My Monday

Baby Boy and I had an enjoyable afternoon.

I felt compelled to call him Boris.

This mink hat has proven to be one of my best purchases.

It made Boris look adorable.

My 'friend' from past posts used it to play "Queen Daphne" and point her cane at sweet faced dollies and pronounce them "Disgusting!".

And the words ' daphne mink' brought a lot of traffic to my blog!

But, sadly, this is what I saw most of the day.

Someone has two extremely sore spots in his mouth where teeth are struggling to come through.

Don't think I didn't have thoughts of getting a file and scrapping away at his poor gums.

I saw this look and this position most of the day. And, he came early.

I sure hope those teeth pop through during the night tonight.

He does love bubble blowing.

He spilled these bubbles, which means - if you remember bubble blowing days - that we were both extremely slippery.

In his saddened condition, he did NOT enjoy the dandelion picnic this morning. And it was SUCH a beautiful morning! So, when an airplane flew overhead our morning outside in the nice warm sunshine came to a screeching - and I DO mean screeching - halt.

Then, in the late afternoon when I had to hurry out to bring in all of our equipment from this morning, he suddenly wanted to dance around in the sprinkles. Wearing only a diaper, and the mink hat. So charming.

I did manage to put together this little frame. It represents the only VISIBLE thing I accomplished today.

It was one of those 'make your own frames'. I had planned to paint it green, but got the idea while making a fresh pot of coffee to just stamp on it with the old coffee filter! I like it.

Girl and Goose

I found this charming little Dutch girl marked occupied Japan on one of our weekend thrifting/antiquing forays.

If I had a lamp she could stand on, I would use her for a finial. Since I do not, she is acquainting herself with her Dutch relatives in the old kitchen cupboard. She will require a good cleaning.

She is hugging the most adorable goose! Hard to get a good picture of him.

Another Saturday Night

Oh, what a lovely day it was today!

The sun shone, the birds sang, THGGM mowed the lawn...

We thift shopped a little bit. I bought a Honer recorder for Baby Boy. I believe I will regret this early Monday morning, but, oh well. The boy does like to make music. I also picked up three summer shirts for him, and - drum roll please - a Bob the Builder Memory game! Hooray! In this family, memory is an important topic.

I found a wonderful old game with Bakelite letter cubes. That made me squeal with happiness - and also itch like crazy, as when I got it home and opened the box, it was green with mold. The box. The letters, being of a non-moldy material, are fine.

This was such stressful week. I went into emotional lockdown mode several times just to survive it. But, the week ended well.

When I got to my parents house this evening, I found my mom clothed, and in her right mind. The nasty painkiller life-sapper drug was out of her system. We had one of the longest, clearest, deepest conversations together than we have had in at least two years. I know this, because when I went to sit down to fill all of their meds for the week, mom sat on the couch. She said, I'll just leave you alone while you do that, so I won't be tempted to talk to you while you are concentrating.

I assured her she wouldn't be bothering me, and she came over to the table, where she proceeded to tell me that she could not believe how tired and confused she has been, but that TODAY she could finally think a few thoughts that made sense.

I told her how alarmed I was by how tired she had been on Thursday. Then, I told her how Baby Boy had dusted her! She said she didn't remember anything from Thursday, except that Baby Boy was there, but she wasn't with it enough to play with him. Yes. I told her, that certainly was the case!

My dad wasn't home when I arrived. She told me he had gone out to pick up milk and would be back before I left. When he came home, he was even surprised at how awake and alert she was.

I stayed for an hour. Mostly for my own sake. I needed my mom, and she was there.

I nearly danced all the way home. Although, I almost didn't make it home. If you lived in my neighborhood, you might know of the strange lady in the brown car. She drives around and around and around and scares the 'what-not' out of people, plants and things. She almost hit me. (which reminds me that Thursday, my dad jumped out of his chair in my living room because he saw a car across the street ride over a curb and onto the sidewalk. it was the brown car lady.)

The evening was topped off by a trip to the Dairy Dip with Baby Boy and his family. He likes me better than ice cream.

