After 62 frozen go-gurts, 37 otterpops, 24 pickles, 42,712 glasses of liquid, 19 cups of cottage cheese, and 33 doses of codeine syrup shoved down her throat….Mia is normal again, relatively speaking that is.

She sleeps through the night without holding her breath, has a completely cuter voice, and consumed an entire bag of lays potato chips today.

This has been a long 2 week recovery process right here in the middle of summer.  She’s been under strict instructions to restrict activity and avoid the heat altogether.

and wow.  Can you say SUCK???  For 14 days straight we have been in the house trying to entertain ourselves in any way possible.  We’ve colored, painted, play-dohed,  Phineas & Pherbed, and Sponge-Bobbed ourselves stupid.

If I have to watch that ridiculous movie Gnomeo and Juliett one more time… I swear, I’m gonna kick somebody’s ass.

Thankfully, Lauren the thoughtful, bought Mia silly-puddy in a pail of goodies the day of her surgery….

It was a HIT.

She had a silly-puddy party the other day in her room….

I would have never guessed a 4-yr-old could be so creative and content with a handful of candles and silly-puddy for so long.

She put on her new pretty dress, asked for a clip in her hair, and played pretend all afternoon……

I eaves-dropped only a little….

OK, maybe a lot.

A 4-yr-olds conversations between her silly puddy and her trapezoids can be pretty damned interesting.

Unfortunatley, I am loudest and clumsiest eavesdropper known to man.

I got totally busted.

Eavesdropping….perhaps it’s a skill I should hone for the future.

Say, when she’s about 12.

I’ve heard of mothers who hide baby monitors under their children’s beds to listen in on their conversations.

I don’t want to speak to soon, but she shouldn’t put it past me.

I’ll be the first to admit, I am scared to death of her heart being broken.

Growing up is hard.  People can be mean.  Maybe I’ll know what to say to her when she comes home crying.

I wish she could stay this age.   Having pretend parties in her bedroom is not hard, nobody gets their feelings hurt.

Pickle anyone????

But for now, we have the rest of the summer to enjoy.  And enjoy we will……

This momma turns 31 on Monday.  I love the 4th.  And we’re taking a roadtrip in celebration.

We’re loading up the 4-Runner and heading to Great Wold Lodge for the 2nd year in a row.

Dinner for the birthday girl at a fine eatery near by.

July has a lot in store.

I am so thankful.

Momma bangs for the birthday……….

Happy Fourth of July.  I hope you get to spend it with friends and family.