Too funny not to share...

I've had a treadmill for years. I haven't used it for a LONG time! Naomi kind of makes it impossible. I had it in the living room at one time and did well. I could walk and watch TV. When it got shoved to the back room it just seemed like 15 minutes on that thing was 5 hours! I'd much rather go walk outside.
Since my dad has been on chemo it hasn't hurt his appetite one bit! It has made him less active and the last couple times he's had blood drawn his sugar has been up. He asked if I wanted to sell the treadmill. That's my dad! He would have given me exactly what I paid for it all those years ago! He's very generous. I told him no, but we'd move it to their house and he could use it indefinitely.
So one weekend Bill loaded it up. He set it up for Dad and it was actually getting used every day.
My Mom has type 2 diabetes and she even started walking regularly. When Isaiah is down there on the weekend even he would use it! Last weekend he was putting toy cars on it. So Tuesday evening my mom decides to use it. She turned it on and then turned out the lights in the room because she was in her nightie and didn't want people driving up the alley beside the house to see her in there walking.
So, she's walking and thinks "boy, this is really set at a steep incline". So she decides in the dark to start pushing buttons to lower the incline and pushes something that makes it speed up. Faster and faster. She's running trying to keep up but at some point realized that she couldn't and she was going to fall off. Well, get thrown off is more like it. She got thrown into the wall behind the treadmill. Crumpled into a ball. Hit her chin on the "tread" part and her chin is all skinned up. Hurt her ribs She said she lay there thinking "how do I get up and how do I stop this". She worked her way up, turned on the light and turned off the treadmill.
Meanwhile dad's in the living room sitting in his recliner completely oblivious to her distress. There's an old dry sink in the room and she said the treadmill was going so fast you could hear the china clinking into each other.
Now, here is why this is so pathetic! So very pathetic! The treadmill uses a magnet as a key. You are supposed to clip one end on your clothing and the other end holds the magnet. So if something like this happens it automatically would disengage the key and stop almost immediately. I asked her about it and she said she had the clip end wound around the bar on the treadmill. So why didn't you just reach out and pull the magnet off yourself when you realized it was speeding up, I asked. She didn't think of that! She said she thought she was Jesse Owens there for a minute.

Lehman's Hardware Kidron Ohio

First try at taking a photo Naomi to excited about something but she IS looking at me. OOPS next try. Now there's something in the sky exciting her!
Now she turns her head away from us when we say her name.

Last try, Isaiah is getting tired of standing there! I need a digital camera with a faster shutter!

We ran to Lehman's Hardware Saturday. It's not that far from our house and generally I try to go through the week. I'm no tourist. There's something there I want and I'd like to get in, look around a little then leave. It was packed! Lehman's specializes in nonelectric items and supplies Hollywood with lots of period items for Western and period films. I bought a Doughmaker's cookie sheet. I should have taken a picture of the wall of cookie cutters they have. Sleighs, states, leaves, just absolutely anything you could imagine. It's funny to go to a town with no traffic light to try and find some rare item you can't find anywhere else!

It just happened to be the 1st Annual Red Beet Festival. Yeah, beet! They had beet ice cream which I did NOT try!

A Happier Anniversary

Twelve years ago today, August 30, 1997, Bill and I were married in Sevierville, Tennessee right across the street from the court house and a statue of Dolly Parton. Time has flown by!

We look so young! Bill was malnourished, my how times have changed!

I was only 23! My cousin made the bouquet and I still have it.