Tonight THGGM and I watched "Night at the Museum". Last night it was "The Queen". My, my. aren't we immersing ourselves in culture.

And now it is time for the National Anthem, and then the test pattern will appear on your screen.

Good night.

An Interesting Perspective

Last Saturday at the zoo I attempted to get a picture of the primates that were in the only available shade, right beneath the window. Well, except for that one visible on the left.

Since this picture did not show the primates I was trying to photograph, nor does it show Baby Boy, I didn't pay too much attention to it.

Until now. Notice the reflection of the Amish family, enjoying a day of primate watching at the zoo.

The Aging Mind

The aging mind is an interesting thing.

I've been thinking about why I blog, and there are two reasons.

The first is the reason I began blogging. But, I cannot at present remember what that reason was.

The second reason is that blogging is the only way I have any idea at all what I did the day before.

Yet. Here I sit, googling things about memory.

The early morning hours of April 25, 2007 I will certainly not forget. No. Even if I didn't record it here, I would not forget it.

It was the moment when THGGM and I stared blurry eyed at our OWN raging insanity.

It is my habit to come to bed two hours after THGGM. This way, I can be assured that he is sound asleep and my bedtime reading ritual will not disturb his slumber.

So, on April 25, 2007 I wearily climbed the stairs to bed.

I turned on the lamp by my side of the bed.

I noted that THGGM didn't look like he was very deeply asleep. I noted this, because he was snoring in that 'Sunday afternoon on the couch' way.

As I went to the closet to change from clothes that smell like peanut butter (my destiny!) I had a little story running through my head about the robin who is building a nest outside of our closet window. It was a story in which the robin's name was Darlene, and her mother-in-law was berating her for choosing such a bad spot to build a nest. She was yammering away in my head about Darlene's not noticing how often the 'owner of the shirts' change them each day. Yes. THGGM owns many many brightly colored shirts which he changes every evening with alarming frequency. I'm sure Darlene's mother-in-law noticed that.

I exited the closet and closed the door, so Darlene and her little family wouldn't have to contend with the light. Notice my extreme thoughtfulness towards Darlene.

When I closed the door, it made one of those shrill squeaks that only a closet door in a very old house can make. There is also a charmingly decoupaged smashed can hanging on the doorknob, which added a note of finalization to the shrill squeak.

And, that is when it happened. The insanity.

THGGM woke, thinking that what he had heard was me screaming and something falling. (remember, it wasn't all that long ago that we had a deep conversation under the covers while a bat flapped around our bedroom. anything was possible.)

He rose up off the bed in a way that can only be described as levatating.

And he began screaming at the top of his lungs "WHAT IS IT? WHAT IS IT? WHAT IS IT?"

I was SO shocked that I screamed. I did not scream words. No. Not at first.

It was then I realized he thought there REALLY was something in the closet.

Of course, I could not help but scream "THERE ISN'T ANYTHING! THERE ISN'T ANYTHING! THERE ISN'T ANYTHING!"

Now. Find a friend. One of you take THGGM's lines, and the other my lines. Both must scream in the loudest 'out door' voice imaginable at exactly the same time.

Now, do you think that Darlene will EVER come back?

Dancing Around Dementia

A week ago, I missed the doctor's appointment for my mom and dad with their primary care physician.

The doctor gave my mom samples of a pain killer in hopes that it would help with the back pain she has been experiencing.

Had I been present, I would have questioned the need to drug my mom any more.

To make a very long story short, the pain killer sucked the life right out of mom.

She isn't on this new medication anymore (she has never tolerated pain medications well.) But, she is still suffering from it's effects.

Today, not even the lively antics of Baby Boy could hold her attention for very long.

I'm trying not to worry, as she did have a few good moments, in which I told her that the strange way she is feeling is from medication. I didn't tell her that there was some time yesterday when I feared she may be having a stroke and sent THGGM over to check her out.

I just hope and pray that this is only temporary, like the doctor said. And soon she will be back to her 'new normal'.

