One Eventful Day!

Today has been one eventful day! It started out as a day that I hoped would end quickly. I was up with Miss Mouse until 3 a.m. - teething, I think? We've had several tough nights now in a row. Yesterday we missed a wedding we had hoped to go to because I was too tired to drive the five hour round trip alone with the Mouse. Needless to say, by 3 this morning, I was exhausted. Miss Mouse and I sent Daddy Mouse to the basement around 1 a.m. because he needed some rest for preaching today. Miss Mouse and I "slept in" until 8:47 a.m. (yes, I really do remember the time precisely like that - I guess it's because I've been looking at the clock to time feedings, naps, sleepings, bathtimes, etc. for the past 16 months!).

We had a wonderful jogging stroller ride this morning (with no wind, can you imagine?!) and then made it to church just as it was starting. Unfortunately, that is where the day went a little awry. I was holding Miss Mouse's hand and started walking toward the back of the vehicle to get the stroller out for her to sit in during the outdoor service. Well, her feet didn't move when I did, so she ended up smacking her knees on the pavement. Yep, we had our first scraped knee, and you would have thought I was the one bleeding. I felt like I should have been. She didn't even cry. It's bright red tonight. She "played" with her bruise, patting it and talking to it, during her bath, and I just about cried again.

After that came a disastrous lunch in which she threw everything I attempted to feed her either at me or on the ground. Off to the nap.....which lasted about an hour.

Thankfully for my sanity, Great Auntie Linda N. had called and informed me of the "music in the park day" at the park near our home. So, after another attempt at a snack, Miss Mouse and I packed up the jogging stroller and headed out for some music!

It was wonderful! The turning point of the day for sure! We caught two pieces by a choral group and then took a break to play on the playground equipment. Thankfully it was only about a 20 minute break because with the shrieking and mass chaos of multiple, multiple-child families crawling all over the equipment, both Miss Mouse and I were a bit overwhelmed. We do well when we have the park to ourselves or share it with just a few other families.

I think, if she could speak more fluent English, she would say that her favorite part of the afternoon was when the symphony played. When they began warming up, she sat in her stroller, sipping her milk and snacking on some peach puffs. Everytime they would stop playing (they were just warming up, so they'd play a few measures and stop), she would say in a loud, emphatic voice: "More!" Then she would look at me, nod emphatically, and say "More!" again. I try repeatedly to explain the concept of "whisper", but we are just not there yet. Not that anyone minded. It was a wonderful gathering with families sprawled out on blankets everywhere, older people parked on the bleachers, and everyone just out for a good time. We saw two women that we know from church and a family friend of ours. That always helps me to feel a little more "at home" here (seeing familiar faces who actually also find me to be familiar). We also saw our neighbor playing trombone in the symphony. Miss Mouse really crained her neck to see when I told her that Ken was playing! We were only able to stay for a few songs, but she had a marvelous time and will certainly be going to the next symphonic opportunity we find!

We capped off the night with dinner at the home of the senior pastor of the church where Daddy Mouse works. It has been a long, long time since we have had a chance to sit down with their family and visit, so this was a wonderful treat. We missed visiting with their daughter, but there son was there. We spent many evenings at their house when I was in college and dating Daddy Mouse (they graciously put him up many, many nights when he came to visit me from seminary and then from his first call if he didn't want to drive back and forth too late at night), so it is always fun to catch up with them rather than just saying "hello" in passing. What a fun way to end our day!

As always, I am holding out a perhaps-deluded-hope that tonight will bring more rest and rest of a better quality than last night for all of us. However, I also hope for more afternoons like this one!