Tales of a Yummy Mommy: Old MacDonald Lives in the Woods

Lately, we have been into singing, not about Old MacDonald who has a farm but, about Old MacDonald who lives in the woods.
"Old MacDonald lives in the woods...E-I-E-I-O! And in the woods there lives a wolf! E-I-E-I-O! With a howl, howl here, and a howl, howl there!..." You get the picture. The revised, and dare I say, highly improved version of the beloved classic is a hit. Some of the sounds the animals in the woods make may surprise you, as well as the unlikely animals themselves that may appear (who says dinosaurs don't live in the woods?) Ariel likes the sound the deer makes, "Shhh, shh! here and a shh! shh! there", and always joins in for that one.

Amidst all the sadness with my grandma's funeral, and the chaos of two children, and the grind of everyday life, there has still been so much to smile about around here. Elyse, for one, has been grinning ear-to-ear, and brightening up even the cloudiest of days.
Today, I was trying to purchase some new, warmer gloves for Ariel that she so desperately needs, but it is just one of those things that I have regrettably been putting off doing. During Ariel's nap time, after feeding Elyse, I managed to sneak away and finally found a great pair. When I went to pay, the store's whole debit system was down, and I rarely carry cash on me as an alternative method of payment. Call it bad luck. As I was driving away empty-handed, it occurred to me that I may be able to use a personal cheque (at the recommendation of my resourceful husband), so I turned around and headed back in. Well, that would not fly either, so they put my items on hold and said they would give me a call when their system was back up. They called soon after I got home, while I was in the midst of feeding Elyse, and Ariel's waking cries a few short minutes away. I already felt so defeated. There was no way I was going back out there. You only have so many hours in the day, and it is so frustrating when those hours feel wasted, especially during your child's nap time.
Elyse's feed came to an end and she was left sitting facing me on my lap. Out of nowhere, the beginnings of a smile danced their way across her face, and she finally stretched her mouth out into a huge smile again and again. Elyse's smile reminds me of bubbling brooks, prancing butterflies and blooming flowers - it is simply a joy to behold and makes me feel giddy. She didn't stop there though. As I talked to her, she let out a few small sounds that prompted my happiness and laughter, and soon she was giggling too.
Elyse laughed for the first time today, and it was so special - a truly momentous occasion - as is any baby's first giggles. Baby laughter is in a league of its own - nothing can compare! Needless to say, that made my day despite the cloudy skies.