The Angels Among Us

You know people say that there are angels walking among us and I finally have proof that they really are.  What I am about to tell you still makes me a little misty eyed thinking about it so if you are a sensitive soul get out your tissues. 

 

My parents have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt they are extraordinary, kind, selfless, beautiful people that I am so honored to know.  This year my parents decided that they were going to donate part of my dad’s bonus check to the food bank or pick a kid off of the angel tree to help out for Christmas.  After some serious discussion they came up with a better plan for the money.  They called me on my cell phone and asked me if my friend I hang out with all the time (she is really cute like a little doll, that is what I will call her Dolly) had received any presents or money from her ex in the mail for her daughter.  Her daughter is Tooter’s best friend and they are only a week a part with the exact same tastes in life.  They even have deadbeat dad’s that do not take their responsibilities serious.  I told my mom I was almost to her house I would just stop in. 

 

I got to her house and she pulled me into her bedroom and asked me again if Tooter’s Best Friend (TBF) had presents under the tree and if her dad had sent her anything.  I told her that he did not send anything and with money being really tight Dolly had presents under the tree but not a lot.  That sealed it we got Dolly on the phone and asked her what TBF needs or wants for Christmas.  She did not know what to say on the spot like that so we told her that we would give her a few minutes while my parents got ready to go to the store and they would call her back. 

 

The whole time my mom was telling me what her plan was I kept thinking in the back of my mind, “Do not cry, do not cry!!!”  I did not want to be tear stained in front of Tooters and have to try and come up with an excuse.  So we tossed around a few ideas and came up with getting her some snow boots since she is wearing tennis shoes in the ten tons of snow we have received and a snow shovel like Tooter’s since she has such a blast with it.  We called Dolly back and let her know they were off to the store and if she thought of anything else no matter what it is to call them back on the cell.  I stayed behind with Tooter’s and my brother who had come into town for a couple of days. 

 

After a little while my mom calls me from the store to ask if TBF has a bike.  I told her that she does but it is to small for her.  Well that settled it TBF was getting a brand new big girl bike for Christmas that will last her for the next couple of years at least.  My mom told me to get Tooters to another part of the house when they pulled up so that they could go out and cover the bike up with a blanket until they could get it over to Dolly’s house.  We decided that after Santa left the house that night (I had it arranged for him to come to the house and even bought some cheap dolls with a couple of outfits for the girls to open up with him.) and the girls are playing with the new toys Dolly and my dad would sneak out of the house and stash the bike and other stuff at her house for the next morning.  Bless my beautiful parents they even bought a gift certificate to Kohl’s for Dolly so she would have something from Santa to.

 

Well while my mom and I were taking a look at the presents and talking about them I noticed that the snow boots looked funny.  I picked them up and they were super light with no tread on the bottom.  Then I noticed the size it was 13-1, shoes are not sized that way just slippers.  I pointed this out to my mom so we left Tooter’s with my dad and brother so we could go look for real snow boots.  We checked three stores before going back to the store she originally got them at, they were told that was all they had.  Something told us that we needed to check again.  We hit the shoe isle and there on a low shelf in a box that had not even been opened was a pair of purple and black very cute snow boots in TBF’s size.  OMG they were meant to be hers so we scooped them up and exchanged the slippers for the boots. 

 

We talked to Dolly and TBF the next day, they said it was a wonderful Christmas.  TBF could not wait to show Tooter’s her presents from Santa and invited her to come and play the next day.  Dolly got a little sniffly on phone when I asked her if she got the little bag with the gift certificate in it.  She still cannot believe what my parents did for her.  I told her just enjoy it and buy something nice for herself with the gift card or save it and we could go shopping together.  I can still hear the gratitude in her voice and it makes me feeling wonderful knowing someone in my family did that for her.

 

This whole thing made my heart swell up with pride for having the parents that I do.  This whole act of kindness still makes me misty sitting her writing about it.  I just hope and pray that someday when I am more financially sound so that I can have an amazing opportunity to pay it forward.  Someday many many years from now I will sit down and tell Tooter’s the story of a Christmas made perfect just by giving and hope she will continue to have the generous nature she has now and help out some else out like her grandparents. 

 

I hope every one had an incredible Christmas like I did!!  Happy New Years everyone and remember to be safe.

Snow Snow GO AWAY!!!

Out my window at work!! Brrrr

Well it looks like we are going to have a white Christmas after all here at the Nuthouse.  I have decided my household needs a name since I get tired of listing all of us lol.  It has been snowing off and on for days now, and you know I am about over it.  Luckily my dad likes to come over in the mornings and shovel my driveway for me so I can get out for work.  Bless you Wanderer!!!!!

 

 

Speaking of shoveling Tooters did something that I wanted to share, and believe me I am not really thrilled about it.  My dad called me at work yesterday and asked me to come give him a ride home since he locked his keys in the car at the store.  So naturally the good daughter that I am got up and ran out the door to rescue him.  When I pulled up to the car there stands my mom shivering, my dad looking a little frustrated, and Tooters busy shoveling snow next to the car with the mini snow shovel my dad bought for her.  She was very proud that she was clearing a path for her grandma. 

 

After we got the keys taken care of I returned to work to finish out the day.  Late in the afternoon it started to rain.  Now I don’t know about the rest of you but I always thought when it got to freezing the snow was suppose to come down not the rain.  Anyways it was like 25 degrees, windy and raining.  I called to ask Tooters if it was raining out her window too, it is an on going thing we do making sure if it is snowing at my work it is snowing at the house.  However the Wanderer informed me that Tooters was too busy to come to the phone.  Here I am thinking that Hannah Montana is taking priority over me and I got a little hurt.  Usually when she hears me on the phone she comes running to talk to me, but not this time.  Naturally I had to ask what she was doing and this is what the Wanderer told me:

 

“Your daughter is busy outside shoveling the snow in the grass so that the dogs have a path to walk on so they can go pee.”

 

Now I can just imagine the whole scene in my head and start to laugh.  Tooters is probably shoveling as fast as she can and there is Sugerbooger my mom’s dog bouncing around outside of the path playing in the snow.  It is funny to watch her do this because she is a very small white Pomeranian that cannot walk in the snow she has to bounce through it.  Dusty-Do is behind Tooters in the cleared path watching her, but only for a moment and high tailing it back into the house.  She is like the Wonder Pup she does not like the snow. 

 

Then it dawned on me that it is raining and I let the Wanderer know this, you know just incase he forgot kids need to be in the house in the rain.  He told me he knew but she has her hat on and is having fun.  You know there is just no winning some days where grandpa is concerned. 

 

This morning we woke up to even more snow and Tooters was ecstatic because now she had a real excuse to use her new shovel.  So this morning instead of my dad shoveling the driveways I did it with lots of “help” from my little one.  By the time I finished my driveway and his I was frozen.  I took a second to look at my handy work and I started giggling.  There are straight consistent lines where I had shoveled across the driveway and on top of it are all these wild lines where Tooters had helped.  When my dad came out to see why we had not come in the house yet and Tooters ran up to him saying, “Boy grandpa aren’t you glad you bought me this shovel now you do not have to clear the driveway any more, me and my mom can!!!” 

 

Holy freaking crap I think I just got volunteered for a new job the rest of the winter because the shit eating grin on my dad’s face said it all.  So everyone next time it snows please take pity on me and send lots of warm thoughts for my poor tortured toes!! 

 

I posted some more pictures below that are out my window at work from yesterday right before we got dumped on again.  Everyone stay safe for Christmas with all the bad weather and stay warm.