Last week was busy!

Last week Tuesday, Miss Madelyn came for the day. She’s gained some new skills since she was here last, the main one being that she can go potty “all by myself – with the door closed”. I found this out after we were outside and Miss M was walking crossways through the raspberry rows. I was not following her, as crawling through the rows is fairly problematic for some one of my size, and agility – or lack thereof. So, I was watching her go farther and farther into the field when I heard those fateful words, “I have to go potty!”

Oh boy…

I encouraged her to hurry, and keep heading for the house, but traveling through bushes is not the quickest. When finally free of the rows, we ran across the grass into the back door…where she had to take off her boots – herself – and tell me emphatically that she did not need help, and close the door – herself – and then realize she needed a step stool to reach the sink for hand-washing. I said I would put it in there when she was done going potty, but nothing doing! She wanted all elements put in place – by herself – before she closed the door…And, wonder of wonders, she made it without an accident.

But the whole operation is a time-consuming enterprise, and I waited and waited, and finally just had to ask: “How’s it going in there, Madelyn?” She replied, “Good – How’s it going for you, Auntie Les?”

I guess I worry too much.

Another new skill that Miss M employed was an enhanced power of pretending, or “pee-tending” as she pronounces it. I love to see what inventions little minds come up with, so I am ready to play along. We “peetended” that the bedroom was our house, and that I was the Mommy and she was a baby – though after carrying her a little bit, I suggested that she might “peetend” to be a CRAWLING baby, and she was fine with that. Later, she was inspired to “peetend” that it was my birthday “pawty” and that all the people she knew should be personally invited to attend. Everyone lived in a different corner, or spot in the room, and she would go to each “peetend” home, cross her arms in front of her and say: “Auntie Jamie, Uncle Eric, Kyla, Bennett – Auntie Les is having a birthday pawty, do you want to come?” Then she would look back over her shoulder and say to me, “Let’s see what her says…” Turning back to her invitees, she would wait a moment and then exclaim, “She says she can come!!!”

No one turned down her invite, and then we had quite the party with “peetend” presents and cake. Good times.

The other big event of last week was a jaunt down to Alderwood Mall to see my dear friend Ruby, who was in Lynnwood visiting her tiny granddaughter – oh, and her daughter and son-in-law too…

Ruby lives in Tennessee, so any time she is in the vicinity, we try to get together…And if the visit is in the Spring, we try to get to an Anthony’s for a birthday lunch celebration.

Ruby has always been so gracious with my fear of driving in The Big City, and has mostly come north, or we meet halfway, but this time, if we were going to see each other, I was going to have to drive…on the freeway…and in The Big City. I’m not good at choosing/changing lanes, and I fear ending up in some ghetto, or at skid row because I’m not so good at directions…

I am a neurotic wimp.

But I wanted to see her, and her little granddaughter, and I thought it would be good practice in case I needed to drive south to take the group to go see PW --and it’s about time that I be a grown-up.

So I did it.

And it went fine.

I missed every exit and turn that I was supposed to take the first time, BUT I found my way back to where I was supposed to be and corrected my errors. I never saw the ghetto, or skid row. I never ended up in the lane that was stopped for construction, or impeded anyone in the fast lane.

It was a rip-roaring success!

And I got to see this: Ruby, and her little precious, Lucy...

And we had a great visit, over a great lunch (seafood mac n’ cheese…mmmmm), and then we even went to Nordstrom’s. Yes, now that I am such a brave driver (woohoo Alderwood…go crazy!) Nordstrom’s and I can have more than a pen pal relationship.

So many good things in one day…

And with my usual morning at the Museum, a much-needed haircut and color, and a Saturday adventure at the Thrift Store, so many good things in one week…a good kind of busy!