Shopping... not so bad

I took Isaiah to Kohls to get some Levi 550s because that's what fits him best. At first I couldn't find his size so I had him try on 3 other pairs. One fit but not great. I finally found his size in 550 and had him try a pair on and they fit! YIPPEE that'over!
Bill told us to look at shoes while we were there. So that was the last thing we did. Isaiah needs 8.5 in mens. I took him over showed him the different shoes. He tends to go for the tennis shoes that look more like hiking shoes. Anyway, he saw some he liked and I said "lets see if they have your size". So I'm looking and he said "How much are these mom?"
I looked at the little electronic tag and said "$59.99"
Isaiah said "Sixty dollars for a pair of shoes!? I am NOT spending that much on a pair of shoes. I was going to tell Dad I HAVE that pair of tennis shoes from Walmart that are fine. Why fix what ain't broke!", and he walked off.
So we didn't get shoes.
I did stop and pick up a pair of jeans for Bill. Isaiah asked why we were shopping for Dad. I told him I have to buy Bill's clothes because if I don't he'll want to wait until Levi's are $19.99 again, and that is not going to happen! I told him Daddy's a little lost in how much clothes cost because he never has to do the shopping, he still thinks stuff is at 1995 prices. Like in June when he wanted Nike tennis shoes, but didn't want to pay more than $30.
Oh well, I buy his clothes and make sure he doesn't buy some tapered leg jeans. He's lost in style too! :)

Happy Birthday Dad

Sunday was my Dad's 60th birthday. My parents came over Sunday and I made supper. We had BBQ ribs, fresh corn on the cob, baked potatoes and black raspberry pie. Isaiah picked out the pie. I was going to make a blueberry cream pie but the farmer's market had no blueberries this week. Isaiah said "why don't you just buy one mom?". The thing is, in most places a bought pie just wouldn't be the same as home made. But here, we have Amish! Wonderful, home baker's who sell their goods for a fair price. I paid $5 for the pie. My dad loved the pie. Isaiah picked that flavor because somewhere in his brain he remembers long ago that my dad got a black raspberry ice cream cone. The kid doesn't miss a thing!

Before Dad left I gave him his cards. I guess he got a chuckle at the "present" I put in his card. A crumpled up one dollar bill. He just doesn't know what he's going to spend it on. He told mom he was going to save it. You just never know what little thing will make someone happy!

August 2 we all got up and went to church. There are plenty of churches to pick from in our own town but this is a special church. This is the church some of our extended family goes to. My Grandma Naomi had a cousin who's family has attended this church for quite a few generations.

I think the board said 49 were in attendance last week. That's the kind of church I like! I don't go for these mega churches. There's a lot of older people there. Lots of farmers. One man had an awesome farmer tan. It looked like he had white glasses on! Another man is 80 and still holds a season pass to Cedar Point where he goes several times a summer and rides all the roller coasters.

While we were upstairs in church Isaiah was downstairs with the kids. It was our first time at that church so "Uncle" Mel took Isaiah downstairs. They decorated construction paper T-shirts. Isaiah's was yellow (his FAVORITE color) and it said "Cartoon Network" on it. I said "know what he's done this summer?". That kid loves cartoons. He loves drawing and watching them.

After church was coffee hour. The church's motto is "we don't meet unless we eat". There was a nice spread of food. Way more than just coffee! There was quiche, breakfast casserole, fresh fruit, blueberry muffins and grapes in snow (brought by my mom). While I was eating Isaiah came and said "Mom. You know that blonde kid? He says he's my cousin". I told him he probably was. Mel informed Isaiah that he was probably related to 3/4 of the people in the church in some way. Isaiah smiled and ran off.

When we walked in to coffee hour Isaiah said "Wow Mel is way older than I thought". Which made me crack up! He's seen Mel a few times over the last couple years. Isaiah just doesn't remember people well unless he sees them often. Mel's actually a 3rd cousin, not an uncle. He's just 1 of seven kids so he's uncle to a lot of the kids! Plus almost everyone calls his parents Grandma and Grandpa, they are the ideal grandparents.

I told Mel what Isaiah said, he's only 46 and he kept kidding Isaiah. While in line to eat he went to grab a blueberry muffin and said "is this something an old person would eat?" and Isaiah got tickled! It ends up, what Isaiah was talking about was this photo of Mel. Isaiah apparently thought this yearbook yourself photo that I made of Mel was a real photo! He thought Mel was in High School! Thank goodness none of that is true. Can you imagine how badly he'd be picked on if he looked like this? He's actually a mortgage loan officer.

