over the hills and through the cedars

Mom drove Avi and I to Utopia to see Dad this weekend and so Mom could have a bit of time at home. It went well, and we visited my great aunt. I had the oxygen tank on hand in case of emergency. Van wasn't real keen on the plan because Utopia is so far from doctors and hospitals, but he had a good time with our boys with baseball, fishing, swimming, church, and yardwork in Waco. Mom and I enjoyed the green countryside. It looks so different than last year's drought. The dam at the park looks so pretty after being cleaned out and some good ol' flooding. Avi, generally mild, is going through some kind of independence phase, so that was a bit tricky, but I think Mom and I still got some rest. Dad took Avi on a few lawn-mower rides and we went on errands. Since I was little, we've sung "to the dump, to the dump, to the dump-dump-dump" to the William Tell Overature. Wonderful simple time. I'm tired of thinking about me and taking care of me. I'm ready to do projects of all kinds and get plans in my head, and then I get up to brush my teeth, get just enough breath to do it and then go sit on the couch again. I'll see the lung doctor again on Friday. I'm grateful for Mom's company and for her sweeping and starting the dish washer at this moment. I'll get the stitches out of my left eyelid tomorrow morning, but it will still look pretty out of whack. My eye doctor feels like the procedure was a big success. The idea is to close off part of the eye so that it won't get too dry and damage my vision. If I ever start producing tears again, it can be opened up. I was geared up to have the right eye done to get it over with, but I think I'll wait until I have to because this has been quite an adjustment. A hard adjustment. Zane has Pre-K graduation at Parent's Day Out this week. I'm not ready for that at all. I'm not sure that he is either because he loves his teachers and classmates and has known them for so long. I still picture him as a chubby-cheeked toddler. He was such a cute baby, and now he is a handsome little five-year-old. Today, I am blessed to be a mama and to have a mama. I pray that Avi will get to have this beautiful experience in her life. She's already practicing now with caring for a stuffed alligator and a plastic Dora figurine.