A Frighful Story

Just a brief update: my mom is waiting for a second opinion before treatment is decided. She should hear more from the good doctors at Loma Linda in the next few days.

Also: Steve's grandmother is battling lung cancer and has been in the hospital with pneumonia. She is gaining some strength and her appetites has come back. Our prayers go out for recovery and comfort.

On another note:

I had my first big scare with Aleyah. Yesterday I was upstairs blow-drying my hair (something I do just about every day). After turning off the blow dryer, I could hear Sesame Street playing on the TV downstairs. I remember thinking, "what a catchy song." I make my way downstairs to see if Aleyah is diggin' the song. She is not there. I realize that it is very quiet. I walk into the kitchen. She is not there. It is at this moment that I see the back slider open (we do not have a fence, nor do any of our neighbors). I think to myself, "She must be on the patio." She is not there. I immediately look to my left and see a bit of pink through my neighbors evergreen trees. Let me add that it is the coldest day it has been since winter earlier in the year and the wind is whipping hard. Thankfully Aleyah comes running back towards our house when I call out to her. She is wearing her tutu, leggings, a Halloween shirt and her Princess Tiana heels. What a sight in the frigid cold! I notice my dog about three houses down and it doesn't take long to figure out what happened. Aleyah's cheeks are close to frozen and she is panting heavily. I call out to my dog and thankfully she comes speeding back to the house ( a good thing, because I was not about to chase her around the neighborhood in these weather conditions). I start reprimanding Aleyah and ask, "Why did you open the door?" Not willing to take responsibility she replies, "Misha not listening Me." I continue, "But Aleyah, you opened the door "(something she has never done during the five months she has been here). She throws her arms up in the air and shakes them about wildly repeating, "Misha not listening Me. Aleyah said Misha go see Mommy. Misha not listening Me." She wasn't going to fess up. I of course told her to never do that again. I told her that it was very dangerous. She listened intently and repeated, "Misha not listening Me."

In all truthfulness, it was my fault for not securing the slider in the first place. So not a good moment for me. I didn't beat myself up too much, but it certainly taught me a lesson. Note to self: "If you want to keep your kid and dog...secure back slider."

We embrace, my warm cheek against her frigid one. And I then wonder, "How long was she out there running around shouting at her dog, arms waving wildly in the air in her little tutu and Princess Tiana heels?"

I thought about it some more later that day. Aleyah must have been in quite a panic thinking, "Oh shoot, I better get this dog back in the house!" Thank you God for watching over my little one when I'm not. Ugggh!!