Legolas Legacy
Multiply, Divide, Prosper
Hi! Izzy here. I mean Isadora Legalos - Lam. My sister Cali called me and asked if I would update you on family events. It seems her job is requiring a lot of her right now.
She said she had planned on doing this update herself, but a Potato Chip company has asked her to endorse their product, so she's off filming a commercial for them.
I guess the biggest news is not just what's in front of me (uh, the belly) but what I'm standing in front of. It's a wedding present, from my husband.
Ever since I was a little girl I've loved this big old house. It used to be out in the country, but the area has developed into a little antique-shopping village called Legacy Falls. I don't think I mentioned the house to Randy more than a couple times. All I said was "Someday I'd love to live in a house like that." as we would pass by it. I was fine with the little house we were renting in Legacy Land, so I wasn't expecting anything when he suggested we drive down to Legacy Falls to look for things to decorate the baby's nursery. We drove past my favorite house and I remarked that it looked empty. "Maybe it's for sale" Randy said, and stopped the car. "Let's go have a look"
We peeked in the windows. "Oh Randy!" I squealed "Someone has converted the house into a baby shop! How perfect!"
Everything a new mother could dream of was in that store. The only problem was, it was closed. "It's Saturday afternoon" I said. "What's a place like this doing closed on a Saturday?"
"Good Question" said Randy. "Maybe the owners aren't here yet." I knew he wanted to keep me in suspense, but the twinkle in his eye gave him away. He couldn't wait to tell me.
"Isadora, this is a gift for you, for us, all three of us."
"But the store is closed. What's my gift?"
"No, the store, the house, all of this. It's all ours."
"What? How? What are you saying? Can we afford a place like this?"
"All that job hunting I've been doing? Actually I've been here working on the store, getting it ready. I'm going to run this store."
"But where did you get the money?"
"I'm the Governor of Azahora, certainly I'm entitled to my own money. Besides, no one in Azahora will be able to do anything with money for a very long time. I imagine they're back to trading rocks for currency. Besides. If we're going to have a dozen kids, we couldn't stay in that little rental, could we? And with all the kids we'll be having, what's better to invest in than the baby business???"
So... that's how we became the proud new owners of "Stork Supplies." Randy had the second floor renovated into an apartment, although it's so big, I call it a Penthouse.
Our first few weeks here were pretty exhausting. Not only did we have to put the finishing touches on the store, but we had to move into our new house upstairs AND get ready for the baby, whose due date wasn't far away. Being pregnant is exhausting, and I was tired or hungry all the time. However being tired and hungry at the same time wasn't always a great combination. Still, I did what I could to help Randy get "Stork Supplies" ready for the Grand Opening.
It was two days before the Grand Opening and Randy and I were working on the store. Randy came to me and said "Izzy, did the shipment of Diaper Genius' arrive yet?"
Maybe it was pregnancy hormones, maybe it was being so tired. But all of a sudden something just grabbed me and I yelled "How the heck would I know?????" (which was so unlike me.)
And then. It started.
Ohhhh! Ohhhh! Ohhh Nooooo! Ohhhh!!!! Not on the new carpet!!!
"RELAX Isadora" said my completely too calm husband. "Take deep cleansing breaths."
Breathing was barely an option, and relaxing was out of the question.
But Randy remained calm "The baby's coming Izzy, just look at me, that's right. It's almost over. You're doing great."
You know what? He was right. It wasn't long before the baby we'd dreamed about for so many months was there with us.
"You know what this means?" Randy said.
"What?" I asked, still puzzled how he'd managed to remain so calm.
"It means we're a family."
This is our daughter. We named her Oasis.
Randy and I are completely in love with her. We even argue about who gets to get up with her at night. The first time we laid her in her little bed, Randy couldn't bring himself to leave her alone in her nursery. "I just don't want to stop looking at her" he said.
But the opening of "Stork Supplies" was now only a day away and I was even more worried about how we were going to pull it off. How was I going to recover from childbirth, care for my newborn, and help my husband run a store? I've never even done one of those! Randy had hired a few people to help out in the store, but they were as inexperienced as we were. None of these thoughts were so coherent when Randy caught me crying into my bubble bath.
"Don't tell me that tub was empty when you started crying."
Hearing him be so good natured only reminded me why I loved him, and only made me cry harder. I attempted to explain what was wrong. That the store was opening, and he was going to be alone, and it was all my fault, and I had already ruined his dreams and our family business.
He listened to all of my worries, and then said "Don't worry, I already have a solution to our problem, and it will be here tomorrow morning."
I was expecting to hear how I was being hormonal, how it would all be ok, even if it was rough at first. But Randy wasn't worried at all. He hardly ever was. Which meant I was really surprised when I woke up the next morning and went out to the breakfast table.
Four of my cousins, my Uncle Apollo's oldest children were sitting at our table eating pancakes.