We sat and ate for an hour then headed home. It was a great experience and I'm sure we'll be back. Even though it's an hour drive.
But we sure didn't leave hungry!

ON VACATION

First Trip on the Diet

This weekend we'll go on our first trip while on the diet. We'll only be an hour from home and it'll only be overnight but I still feel like I need to get organized and make sure all Naomi's junk gets taken!
There's meds, not just Keppra now I have to pack the thrush meds too!
Then there's the scale. I figure I better take it just in case.
Then there's the cream. Can't get far without 36% whipping cream if you're on the Ketogenic diet.
Food. I'm hoping to take some stuff that's already weighed and measured. If she weren't refusing anything cold except fruit it'd be a lot easier!
Diapers and wipes.
Swim diapers.. Going to an indoor water park.
Her swimsuit.
Pajamas.
Probably a roll of paper towels. Bill mentioned it. What ever....
Plus Bill wants to be exceedingly cheap and take chips and stuff for the boys! I say to heck with it just pay what ever they want for a crummy little bag of chips! It's 1 night!
Did I mention I don't like water parks? I don't. I do not enjoy being damp all day. I don't mind if I can sit out in the sun. But even though there is a glass roof to part of the water park it's indoors, humid and (I think) reeks of chlorine.
Actually it's America's largest indoor water park. Yippee, doesn't make it any better. But we do this every year for Isaiah's birthday and this is the first year he's taking a friend. So that works for me. Bill can keep an eye on the boys. Naomi and I can go to the room or the lobby or what ever. They have a baby tiger the kids can get their photo taken with and I bet that thing couldn't go 2 rounds with my girl! She'd have his ears and tail pulled off before he knew what hit him!
They also have story time. The lady who did story time last year had epilepsy. Naomi was the only kid there to listen.
Oh well, hopefully it'll all go smooth. It's practice ,I guess, for a real trip.

Jack

For some reason this morning I was thinking about an uncle of mine who died in the late 1980's. He was a nut! Alcoholism contributed to some of that but even completely sober he was a nut. I remember sadly that when his daughter, who is the same age as me, was in Jr. High. A school counselor talked to her and told her to put 3 things in order of how she felt things were important to her father. She listed #1 work #2 alcohol #3 family. In a way since I've grown I can see that because he worked everyday, even being an alcoholic, showing up daily and being a productive worker, he was doing that for his family. When he died he had insurance on everything so all his debts were immediately paid. So his family was higher on the list than she thought.
When he died he was in his car, not far from home, driving to the cemetery on Christmas Eve to put a battery powered Christmas tree on his parent's grave. He had a heart attack at the wheel and ran straight into a tree. When we got the call my parents went straight to his home. His wife is my dad's sister. He and my dad worked together with at least two of my other uncles. I stayed home and the phone kept ringing. Apparently his death had been announced over the local radio and men he worked with were calling our house. I'd answer and these grown men would be crying on the other end asking me if it was true.
The company my husband works for and the company my dad works for merged and everything was moved to one facility. So now my husband works with all these men that once knew my uncle Jack. My husband said he's like a legend or something! He still hears stories about him over 20 years later!
My Aunt told me once that they had a telephone number just one number off from the local country music station and they continually got phone calls for song requests. When my uncle would answer he' d say "what do you want to hear?" and when they'd put in their request he'd sing the song loud and proud.
My Dad and he went Christmas shopping once and Jack decided my Aunt needed a bra and kept telling my dad "come here, you try it on. If it fits you it'll fit her!" and tried his hardest to get my dad to put that bra on in the store.
When the men would get together outside of work to help a friend bale hay or something like that here would come Jack with doughnuts and orange juice for everyone.
Once for Christmas I remember he gave me a bunch of little Avon bottles of perfume, the year he died I believe.
One time he was drunk and the cops went to his house and he told the cop if he came up on his porch he'd throw him right back down. The cop came up. Jack threw him right off.
He was very kind and thoughtful. Alcohol was a terrible problem in his whole family. His father drank and all his siblings. It's a sad thing. The Christmas tree on his parent's grave wasn't the only decoration he put on there. At Easter he decorated with a plastic blown up rabbit! Can you imagine! What men think of doing stuff like that for their long dead parent's!

