Potty Times

Well, we did it! We left Tucson, we left Arizona. We are now in Albuquerque, NM. The morning started off incredibly! Auntie Karen made scrambled eggs, fresh fruit and juice. She packed us each an amazing lunch. She made a couple of music CDs for our trip and hid little quotes inside bags as she packed them. WE felt so loved, cherished, nurtured and sent off well. Of course, the moment Gabrielle hugged her good-bye we all started to cry. That was the moment I have been dreading since all of this started. She's an amazing sister, a confidant, a good friend and she and Jim have been lifesavers on more than one occasion. We will all miss having them at our weekly family dinners, not to mention all the holidays. So the tears came, bathing us in connection, family and love. We're in your heart Auntie and Uncle. Poor Uncle Jim was also off to the courthouse as he'd been called in for Jury duty again. He's been called many times and always ends up serving so a yucky day for him. How come so many people get called repeatedly with a million people residing in the Tucson area. Ughh

Well, sorry to disappoint Melissa, but we made it to Albuquerque in record time, seven hours. The girls were PHENOMENAL! They looked at maps, watched the landscape, counted train cars, looked for license plates, colored, red books and we sang a lot. We did not even need to watch a DVD. After lunch we listened to a book on CD and then they both took naps for about an hour until we reached Alb. Then, they watched a little PBS while I took a quick shower and snooze.

We did have the privilege of hanging out with Rev. Dr. Lee Albertson from First UCC in Alb tonight. He's an amazing guy. I only called him yesterday and it worked out. So he took us out to dinner for pizza and then Baskin Robbins for dessert. We all loved getting caught up. It was like whipped cream on top of dessert, a great way to end a fantastic day.

We're staying at LaQuinta tonight and it's clean and quite lovely. The girls feel really important to be in such a nice place. When we walked in Elvis was seated in the breakfast area hanging out with two of his friends! I was a bit surprised because his friends were really underdressed. It was chubby Elvis with the gold rimmed glasses. I was surprised to find him here at LaQuinta in New Mexico, but I guess the desert would be a good place to hang out, sober up, get your center back.

The best part of today involves Gabrielle and the potty. We take the potty training seat with us on long trips. It's an excellent way to be able to stop on the side of the road anywhere for the girls to potty. Then I leave the deposits, ziplock bag the paper, and clorax wipe and we're back on the road. Today, Gabrielle had to go as we were between Silver City and Hatch NM. We were on a two laned highway so it was actually easier to stop in spite of being out in the middle of desert. Well, I misjudged the side of the road and we ended up not in foliage but a huge picker patch. Of course, I come around the car first and don't realize it until she's on the potty and I'm pulling stickers out of my hands. Then she starts screaming bloody murder while pee starts flying everywhere…A giant black beetle type bug with red stripes was headed towards her and freaked her out. Great! Now I have to be calm, get the girl to sit back down, avert the giant beetle which is sensing trouble so now at a quick jog, and get us out of the picker patch. Luckily supermom was on duty, the beetle didn't like being pelted with sand and quickly changed course without having to be squished. Which would have been wretched as it was huge! And, most importantly not one drop of pee ended up on clothing, hers or mine. Now, if the angry blisters from some of the prickers would go away tonight, gripping the wheel tomorrow will be more pleasant.

I know some of you think I'm crazy for decided to drive out. But check it out! I got to be a super hero to Gabrielle. I saw Elvis with my very own eyes at a breakfast nook in Albuquerque and capped it all off with a good friend and ice cream! Wow! That just doesn't happen in airports. Not to mention the joy of hearing the girls squeal with joy when they saw something beautiful, new or interesting. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!