Since I'm so interested in memory and the workings of the mind, it was fascinating to hear her talk.

In her mind, she had just returned from a day and a half trip to visit her sister in Wisconsin. She had a wonderful time, although it did rain some. She bought three rubber stamps, but she can't remember where she put them. I find it interesting that she also told me that they only had to stop three times to put gas in the car.

Everything she told me about her trip has happened. I find it reassuring that she still has fun places in her mind where she can travel when the going gets rough.

She told me that her sister made the most fabulous meal for them, even though she was busy packing school lunches for her four children (children who are presently in their forties and fifties).

She asked if someone had gotten their mail, and I played along.

But, when she told me that she hadn't been able to reach her mom and dad, I had a harder time responding. I told her that the last time I had heard from them, they were fine. That seemed to satisfy her.

Then, she was very still for over an hour. Sort of sleeping, sort of talking. She was still so long that Baby Boy got out the trusty duster, and gave her a good dusting.

No Time to Read Great Literature? Try These!

I flipped through a few of these very early this morning. I cannot vouch for all of them, but the ones I read were delightful.

www.lileks.com/institute

www.lileks.com/institute/china

Only Eight Months Until Christmas

The date on this drawing is from 1997.

Seems like I just drew it.

But, one cat and the dog have already melted away.

Wow. I really need to get busy and update this snow family of mine.

Dandelion Picnic

To my delight, our backyard is FILLED with dandelions.

Wow. Flowers we can pick!

So, today Baby Boy and I headed out there for a picnic.

No one is sure why, but Baby Boy developed an inexplicable fear of flowers!

Even flowers I had embroidered on my shirt received a stern "NO!" from him.

Yesterday, Daughter and I were watching him play with the yellow duster that came with my vacuum.

He regularly dusts for me, so it isn't unusual at all for him to have the duster in his possession



But, what surprised us yesterday was when Baby Boy pointed the yellow duster at a bouquet of cut flowers and CHARGED IT.

He made one quick move ramming the duster into the center of the arrangement.

Then he leaped backwards, turned to his mama with a look of horror and shouted, "WHOA!"

Whatever would make a little boy afraid of flowers, I do not know. But I feel awfully proud that he took it upon himself to try to save us from them!

If I Could, I Surely Would (well...maybe)

Doorbells TWICE (so far) have interrupted Baby Boy's nap this morning. Not that I'm complaining. Well, except that since THGGM painted the doorbells in the living room, he put them up backwards and instead of chiming DING DONG, they now chime DONG DING. Not that it would require a rocket scientist to change them. Although it would require ME to stand on something to reach it, and that is still frowned upon by my loving family. So, if you come to my front door and I answer it looking agitated, it isn't because of you. It's because of the DING DONG who DONG DINGED up my doorbell!

Anyway...

While Baby Boy is sleeping, I snuck off to http://www.curioussofa.blogspot.com/ They are having a sale on their Carol Bulton sofas. I have been crazy about Carol Bulton's stuff since her mother and sister first appeared in an issue of Home Companion many years ago. These sofas are selling for close to 2/3 off the original price.

I've found the one I want. And I DO have a birthday coming up soon.

Go look. I want the "Friends Sofa".

But, I will continue to be content with the love seat THGGM found at the thrift store.

I suppose that in the grand scheme of things, I might become a wee bit more upset were Baby Boy to draw on the "Friends Sofa" with the remains of his bottle.

If you are a person of 'means', go visit Curious Sofa and BUY yourself an original Carol Bulton. If you are a person of moderate means, simply visit and drool. If you are a mean person.., just go.

Random Is as Random Does

After having a migraine Friday, I was pleased to wake up feeling WONDERFUL Saturday morning.

We worked, went out for breakfast, shopped, got work done at home and went to the zoo with Daughter and Baby Boy. All before 3:00.

What, exactly, was I thinking? I should have avoided all of that wonderful sunshine. I was fine at the zoo. It was when I got home that the migraine returned, bringing along it's nasty sister, Wonky Eye. I cannot even explain this one, except to say that it reminds me of northern lights visible with only one of my eyes.

