and crossing the line on the marathon day is...

Today was a really long day for everyone around here.

I started back to work, which is just plain insane considering how little sleep we've been getting. To attempt to have patience, kindness, and consideration while inspiring kids is just something that I had to try to achieve.  Not sure if I was that successful, but at least I tried...right?

But with some caffeine (which I'm not supposed to drink, really) and some loud/good music (the new Amanda Palmer album, which you can download and pay whatever you want for it...fo real) I can STAY UP ALL NIGHT.  YEAH!

Ok, maybe that was a bit too much.

But Shelley is now sleeping, and has been for 2 hours.  I told her she is not allowed to set an alarm, and that she must sleep until her body wakes her up.  She desperately needs it.

First up, a review of the day through pictures and video:

Returning to work.  I had set up my classroom door with these 4 pictures the day that everything happened.  I honestly had forgotten about taping them up before I returned this morning at 6am.  It was a WONDERFUL way to start the day, and gave me a great smile for the first hour, as I walked past them several times.

I love this picture.  She's STILL got the bow on her head that I put there yesterday from a present that Beth brought to us from her friends the Mexico family.  She is feeding herself.  Feeding herself.  3 days after freaking brain surgery.  I love it.  The sock on her hand is "hiding" her IV stuff.

Action shot!  She's eating so fast that it's a blur. No one can eat as fast as Amelie.  

Get out of the way before she eats you too!

This is the scrunchy face I was referring to in last night's post!  I love seeing this.  Love it.  

...and the live video version!

I picked Anya up from school today (in Hartland, MI) and we grabbed some pizza from Pizza House on Church Street.  I remember liking their pizza and its been about 13 years (when I lived in Ann Arbor) since I had it.  We had a blast playing outside for a while.  Anya said that the rock was strange because "it did not belong there".  I asked her to pose as a big frightening bear for me.

... it was such a ferocious bear that we needed a second picture of it.

Here is her kind and snuggly kitty cat.

After we grabbed the pizza, we met up at the hospital with Mom and Chanda, Shel's best friend since Kindergarten who had helped out all day (and took Anya back to Grammies for me). 

 Amelie was beside herself with how happy she was to see Anya.

They played for quite a while together, and then Amelie just lost her strength...but that doesn't mean that they couldn't snuggle though...

Amelie and Anya....busting out huge buckets of cute.

More later, as I want to respond to some of the emails I have sitting...