February 14 – “… the oldest one in the building”

We made another quick trip to Academy yesterday.  They are having a most amazing sale right now.  So amazing that Chris actually went clothes shopping twice.  That just never happens.  She hates shopping for clothes.  And now we should not need winter clothes for a very long time.  Oh, and we are set for Alaska. 

Yesterday was also “take Cailyn to school” day.  Mom and Dad were both working.  I offered to skip hand in hand with her up to the front door.  She rather bluntly refused.  Chris reminded her, “But you used to skip to the door with your DadDad.”  Without hesitation she retorted, “Yes, but I’m not a little pre-K kid anymore.  I’m now the oldest one in the building.  I’m in FOURTH GRADE.”  Well, I suppose I was put in my place.  Sigh.  I want to skip merrily hand in hand again.

Our next stop was a hospital up in Texas.  Jennifer was having another surgery.  But this one wasn’t on her foot.  This time it was to repair some damage to her knee.  And just as we were preparing to walk out the door, Nathan called.  Both Cailyn and her teacher had already called him.  Cailyn was in the nurse’s office … sick.  We needed to go pick her up.  Chris headed on over to the school and I went on into Texas to the hospital.

Jennifer came through the surgery with flying colors.  And as a big plus, she was calmer than I have ever seen her before a surgery.  And I have seen her before a myriad of surgeries.  She wondered if that might be a God thing.  You think?  Oh, and Rita came up to see her while I was there.  It was great to see her again. 

On the way home I made a clandestine stop at Hobby Lobby.  Chris is doing a cross stitch thing and ran out of thread.  We were going to try and work out a Hobby Lobby run in the midst of all of our funeral activities, so this way I could get the thread and something else fun for Valentine’s Day.  The “something else fun”?  I found a chicken.  Very colorful.  Hung the thread out of its tail, put it in a Valentine’s bag, and added a bag of Garditos (one of her favorite snacks, and way healthier than chocolates). 

By the time I got home Cailyn seemed to be feeling much better.  Chris said she had been eating well … all day.  Her Mom managed to get off a little early in case she had to take Cailyn to the doc (a lot of kids in her class have tested positive for flu).  Once they left Chris and I decided to do our romantic Valentine’s Day dinner a day early.  We went to Whataburger.  Great way to end the day.

Psalms 139:17 says, “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!”

Father, thank you that Cailyn bounced back from not feeling well.  Keep her and all of our Littles well.  Amen.