I'm a Car Rider, Gumbo and Cooking

Carrie is proud of her new status. She is a car rider. No more big yellow buses for this little girl. We've decided this in the last two months of school last year when we heard about the children on the bus shooting staples at each other. HEY! You could put an eye out with that kinda stuff!

Carrie spent the night. That's two nights in a row she has stayed with me. The evening goes by much too quickly. By 2030 hrs. (8:30pm) she has to be in bed. Lights out, television off, I wait the 10 minutes it takes her to relax and fall asleep. It's time for me to get out of bed and make my way to the living room where I either Skype with a friend or watch TV for a while.

The morning arrives; I've been awake for at least 2hrs before I make my way to the bedroom to wake Carrie. This morning I placed the laptop where she could see it and I gently nudged her awake. As soon as her eyes opened, I hit the link to the video showing a dog and his owner talking to each other. The dog's voice was a lip synch and I listened as Carrie broke into giggles watching this video.

By the time the video was over, she was awake and in such a great mood to start her day.

We have a routine and it never varies. She knows this routine so the mornings are stress free. Everything she needs to wear or take to school is laid out in exactly the same spot the night before. To the living room coffee table, her first stop there is to get her uniform and get dressed. She goes to the kitchen where her milk is poured into a short green tumbler. Carrie is not a big breakfast person but she did have a light breakfast this morning. Her hair and teeth get attention, her shoes and socks are last. She usually puts these on while in the car on the way to school.
Her book bag by the door is grabbed on the way out and we are off!

I have to be this organized and have a routine. I get too stressed if I don't have a plan. Carrie does better, as any child does, with a routine. There is no questions about what she is supposed to do in the morning, nor what she is wearing  or where her clothes are.

After delivering her to school I returned home and doctored up the gumbo. More chicken and sausage was added to it and I let it cook for another twenty minutes. The daughter will be by later to pick it up and serve it to her family and house guests tonight.

I've spent another hour or so on the phone with family. My big brother calls daily to check on me and make sure I'm feeling fine; the niece in Germany called again for another nice conversation. I'm thankful for unlimited minutes on my cell phone and on her international calling plan that allows her to talk and still be frugal.



Chicken and dumplings are on the menu for tomorrow night. I'm in a cooking mood lately and since I'm alone here. The food gets directed to the daughter and I get to clean up a messy kitchen. It's time to do just that. I'm done with cooking for today and it's only 1030!