Making Change

David's $2 bill give away made me think of something that happened the summer of 2007. That was the year we vacationed in Charlottesville, VA. We stopped at the visitor's center and bought passes for James Monroe's home Ash Lawn Highland, The Michie Tavern and Monticello. At Monticello you park in one spot and buy tickets then board a bus and are taken up to the house and grounds. We already had adult tickets but had to buy a child ticket for Isaiah. It cost $8. I paid with a $20 bill. The girl behind the counter had a heck of a time making change for me. They give everyone a crisp new $2 bill as part of their change since Thomas Jefferson is on the bill. I was standing there thinking how embarrassed Thomas Jefferson would be that this girl can't even make change! A $2 bill and a $10 bill ran through my head over and over. Trying to send my thoughts to the girl. But it didn't work. She had to get out a calculator!
Now... if you are ever lucky enough to visit that part of Virginia I would definitely recommend Ash-Lawn Highland. It doesn't seem to be as popular as Monticello but I actually liked it better. It's much more of a home. There are 3 slave cabin on the premises but it doesn't seem like such an estate, it's much more of a home.
The Michie Tavern was fun too. Isaiah and I took the tour while Bill sat in the car with a sleeping Naomi. Don't tell anyone but Isaiah danced the Virginia Rail as part of the tour. We had lunch at the tavern also. It's buffet style. I can't say I'd recommend that, especially if you have kids. It's over priced and I hope you like black eyed peas and greens. I don't. The gift shop below Michie Tavern was very nice. It's an old mill and the water wheel is still going.
At Monticello we took the tour that is tailored to families with young children. It was great! A woman who had been a school teacher in the area was our guide. Every child was given something, Isaiah had a small piece of hide from a buffalo. Then as we went through the house she'd ask if any of the kids saw something in the room that was like what they were holding. Isaiah's was right in the entry way. Jefferson had a lot of items brought back by Lewis and Clark.
In the garden they had some resurrection fern which Isaiah thought was so neat. When you touch the leaves of the plant it has a natural defense, it plays dead. It is funny. You touch it, then it starts to wither and curl up. You wait a while and it comes back to life.
The only thing that wasn't so good about that trip was the weather! Heat wave! It was over 100 every day we were in Virginia. Even after we left Charlottesville and went to Virginia Beach it was 106 at the beach! We stayed 1 night and headed back to Ohio!

Ebony and Ivory

Last trip to the neurologist I asked the Dr. about the way Naomi gets so red and flushed. Looks like she's got a bad rash on her cheeks, then it's gone. The Dr. said "well she's pretty fair complected". She is. But then the Dr. added that both me and my husband are both fairly light, him more so than me.

PEOPLE! Is that the understatement of the century or what! HA!

He's got blue eyes, that's about he only thing that keeps him from being albino!

This photo is over 10 years old. I believe it was taken right before (like the day before) we got married. 1997. I look a lot different now. Duh! I think I was 23. I'm 34 now. This was when I was young enough not to care about the effects of a tanning bed on my skin. I also lived in North Carolina. Not that I got to enjoy the sun. I worked 2nd shift most of the time. 2PM-10PM. In a textile mill. Very Norma Jean. When I first walked in the place I told the supervisor that it was just like Norma Jean! I don't think he'd ever seen the movie!

My dad looks a lot older, he's pretty much gray now and no beard (I don't think, I'm so used to seeing him I don't even pay attention!). He has managed to keep his hair unlike his brothers (all 7 of them!).

