Dear Diary,

9:00 AM  Just decided to take a moment to update you on life as I sit on the front porch with my daily morning “coffee and mac moment.”  Whew!  Summer has taken off and is in full effect.  The girls and I went to the pool every single day this week and only took a break yesterday to head shopping, which is another ordeal in and of itself.  We even stayed at the pool an unprecedented 10 hours one day.  Mary Clare and I headed there around 11 with lunch.  We ate, swam, waited on McCanless who had spent the night with a friend, swam a bit more, and ate a bit more.  When McCanless arrived, we replayed the day then headed to the playground with the “regular” pool crew and by 5, one mom suggested we order pizza delivery.  We got dinner and a second wind.  Once the pool closed at 7, we headed to the grassy field and playground by the lake to catch fireflies.   Love summer!

Yesterday, we switched up our daily summer schedule and headed for a girls shopping excursion. (Only after visiting the Downtown Marketplace and having lunch at the Midnight Rooster.)  I thought as the girls got older, shopping trips would get easier, maybe even fun-not so much. At one point yesterday, I was in a tiny dressing room at Target, MC and McCanless (laughing at me standing there almost naked), were loud, giddy and obnoxiously  tossing a huge red ball around, nearly busting out a light fixture just before MC crawled out under the stall as I’m still half naked trying to coerce her to return to the stall.  They had to try on bathing suits, shoes, goggles, clothes, sunglasses; test lawn chairs (for Mimi’s pool), and new bikes; purchase new bowls, spoons and muffin tins for our summer kitchen projects.  Apparently, they have big plans for summer.  “Mom, LOOK at this,” I heard way more than I care to remember.

Then, we had two more stops in Florence.

Needless to say, our shopping excursion was our only accomplishment yesterday.   We did, however, make it back in time to head to Mimi’s for dinner and swimming with Molly, Will and Casey Haarlow, our Rome cousins visiting for Bapa’s birthday week.  More fun times in the pool.  We’ll head back over today for a cookout and more pool time.  I’m convinced that the girls will grow gills before the end of summer.

Not only is McCanless perfecting her freestyle stroke and dive, she is counting down to summer camp!  One week to go!  She is so excited and can’t wait to get there.  She is certainly growing up way too fast and it breaks my heart.  My little gap tooth dreamer is quickly becoming my brace face with attitude hanging out with her friends at the pool snack bar every day.  She’s so funny and still has her Daddy’s quick wit.  I can’t wait to see how camp life treats her.

In MC health news…I’ve been cautiously watching Mary Clare this week.  We’ve had a busy, fun week, but definitely a tiresome week.  I was concerned that it was a bit too much for her.  She has seemed to take it all well, but I can certainly tell when her little body has had enough.  She didn’t nap at all this week, but has crashed at night and sleeps until around 10 every day.  She continues to have her daily “tics,” her myoclonic seizures.  She may have 5-10 a day, but has not had a grand mal since her May 20th, 7 minute episode.  We will head to Charleston in July for an EEG video study.  They’ll get an EEG read for 3-5 days and will add a second seizure med to her daily regimen.  I’m not thrilled to add a second, but I know that we need to get her seizures under control.  It breaks my heart to know that she’s already on 500 mg of Depakote a day, and it’s still not working.  I just don’t want this to change her little personality in any way.  I already feel that the Depakote makes her more aggressive and maybe moody some days.  I guess it’s all a process.  We’ll get there.  In MC heart news, she’s doing great!  For the first time in her life, she’s only on her daily asprin!  No BP meds, or anything else!  My baby girl is so amazing and I’m so proud of her.  This summer we hope to tackle potty training and maybe even learn to swim without floaties.  (Wouldn’t that be a hoot, to learn to swim before she’s potty trained!)  I’m certainly not pushing her or setting discouraging goals.  Life is certainly too short to worry about the trivial.  She may not wear big girl panties just yet, but she has survived more than most people do in several lifetimes!

I have two amazing little girls that are loving every minute of life!  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a pool calling.  (Once the girls wake up, that is.)

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