I stayed inside all day Sunday, avoiding bright sunlight.

Today, I remained headache free until 3:30 exactly. I put Baby Boy down for a nap and WHAM.

Baby Boy became very scared in the penguin exhibed at the zoo.

But, he did try his hardest to be brave.

I believe the flock of penguins sounded more like a herd of elephants, and, well...Baby Boy does NOT like elephants.

Show him a picture of one, and he says "NO!".

I'm sure the sudden change in the weather isn't helping my head at all. It was so dark for awhile this afternoon that we had to turn on lights for 'library time'.

And just to keep this all random...

When Daughter went to a baby shower Sunday afternoon, there was a dead deer on the corner of her street. Her family lives in a VERY residential neighborhood. It wasn't there when they went to church in the morning. So, sometime between 9:15 and 12:30 a good sized doe was running though her neighborhood.

Oh! And look at this! I found another Kipling book when I was thrift shopping Saturday morning. In it was this bookmark.

I guess if I can't find Leo Bascalia's screaming park for mom's there is always this.

Or, so I had hoped. Of course, I googled it, and it closed in 1930.

What? Were all of the weary and anguished souls rested and restored by then?

I wonder if their theme song was "Art thou weary, art thou languid, art thou sore distressed?"

But then, I wonder about many things...

Spike and Baby Bear

Oldest Son entered school in the first grade. We didn't send him to kindergarten because he could already read and write.

It was a 1st/2nd grand split class, and he worked along with the 2nd grade. His teacher recommended that we place him in a program for gifted children. We declined.

Until, that is, the next year when he was a 2nd grader in a 1st/2nd grade classroom and not being challenged enough.

So, we sent him.

This was one of his projects.

I LOVE it.

Over the weekend I did the switch from winter clothes to summer clothes and found Spike and Baby Bear. They were in the bottom drawer of my dresser, way in the back.

Goodness. They HAVE seen better days!

Baby Bear is missing his nose.


And, Spike is missing his eyes. This one is actually Spike the 2nd, as the first one disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only his really cool hat.

We kept Oldest Son in the gifted program for only a year.

All children are gifted. Yours, mine and everybody else's too.

Anyway, Oldest Son has 'put away childish things' but I'm keeping Spike and Baby Bear.

I need them.

My Guys

I am married to a truly amazing grandpa!

My intent was to show you all the truly amazing thrift store finds of today. But then we went to the zoo. And the hand holding means more to me than anything else that happened today.

(note to oldest son - the shirt from aruba is SO cool!)

Oswald Chambers on Poverty Triumphant

"Never reserve anything. Pour out the best you have, and always be poor. Never be diplomatic and careful about the treasure God gives. This is poverty triumphant."

Oswald is my favorite dead guy.

Memories Hung Out on the Line to Dry

I think you will be finding many memories here, as I ponder the idea of 'memory'.

Oh, and the time for hanging things on the line has come!

I'm combining the two because the sky is just so wondrously blue today.

If three is considered a collection, then I collect children's hankies. The two on the left I used when I was a little girl. The one on the right is a more recent acquisition.

I found the hankies in my cedar chest this morning. I was looking for something else, and there they were. It was like they were hidden away waiting to scream 'SURPRISE!'

They didn't. But the tiger hanky does bring up a deep and very vivid memory for me.

When I was little, like all the little girls I knew, Sunday meant church and Sunday School. Every Sunday, my mom would give me a nickel to put into the offering plate.

Fearing that I might lose my nickel, mom would put it into the corner of the hanky and tie it in a knot.

I cannot begin to tell you the fear and dread that this knotted nickel put into my heart.

Oh, the panic as the wicker basket made it's way down the rows of neatly dressed children.

Would I be able to get my nickel out of that tight little knot?

Isn't it odd that I cannot remember either way? Was there ever a time when I actually DIDN'T get the nickel out? Did I ever feel a burst of inner joy when the knot came free? That part I don't remember.

