Thanks to Rockford, I was able to spend alot of time alone this week. I love being with my family and with my friends, but I also love being alone sometimes. I’ve never been a big fan of flying, but I relished the solitude this time. It’s hard to find time to be alone when you’re a mom.

January 26

• Reading “A Spot of Bother” without interruption. (And loving it!)
• Caramel mocha from Starbucks, with extra whipped cream from the barista-in-training. The trainer scolded him for using too much whipped cream, but I thanked him.
• Chatting with the shuttle driver about his granddaughters.
• Feeling at home when the shuttle pulled into Columbia.
• Dinner with Amy in the “VIP seating” at Bangkok Garden.
• Talking into the wee hours with Amy like eighth-graders at a sleepover.
• Pineapple Upside-down Cake ice cream at Sparky’s. I can’t begin to describe how good it was.

January 27

• Breakfast (including the world’s best “sassage”) at Cucina Sorella with Amy, Rachel, Taina and Sharita.
• Walking down Ninth Street with my friends.
• The Butterfly Tattoo, Bluestem, Poppy and the shoe store.
• Reading magazines on the princess bed.
• Having dinner at Chick’s with the Crutchers, B & Rachel and Amy.
• B leaving his LAN party to have dinner with us!
• Holding baby J
• Amy’s sock monkey slippers

January 28

• Seeing my church family.
• Shakespeare’s after church.
• Amy saying goofy things like “I love big girls” (re: America Ferrara, Jennifer Hudson and Dr. Miranda Bailey on the SAG award show) and another thing that she asked me not to repeat.

January 29

• Unexpectedly having a friend to chat with all the way back to KC.
• Breaking into an uncontrolable grin at the thought of Poppy saying “Mama.”
• Poppy saying “Mama” when she saw me at the airport.
• Being with Rockford.

January 30

• Getting back to normal.
• A good new recipe (Vegetable Red Curry).

January 31

• Watching Poppy play at The Little Gym.
• Poppy eating all of her lunch (chicken tenders and sweet potato fries).
• Rescuing monkeys in Zelda.
• Hanging out at the mall.

Mir at Woulda Coulda Shoulda wrote a wonderful Love Thursday post today about her children and her faith. Here’s an excerpt:

I remembered that no matter what they do or how hard this feels, they are still my joy. And I may not be able to fix their hurts, I may not be able to keep their elbows off the table and their hands to themselves and their misbehaving butts out of the principal’s office, but I can remember my joy in them in spite of those things.

. . . . . the end . . . . .