Bill is the most changed! He has gained at least 50 pounds. I'd say in this photo he probably was about 145-150 pounds and he's 6 ft. tall. He goes between 200-215 now. I know those jean shorts he had on were a 28 inch waist. He would look at this and say that was when he had a six pack. I know the truth, they were his ribs! He had no rear end! If it wasn't for a wallet in one pocket and a pack of gum in the other, he'd of had no bottom! Back at this time it was nothing for him to work 60+ hours a week. The place we worked at would put us on 8 hour days working 13 days then one day off then 13 again for long periods of time (they have since closed their doors in this economy). Bill would often pick up extra, I worked overtime too but kept it to 12 hour shifts. He'd pull double shifts many times a week. He at one time worked 2 full time jobs but it made more sense to just get overtime at one job. His metabolism was so crazy he could hold his hands over me and you could feel the heat generating off him. He was in constant motion. He just never was one to be idle. Somehow, he seems to look somewhat younger to me now than he did then.

That's our apartment building behind us. We had a 2 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath townhouse and paid $325/month, water and trash included! Man I long for those days! It was a nice place too. I missed it for a long time!

Don't Want None!

She didn't say anything but this is the face I got while feeding Naomi the other day. I think her face and hands say it all!

I ran to the grocery BY MYSELF!

First time in a long time that's been possible. It went so quick!

As I left I couldn't keep from feeling like I'd forgotten something. I kept looking at the empty cart and realized I'm just used to having Naomi sitting there. I got everything, beef brisket, pork chops, chuck roast and a ham. We're eating good this week!

Our Sled dog

Just so you know, if your dog needs a sweater to be outside in the cold.... she probably won't make a good sled dog. She tried. Gave it her all. Pulled the sled empty but when the big 9 year old climbed in the sled that was it. A 13 pound dog can not pull a big boy. She was out less than 5 minutes and was sitting by the back door, even though the gate was open, waiting for me to go inside. Today I went upstairs to take a nap with Naomi and heard her bark. OOOPS! Had to holler to Isaiah to go let her in the house! She's so small she's easy to loose track of!

An Alberta clipper came in today and dumped a little snow. The big change comes tonight. Wind chill warning. The cold isn't so bad, but the wind is brutal!

Isaiah loves being outside. I asked him at one point if he was ready to come in and warm up and he said "No I'm having to much fun out here".

I can see how pushing an old yellow plastic school bus through the snow would be a blast (?!)

He can't really sled ride because our hill goes straight down to the street. He stayed out over 2 hours. You just don't know how thankful I am that he can get himself dressed in his snow pants, boots, gloves etc....

I'm a bad, wife, mom and owner!

So that Fawn feels better about herself and her recent post about being a bad mother I'll post some of my "issues".
First the dog! She's a little dog, doesn't eat much and I so seldom have to fill her dish I often find it empty and wonder how long it's been like that! (I think Bill takes care of it most of the time). I often let her out to potty and completely forget about her! Summer, not so bad Winter BAD BAD BAD! She eventually starts to bark or whine.
The kids
1. I once got so aggravated with Isaiah I said "are you stupid!"
2. Naomi has been watching way too much T.V., but we're up at 5a.m to bed at 9pm with a nap,
that's a lot of time to fill!!!!!
3. I'm happy when weather gets so bad school is cancelled and even happier if that happens to
fall on a Tues or Thurs. because then I don't' have to take Naomi to therapy either.
4. Isaiah spends way too much time in his room.
5. I hate my kids homework as much as he does and have no patience helping him some days.
6. I totally use Santa as a tool. Year round! Kid being difficult? Under my breath, just loud
enough for the kid to hear, I may say "I hope Santa is writing this down.".
7. I let Naomi tear up the living room, put toys where ever she wants and may go days without
bothering to put them away.
8. Naomi wet through 2 different pair of pants yesterday because someone didn't change her
diaper often enough.
9. If we don't have to go anywhere, myself and the kids may spend whole days in pajamas.
10. I haven't had Naomi's portrait taken since her 1st birthday!