But, I DO remember picking, pulling even biting the knot trying to free the nickel.

Good grief. Maybe I should just forget about the memory and try to figure out why I cannot get myself out of the tight little knotted hanky of my life.

Nah.

She Whirls, She Twirls, She Spins, She Collapses

This post is brought to you by severe PMS, early warning signs of a migraine and general angst.

I have spent the morning searching my house for the vacuum. Where would you go, if you were a vacuum? I still haven't found it. I haven't ruled out 'vacuum thieves'. I like to keep my vacuum handy. Were any sort of disaster to strike, I think I could live quite some time off the cheerios harbored in my vacuum cleaner bag.

Daughter came for coffee before work. We were discussing the differences in the busy-ness of our day today. I had just told her my plans, when the phone rang.

It was my dad. Wanting to know if I was planning to pick them up, or if he needed to come get me.

What? Why? HOW???

They had doctor's appointments today.

How did I not know this?

Considering it was time to go right then, I had no other option but to tell him I could not go.

I absolutely HATE to disappoint people. I disappoint A LOT of people, so one would think I'd be getting used to it by now. But, I'm not.

It's not that my dad can't drive. It's that he can't hear or remember what the doctor tells him. Especially when he is also filtering the wrong information my mom occasionally tells.

I should be there. How this date did not get on my calendar is beyond my comprehension.

Until I remember that this appointment would have been made just a few days before Christmas, and, oh, possibly I was a little busy then.

So, it isn't so much that I worry that my dad cannot get himself and mom to their appointments. It isn't that I worry that their doctor's wonderful nurses, Marilyn and Betty, won't let me know if there is anything about which I will need to know...

It's that they go to the doctor in East Grand Rapids, and just in case you don't keep on top of things like this...

President Bush is in East Grand Rapids today.

In January I sent Youngest Son to this office to pick up a prescription for my mom. This was the day President Ford's body arrived for the funeral.

Youngest Son saw parts of the city he never knew existed.

Oh, I hope my dad and mom make it there and back okay today.

And, oh, how I HATE to disappoint.

Does anyone else remember the PBS special with Leo Buscalia where he tells of how he wishes there were an enclosed park that mothers could go to and scream at the top of their lungs?

Did he not know that the need for that never goes away?

(pssst. does anyone know if there actually IS a park like that? must. find. park.)

Jumpy Jittery Judy

I went upstairs at my usual time to get dressed this morning.

I sellected something to wear from my choice of 'things that are blue'.

While making the difficult decision about just which blue articles of clothing I would wear today, I heard a fluttering noise coming from THGGM's row of shirts.

Remember how we had the 'bat incident' earlier this year? Yes. I TOO remember that.

I KNEW it was a bat. My insticts are fairly trustworthy.

So, I went into action.

Thankfully, it sometimes pays off to not put your clothes away. I was able to clothe myself in 'things that are blue, but not yet put on hangers'.

I secured the closet door, and proceded through the upstairs closing all of the doors. The entire time I am thinking 'WHO DO I CALL???'

Daughter would be arriving soon, but one cannot ask a pregnant lady to catch a bat. Notice, it is not HELP that I am seeking. I am seeking someone who will rid me of this vermin.

My dad would also be arriving soon. He has successfully removed bats. But, he is 81 and his heart is not good. Although, I do know that he would do it, out of his undying love for me.

Then, I got to thinking.

(insert picture of me here with a lightbulb over my head)

Bats generally do not fly around in the daylight. What I had actually heard was flapping. Much flapping around.

Now, YOU already can see what it was from the picture. That's because no matter what I do, I cannot get the picture to appear at the bottom of this post.

Once I started thinking clearly, I grabbed my camera and headed outside.

There I saw a robin, building a nest under my closet window.

I guess I don't need to call out the troups for this one.

Hopefully, I'll be able to part the shirts on THGGM's side of the closet and stare at some lovely robin eggs soon.

Watching the Suffering

I've had to turn the TV news off. I WILL turn it back on again, because I do want to know as much as I can about those who died so senselessly.

