Hair Raising Day!

So it is a very typical day in our city - rainy and wet, windy and cold. I would rather not go out into the muck and mire but it is Sunday so the family bundled up with umbrellas in hand and headed for downtown. All was well, but when it was time to come home I remembered that I needed to go buy Gracie some clothes to wear around the house and/or sleep in. **... oh, I just had to stop writing and go into the stairwell to try and determine who was banging so that I could ask them to stop before they woke Gracie - this is also a daily occurance.....*** anyway, so I needed to get Gracie some cheap play clothes and since we were in the area I thought it was a good time. Of course we had to go to the bank first which meant walking about half a mile from where we were. Then we had to backtrack and walk another half mile or so to the store. Now Gracie is starting to get really heavy but we had to hold her because there were gray puddles everywhere... so poor Matt is trying to manage the Michelin baby and an umbrella while avoiding cars and bikes that never seem to have any rhyme nor reason to the direction in which they choose to go. So by the time we are at the store it is Gracie's nap time. So I hurry to buy a few things and made good time - 10 minutes later I was ready to come home. Our friend Dave was with us and I knew he had hoped to get lunch. I was hungry and I knew Matt had to be hungry so I offered to bring Gracie home and let the boys go out for a bite. That seemed reasonable to me at the time. I mean I have often gone to the market or grocery and come back lugging Gracie and several large bags. What I didn't figure into the equation today was the rain - which leads to a filthy mess!

We live in a pretty nice community now. We like it a lot regardless of the constant banging - but because taxis and cars aren't aloud to drive around inside the complex we have to walk a good way from the gate to our apartment. On a nice day when we aren't carrying loads of groceries it isn't bad, but on a day like today it was insane. Gracie was too heavy so I had to put her down and she wouldn't budge. Not a step! Frustrating. Granted it was already 15 minutes past her nap time. So finally I coerce her to our building but then she starts pitching a fit wanting to hold something that was in one of the bags. So here I am trying to just get us home before the outburst that I am sure is on its way and there is only 3 flights of stairs separating me from my destination. Juggling the umbrella, bags and Gracie I shot up the stairs. Too Late!!! Gracie was screaming. So you're thinking, well at least you're home. Yeah, but now we have to get the shoes off before going 3 feet pass the door. I, of course, have on these impossible boots (aka - I can't step on the heel and get them off in a hurry), so I am just trying to get Gracie situated because I know if I put her down and take my hands off her she will take off and track all of China into the house. Then I realize her pants are all yucky from walking home. So I proceed to pull those off too - and her leggings and diaper come too... the diaper was soaked so I just discarded it and pulled the leggings back up. Now I have to act quick! So I get my boots off and rush down the hall to put a diaper on Gracie. Mind you, I still have on several layers including my wool coat. Once in Gracie's room I pull out a diaper and sit on the floor and before I can get her down she pees all over me - dry clean only pants, my wool coat - everything! Puddle in the floor! So I LOST it! I was hot, exhausted, and now peed on! Finally we got the mess cleaned up, our clothes changed and an hour past Gracie's nap time I turned off her light and fought with her to put her head down. Yikes! What an afternoon.

....into the same day... 7 hours later.... Gracie is in bed for the night. She has only been asleep about 10 - 15 minutes when we hear what sounds like WWIII. No kidding. Of course we knew if was fireworks - we had them for a wake-up call this morning too. Somebody over here got married today. I rushed to Gracie's room just as she was beginning to freak out. Poor thing - she gets so scared when firecrackers are set off nearby - can't blame her. It's not like it's just a few, no! the strand probably contains at least 1000 tiny bombs that fill the air with the most horrific noise and smoke you have ever heard or seen. It is a sight to behold, but not when Gracie is around! Ah, China. What an adventure!