Dear Mama,
I've been thinking about you a lot lately (a lot more lately), I guess with Mother's Day coming up and all. The roses in our yard are blooming, so by Sunday I should be able to cut a real pretty arrangement to have on the table for dinner. I remember our first full spring in our house back in 2002 when I brought you a great big bouquet of roses from our yard when we all went camping for Mother's Day, my first Mother's Day. Our azaleas looked pretty this year, as did the peonies. I need to work on my "annual" flower bed in front, but our irises and daylilies are starting to come up, so they're adding a bit of color. I'm most proud of my daisies, though, as I planted the seeds two years ago. Last year David inadvertendly mowed over the daisy stems as they were coming up (He thought they were weeds!), so this is the first year they've done right. I've invited Kate, Daddy, and Daniel to come to Chapel Hill this weekend because the kids are singing at church at the second service. I've been helping all year with Johnny's Sunday School class, and each Sunday, all the 2's through 5's go in and sing with Miss Beth (remember, you met Beth Alexander?). The kids are going to sing some of the songs they've been working on all year. Last year Grace stood up there but was the only one who didn't open her mouth to sing. In fact, she yawned at one point, and that of course made David and me laugh. I think Kate and Daddy are planning on coming, but Daniel said he'll probably be having lunch with Sheila and her family.
You wouldn't believe how happy Daniel seems these days. He and Sheila live in a house on Grand Blvd. (not too far from where the Chases used to live), and Courtney (Sheila's daughter)stays with them every other week. Courtney adores Grace and Johnny, and they adore her. When I was in Boone for my birthday, we all went to one of Courtney's soccer games, and there was Daniel, cheering on the sidelines. Who would have thought he would grow up to be a soccer dad? Kate's renting a really neat apartment attached to Jim McMillan's house, and we usually all gather there when we're in town. Daddy has let his/your/our house totally go, and we haven't been invited to even so much as step inside in over two years. It's really sad, but it's another one of those situations when we've done all we can and there's no changing him.
I've been feeling better these last few weeks and think I might have finally turned a corner with all of my hormone issues. I've been doing extensive research on the internet, and found a good book that address the three "energy gland" systems; thyroid, fertility (estrogen and progesterone), and adrenals. I have confirmed lab results that show imbalances in all of these areas and am now being extremely mindful of all food, drink, vitamins, supplements, and prescription medications that I put in my body (and when I put them into my body). I've been going to an integrative clinic in Chapel Hill that reminds me of the one you were going to in Boone. I'm finally satisfied with the medical care and advice I've been getting, after two years of seeing various doctors and specialists that are too quick to dismiss my "vague" symptoms as a result of too much stress. But overall, my depression and fatigue have lifted a lot, and I'm just in a much better place. I'm doing yoga and running on the treadmill and outside several times a week. David has been running too, and we're thinking about running the Half Marathon in Virginia Beach this September to raise money to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation.
Work is going well, but busy. I'm still at the Foundation and got a really big promotion in November that basically has me doing three positions: Executive Assistant, Research Associate, and Executive Director. You should see my office. I'm at work now, sitting at my lovely desk looking out the big picture window across from my colorful leather couch and chairs. I feel like a sqatter in this office, like it's not really "my" office, it's so nice. The work is challenging and very interesting, but I've been thinking a lot lately about going back to get a Masters in Social Work.
Grace and Johnny are both doing just great. You would just eat them up. They are both just endless sources of joy, pride, (frustration) and love for me. Grace's IEP is May 26, and Ms. Diane thinks she'll be eligible to stay in pre-K one more year to receive services. We think it's best, and then she will start Kindergarten a little bit ahead instead of behind. That means Grace and Johnny will be only one year apart in school. You should see them together, we call them "Thing One and Thing Two." They way they interact and carry on must be like Daniel and I did when we were that age. I don't know how you did it with three kids so close in age. Johnny is so smart and eager to learn and empathetic to other's emotions these days. David said that on the way to school yesterday, out of the blue, Johnny said, "Mommy is sad. She misses Grandmama, right?" When I asked Johnny about saying that, he admitted it and said, "You're sad because you can't see her? But I can see her. " Boy, I wish that was true. Is it? I've been telling Grace and Johnny the stories of their births, and even though we don't have any pictures of you holding Johnny, (or pictures of Johnny when Grace was born), he likes to say, "But we were there in spirit, right? We were there in spirit, Mommy?"
I've got to close, because I need to get back to work, but I wanted to tell you that I made your potato salad recipe the other night when the Henshaws invited us over for dinner. I don't know if you ever met Bob Henshaw, but he and Matt Mielke were housemates, and then Bob and I served on the Literacy Council Board together. Also, Bob plays guitar, and his wife Cindy plays the mandolin. The three of us (me on penny whistle and flute) are going to play at a wedding this summer. It's actually our second wedding and third public appearance; Bob and I played at the Council's fundraiser last fall and received lots of positive feedback. Bob and Cindy have a three-year old daughter, Wesley, who also goes to preschool at Spanish For Fun Academy. Anyway, I took your potato salad to dinner, and they said it was the best potato salad they've ever tried. I wanted you to know that. It's become my specialty.
I've got to run and get back to work, but if you think about it, please look down on Sunday morning at around 11:00 AM to hear the kids sing. And Happy Mother's Day.
Love,
Bird
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