It is painful to watch all that suffering.

I've not had much experience with that. Although, whenever something so tragic happens a scene from my childhood always appears in my mind.

It's a little boy, sitting in the dirt along our school building. He is sitting, while the rest of us stand, pressed against a chain link fence surrounding the school yard. We are watching a house fire.

It's the little boys house.

I can still picture the teacher realizing this and going over to the little boy. He turned away from her and put his head into his knees. I can see him as if it is happening right now.

Two of his siblings died in that fire. A fire which was set, but not before the two children were locked in a room, unable to escape.

Although I was very young at the time, I remember fragmented bits and pieces of this story. A family from my church owned the house and used it for rental income.

But, I will NEVER forget the little boy watching his house burn.

I never saw him again.

I hope someone has loved him back to life.

Taking a Break from the News

I paid a quarter for these little doll plates.

I love how worn and used they look.

Such cute detail for something as simple as a doll's plate.

Knitting bunnies and cats playing with yarn are necessary amusements on a day like today.

The news is just so sad.

"No!"

Oh, I am so thankful that it was nice enough to play outside today!

We blew bubbles, played 'ball' and picked up sticks.

Baby Boy LOVES to be outside.

He has also become extremely verbal.

Happy verbal is SO much fun!

Opinionated verbal.

Well. Not quite so fun.

Today I caught him with his hands in the toilet.

As I approached him he began laughing. splashing and yelling "NoNoNoNoNoNoNo!"

This is him, practicing saying "No" just for fun.

Memory

This picture is at least ten years old.

I believe it was taken at Youngest Son's 8th grade graduation.

My mom is four inches taller than her mom.

I am three inches taller than my mom.

Daughter is three inches taller than I am.

How tall is New Baby going to be???

This is a picture of how I will always picture my mom.

It wasn't long after this that my mom had 'a talk' with me. She told me that she was really starting to fear that she was 'losing it'. Of course, I brushed this off, as I didn't see it. Or, I didn't want to see it.

Anyway, she made me listen.

One thing that she told me was that she feared looking dowdy. She had an aunt who was a very classy lady. Even when she began to developed Alzheimer's my great uncle was able to keep her looking classy and well put together.

My mom's fear? My dad would not be able to do this for her.

And it's true. He can't. While it is important to my dad that colors match, he has never had a problem with mixing plaids. When my mom had her breast cancer surgery, she told me that if she died to be sure to sew "Grr-animal" tags to all of his clothes. "You can wear a giraffe with an elephant, but never with a zebra."

The sad thing is, I'm about as into fashion as my dad is. And, to put it frankly, my mom is looking dowdy. While I don't mix plaids, I do tend to wear way too much blue. At least it matches.

This whole thing has me so upset. She trusted me to have her leaving the house looking socially acceptable, but I feel as if I am failing her there.

It mattered SO much to her.

If I seem distant or like I am not writing much it is because I am delving into the world of memory.

And, I'm not coming up with much.

What are we without our memories?

What makes us 'persons'?

What happens when what makes us who we are is gone?

Where does it go?

Where IS the memory of someone struggling with dementia?

IS there a way to retrieve memories from other portions of the brain?

Baby Boy has been SUCH a God-send to my mom. He triggers in her all that was good and happy in her life. They adore each other.

But it all just makes me wonder...

...are we anything more than our memories?

This was the ONE thing my mom did not want to have happen to her. She did not want to wither away like her aunt.

Sadly, her aunt and uncle died in a car accident when they were in their late eighties.

I'm sure Aunt Hattie was thankful to get her memory back.

I've been married for almost 29 years. My sisters are older than me.

The other night my mom asked dad, "Are the kids home yet?".

Ohhhhhh...Too Too Cute!

I was hoping to find a cute little dress for New Baby (she does already have a name).

I was absolutely THRILLED to find this one at the thrift store this morning.

The little china doll represents about the size that she is right now.

She is a VERY active little thing. Just like her mama!

This is a close up of the embroidered kittens.

