Grandpa Rick, Grandma, Cott Cott, Double G, and Granna are all back in town. They've all been by to visit and babysit Megan and me. Uncle Scott has been so sweet to listen to Megan's stories, color in coloring books, and play kitchen. Megan got a jogging stroller for her baby and a vacuum. She has pushed and pulled for 2 days!

I woke up at 3:30 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep. I got up and went to the bathroom, only to have that "oh crap, I think I'm getting a bladder infection" feeling. I went back to bed, but really started to hurt, so I got up to google bladder infections (it's been a while...just to see if there was something I could do before I could call the doctor's office at 8). I looked it up, but all of a sudden nothing would process in my brain...I was reading, but it didn't make sense. I decided I was just tired, so I headed back to bed. I remember walking into the kitchen hallway towards the bedroom, but next thing I knew, I was lying flat on my back on the kitchen floor! I had passed out and fell flat to the floor. My hip and head were throbbing! I have no idea how it happened, how I fell, or how long I was there. I finally came-to enough to call for help...because I passed out and fell, we decided it was best to go to the ER. I got poked, prodded, x-rayed, a CT, etc. Diagnosis: very low blood pressure (no cause they could find) and a "rip-roaring UT infection". They drugged me with antibiotics and pain meds and sent me home. I did not break my hip, pelvis, or head, but they all have nice bruises on them!!! On the way home from the hospital, Daddy looked at me and said, "Look, if you'd wanted a day off and for me to stay home today, all you had to do is ask..." You a funny man.

To peacefully take a shower and get ready in the morning, I've been giving Megan access to clothes. I dump a pile of our old clothes in the middle of the floor, and she dresses herself. Today, however, she chose to add to the clean pile by digging in the dirty clothes hamper. Therefore, today's ensemble includes: my pajama shirt, a pair of my (clean) underwear, an old Harley doo-rag, a pair of Daddy's shorts (the waist is around her legs and her body is in one leg), and an Elmo cup. She also had me style her hair with the blow dryer and a comb - yeah, notice her hair doesn't do anything different? She made quite a fuss when I insisted that she change into her clothes to go to Gran and Papa's house.

Megan has quite the imagination and memory. The other night in the car on the way to the Rangers game, Cousin Kati asked Megan, "What's your name?" She normally will say her first, middle, and last name. She paused, so I said, "Is your name Mud?" (that's an old family joke that Double G used to tease us with) She said, "Nope...soap." We laughed....soap? Where did that come from? So I teased her once or twice right after that about her new name. Today, two days later, I asked her about her name again and she said, "New name...soap!"

And next time you see or talk to her, ask her about Sleeping Beauty. I'm going to see if I can get that one on video...hilarious! "Sweeping booty" gets me every time...

Last night we went to the Rangers game with Cousin Kati and Cousin Ryan (yeah, future, but I'm done with being that proper). Megan was so excited about being at the game. Even the most obnoxious person we've ever sat near at a game couldn't crush her excitement (it made it hard for the adults to pay attention to anything but his stupidity). She cheered for her favorite, Sammy Sosa, saw the "horsey dance", ate a dollar hot dog, got a Chatter Bat as a Jr. Ranger, got to see Gran and Papa, and watched blue win the "dot race." It was a very busy night for such a little one. She was still bouncing around at 11:45 p.m. (Thanks Kati for the pics!)

I've heard that grandkids can get grandparents to do anything, but Papa coloring??? Yes, it's true! Megan walked up to him, grabbed his pointer finger, said, "Come on...colors," handed him a crayon, and they were busy coloring Sesame Street. Priceless. For the record, Papa colors very well. :)

Would anyone like to guess what Megan had for dinner tonight? It looked like a bowl of pasta exploded in my kitchen...

Megan is a hoot! The things she does...

Today, she and Limbo Elmo were playing in the kitchen. All of a sudden I heard, "Laydown! Elmo," and then she laid down next to him. She got up, got Elmo up, "Laydown! Elmo," and she laid down, etc. It was a fun game.

Also, we were looking at house stuff today, and Megan was wound up. She was messing with the brick samples, and knew she shouldn't be, but we were letting her play. She grabbed one, walked over to Daddy and said, "Timeout!" She put the brick sample back and walked over to the wall and sat in timeout. We were shocked! She sat there for a minute, got up and went right back over to the bricks. After she touched them again, she put herself back in timeout again. We couldn't help but laugh.