Now for Bill!
1. He washes his own work clothes
2. He's ran out, in bad weather, to get me something to eat
3. I make fun of his speech impediment ( he can't say quarrel!)
4. He's been sleeping in Isaiah's room because of Naomi, and I don't want him back on a
permanent basis! My dream home would have 2 master bedrooms! I long to just stretch
out in a bed by myself.
5. He does way more than I do around here.
6. Since starting Naomi's diet he's often had to scavenger for supper. He doesn't' complain
even though he has eaten way more bologna that any human should!

Now for the house...
1. my laundry tends to pile up!
2. I go way to long before washing our sheets!
3. I vacuum way less than needed
4. I have a dishwasher, but now hate putting dishes away!
5. stuff piles up every where, if there's a flat surface, it's full. Until I go through end up with a
whole garbage bag full of junk!
6. I tried to recycle! Used to do good. The last couple weeks.... not so much.
7. I rarely dust, it makes me sneeze like crazy.
8. I can't imagine having a one level home, upstairs can get embarrassingly messy
9. I could care less if the beds get made (the whole upstairs thing)
10. my car sometimes looks like a homeless family has taken up residency there!
11. I sometimes have to position the kids for photos so you can't see the toys and junk behind
them!
OHHHH... that feels better. Of course my house sounds like a pig sty!

Penalty Box

Where he come up with this stuff I don't know! But while I was checking some email Isaiah was supposed to be doing homework at the dining room table and Naomi was happily wandering around with various toys. The door to the room I'm in is closed but the kids are just on the other side. I kept hearing..

"Sissy, Sissy, back to your penalty box"

little girl giggle

"Sissy, Sissy, BREACH BREACH!"

more little girl giggle.

"Get back into position soldier! Soldier's don't stand!"

Naomi cracking up!

So I go out to see what is going on! I haven't been away long, but you see what happened! Isaiah pulled every big toy, toy box and even the coupe over to block Naomi into the corner in her bean bag chair. Poor little girl, she's oddly content!
OH GOD I got to go he's put her in the coupe and blocked her in. She's not STUPID she knows she can climb out the door! He's yelling "Sissy that could be dangerous! Sissy Sissy!!!!!!!" And she's out and laughing in his face!!

Keto Nightmares

My husband told me yesterday that he had a dream where he was changing Naomi's diaper and she started to pee all over him and I was yelling "save that pee I have to check her ketones!!!" and he was trying like crazy to catch her urine in the diaper.
Last night I had my own dream about the Ketogenic diet. Naomi was in her highchair and someone gave her food and I was yelling "we didn't weigh it, we didn't weigh it! EVERYTHING has to be weighed!!!!"
Notice in both dreams I was yelling? I don't think I yell that much! More of a raised voice, I really don't need to yell, just raising my voice makes Isaiah quake in his boots. Naomi's could care less she'll ignore you and go on her way no matter what.

The Free Ride is over!

My husband was off work for a long while. His last work day was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and he just went back to work Monday! This is how Naomi spent that whole time! Usually her little chin was nestled right in the curve of his neck. Her little hand patting Daddy's back. I think she forgot she had legs! If she was down on the floor and her Daddy walked through the room she immediately threw her arms up to be lifted. If he was standing watching T.V. she was circling him letting him know, all he had to do was reach down and pluck her up. When he was trying to fix a lamp, up on his knees leaning on the back of the recliner fixing the switch, she was trying to climb up, grabbing hold of his pants pockets to try and pull herself up on the recliner too. She was pathetically attached to him! I don't know how many times he didn't realize she'd walked right up behind him and he knocked her down. He was up on a step ladder cleaning the ceiling fan and when he stepped down she was so close he somehow stepped right on her.