I LOVE them! If Daughter doesn't approve, I still have the large baby doll that Daughter got for Christmas when she was just 14 months old and we were eagerly awaiting the birth of Youngest Son.

Yes. This will look LOVELY on that old doll, covered with Desitin though she be.

Last night I bought the new issue of Stamper's Sampler, which had a feature on onesies.

So, since I was at the thrift store today, I bought them out of newborn and 3-6 month onesies.

Oh...I have plans! Such plans!

The Blogg?

...or shaped like a BLOGG?

Did everyone else know that it was Dr. Seuss who came up with the Blog(g)?

I'm always the last to know about such things.

Here I'd always thought it came from Web Log. But, no. It's been a Seussian character all along.

Thrifty Friday Morning

I'm off to an even early start than usual this weekend.

I thrift shopped alone today.

I needed to unwind after the doctor's appointment for my parents.

Eight dollars worth of thrift, and now I am relatively calm.

I found Calvin Klein overalls and an airplane shirt for Baby Boy.

I also found a Dr. Seuss book that I didn't have.

And, "A Sleepy Story" I buy whenever I find it. I love this story, and it made ME tired every time I read it to my kids.

I also found "Flannery O'Connor - The Complete Stories". Oh, I'm not sure why, maybe for those nights that I don't WANT to sleep.

I found these two books for one dollar each.

They will do nicely for the altered book project that I am carrying around in my head.



I just LOVE the details - especially the embossed cover.

In the past, I could not rip apart books. But these have rather brown and brittle pages, so they call out to be altered. Don't they?

Mom and Dad did very well at the doctor. Mom had a biopsy just as a precaution. When I brought them home, neither one had remembered keys. Thankfully, I live close and have a key at my house. But, from here on out I will be announcing before we leave ANYWHERE - "I don't care if you don't have to go to the bathroom right now, you are going to try anyway."

Because I'm the daughter and I said so.

Sweet Cheeks, with a Side of Mom

Sorry, I just could not resist!

My mom came today and we had a very nice time watching Baby Boy develop opinions about everything. My mom has not lost her sense of humor. She found his opinions to be entertaining. I found them shocking.

Actually, I was SO tired today that she and Baby Boy watched Sesame Street while I slept next to them. Sleep. Lately, it's all I want to do.

Baby Boy is having a miserable time with teething. He is in much pain. Pain which causes him to squeal like my dog used to when her claw would get caught in the carpet.

Yes. A yelpy high-pitched sound that causes my one remaining nerve to vibrate like nails on a chalkboard.

Offer his very favorite foods? Yelpy high-pitched 'Noooooooooooo!'. Offer favorite toy? Yelpy high-pitched 'Nooooooo!' accompanied by toy flying through the air at the speed of sound (yelpy high-pitched sound, no less). Read most highly favored book? Snatching away of book with yelpy high-pitched 'Noooooooo!' as book sails through the air with the greatest of ease.

Ask 'What hurts?' Finger points directly to mouth. Give medicine. Wait 30 minutes for medicine to work. Thirty MORE minutes filled with yelpy high-pitched screams.

Buy the time his mama, great grandpa and THGGM arrived home he was his charmingly sweet little self. And, great grandma had forgot all about the yelpy high-pitched screaming. Told everyone what a sweetheart he was. Lair lair pants on fire.

Tomorrow I will get up extremely early and take THGGM to work so I can have the car to bring my mom and dad to a doctor's appointment. Two for one. My favorite kind.

Yesterday, my dad had an appointment with his prostate cancer doctor. Mom went along. They waited a very looooong time. In this time, my mom became agitated. When my dad was finally called back, mom was furious that they called HIM back, as it was her appointment! In her mind, this happens ALL the time. Anyway, dad assured her that it was most certainly not her appointment, but she would not buy it. Anyway...they had waited so long that mom needed to use the bathroom. There was one in the hallway. The one my dad had just used. When my mom exited the bathroom, he noticed that she had left a sample!

Oh, I just think that is TOO funny.

