A Fish Called What?

Ummm... whoops.  Two weeks just went by.  How did that happen?

Oh right, I know.  Two IV spinach infusions.  A fancy hairdo by Drew.  Lots of birthday parties.  Spring cleaning of the house - direct result of the increased energy level from the spinach - woop!  A caterpillar named Katie who likes apple juice.  Another funeral.  (If I cursed on this here blog, that is where I would insert my expletive, but I don't, and seeing as how I heard my daughter yell "Awww, CUH-RAP!" the other day when her crayon broke, I believe God is clearly sending me a message that I need to tone down the colorful invectives in real life too). 

But yes, you read that right.  Our caterpillar likes apple juice.

That, and we had another funeral.  This time, it was Gran.  Also known as Chris' grandmother, but known to most, including me, as Gran.  It was not unexpected, she was 91 years old.  She lived a long, full, joyful, vibrant life, but still, when I looked into my daughter's big brown eyes and tried to find the right words to tell her that yet another person/creature from her life had gone to heaven - uggh - it just about did me in.  All I could think about is how this little, tiny child has suffered more grief and loss in her nearly four short years on this earth than some of us go through in a lifetime.  And all I want to do is just take her in my arms and promise her that Daddy and I will never, ever, EVER leave her, but how?  How do I make that promise?  And how can she ever believe it?  Aiyaiyai.

This is another one of those moments I really just have to give over to the Lord.

Mercy.  It's tearing me up now just putting it to paper.  I'm all verklempt.

So there.  That's where I've been the last few weeks.  Hair, iron, cleaning, caterpillar, and funeral.  Oh, and one more thing. 

Preparing for an upcoming family voyage. 

You see, my little budding entomologist went and got herself invited by one of my besties to be the flower girl in her wedding. 

This is probably not unusual in and of itself, but Geni is not having any attendants except for her ring bearer (Aria's BFF, Peachy), and mine truly.  This has caused me a bit of anxiety since Aria will be the only other female standing up there with my friend at her WEDDING.  This is not like singing a song at preschool and forgetting the words, or even speaking out during the silent prayers at church.  This is their wedding, for the love of pete, and if Aria messes up her flower girl duties and in turn messes up their ceremony, well, that's a memory Geni and Ke'o will have for-stinkin'-ever. 

Don't misunderstand me.  I am proud, excited, overjoyed, humbled and honored that my friend loves my daughter enough to include her in the wedding.  But I have an equal amount of trepidation as well.  Which is why the upcoming nuptials have put the burden upon our shoulders of demanding encouraging our little flower girl to learn manners.  Like not yelling "Awww, CUH-RAP!" if you don't drop your petals in the right place.  Or adamantly refusing to put on your dress, because you're just not in the mood.  Or throwing a tantrum on the plane while you are seated next to the bride, who is rapidly calculating the risk to our friendship if she were to uninvite my daughter to be her flower girl. 

That behavior is all speculation, of course, amassed in the alcoves of my brain as I try to fall asleep at night now since I'm suddenly energized with all this newly-infused iron coursing its way to my previously hemoglobin-deprived tissues. 

And reminding me of my predilection for run-on sentences.

But one can never be too sure when the urge to be a normal, moody, narcissistic 3-year-old might usurp the direct orders gentle, positive encouragement your mother has given you to be prim and proper, and demurely drop your rose petals down the aisle to the oohs and aahs of the guests who catch a glimpse of those dazzling dimples.

So, we're preparing for the worst.  Hoping for the best.

Speaking of the worst, did I mention the wedding was on a beach?  UGGH.  In Hawaii?  Please.  Can you imagine?  We're having to drag the whole family to Kona for this event.  A beach in Hawaii.  For a week.  Darn the luck. 

My mother's internet missives ringing in my ears prevent me from giving any further details in a public forum, except to say...

Na-na-na-boo-boo

Oh.  Sorry.  That came out a little rude.  I'm going for prim, proper, demure mother-of-the-well-behaved-flower-girl, aren't I?  Instead, I'll just say,

Humuhumunukunukuapua'a

Which is really just a fish.  But it's a yummy fish.  And it's a yummy fish I get to eat on a tropical island with my favorite people very soon!

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