The Crab Chronicles

Home from Edisto

Saturday March 8, 2006 [see new photos]

Had an exhausting trip today, after getting up and cleaning my room and bathroom, and washing linens. The rental agreement was we would either clean up after ourselves or forfeit the $250 security deposit. Seemed like an easy thing until we were actually running around like mad trying to do it. The three toddlers didn’t help, of course, but Alesia kept them entertained pretty well. I brought back all the towels and several sets of sheets, since the house didn’t come with linens. Tons of laundry to do tomorrow.

The drive back was easy until we hit Columbia, then the weather turned nasty. There were torrential rains for several hours, and it was nerve-wracking. It finally cleared up around Madison. I heard the Masters was stopped due to rain, and there were tornadoes in Tennessee last night that killed a dozen people. Mom said here the electricity went out and it was a noisy storm.

The drive was not only tiring due to the rain and my bad cold. Alesia alternated between being pleasant and being a pill. She whined a lot about the long drive – 6 hours, which really isn’t that bad. The car was packed up so tight she couldn’t easily get to her backpack and entertain herself with books, etc., which was partially my fault. I won’t make that mistake again.

It’s so nice to be back typing on my normal keyboard rather than Barb’s laptop. That thing drove me crazy, even with the regular mouse attached.

Mom had hot soup waiting for us. I managed to get my stuff unpacked, but there are still some kitchen things to be put away. Mom seemed to manage pretty well here on her own, but said her shoulders hurt. Dressing herself is still tough.

Mom took Coco to the vet yesterday and had her stitches removed from the last grooming accident. The doctor had the results of her skin test. She has some strange skin disease which causes her skin to be very delicate and easily torn. He said there’s nothing that can be done about it, but possibly Vitamin C would help. We can look for some baby vitamins tomorrow. Coco seems fine. I hate that she has this – the vet said it’s a rare genetic condition. I will pray every day that she will live a long and healthy life...

At the Beach

Wed. April 5, 2006

We have had a nice vacation so far. Edisto is lovely. The house is quite luxurious. The friends with me are good company.

Alesia and I had an easy drive over on Saturday. The car was so packed we could hardly wedge ourselves in. We brought our own towels and linens, plus an aerobed for Alesia and a playpen for another mom.

Each family has their own room. Alesia is sleeping in the loft, on the aerobed. She doesn't mind the noise. I think she has trouble sleeping at home because it's too quiet, after years of the noisy orphanage.

Edisto Island is a quiet place, with very little except beach houses. There's one grocery store, only a few restaurants. No loud bars, no golf courses.

It's been a bit too cold to swim, so we just wade. Long walks on the beach are nice.

The other three mothers woith me have babies 2 years old. Alesia loves playing with them. She has even changed a couple of diapers. She reads to them, too. The babies all love her.

Yesterday, Alesia and I and Angie and her daughter went to Charleston for most of the day. We had lunch at a barbeque place. We went to the aquarium. We rode around and looked at old houses. We walked along the battery. It was very pleasant. Angie's baby is almost 3 so pretty easy to manage. I never want to hear The Wheels On The Bus again as long as I live, however...

I am coming down with a slight cold, but otherwise things are very nice. I wish I could buy a house and live here always...