She's Home!

Well, even though Orlando really tried to make me late to pick up Callie at MCO last night, I made it to the terminal before she left the gate area. I decided to video our reunion and am posting it for your viewing pleasure.

I hugged her and embarrassed her appropriately for a mom-daughter reunion. Lol.

Before leaving the airport, she was "dying" for Chik-fil-A, which she hadn't had in five months. So I bought her some, and she couldn't wait til we got home to give me my Christmas present. It's a little bird that carries your troubles away... :)

I'm pretty sure it wasn't the necklace that restored my joyful spirit last night, but a certain, beautiful 15 year old girl. 

Anyway, we talked and shared music playlists on the way home. Of course, she knew all of my songs, but she had a few on her playlist I haven't heard before that I really liked. One was this version of "Fools Rush In," covered by Haley Reinhart.

We talked about her friends. She's in the advanced classes, so she said she's mostly friends with juniors and seniors. Her cousins, Makai and Kiele, are her best friends. Makai is a year older and Kiele is a year younger. Makai worships the ground Callie walks on and invites her to hang out with him and his friends all the time. They're very tight. 

Here's a video Callie made with Kiele:

Callie also is a friend and "helper" to all the foreign exchange students. She especially likes Mathias, the student from Norway, who also happens to be a typically gorgeous Scandinavian, tall, blonde and blue-eyed. Callie's just like her momma in that respect! She said she has one super rich friend, Ahmen, whose dad is the Creative Director/Something or Other of Calvin Klein/Speedo. So he gives his friends free Calvin Klein/Speedo stuff all the time. She said Santa Barbara High is a HUGE melting pot of the very rich and very poor, with only a few in between. She said for the most part, everyone is accepting of one another. Which is good. She also mentioned that the boys in Santa Barbara are more like girls than boys--they're emotional and cry a lot. I didn't know what to say about that. 

We talked about books, and The Walking Dead, and movies, and just about everything. It turns out I didn't have to worry about her thinking us Florida bumpkins are hillbillies--she was thrilled to be home. 

When we pulled into the driveway, Aidan and Joe were outside waiting. Aidan was especially excited. I'm glad my kids are so tight with each other--no fights, ever. I've been blessed in that way and I'm extremely thankful. There were lots of hugs and even a few tears quickly swiped away.

When we walked inside the house, Monet went absolutely nuts with happiness. I should've videoed that--Callie squealing with delight as she knelt down and Monet leaping into her arms, trying desperately to lick her face and simultaneously roll onto her back for "tummies."

Zuri the Tolerable was tolerant of Callie's arrival, casually strolling around the corner with her tail and nose in the air like she was saying, "Oh, the squealy human is home. That is mildly pleasant. Yawn." Here's a picture of Zuri the Tolerable Cat (black and white on right) with the late, great, Jim Morrison (RIP):

We exchanged a few gifts, and I loved what Aidan got Callie--a sweater that matched one she also got for herself so they could have twin sweaters. They're blue and have one word in black written across the front -- NOPE. I thought that was hilarious, and now I want one, too. Lol.

I almost ruined the surprise, though...well, I actually did ruin it. It went like this:

We were all sitting around the tree, and Callie had just opened a long sleeve tee shirt from Aidan that had a cute penguin on it...Aidan had told me about the NOPE one beforehand, so I blurted out, "Lemme see...is that the one with NOPE on it?" 

Aidan spun around, "Momma!"

Me: Oops...

Aidan: Really?

Thankfully, they all started laughing. 

Aidan: (handing Callie a wrapped present) Well, I guess since it's NOT A SURPRISE anymore, open this one, the one I WAS SAVING FOR LAST. 

More laughing, thankfully, as I remember the Hello Kitty ripping the stump out of the ground.

I should've videoed that too, because it was pretty funny. 

Today, I have to work. Callie is dying to see her friends, so I'm going to drop her off at her friend's house on the way to work.

We're going to see Star Wars sometime this weekend. And we're going to try to arrange to have my best friend since fifth grade bring over Hannah and Luke, who are Callie and Joe's oldest (and probably best) friends. 

I saw this on Facebook yesterday, and thought it was especially fitting for my mood... :)

Happiness, like art, can be created, and that's a good thing to remember when you're feeling sorry for yourself or a little down. Create some happiness today! :)