The final total on the money jar game was…
$144.25
Giddyup! That makes Jim (with a guess of $103.75) our winner. Correct me if I’m wrong. Jim, you win a Pere Marquette magnet for your fridge… the train that goes from Grand Rapids to Chicago.
I liked it so much, I bought one for myself.
AND, one for Amy… the angel of a friend who met me in Union Station after a 2-hour delayed arrival and took my child with her three in-tow for a walk while I waited in line for over an hour to fix our connecting St. Louis tickets. Amy also brought me a coke and a sandwich, a lunchable with a caprisun for Rylie, and a brown bag of surprises for the rest of our trip. She sat on the floor with me in the waiting lounge while our children wrestled and let the industrial fan blow up their shirts like superheros. If she weren’t already taken, I’d have asked her to marry me.
If you ever find yourself pregnant and stuck in a train station within 50 miles of Amy, I highly recommend her.
The trip was really, really decent. It was. Ry was beyond thrilled with the train. We could walk at will, plug in her dvd player, grab a snack in the lounge… so incredibly lovely. Even with Friday’s insanity (We didn’t end up leaving Chicago until 6pm, and arriving in St. Louis at midnight as opposed to 7pm.), it was still better than a plane trip with kids. Hands down. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
I will confess that I had some considerable trouble walking out of the house without Rylie Sunday morning. It has nothing to do with my parents, or even the length of stay. It was simply the fact that Rylie is old enough now to realize I was leaving without her… and asked me to stay. It never crossed my mind that she would put that all together, but that’s me assuming her lack of voice means a lack of understanding. I warn everyone about that… but forgot it myself.
Putting her to bed Saturday night was ridiculously hard and I began to fear that she would wake up the next morning and think, “My mom left me.”
Our lives are so intertwined… I am a mom, a therapist, an interpreter, a motivator, a bodyguard- so many things for my little girl! It’s only been 2 days and already I am shocked at the amount of emotional and physical energy I am NOT using. Shocked at how much less I use my voice. Shocked at how calm everything is around here.
May this coming month be a rest for both of us.
Thursday, I’d like to tell you about some of the characters we met on our journey.
Y’all come on back.
Apple pie, anyone? 
June 7th, 2011 at 8:43 am
Oh sweet friend. Your such an inspiring. Such a sweet, transparent mama and I love it!
June 7th, 2011 at 8:59 am
Yes. I understand. You are (almost) everything to her and she is (almost) everything to you. And God bless Amy. An angel, surely.
June 7th, 2011 at 10:03 am
Anything for you my friend!
June 7th, 2011 at 12:11 pm
I am glad it all worked out. She will have a great time and you know it. H&R both love their ‘vac’ though I am with you on parent feelings
Love the magnet.
June 7th, 2011 at 1:21 pm
I spent the weekend in Salt Lake City without Clark, and although the circumstances were not good, I can certainly relate to this. Life is sooooo different without our precious little ones. Rest well my friend.
June 7th, 2011 at 10:23 pm
Kate; We had such a good time with Rylie – I am so glad I was the transfer spot and bed and breakfast. She will be fine in Texas – a word that was practiced so much that no one had any trouble understanding where she was going. And remember “absence makes the heart grow fonder”.