Monday, May 14, 2007

You Make the Best of What's Still Around

Coadster getting ready to beat the pinata on her 5th birthday.

My labor with Coadster began in earnest about twenty minutes after I started watching House Party II. Even if I hadn't been pregnant, I would probably have had to go to the ER after watching two hours of Kid 'n' Play.

At this time fifteen years ago, I had already been in labor with Coadster for almost twenty-four hours and I still had at least ten more to go. If I had been paying attention, I would've been prepared for how stubborn she is, but I was too busy begging for drugs at the time. My Coadster birthday tribute post from last year is here.

Here are me and the girls being big dorks at Christmas one year. Obviously, I had a bad cold and that's why my nose was so red, so don't even try to give me shit about it.

I can tell you exactly where she gets her stubborn streak, (I'm looking in the mirror right now) but a lot of her other traits are almost the opposite of mine. Luckily, we've always meshed very well. She's much better now, but when she was younger, she had a tendency to get upset when things in her world weren't exactly as she thought they should be. I'm more laid back about everything. She's good at helping me to get my shit taken care of better, and I'm good at helping her relax and keeping her from getting quite so fatalistic when one or two things don't go the way she planned.

Me and Coadster in the Badlands on my 40th birthday trip.

She also somehow developed a sense of direction. Where she got it? I don't know, but if it weren't for her, we'd probably still be driving around and around the Black Hills looking for our cabin.

So, Happy Birthday Coadster! I don't know what I'd do without you. Oh, wait. Yes, I do. I'd be wandering around lost and forgetting to pay my bills on time.

16 comments:

Dagromm said...

I know what you mean. House Party was a hard act to follow. "Follow the drip. Follow the drip." Damn they don't write them like that anymore.

Anonymous said...

Hey great post...it was lovely reading through it...and nice photos too..thanks for sharing all of them...really enjoyed myself reading through this!!!

Lynnster said...

Aw, great pics. Happy Birthday, Coadster!

Poptart said...

Happy Birthday Coadster! I can't believe I have known you guys for that long. What an awesome team you and the girls make. Great post. I'm all verklempt.

Margaret said...

Happy Birtday Coadster, and Happy Coadsterday Churlita!

rel said...

Churlita,
Didn't they have epidurals back then?
A mother and a teenage daughter that get along! Now that's something to be grateful for.

Happy birthday Coadster!!!!
rel

booda baby said...

I haven't read last year's tribute, but it's hard to see how it could be better than this one. This was like seeing you in one of those snow globes. I love snow globes. I love miniature thingies. Not enough to made any miniature doll house or anything. I'm more of a Joseph Cornell miniatures/shadow boxes kinda gal. But still: in one little space, you got all the good, glowy stuff. it was WONDERFUL.

laura b. said...

Seems like you have such a great relationship with your daughters and that is really a tremendous thing.

David in DC said...

Happy Birthday Coadster, and many happy returns.

You've got a cool mom.

She's right; a hand-kissing game of Spin-the-Bottle is, in fact, wussy.

Heather Anne Hogan said...

Hooray! Happy Birthday, Coadster!

dmarks said...

Happy Birthday to Coadster!

Churlita said...

Dagromm,

That may not be such a bad thing...

Carol,

Thanks. Come back again sometime.

Lynnster,

Thanks. I'll pass it along.

Poptart,

Hee hee. Remember when she was just born and she was so tiny?

Margaret,

Thanks.

Rel,

They did, but I couldn't take one because I wasn't dilated enough. My dr. told me that most women's contractions weren't that hard at that phase and that I must not be very lucky.

Booda Baby,

Thanks. I loves me some snow globes.

LB,

Thanks. I'm pretty lucky that way, but we still have a few years to go.

David in DC,

I'll let her read that when she gets back from her soccer game tonight.

Heather Anne and DMarks,

I'll pass on the love.

Brando said...

A very happy birthday to the Coadster. Dig the picture of the Badlands -- that place is so cool.

Anonymous said...

Watching House Party almost put me in labor, that was a painful movie to get through.

Happy birthday to your Coadster. Have a great many more.

fringes said...

Happy birthday! A great family is the best gift every year.

Churlita said...

Brando,

I know. I loved the Badlands and the Black Hills.

Evil-E,

Agreed, and thanks.

Fringes,

It's true. I'm very grateful.