If you know my mother, her stories of the things that happened when she took HER mom to the doctor are legend. I cannot wait to tell her this story. I will, of course, say that this happened to someone else. Because, really, it did. My dignified, proper mother - the one who raised me yet could not quite get me to develop any sense of propriety - would NEVER have done this. No. This is Lady Dementia rearing her wonky head.

Really, what CAN one do BUT laugh?

Poor Thing

So far today we have had seven inches of snow.

Last year on this date it was 75 degrees.

As I Think Pink...

So I've known this for a while now, but it just 'sunk in' that I am going to have a GRAND DAUGHTER!

You do know what this means, don't you? I no longer need to feel guilty when I buy dolls. Or doll house furniture. Or buggies. Or old wooden cradles. Or craft books.

Of course, she may be like her mother, and won't care much for that stuff anyway. But, just the same, I'm still planning to buy it for her.

I also need to do a search for the tutorial on making little girl sun dresses out of vintage embroidery pillow cases. Daughter nearly gasped audibly when I mentioned this. So, maybe this one won't be happening.

I've never had as much fun in my life as I am having with Baby Boy. I am SO happily looking forward to the increase of this tribe.

If I had the time to figure out how to post a video, I would show you the new thing Baby Boy has learned. I don't have the time, so I will have to use words to describe it.

Baby Boy has been 'helping' me carry 'heavy things'. Heavy things like the container of baby wipes. When I thank him for bringing them to me, I will tell him that he is getting 'strong, like daddy'. When I say 'strong, like daddy' he will assume the body builder pose and shiver with joy at being like daddy! It is just too too cute.

His sister could be pretty strong too. As I recall, Daughter was the master of the one arm chin up and could shimmy up a rope without any effort. Hmmm. She also began diving head first out of her crib at 11 months. Thankfully, she hasn't had THAT to contend with with Baby Boy. Maybe next time (insert evil laughter here).

Interesting Reading

I've been reading www.jesustheradicalpastor.blogspot.com and following several of the links.

I have not had an interesting thought of my own in a good many days, so I am happy to borrow from those who still have them.

Never Too Busy to Thrift Shop

THGGM had some money set aside to buy a love seat. Sadly, he could never spend the money on a love seat because they are not much cheaper than a whole couch.

But, while at our favorite thrift store Saturday, THGGM found a love seat! It's way less than half of what a couch would have cost, and it is NEW. A local furniture store had just dropped it off.

No matter that now the curtains and rug look funny, it does match the wall color and the newly recovered chairs.

On Friday my sister came to town for the afternoon. We went to the unfriendly neighborhood thrift store. I could tell I hadn't been out in a while.

I had just seen some altered books that I LOVED on a web site. These covers will help me get that project started. I don't know why that one book has those words on the cover. It is actually a George Eliot book of a totally different title. But, ohhhh, the potential for altering it!

And, there were GREEN books!

I've recently read "The Little Prince", so thought I'd enjoy another by the same author.

I cannot resist poetry books, and the gardening book is charming!


I came home with this bag of Pooh toys for Baby Boy. It has a house and furniture to match.

I also found four darling like-new girl baby outfits for New Baby.

And a miniture deck of cards and game pieces, an old Pit game and two mugs.

About 30 minutes into shopping I had to track down my sister and tell her to GET ME OUT OF HERE.

Really.

Rather suddenly, very strange things will start to appear to have potential.

I COULD tell you a very embarrassing story that happened at the thrift store, but I'll let that just remain between my sister and me.

Busy Blessed Weekend

Yesterday our Easter dinner was also a birthday celebration! My dad turned EIGHTY-ONE on April 3. He enjoyed helping Baby Boy with his bottle. Baby Boy is waving to my mom. Waving is one of his favorite things to do!


Baby Boy went out of town for Easter. One of his aunts had a solo at her church. Another aunt bought him the really cute outfit.

Baby Boy has been suffering all weekend from a cold and teething.

But, it hasn't dampered his friendly spirit at all.

I cannot imagine why, but I am VERY tired today!