"Hey, Meth Teeth! Are you guys going to bring the cupcakes to May's birthday party?" I was groping for a parent's name as he walked by while I idled in the car rider lane with my windows down. Really? Meth Teeth? Well, I didn't bellow it out my window. In fact, I didn't say it at all but, to me, he will henceforth always be referred to in my mind as Meth Teeth and I really needed to know if they arebringing the cupcakes.

Beatle had a school musical tonight. They sat out about 150 less chairs than they needed, no lie. I have yet to be in that gym when it didn't rank in the Top Ten Worst Experiences of the Year. We took the babies. I had Dum-Dums ready in the diaper bag should they start losing their cool...I should have broke them out for me as soon as I saw the chair situation! We were still 10 min out from the program starting when the two of them start going hog wild. At that moment, Brent and I realized that the best bet for our family now is to split up and just send a representative to video so he took the girls home and I clawed my way to the front for a good video footage like the other good Kindergarten parents. They let out some bleachers and I was in pretty good position but right before the younger ones started their program, a mom moved in beside me while the Mimi, Honey, or whatever hip name she dubbed herself with and the 3-year-old granddaughter flanked me. All the audio I kept getting was this mom, breathing down my neck, whining to her mom about how she couldn't see anything. The Sweetie kept commenting about how she loved the music teacher and how she was "da bomb" because she was getting into it and the girl kept kicking my back. Finally, I realized that the audio was my only shot at EVER knowing what this musical was about because while Beatle had started off strong, my video was now just of her standing there and occasionally yawning. So, I jumped ship and moved down the bleachers and the other mom slid the three inches over to take my still-warm seat. Then, I found myself in another predicament when the song ended and a mom and dad had returned to their seats after going "mobile cam". I asked if I had taken their seats they both said "no" but after I started realizing who belonged together, I started feeling weird. I was now sitting between the husband and wife and the wife and her mother. It was SO weird! I wanted to just leave the whole, darn musical but I stayed after insisting that the wife and I switch places.

Oh, so much is going on with Baby and I'm not sure how much I can/should really blog about right now. The good news first, she stood on her own, letting go and everything last Thursday! it was so exciting! We've never known her as a bi-ped. She was much better after this last visit. The caseworker and I put our heads together about why she was withdrawn last week and I think we've figured it out. I got a call this evening that Baby won't be having her visit with mom tomorrow because mom went into labor. Baby's a big sister as of tonight! I didn't know if I should visit mom in the hospital or not. What's the proper etiquette on that? I was making excuses to BR about it when Beatle chimed in with all of the love and wisdom you'd expect to get out of a spiritual leader when he/she rebukes you. We were flabbergasted. She was telling us to imagine how we'd feel in that hospital room, feeling all alone and thinking of all her babies. And, it wasn't till that moment that I realized that she really doesn't have anyone. She loves her kids and doesn't do so much as even smoke, she's got her problems, I know, but we all know parents like that but the big difference is that family or friends step in and provide that social support that all single moms need. She doesn't have that at all. We, undoubtedly, did a great thing tonight by taking her a devotional, a journal, and more pictures of Baby. We listened to her labor story, her description of how perfect he is and were the first ones to see him (and she had him a few hours before). Reflecting on Beatle and Birdie's births, there was such joy surrounding it; and while I felt many things, alone was NOT one of them and I wouldn't have had it any other way. My feelings of pity and saddness only grow when my mind returns to her at this time in her life. I can take NO credit for what we did tonight. Thank you, God, that my daughter knows you and she knows compassion for lonely people...even Meth Teeth. Sorry, I had to lighten it up, I was getting weepy.