The past few days have been a whirlwind. Especially for the little girl 🙂 I had a bachelorette party at the lake for one of my best friends, so Mrs. Maddox met me in Montgomery to take Pace to Dothan for the weekend. She stayed with Papa and Moogie for a couple days and then Bebe and Papa for a couple of days after that. Little Pace didn’t make it back to her Mama until late Monday night. I am not really sure what all they do with her down there, but I do know that they wear her out good for me!
No matter how much I was looking forward to my “vacation,” there was still something horribly painful about watching Mrs. Maddox’s car pull away and seeing Pace’s confused little face staring at me from the back seat. “Something’s different Mommy?” she seemed to convey to me as she was whisked out of my sight. I didn’t cry this time, but my heart was oh so heavy. I had an excellent time with my friends, and felt completely comfortable knowing that she was having a blast in the hands of people who cherish her and her exuberant company, but I couldn’t help missing my little buddy. She is such a constant in my life, that it was similar to what it would feel like to spend the weekend without your left arm. Maybe it doesn’t DO all that much for you, and it may even get in the way a bit if your trying to take a nap and can’t find a comfortable place to put it. However, you certainly don’t feel right without it, and it sure is a comfort to know it’s there when you need it 🙂
I, of course, was very ready by Tuesday morning for our emotion filled reunion. I crept into the dining room where she was hanging out with her Papa; I smiled my biggest smile, crouched on the floor and called out her name. She looked at me, started to smile but covered it up as best she could, and then she turned on her heel and headed for the kitchen. Uggh! Talk about knocking the wind out of your sails. I was at least prepared for it a bit, because she acted the same way when we picked her up after being in NY. It’s like she needs to punish me for a little while. It’s like she needs me to know that she’s been living just fine without me and now having me BACK is a little strange.
SO, what did I do??? I waved goodbye to my parents and then took Pace to the Zoo. I did invite my Dad to come along with us in the end, but I was going to show her what a good time she can have if Mommy is around. We left the Zoo and she was so tired that she passed out before we pulled out of the parking lot. Then we spent the afternoon going out to lunch and playing in the yard. This morning I had a doctor’s appointment (which went GREAT by the way and I got to hear our new little bundle’s heartbeat again!) so she went out to breakfast with her Daddy. Then, I took her to Mother Goose story/play/puppet time at the library. Needless to say, this is what I have driven her to by trying to win back her affection…she can’t even stay awake long enough to eat lunch. Well, she has been super affectionate since yesterday afternoon, and I have gotten lots of hugs, kisses, and hold tu’s. So, I may have worn us both out, but at least I’ve got her back 🙂
If that was going to happen, Jeremiah and I had some nurturing to do to make our backyard a fun place to be. Moogie and Papa gave Pace a sand-box, a mini-table with a striped umbrella, and a playhouse. We have created a magnificent play area, where we’ve hosted some sweet tea parties over the past month. One day, we had a special treat, because Aunt Kiki made some cupcakes especially for Pace. She learned how to make them from Paula Dean, and she surpassed even Paula’s great talents in my opinion. So, we invited our neighbor friends (Caroline, Natalie, Noah, and their Mommies) over one sunny afternoon for a special tea party.
Lauren brought the tea, and I set up my blue and white china at the grown-up table. Then, we placed all the little guys around Pace’s table and passed out the multi-colored, hand-decorated cupcakes (Pace’s even had her name written on the top). We THOUGHT that we, the Mommies, would sneak back to our quaintly set table to enjoy a quiet cup of tea and cake while listening to the water trickle down our beloved mountain stream (that we built :)). It didn’t take very long to see that sandy hands, cupcakes, and cute outfits don’t mix very well. Everybody was stripped down to their skivvies, and the baby tea party moved from the canopied baby table, to the water hose for a rinse down, to the mud puddle that the water hose created. Needless to say, our tea got a bit cold, and by the time they were happily playing in the mud, they noticed we were eating more cupcakes and chants of “Bite?!” “Bite?!” began to be heard at each knee. So, our quiet little tea party wasn’t quite as quiet as it was on the days when we gave the little ones a Ziploc filled with goldfish and sat them in the sand box, but it was a lot more memorable. This day was too cute to use only one picture, so I am breaking my own rule and adding some extras. As you can see, I am sure all of our little guys would join me in a big fat, “Thanks Aunt Kiki!”
We had the best BBQ that has ever been “smoked up” that night. Brett, who has become a master of the grill since he received an “Egg” for his birthday, made ribs that were so tender that the bones literally slid out of them. Those ribs accompanied by baked beans made with tangy sausage, sweet corn on the cob, potatoe casserole oozing with melted cheddar and bacon crumbles, and coleslaw made with mandarin oranges and pineapple tidbits (vinaigrette-base instead of mayo of course–because I despise mayo) rounded out a finger-licking good meal. We stuffed ourselves beyond recognition by adding to this feast a sand-tart crusted parfait with whipping cream an index finger thick adorning the top, and an Olexa’s chocolate layered cake topped with a chocolate ganache. Don’t you wish you’d been there??? Ashley does not play around when she is planning a birthday meal 🙂
Sunday was the end of our magical weekend, and we spent it on a glorious morning ride–moving at a brisk pace by ponds, budding dogwoods, and across mountain peaks. When we got back, Pace loved on our horses…”Kiss!” she cried as she nuzzled Pistasalie’s nose. Jeremiah rode around with her, and got up to a pretty fast trot. She cried when we took her down, assuming she had had enough. It looks like Pace may be beginning a long love of, “Horsies! Horsies! NEIGH!”
Well, what I intended to be only a couple of sentences turned into a mini-blog after all. I am so thankful for a family who is willing to make the effort of loading, transporting, boarding, and making a 3 1/2 hour trip just to provide a fun outing and spend time with us! I am also thankful for a mother-in-law who is willing to spend her birthday weekend sleeping in a horse trailer and taking care of our baby because that was what it took to make the weekend run smoothly! What a blessing that weekend was.