Perry Pie Pat and This and That

At the beginning of October, Riley and I took a road trip out to Illinois for my ten year college reunion. I was not looking forward to the long ride until my friend Becky suggested that we ride out together. She was taking her kids out to see her family. Suddenly traveling with a three-year-old didn't seem so daunting. I wish I could say that Riley and Ethan kept each other entertained and we had a peaceful ride, but my little drama queen put on quite a production in the back seat. I still enjoyed chatting with Becky, and luckily Becky knows the location of every McDonald's playland between here and Momence. One of the funnier moments of the trip happened when Ethan composed an original song which Riley quickly picked up on. She still requests that we sing "Perry Pie Pat" at bedtime. Here it is for your listening enjoyment.

I had a great time at my reunion. My three college roommates, Jeni, Karin, and Ruth, were all able to come. These guys are some of the best friends I've ever had, and we rarely get too see each other because we're spread out all over the country. Riley enjoyed spending time with the gang too. She remembered Karin from her visit last year and couldn't wait to see her again.

Riley was thrilled with the "heaven room" in the Billy Graham Center.

I was grateful for the special time Riley and I had together. She kept saying, "You're going to take care of me? Daddy is taking care of Colin back home?" She got to be an only child again for a couple of days.

Riley and Karin hanging out in the New Stupe.

Here are all four roommate: Ruth, Jeni, me, and Karin. We're lined up in height order just like we used to back in the day. This is a pretty awful picture if me but it's the only one I have of all of us together. 

WARNING: The following paragraph contains medical content. If the word "scalpel" makes you queasy, you might just want to skip this information. 

A few days after the reunion, I had a hysterectomy. This is the first time I've had a major surgery so I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I knew it needed done and wanted to get it over with and be recovered by Thanksgiving. The surgery went well. My doctor told me the incision had to be enlarged twice because "da big U" was as large as honeydew melon due to all my fibroids. I had to spend five hours in the recovery room while I waited for a room to open up, but I was pretty out of it and didn't really mind. I spent most of the first day drifting in and out of sleep. I spent all of the next day in the hospital. Despite the morphine doing nothing for me, I still managed to enjoy the day. I had nothing to do but lay around, read magazines, and watch TV. That may sound boring to some, but it was like a vacation for a mom with two young kids. I was released from the hospital the following morning. The hardest parts about recovery has been the fatigue and not being able to pick the kids up. Now that I'm six weeks post-surgery, I'm not that tired anymore and I can finally do some lifting. 

This was Colin's first Halloween. I planned ahead for once and bought the kids' costumes before I had my surgery. Riley was a queen. Her only requirement for a costume was that it have a wand. I found a knight costume for Colin that he looked so darn cute in, and it was a nice compliment to Riley's attire. My bother and sister-in-law came over with my nieces on Halloween and we all went trick-or-treating together. Robin and I brought Colin and Maya back after a couple blocks (Maya had a cold, Colin was getting tired, and I was getting sore.) Jeff and Mike took the big girls out for a while longer. Riley and Maria returned victorious with a load of loot. 

Princess Maria, Queen Riley and Sir Colin 

And now a few recent Riley quotes"

Riley: What are you singing, Mommy?

Me: I'm singing about God.

Riley: Why?

Me: Because it makes God happy when we sing songs about how good he is.

Riley: Oh. Does God live in Illinois?

Me: Uh, no. He lives in heaven.

(Jeff latter reminded me that Riley had been in the "heaven room" at Wheaton and must have assumed that heaven was in Illinois.)

After church last Wednesday, I took Riley around to look at the Christmas trees in the halls. She loved the nativity sets under some of the trees and pointed out who everyone was. That night at bedtime, we sang "The Wise Man Built his House Upon the Rock." The next day, Riley asked, "Did the wise man build his house before or after he gave Jesus presents?" I love the way she thinks.