It's great to have friends!

One of my friends that I met through the local FlyBaby group called me this weekend and asked if I wanted help with moving stuff or cleaning anything before my parents got here. She said something of theirs got cancelled and they had some extra time to hang out in town between events. She shows up on my doorstep yesterday afternoon with not just her daughter (our usual mommy's helper/babysitter) to entertain my kids like she'd promised, but 2 other FlyBaby friends and their kids. For a minute I thought they were throwing me a surprise shower. (This group seems to do that a lot.) But they said they were here to help.

It couldn't have happened on a better day. I was tired and my brain was so fuzzy I couldn't hold a coherent thought for more than about 3 seconds. And I was TOTALLY overwhelemed by the mess that was all over the floor and every flat surface, where the house had been pretty darn clean (relatively) 4 of 5 days before. I was literally wishing I had a fairy godmother to come waver her wand and make just ONE ROOM clean. (I had forgotten Amy had arranged to come over!) They helped me move all my books out of the (now Jeff's) office down to the basement bookshelves. They helped me take down the Christmas tree and get everything back in the boxes. They picked up a bunch of stuff (main floor AND basement) and swept the floor... One of them arranged my bookshelves very nicely, whereas before I had just kinda thrown stuff on them, intending to arrange it once I had all the books down there. They left one room - the living room - completely clean. They were only here for an hour, but there is sure power in numbers!

AND

They brought me a gift for the baby. A Visa gift card for a very generous amount, from them + 3 others from the group. Almost enough to buy the Beco baby carrier that have been drooling over since I was first introduced to them a year or so ago. Plus the promise of tearing down and reupholstering the 2nd- (or 3rd-?) hand chair and couch in the basement once I acquire the fabric.

Wow! I am just floored! And thankful. No, grateful. Indebted. Wow! Thanks you guys!!!