The Lytles Are Moving . . . to Peru!

One of my sweetest, dearest, bestest, specialest (yes, I'm using those "words") is moving from her family's work in Indonesia to Peru in only a few months (like two to be exact).

She and her husband believe deeply in the benefits of education and have committed to working in international schools to equip the youth of the world with knowledge both intellectually and spiritually.

Here's a great YouTube clip that shares their passion: [click here]

While they receive a small salary from the school, they must raise funds to supplement their income to sustain their family. The transition from Indonesia to Peru will be "interesting" with one of those "interesting" aspects being finances. The cost of living is considerable higher in Peru. Please consider giving any sized donation to my sweet Lytle friends.

Anna-isms #3

While busily packing for our trip to Nashville, I came upon Anna at the top of the stairs, laying at the landing with a blanket over her. She was holding two CD cases, which she isn't supposed to have (a la no-touching-the-CDs-on-the-bookshelf rule).

I ask: What are you doing?

I could tell she was deep in thought. She sat up and showed me the Kelly Clarkson CD. She pointed to Kelly and said: This is Mama.

Then she showed me the other CD with Mariah Carey's face planted on the front and said: This is Anna.

We were coloring today with our new fancy smancy, straight from the yard sale colored pencils. (She thought these were the best things EVER.) She had a paper. I had a paper. As I started drawing the ever faithful flower, Anna said: Good job, Mom. For the next few minutes for every teeny tiny mark I made, I heard: Good job, Mom. Melt my heart. What a sweetie, right? 

Tonight I asked: Who will help me clean up? (I meant toys.) The next thing I know Anna comes out of the laundry room with the broom. The mop. The duster. She proceeds to clean, which ended 15 minutes later in her knocking a glass of water off the table. Bryan cleaned it up.

Anna's been doing some swimming at Ms. Lisa's house:

And here's one from today after our garden picking and walk:

These days, Anna loves:

• Polka dots
• Doc McStuffins
• Applesauce
• Choo choo trains
• Bubbles
• Playing "surprise" and hide-and-seek
• Cheese
• Watering plants

Another Book Project: Legendary Locals of Fort Worth!!!!

Hip, hip, hurray! How exciting to announce to you, dear readers, that I will be writing another book, along with my stellar co-author Joan! This one is about Fort Worth's finest folks, featuring more than 100 of Cowtown's exemplary citizens. The remainder of this year will find Joan and me researching, writing, and securing photos. So much to do before the November deadline. (If I look frazzled and covered in paper cuts when you see me next, now you'll know why.)

So proud to be an Arcadia author!

Fort Worth Moms Blog: Read MY Post

Y'all.

**scream**

I am soooo thrilled to be a regular contributor to the Fort Worth Moms Blog (FWMB)--a new website dedicated to the moms of Cowtown. It has great info about local activities, good ol' parenting stuff, blog posts from real-life Fort Worth moms, GIVEAWAYS, and (coming soon) ways to connect with other moms and kids (life play dates, events, etc).

FWMB is a great resource. Heck, I've already learned something and it just launched on Monday. Who knew about the Little Sprouts FREE program at the BRIT? We are going--sans disaster or sickness--on the 28th.

My niche is covering adoption-related topics, sharing what life is like as a transracial family, and documenting the highs of lows of toddlerhood. Of course, my first blog post, which went live this morning; and, of course, my first, best topic is my sweetest girl.

(This is the part where you click the link for my post). Click here, please.

Busted Eye Update

After eight days, the stitches from Anna's wound came out. And we were not pleased with the results. Sigh. The wound immediately opened right up. Bless.

A visit with the plastic surgeon later and we have a game plan. We will protect the wound until it heals up, and hopefully in November/December Anna will have a quick surgery to remove the entire scar. The surgeon will then restitch to make a smaller hairline scar.

Anna, the Hunter

While downloading my camera to the computer, I came across egg hunt pictures of Anna. Yeah, I totally forgot about them.

She LOVED hunting for eggs. I mean LOVED. We played "egg hunt" numerous times inside. And for the big day with snack-stuffed eggs, she had a blast. After she found each egg, she sat down and ate the snacks right then.

Mother's Day Mention

For those who have followed since last year (and before), you know I lost my mother in October. So this Mother's Day was a first for me--the first without my mom alive.

Many thoughts passed through my mind last week: What it means to be a mother without a mother. What life will be like without a mother for most of my Mother's Days. And the day my mother died.

Hearing the news on my phone . . . it felt like a punch in the gut. I'm still reeling from it. I remember walking through the door, fumbling into the dining room, and seeing Ms. Lisa's face. She froze, asking me what was wrong.

I'm thankful Ms. Lisa was there to hug me and let me sob. I'm thankful Ms. Lisa--Anna's usual babysitter--cared for her while Bryan and I sorted out the news. I'm thankful Ms. Lisa took Anna out to eat and kept her for several hours while I absorbed the shock.

I'm thankful for Ms. Lisa.

I'm thankful she is a great mother herself. I'm thankful she helps me be the best mother I can be. I'm thankful she helped me when I lost my mother.

So, Happy Mother's Day to Mom, to me, and to Ms. Lisa.

Anna's Second Emergency Room Visit

Apparently (and hopefully not really) the ol' ER is a yearly rite of passage. Remember the allergy attack? This time no sesame seeds were involved.

