conversations with dolly

Last evening I went outside to clean up my truck and get the car seat, Scot and I are switching vehicles today. When I came back in the house they (Scot and Dolly) were in the bathroom.

Me: what's going on in here?

Dolly: I did a big poop and poppy is wiping my butt

Me: that's a good girl dolly!

Just a few minutes later she comes running to me

Dolly: nanny I think I have a little bit of poop in my underwear, just a little bit, are you still happy with me?

Me: well let's go see, maybe poppy didn't wipe it good enough

He didn't

Me: that poppy needs a little more practice

Dolly: maybe when poppy grows up to be an old lady like you he can do it better.................

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that is why she is so precious to me

One evening we were getting ready to go out to eat dinner. Dolly LOVES to go to restaurants! She didn't have a nap that day and I knew she was tired so I only hoped that she wouldn't get cranky, or worse, fall asleep when it was time to go. She was lying on my bed watching me get ready. I was fixing my hair and putting on some make up. I turned to look at her and asked, are you getting sleepy? She nodded her head yes and I said, no, you can't get sleepy now we have to leave soon. She grinned a big sweet grin at me and said I love you Nanny. I smiled and said I love you too Dolly. I turned to finish and then 2 minutes later I turned again and she was curled up fast asleep. And that is why she is so precious to me.

conversations with Dolly

This morning we were on our way (very early) to deliver brownies to the church for a lunch at the college. As we were driving in town we had this conversation

Dolly: where are we going Nanny?

Me: to the church to take these brownies

Dolly: can I go in the big church with you?

Me: we are not going in the big church, we are going to the church office

Dolly: Oh, will God and Jesus be there?

Me: No they won't be

Dolly: where are they?

Me: they are way up in the sky, in heaven

Dolly: do they have a little tiny church up there?

Me: Oh no! they have a big,big,big beautiful church in heaven

Dolly: Oh, can we go there too?

Me: yes we can, some day

conversations with dolly

We were eating dinner and Dolly had her fill, so she starts "fooling around" which is what she always does.

Poppy: you need to get down if you are done or sit down if you are going to eat

Dolly continues to "fool around"

Poppy: do I need to spank you Dolly?

Dolly: yeah!

Poppy: you want me to spank you?

Dolly: yes I do

Poppy: I am going to spank you if you don't stop

Dolly: ok, come let's go

she is getting out of the chair now

Dolly: come on Poppy, lets go

She is off running to her room

Poppy is slowly in persuit

Poppy: where is that little girl?

Dolly: I am under the bed --- look in the closet

conversations with dolly

Dolly has an addiction to tic-tacs. It's what she always ask for as soon as we get into any vehicle, she has to have a tic-tac.

Dolly: can I have another tic tac nanny?
Me: no you have had enough already
Dolly: I better not eat to many or I might get a tummy ache and shoot bubbles out of my little hiney butt in the bath tub, and we don't want that to happen do we nanny?
Me:laughing, laughing, laughing, you are really something else Dolly
Dolly: yes I am nanny

shaving in the pick up line at school

Most days I pick Mack up after school. Normally I park and walk to the school and hang around with all the other parents waiting for the bell to ring. However, since winter has come (and boy has it come this year) I just get in the pick up line. If Dolly is with me we have "interesting" conversations. If she is home napping with Daddy in charge I sit and people watch. It's fun and interesting.

There are women who walk up the road with a cell phone attached to their ear and on the way back down the road the cell phone is still attached to their ear. The child is patiently waiting and looking up at her waiting to tell her all about her day at school, but she keeps on talking. Parents come with their coats zipped up to their chins, hats and gloves, hunching their shoulders because they are cold. On the way back down the road with their child the parent is still hunched from the cold and the childs coat is unzipped flapping in the breeze as they are smiling and chatting away. One man periodically "drags" a little boy because he gets limp as a noodle as soon as he has to hold hands. The kid just hangs there, knees dragging on the ground face looking at the street. The man stands there for quite some time not sure what to do. Guess he doesn't want to really drag him and guess he doesn't really want to spank him in public. Eventually the kid stands errect and not very willingly trods off all downcast and sad because he has to hold hands. Other parents are smiling and holding hands with their children, chatting happily about the days events. Same parents and kids, same scenerio nearly every day. It's funny.

Today while I was in line, alone, passing the time, people watching, the guy in front of me was sitting in his truck SHAVING. No kidding! I actually saw him dip his razor in what I presume was a glass of water. He was talking on his cell phone with one hand and shaving with the other. Maybe he has a hot date after school? But that tops the most interesting thing I have ever seen while sitting in the pick up line at school..............

angels wings and hurdles

Life can, and will throw you all kinds of stuff. Good stuff, fun stuff, sad stuff, bad stuff. Stuff, consumes our life every minute of every day. What happens to all that stuff? Sometimes it piles up. It becomes a big mountain of stuff! What can we do with all that stuff? We can get a shovel and start digging our way out. But where to begin? If we start at the bottom of the mountain all the "stuff" comes crashing down on us. If we start at the top we see no way to the bottom.

I rather picture a field of green beautiful grass, and trees gently blowing in the breeze. Colorful fragrant flowers dotting the landscape. Butterflies fluttering about and even honey bees gathering pollen to make honey. Birds singing there songs from the trees. Before me I see hurdles. They are not hurdles that are to high to get over, reasonable height, reasonable lengths apart from each other. The course awaits me and there is no one with a starters pistol pointing at the air saying, on your mark, get set, go! It's not a race to compete with others. It's my own personal race in life. I can go at my own speed. Faster on this stretch, slower on this one. I can't see the end of the race. I have no idea what lies over that hill, or that turn. I just know that I have to get on my best running shoes and begin. I need to get down on one knee (or maybe both) and say a prayer to my almighty saviour to guide me, lift me up, and help me along the way.

With a sigh and a deep breathe I can begin now. As I approach the hurdle the adrenaline starts, my heart pounds, my brows sweat. I can't close my eyes for I might fall over the hurdle and be flat on my face. So I look UP for strength and help. And then it happens! By the grace of God I sprout angels wings and before I know it my feet aren't touching the ground and over the hurdle I go. Landing safely on the other side of the hurdle my feet are firmly planted on the ground, I am over the obsticle that was "stuck" in my way. Fully intact, and no worse for the worry. My heart is relieved and I throw my fist up in the air and leap with a resounding YES! I can do this.

There are losts of hurdles before me, lots to get over. I can't even glimse where the finish line is, but while I am running this race, at least I can take time to see beauty around me. I can stop to smell the flowers along the way and see the butterflies fluttering about in their care free way. I can dodge those honey bees while they gather pollen but still enjoy there busy work. I can listen to the birds singing their songs if I am quiet enough. I can smile and be glad, because I know when that next hurdles comes I can, and will get over it. And I will give thanks to the One who helps me, and enables me to sprout angel wings.