Rick's Daily Pic

Since Rick is still in Philly, I best post a daily picture for him.  Below is one of my favorites from the weekend.  It is Rick and Katie on the beach in New Jersey.

The next picture is the only one that has Katie with all three of her cousins, who are sisters.  It was windy and chilly that day so that is why Katie is dressed for winter on the beach.

The Incident

Katie and I arrived back home last night from a long weekend in Philadelphia.  Rick is there for two weeks, so we joined him for a few days.  I took pictures and we did quite a bit, but will share those later.  For now I will share how our weekend started.

Katie and I arrived Wednesday evening.  Rick picked us up from the Philly airport and we joined Rick at his hotel.  Rick and I were dead tired, but we watched a little TV in the living room--it was a two room suite--before we joined Katie in the two-bedded bedroom.  Katie was still awake, but in her bed.  We fell asleep only to be jarred out of our sleep by the ringing telephone at 12:45 am.  Rick answered and it was the front desk inquiring if we had a blonde-haired child staying with us.  Rick looked at the empty bed next to ours and answered, "Yes."  He was told the child was running around on the fifth floor, our floor.  We jumped out of bed; Rick grabbed his robe and headed out the door.  The night manager was down the hallway with Katie.

Katie was no longer in her pajamas, but was in day time clothes--shirt, pants, socks and shoes, which by the way all matched.  Rick was so angry at her that he plopped her in bed, spanked her and then walked out of the room.  He was so angry he could not even speak.  I proceeded to cry and when I went into the bathroom that is when I saw hair all over the bathroom floor.  Prior to going out, she cut her hair.  Rick spoke to the front desk to try to piece together her late night escapade.  Best we can figure is that after getting fully dressed in the dark, she went into the bathroom where she found Rick's beard-trimming scissors and proceeded with her haircut.  She then went into the living room and moved the desk chair over to the door; flipped the security latch; moved the chair out of the way, again all in the dark, and went out to explore the hotel.  The hotel is atrium styled, so each floor is open to the inside of the hotel.  The front desk discovered her because she was at the railing and calling out "Hello!"

When Rick found out Katie had cut her hair, he threatened to shave her head bald since this is the third time that she has cut her hair.  And this time, she slaughtered it, as you can see below.  She cut both sides, but a small portion of the middle in the back she left alone and only because she couldn't easily reach it.  Anyway,   I had no choice but to cut all of her hair up to her shoulders and her right side still looks awful.  If I was to truly even it out, I would have to cut it up to her ear lobes.  After I attempted to fix her hair, she told me, "It's just like yours Momma."  She liked her shorter hair until I told her she didn't look like a Disney Princess anymore--I know, I am a mean Momma.  However, she bounced back by telling me that her hair would grow.

Here is Katie with her new 'do.  This picture was taken at The Shore, which is the area north of Atlantic City, New Jersey or Brigatine Beach where my brother-in-law and sister-in-law have a second/beach home. 

To make sure Katie did not attempt another late night stroll, Rick bought wire tires and wire cutters from Lowe's and he would wire-tire the security latch each night.  We also put the scissors on the top shelf of the closet.  Katie knew she did a huge no-no and Friday morning the first thing she told Rick when she woke up was, "Daddy I didn't get out."

People tell us we will laugh at this some day, but I don't know.  After Rick and I calmed down, we thanked God that nothing happened to her.  She could have been grabbed; fallen over the railing or left the hotel since she knows how to operate an elevator. Also, Rick said for a split second after the front desk called, the thought that ran through his head was, "Isn't this not supposed to happen for another 12 years?  You know, the late night calls of  'Do you know where your daughter is?'"  This incident is by far the scariest and worse thing that Katie has ever done.  We won't forget it any time soon and Katie has been towing the line because she realizes she royally messed up.

Like I wrote, I will write more about our vacation to Philly, as well as our stay at The Shore and our visit to Atlantic City later.

