What I've realized today.

You might think that I know everything already.

And you would be wrong. 

Well over a month ago, Halle took a big three hour test while I was at Kenny Rogers.  Her Macca took her.  It was a smarty pants test to see if she was smarty enough to be in a special smarty pants class next year.  We got her test results back in the mail today.

She's a smarty pants.

I am so proud of her.  But not because she's smart.  I'm super proud of her for taking the test in the first place.  She was nervous and was afraid she might not do well.  Plus, I was out of town.  She was courageous and did it despite her fear. 

She's a brave smarty pants.

I am also proud of her because she's accepted the place in the new class.  This is huge.  She's super shy, and when she was the "new kid" in 3rd grade, it was disastrous.  Like, cry going to and coming home from school.  Every day.  Like, eat by yourself at lunch and stand against the wall at recess loneliness.  It was awful and my heart broke for her.  She didn't realize it, but I often cried myself home after dropping her off.  Then she made a new best friend.  And things have gone fairly well since.  But next year, she'll be in a new class.  It's the same school and she will know a small handful of kids, but she is gathering up her courage to try it.  And I couldn't be more proud.  It takes a VERY brave girl to try something a second time when it didn't go well the first.

She's a lot like her Daddy in that respect.

The second thing that happened today was a visit to Sage's vet.  We were there a year ago when she ate the sweater.  Remember that fiasco?  Well, we love Sage.  A lot.  And I've noticed that she's been going downhill lately.  She can't run as well as she did three years ago (which wasn't super well.) And she asks to go out the front door with the ramp instead of the back door with the steps.  I give her dog aspirin when I think she hurts.  Anyway, I thought maybe they could do something to help. 

Remember when I have said that Sage is dumb?  Well, I am thinking twice about that tonight because she knew INSTANTLY that she wasn't at Cameron and Holly's house.  At first I think she thought she was.  She was super excited to get out of the car.  Tail wagging, tongue flopping.  And then she realized she wasn't where she thought she was.  It was almost like her leg was miraculously healed as she almost jumped back into the car.  Her tail sunk and her tongue disappeared.  She shook from head to ....tail.  She definitely remembers what they did to her at that vets office last year. 

Long story short, they heaved her up onto the table, and gave her the examination of a lifetime.  Halle about died when they stuck the thermometer in her.  The bottom line is this:  She's old.  She is about eleven we think.  The lifespan of a Lab is 9-14 years.  She has an abnormally formed heart, front left leg, and left back knee.  And she is riddled with arthritis.  So they gave us a sample of dog drugs, and I came home and bought a tub of them off Amazon for half the price. 

My dog is old. 

And she is oh, so sweet.  That doctor had a thermometer up her rear end and was squeezing her hurt leg and she licked him.  I'm going to cry when she goes...

We went to dinner to celebrate Halle's excellent test scores tonight and I realized that my guts aren't as up to snuff as they used to be.  Not that they've ever been decent.  I ate all kinds of things at dinner and what is giving me trouble?  A small square of watermelon I stole off Jack's plate.  Watermelon.  What is even in watermelon that would give me heartburn?  Water?!  Nothing else gives me heartburn. 

Maybe it's because it was stolen.

I might be thrust to hell over a piece of stolen fruit that made me sick.

Eh, it would be my luck.

The last thing I've realized is that my acceptance of two children was made on shaky ground.  I texted my friend and asked her if she was in labor.  She responded with "Kind of."  I got so excited, I texted her for HOURS afterward.  That will teach her to tell me anything.  Anyway, it made me realize that only being able to have two babies is still not a healed wound.  I thought it was. 

It's not.

And can you blame me when my babies look like this?!?!

*SIGH*

Why can't I have everything I want?!