Let me set up the scene for ya:

Anna and I traveled sans Daddy to Nashville for my niece's high school graduation. Friday was the big day, and I was helping my sis with party prep at the dining table. Anna and her cousin were playing hide and seek. She was running towards me at the table, trying to escape Kullen. She turned back to look at him and ran right into the rounded corner of the table. (THANK JESUS it was a rounded corner.)

Immediately she cried. 

Immediately I saw the gash, busted completely open about 1 inch.

After a photo sent to Daddy, a consultation with a plastic surgeon friend, Anna and I headed to Vanderbilt Children's, along with Aunt Lori, who I can never thank enough for being with us during everything that ensued.

Long story short: Anna needed stitches. With a doctor, one nurse holding her head, one nurse holding her feet, me holding her arms and laying across her body, and two ladies who try to distract kiddos with a bag of tricks (bubbles, Mickey Mouse, balls, etc), we were "ready." 

**Because of potential respiratory complications with sedation, the doctor chose to only use topical numbing cream. This is a key turning point in the story.**

Just imagine you getting stitches with only topical numbing. Now imagine you are 2-years-old. Exactly.

She screamed so hard and loud and sad. And my heart broke into thousands of pieces as I mustered my most soothing voice, singing "Buzz Buzz Bee," kissing her hands, humming, telling her I love her, and on and on. With each stitch, she screamed. It was all intense and chaotic. I could hear the nurses talking to the doctor. The child specialists was trying everything to distract Anna. I could see the doctor stitching, focused and calm, which is a miracle and impressive. In the middle of the third stitch, Anna screamed for Daddy twice.

I felt completely helpless and cruel like I could do nothing for my dearest. Then I started getting sweaty and clammy. 

If you know me well, you know I often faint when I get my blood drawn. The story only goes downhill from here.

Somewhere around stitch four, I could no longer hold Anna's hands sufficiently. I knew if I didn't sit down, I was going down. I kept trying to comfort her from my chair and also keep myself from completely wiping out. The whole scene, while at the time was horrific, is now mildly comical. Perhaps, in a few years, I will find it fully funny, but we're not that recovered. :-)

With the last stitch, they got Anna off the bed and put me on it. I felt like the WORST mother in the world. Sigh.

It was only seconds until I was fine. Anna was laying beside me calming down. It was over. Whew.

Anna is really, really tough. Although, I wasn't a fan of the pain she endured, she did great. She didn't flail around. She was brave. And was pleasant just a few minutes after it was over. Oh, I love her.

Did I mention we missed Kristen's graduation? We did. As it started, we were recovering with a popsicle. And by "we" I mean me. Ha.

Waiting in our ER room with topical numbing goop taped on her boo-boo.

The next day when I changed her dressing. I was so relieved it already looked so great!

Frontera Bayless Chicago Love

Have you ever eaten at Frontera Grill in Chicago? If that's a no, dear reader, then please put this restaurant on your must do, no excuses bucket list.

Yum.

Being an amateur (very amateur) foodie, I'd heard about Rick Bayless a time or two.

Then, a few seasons back, the hubs and I watched Top Chef Masters. Rick Bayless was a contestant and become my top pick. He seemed genuine. He exuded passion for food. He was nice. And he won--rightly so, I might add.

So on our recent weekend getaway to the Windy City, a meal at Frontera Grill, perhaps the chef's most famous, was a m-u-s-t. There were no available reservations, which we inquired about THREE months ago. The restaurant does allow walk-ins. So we got in line (yes, in line) at 4:15 to score a spot. Frontera opened at 5, and we were seated at 5:20 in the bar. Did you get that? We were there 45 minutes before opening, waited in line, and still didn't get a seat in the main dining area. We ate at a cute little table for two by the bar. And I will never complain. Ever.

The food was so original . . . and so AMAZING! Bryan raved and raved over the black beans. Yes, the black beans were the best ever. Bayless makes black beans spectacular. I had this chili-infused, melt-in-your mouth steak. Hallelujah. So, so good. Really, it was unlike any steak I'd eaten before.

Rick, we are best friends now.

Oh, and did I mention the hallway to the bathrooms are lined with James Beard awards after James Beard award (that's like an Oscar in culinary land), along with other awards. Unbelievable.

Frontera did not disappoint! When can we go back????

During Nap

Anna went to sleep at 2:10.

I went downstairs to check the rug and wood floor I soaked last night when watering a plant too much. The carpet and floor were dry. I moved the plant on the carpet to clean the plant holder. I discovered mold on the bottom of the plant holder and thus, the wood floor. (My husband is now grimacing as he reads this.)

Out comes the wood cleaner. I set the plant holder outside. I see spots on the glass door I've been meaning to clean.

Out comes the window cleaner. And then I remember to clean a spot on the dining room window. All left by you-know-who.

Back to the floor and mold and water--all clean. I move the plant onto a plastic pan I retrieved from the laundry room. Quickly realize, there is now water and dirt on the new rug.

Out comes the carpet cleaner. Spray. Wait three minutes.

Gather the towels from the floor under the dining table being used to soak up a glass of milk spilt by Anna at lunch. Toss in laundry.

Notice crumbs under table on other side. Sweep.

Use damp, color-fast cloth to clean rug. Vacuum.

Get out mop. Clean sticky, milk floor and decide to mop by front and back door since I'm usually the culprit tracking in.

Put all cleaning products away.

Open dishwasher to unload. Realize the soap dispenser never opened but was stuck on the tab.

Restart dishwasher. Wash lunch dishes by hand.

What ever happened to sleep when the baby toddler sleeps?