Now he's back to work. She's loving on me when she wakes up, unless we come down to find him still in the kitchen and then she abandons me. When he has to leave she comes back to me, but when he walks through the door in the evening, she's right there, waiting at the gate with her arms up. Her and the dog, I don't know which one loves him more!

A lesson in optimism

I have a Great Aunt who lives nearby... if you know who I'm talking about you're at the edge of your seats waiting to see what she's said now!!! I was helping her pay some bills and one was from AARP, her membership was up for renewal. She'll be 83, I believe, this December. Anyhow, back to her mail.... When I told her AARP offered either one year or 3 year renewal she said "Lets think positive and go with the 3 year membership. But if I die, you write to them and get my money back!" I assured her I would and we'd bury her with her membership card clenched in her hand.
She's a hoot!

I don't exist

I was looking through the kids photo albums and apparently I abandoned them shortly after birth! There are very few photos of me and the kids simply because I'm the one who's holding the camera! Also since having the kids I tend to hide from the camera!

Here's a photo I found of my kids and me visiting Grandpa last year in the nursing home. He was 90 years old in this photo, with very little gray hair. He always said it was because he never let a woman cut his hair! At this point he'd been diagnosed with Alzheimer about 9 years or so.

Grandma and Grandpa

For some reason lately I've been thinking about my grandparents. My mom's parents. They were awesome. In fact that's who my daughter is named after. A friend of my mom's ran into one of my mom's cousin's after my daughter was born and told him "Linda's a grandma" and he thought she was talking about my son and she said "no Jenny had a girl, they named her Naomi". The friend said he broke down crying. He told her my Grandma was the best Aunt, she always made him feel loved and wanted. My grandma always used to tell us girls to "go to school so you can grow up to be president". What a great thing to tell GIRLS! Back then that didn't even seem possible. Instead of goodbye she would say "peace" and raise her fingers in the peace sign. I'll always remember she'd say "kill 'em with kindness" and I think that still works best when someone has wronged you. She died when I was about 12, but I have so many good memories of her.

My grandpa on the other hand just died in August of Alzheimer's/dementia. Until the end even though his mind was gone and he didn't remember who I was, when I'd take the kids to see him, he'd light up and come out of his fog. When we were little he'd get on the floor and play with all the grand kids. When he was in his 80's and I had my son he still got on the floor and played. I'm so happy my son has memories of his Great Grandpa. My grandpa was so comical. For one thing he called stuffed peppers "elephant turds". He had a saying I still don't understand "like duck sh*t through a tin horn". HUH? He had an uncanny ability to read people. When my cousin's son was little he'd say "he's a good kid, but something is just not right with him", he was right. When that boy was older they found out he had Aspberger's Syndrome (a type of autism). One year about 10 years ago we were at his house for Christmas and I handed him a present and on the tag I'd written To: Grandpa From: Santa, Grandpa gave me his sly little smile and said "I know that's a damn lie" It was so funny and so him.

Can I just say, my Grandpa was one good looking young man! My Grandma was built like Olive Oyl, who got those genes!???

Well, I could go on and on about them, there's just no words for how special they were not only to our family but to many others who's life they touched.

Sweetest Day

Sweetest Day is this Saturday and I believe it was even created here in Ohio, by a card company. This morning at 7 a.m my mom stopped by to stay with Isaiah while I took Naomi for a blood draw. This is a woman, who, when I was growing up put off all presents for Christmas or my birthday (July, conveniently just about 1/2 way to Christmas). So I should have been surprised when she had a little bag in her hand, but I'm not. See the grand kids are sooo much different. She bought Isaiah the new Indiana Jones movie that just came out. Oh, but she didn't just buy it for him. Get this, it's an early Sweetest Day present! I guess it's not spoiling him if you can come up with a "valid" reason for a present. Maybe I should complain, we're not Jewish, but didn't Rosh Hashanah just pass? And what about Columbus Day! For goodness sake! Do the make a holiday a day calendar or anything?