"See?" beamed Randy "I told you I had the problem solved. I talked to Apollo and he said the kids could come and stay with us for the summer. They all needed summer jobs, and we needed the help. So they're going to stay here with us, all summer, and help out with the store, and the baby, and anything else."
I couldn't have imagined a more perfect solution.
All of Apollo's kids are like stair steps. Euripides is the oldest. He has our Grandpa Newton's firey red hair. He just finished his senior year and needs to make some money before heading off to college. His brother, Euphrates, is going to be a Junior in high school. Euphrates is what I imagine my dad, Socrates, was like when he was that age. He's never met a stranger, and he always has something clever to say. Oh, and he never gets caught.
My cousin Henna (on your left) is the second oldest, and she is going to be a senior this year. She's very much like her mother Meadow. She's very sweet. I think she'll be a good help with Oasis. Her younger sister, Nysa (wearing glasses) is starting her Sophomore year. There are two younger sisters at home, Marva and Epiphany, but they're too young to work, or be away from home for that long. But the four teens sitting at our kitchen table were more than anxious to begin their new adventure.
And so "Stork Supplies" opened with great success. We all had a lot of learning to do, but with the extra help of four teenagers, it was manageable.
After a few weeks I felt like myself again and wanted to help out more in the store. My clever husband once again came up with the solution to bring Oasis down to the store. "She can nap in the cribs. Shell be our best sales person!" As is often the case, Randy's plan worked perfectly. Oasis was always close by, and our customers were eager to buy any bed that caused a baby to sleep so peacefully.
Euphrates is so sweet with Oasis. I told him he has a way with babies, but he tells me "No, I have this affect on all women" See what I mean about him being like my father? The four teens are all sleeping in the nursery with Oasis. Bunk beds weren't part of our original nursery design, but they seem to feel privileged to be the ones to get to sleep with her. They don't even grumble too much when she wakes them up at night.
Oasis is such an easy baby. She lets anyone hold her and seems to enjoy all of the new faces that vist her at the store every day. I think she likes being part of a big family. Randy says "That's good, because there's a lot more where she came from!"
One day, Oasis had an unexpected, but special visitor at the store. Uncle Plato came in to shop. I didn't realize he had come in until I heard him say "Now how much do you want for this little beauty?"
I was ecstatic to see my brother. I hadn't seen him in months, since the night we had dinner at Cali and Robi's, and Kissimmie and I were both pregnant then. Between Plato preparing for his world tour, and Randy and I moving to Legacy Falls, we hadn't been over to meet his son James, who was born a few months before Oasis.
"Plato!" I almost cried. I was so happy to see him. "I can't believe you're here. How's Kissimmie? How's James?"
"Well, you'll know soon enough. They're with me. Kissimmie's bringing the little dude in.
Kissimmie appeared with James and I melted all over him with auntie-love. "Plato! he's so handsome. Look at his green eyes!" Of course Plato had to say "Of course he's handsome. I am his father."
Plato was so pleased with his pretty little niece, Oasis, and I was equally taken with my nephew James. The fact that they were wearing the same outfit, given to each of them by their Grandma Kaylynn, was just too perfect as well.
It's a good thing we were in a baby store, because we made complete fools of ourselves kissing and smelling and snuggling each other's babies. James was over two months older than Oasis and a good deal sturdier. Plato was quite taken with the dainty Miss Oasis, who had no problem being nibbled on by her famous rock star uncle.
"Ok, now they need to meet each other" Plato said. I held James up to Oasis but Plato said "No, no, they have to meet on their own turf. We've got to put them on a blanket together. Babies have their own special language you know. It's like baby karma or something." Who was I to argue with Plato's baby philosophy?
We placed Oasis and her cousin James on a quilt on the floor, and they actually did look at each other and wave their hands.
Plato got quite a kick out of seeing James chill out with "Miss Oasis" as he called her.
"Wouldn't it be cool if Cali had a baby too?" Plato asked me. Of course it would. But I don't see that happening right now. Our store has been open for two and a half months and Cali hasn't been over to see us. She keeps asking when we're closed, saying she doesn't want to disturb me during 'business hours' I explained to her that I want her to see the store, and with the kids help, I can be flexible.
Plato said "You know she'd break out into a rash or something if she came into this place. Babies scare her to death. She thought she'd broken James when all he'd done was fill up his diaper. Then Kissimmie and I told her and Robi the birth story, you know, so she would know it's not all that bad. She just turned all white and asked if we had any potato chips. Robi told me later that he can't wait to have kids, but Cali refuses to let him bring up the subject.
But, fortunately Randy's nothing like that. Between our business and our life, it's pretty much baby baby baby all the time. We hardly talk about anything else, which is a good thing I suppose. Especially since our second one is already on the way! Shhh! Cali doesn't know yet! But Randy and I couldn't be more excited. He's hoping for twins this time.
That's all the Legalos family news on this end. Oh, and remember, if you're ever in Legacy Falls, don't forget to come see us at "Stork Supply"!!!
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