Sunday, June 28, 2009 Fun in the Dunlow Sun

After I finally fell asleep at 4:30 this morning, I woke up at about 5:30 and helped fix Kylee a bottle. I went back to sleep and April woke me up at 11:30 to get ready for the pilgrimage to Dunlow for a cook out at my Granny's house. Also, let's not forget, the home of Ayden's chickens.

It went really well. Ayden was glad to see us and Kylee in all of her grace, slept about 90% of the time. She was awake long enough to eat. Twice. I think I am going to have to get an extra job to feed this child. She eats every two hours. I think I may start putting steak and eggs and pinto beans in the blender for her. That may get us an extra 30 minutes or so of down time.

Ayden got to see her chickens and was worried how "Blackie" was doing. All of the chickens, not just Blackie, were doing really well. Blackie was the first one to hatch out. April, Ayden, and I watched the entire process of her hatching. They looked healthy and like they had grown double since we had taken them to their new foster home. Daniel and Ava, Ayden's cousins, were there. She was happy to get to play with them. She likes playing with children her age. I watch her playing with other children and am simply amazed. She is such a little lady. She uses her manners and everything.

It makes me proud to say that I feel April and I have done an okay job with her thus far. Of course we can't take all of the credit. We have a wonderful support system. The jailer at the youth correctional facility where she spends her nights, the Warden at Shawshank, the supervisor of the work release program that is assigned to her case and the list goes on. She has really come a long way since undergoing rehab at Betty Ford for Cheez-It abuse.

Nah, she is only 2 1/2. She hasn't met these types of people yet. At least in a professional setting. She was tuckered out by the time we left. We hadn't driven three miles and she was sound asleep. I carried her in and put her in her bed. She didn't even wake up. It is now 11:00 and so far so good.

The visit to my grandparents was a good one. Not all of the family was able to be there but it was nice all the same. I was able to talk grown up talk to relatives that I don't often get to see. You know you are getting older when discussions revolve around politics, insurance companies, gardening...and flowers. My granny sent me home with some flowers she had dug up from her flower garden to plant in mine. (If you call a few planters and hanging baskets a flower garden). Her garden was somewhat overflowing with what we call 9 o'clocks. They are a green bush with have a yellow flower and appropriately, it blooms at 9:00 every night. It is a plain flower and a large green bush. But I believe a beautiful one.

I would like to have more time and energy to "garden". Not the corn and potato garden. But the flowers and trees type. I enjoy it, what I have done of it. Except roses. They take too much time and need far too much attention. When we moved into our house we had about 40 roses. We are now down to a little more than half of that. If I have my way, the rest of them will be gone by summer's end. I'm just not a big rose fan. At least growing them anyway. I'll stick to buying them for April and now Ayden. In a couple of years Kylee too.

Ayden is now up. It is Midnight. She had to have milk and Cheez-Its. She is also in the bed with us. She told me that someone forgot to put a Dora on her. Meaning a Pull-Up. She doesn't need one at all. In fact, she has slept several nights without one, but it is her security blanket so to speak. Actually, she didn't even have pajamas on, just the dress she was wearing today. So we put Ariel pj's on and got her snacks and of course Pink Baby. I had also forgotten to put her in the bed with Ayden earlier this evening. Big mistake. If you know Ayden, you know Pink Baby is her cocaine. She goes nowhere without her. Outside, inside, restraunts, Lowe's, and even church. She is actually on the third generation Pink Baby. Meaning that she has worn two out. Not necessarily worn them out just got them so dirty they couldn't be cleaned. They are battery operated and the clothes can not be taken off of them to be washed. The hand and feet are sewn onto the ends of the clothing, with the battery pack in the back. Wouldn't be so bad to just pick up a new one you say. Well, they are sometimes hard to come by and cost about 25 dollars. Not too bad if you are just going to get one. But we are going on nearly 100 dollars worth of Pink Babies now. Of course it is her favorite one. What we do for our children. Of course its only going to get better as the years go on; Proms, Senior Pictures, College, a Wedding. I better stop I'm getting depressed. I want her to stay 2 1/2 for the rest of my life anyway.

Stay tuned followers, more from the Copley Household to come...