So ... to preface today's blog, you need to understand 3 things.

1. For the past week, Ellie has been inseparable with her green "purse" of sidewalk chalk - still shrink-wrapped. I bought it for her last Tuesday from the dollar section in Target, and for some reason, it has never left her side. She walks around the house with it, brings it in the car, on errands, to school (leaving it in daddy's office), she sleeps with it ... it is the first thing she thinks about in the morning and the last at night. I have no idea why, but she loves the thing!

2. For the past week, my ears have been blocked and have hurt a bit. I've been wondering if I have an ear infection, and finally decided to go to the doctor.

3. For the past week (ok, past month or so), Ellie has been telling us when she poops. "I POOOOPing!" This is good, except she uses the same phrase for any lower bodily function ... toots, pee ... you get the idea. So it has become a bit of a "cry wolf" thing for us. "Pooping?" we say. "Yeah right. You'll be fine for a few more hours."

So, now that you understand those 3 points, let's commence with today's story.

The day started out with Ellie waking up ... and her chalk is nowhere to be found. She fell asleep with it last night ... it is gone this morning. Honestly, where can a bright green plastic container of chalk go? But alas, it has escaped us! We've looked ... and cannot find it. Ellie cried and cried for her chalk and we tried reasoning with her ... it worked a bit ... but 2 year olds do not reason well. Anyways, Aaron took Caleb and Ellie to school and I stopped off at the bank before Ladies Bible Study. Sooooo, I had the bright idea of also stopping in Target to pick up ANOTHER purse of $1 chalk. YES, problem solves, right? No. Target has no more chalk. Apparently, many other 2 year old girls have a chalk fettish as well.

Well, I went to Ladies Bible Study and left early for my doctor's appointment. Our family practioner is right down the street so it's very convenient. I checked in for my 11:15am appointment ... and was finally seen at 12:45. Yes ... apparently, it was one of those days at the doctor's office! I read through 2 Martha Stewart magazines ... and I mean READ through them. It was that or Men's Health. I also half listened to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire because the contestant was from Eagan, MN ... where I grew up! She didn't win. Anyways, I was finally called, was weighed, blood pressured, ears checked out, got medicine and a prescription (I have fluid behind the ear drums and an infection which accounts for the pressure and pain) and drove home by 1pm. Sigh. Fortunately, Aaron was able to pick up the kids and watch them through lunch time!

Aaron left for work, and me and the kiddos trucked off to a different Target ... for my prescription and to see if there was any chalk! No chalk. And the pharmacy was closed for lunch. We walked around Target for awhile, looked at the toys - very annoying loud toys in my opinion - and the pharmacy was STILL closed. sigh. Soooo, we went across the street to ACMoore in hopes of spending some time there waiting for the pharmacy to open. Fortunately, what I wanted was 75% plus my 20% coupon so I was very happy. In ACMoore, Ellie announced, "I POOPing." "Yeah, right," I thought. I couldn't smell anything, so it's probably something else. We ended up leaving ACMoore for home (Aaron booked an eye appointment for himself this evening, and I need to drive him in case they do a eye-dilation-whatever-exam so we'll head back to Target then). It was good - it was past 2, and Ellie was in the beginning stages of a melt-down. She NEEDED a nap.

We got home, Ellie was so tired she didn't know what to do with herself, and Caleb wanted to play badmitton (don't ask). I carried Ellie up to her room to change her diaper before naptime ... only to discover she had the nastiest diaper I've seen in months! It was a 20-wet-wiper. Poor thing. She really DID poop this time! (For those of you counting, YES, this blog does contain another reference to poop. Huzzah!)

I'm tired. But I will praise the Lord anyhow ... I can praise God that ...
1. I live in a country where 2 hours is a long time to wait for the doctor, and I'm able to get medicine when I need it.
2. The biggest issue for my child is where is her favorite chalk and not something life-threatening.
3. Ellie's colon works very well. It could be worse. It could not work at all.
4. Someone invented wet wipes. Bless them.

~JG