Fancy Outdoor Games

Katie and I are outside--gotta love a home wireless network.  A few minutes ago she requested that I watch her trick.  She stands about 6' away from the tree that is in the center of our front yard.  She throws her ball at the tree; it rebounds off of the trunk and about takes her head off as it boomerangs back to her.  Then she laughs.  I asked her what her trick was called. She replied, "Throw Ball."  I say it's called "Let's See If I Can Smack Myself in The Head With A Ball."

The Enforcer

Beside the obvious swear words, there are a couple of everyday words and phrases that we do not allow Katie to say, such as stupid, shut up and whatever.  Because these words are not the sanctioned cuss words, Katie often hears the words on TV and when she does, she turns into the Enforcer of No Naughty Words.  For example, if she hears the word "stupid" she will immediately come running to us with unbridled enthusiasm and tattle on whoever said the word.  "Momma, Scooby Doo said 'stupid.'  He was naughty.  That was a no-no!"  I think she enjoys being the reprimander because it makes her feel powerful, especially when it is Rick or I that slip up.  However, thanks to Katie and her chastising, we are mending our ways.  Also, be warned, if you visit us and say any naughty word, Katie will out you by pointing to your error and announcing your no-no to the room.

Greta Garbo

Katie has a Barbie phone that is programmed to have Barbie call her every so often.  This afternoon it was ringing and I told Katie her phone was ringing.  She stated, "I don't feel like talking."  This surprised me because Katie loves talking on the phone, but also because I am known for not answering the phone when I do not feel like talking.  Did she inherit this infuriating (according to my friends) trait from me?  Is this a glimpse of her teenage years when she will be a Greta Garbo and "vant to be alone"?

They Didn't Tell Me

I've been feeling under the weather lately.  Tuesday I had my biopsies, which was a lot more painful than I anticipated especially the endometrial biopsy.  I guess I didn't give it a whole lot of thought until I was in the doctor's office and he described the procedure to me.  After the 15 seconds of intense pain, I was required to remain lying down for 5-10 minutes.  Apparently getting up to quickly after the procedure can make you faint.  So the nurse hung out with me until I felt well enough to sit up.  I still didn't feel the best, but the nurse did comment that my color had come back--didn't realize I lost it.  Anyway, after another 5 minutes of sitting, I was on my merry way.  But it doesn't end there.  Either I wasn't paying attention or it wasn't mentioned, but the cramping/stabbing pain can last for 2-3 days.  I believe that nine out of ten women probably won't have the procedure if they knew before hand what it entailed.  Perhaps that is why they didn't advise me of such until I was up on the table and garbed in a filmsy gown and their non-skid socks.

So now I wait for the results.  I thought I was also coming down with the flu since I had the chills, aches, stiff neck and sore throat.  It lasted one night and I was fine the next day.  Perhaps it was also the result of the biopsies.  The aches, stiff neck and sore throat could have been a result of me tensing up during the procedure.  I knew at one point I was clenching my jaw.

Valentine's Day flew by without a post from me, so here's the recap.  I got a dozen roses from Rick, as well as two boxes of candy.  Katie got six roses from Rick, as well as two little boxes of candy and a tethered electronic helicopter.  Katie has gotten pretty good at taking off and landing her aircraft.  Rick had also bought a huge, styrofoam glider plane for Katie and I.  The other day Katie and I decorated it with polka dots and various other colored forms, but we haven't flown it yet.  We have to go into the cotton field to fly it so there is no danger of it landing in the trees.  Below is Katie wearing her new Valentine's ballerina tutu.  You can also see the candy and flowers in the background.

 

Close up of Katie's flowers

  

Close up of my flowers

 

Hiding In Plain Site

This morning Katie got up at 6 am.  Just a little bit ago, I was working in the kitchen and noticed I couldn't hear her playing anymore.  I couldn't find her in her bedroom or our bedroom.  A little panicked, I assumed that she went outside, so I called for her out of the front door.  That is when I heard a snore.  There she was, fast asleep on the sofa.  She was cuddled up in my black snuggie on our black sofa with just the top of her head visable, so that explains why I didn't see her the first time through the living room.  For the picture, I moved the snuggie down so you can see her face.