While I mixed work and scrapbooking into a trip to Houston, Megan and Daddy spent the time bonding at home. Cousin Kati and (future Cousin) Ryan babysat on Friday while Daddy worked. They did a fantastic job of keeping the toddler monster under control and the house clean (hey, how'd you do that?). She told me all about coloring and playing with them. Daddy came home from work, and they spent the evening playing, drawing with sidewalk chalk, and watching the Rangers game. Today they filled up the propane tank (a favorite activity of theirs), followed by a work-charity event at the bowling alley. Megan told me all about Daddy and bowling. Unfortunately, she didn't just run and jump into my arms when I got home...she thinks Daddy hung the moon!

I was doing dishes in the kitchen when I heard the computer shut down. I walked toward the computer room, only to be met by a very excited little girl yelling, "Mommy....button!" She turned back toward the computer and made sure I followed her to the computer tower. She proudly stepped up on her tippy-toes, stretched her pointer finger, smiled so big, and pushed again. "Mommy...button!" Oh no....yet she was so proud of herself!

Whew...Megan has been with at least some of her cousins for 4 days in a row now! Lucky girl! Today we put $2 to excellent use and went to Splash Factory (Megan calls it "shovel water" because that's what she likes to do there) for "Cousin Day." The kids were all very good and played very nicely together. Gran and Papa came to watch, too. I thought Aunt Kelly couldn't top yesterday's performance of "Elmo's World", but she showed me today with the 'Lil Swimmer on her head to get Gage's attention...she cracks me up!

So we had a coupon...and we needed a family photo since the last one was taken before any of us had kids...but do you think the photo place really had an idea about what they were getting into? We took a whole family shot, cousins (Megan started crying, which is why she is the only one holding a flag), individual families, sibling groups, and the sons with their dad. Holy moly. Among other things, many tears were shed, many "Nos" uttered, we begged, threatened, and bribed (I'll give you a fruit snack if you'll sit), and the adults acted crazy to get kids to smile. We were all sweaty and worn out - and then we had to choose!

Last night we went to our friend's sister's wedding reception. Megan was invited, too. Grandma and Grandpa Rick were there, but Uncle Scott was in Megan's dog-house...Megan was asking everyone she saw, "Uncle Scott?" with her hands raised in a question, but he was at home asleep! Very sad. Anyway, Megan had a blast running around, dancing, and chasing after her friend Ellie. Daddy danced with her several times. Her favorite dances were the "Hokey Pokey" and the Hula-hoop. I used to watch kids running around wedding receptions thinking, "Where are their parents?" Last night, someone without kids was asking that about me. My mom put it well when she said it's fun to just watch them having fun. I got a clip of her dancing...where is that girl's rhythm? (The camera is shaking because I'm laughing so hard)

Yesterday, Gran, Papa, Uncle Shawn, Aunt Kelly, the kids, Geri, Mike, and our little family went to the Peach Festival. Since Megan and I love peaches, we were looking forward to all of the yummy peach goodies.

We started off with breakfast at the Iron Skillet (a new experience for Megan and I), and what good day doesn't start with 3 slices of bacon for our bacon nut?

The festival has really grown into a large scale peach celebration. When Daddy and I last went, it was nothing compared to the amount of booths, street closure, activities, and number of people. We all ate homemade peach ice cream and let the kids play in the childrens' area. Megan rode a little airplane ride, and she loved it! I was worried at first that she'd get on there and start crying. Nope. Everytime she came by us, she said, "Whhheeee!" The crying occured as Daddy took her off the ride. Very sad. I bought 1/2 a bushel of peaches to can, eat, make cobbler, etc. Speaking of cobbler...they ran out before I got any! I'll be whining about that until next year!

Well, I'm sure Aunt Kelly will think twice before asking me, "What should we do about lunch for Cousin Day?" when she hosts next. I suggested letting the kids make their own pizzas...completely forgetting about the kitchen mess - honestly! But they had a blast! The three little ones ate more toppings and raw dough than cooked pizza, I think. Alex and Austin had fun with the fancy shredded cheese.

Megan and I have been coloring in coloring books recently, but tonight was Daddy's first experience with crayon patrol and "hold this" (meaning it's his turn to color). The conversation I'm hearing from the other room is priceless.

Kind of along the same lines, I am so bad about deciding what she's old enough to do or not old enough to do. For instance, crayons. Is she old enough? Should I wait? Playdoh? Puzzles? Fingerpaint? Ugh. She wants to do some of these things, but then I wonder if she's too young. Trial and error? No to Playdoh when she eats it? By the way, crayons stink. I don't remember them stinking when I was little. You never know where my thoughts will lead...

We had a day...a day where Megan just couldn't stay off the naughty spot. She kept trying to go down the stairs, eat paper, kept sassing me, etc, so she had to go to the "spot" a few times. After a while, Uncle Rick's dog Tech got tired of Megan having to go to the spot. So he took her place.

This vacation was filled with many "firsts" for Megan...