbers with me. She and Emily sang it together for me the other day when I didn't have a camera, but it wasn't the kind of moment you kill by documenting. Instead, I have this fantastic memory in my head of their blue, blue eyes staring intently at me while singing the most lovely song, together. Ahh, they know just how to make me remember that all the cleaning up pee off the floor (A) and bloody noses in the night (E) and piles of food off the floor (both) is all worth it. All you need is love, love... love is all you need.
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