Be warned . . . if I offer you some home made soup say "NO".
It all started with Easter and the spiral ham. Sister in law "J" wanted to buy, cook and bring the ham. Being ME I insisted I would take care of the whole dinner. (As it turned out it was a good thing because "J" got sick and didn't make it to dinner.) The ham was a little over cooked but still yummy. My wonderful kids K&B did all the clean up and it wasn't until later that night that I thought about that BIG juicy ham bone and some home made pea soup. Unfortunately the bone was in the garbage under a days worth of trash. So I'll make the soup without the bone. There were 2 big chunks of ham that would work perfectly.
Ger picked up a package of split peas for me on one of his frequent trips to the store and I was all set to find a quiet day to make some soup.
A year latter . . . . . just kidding, yesterday I decided it was time to make the soup. I had soaked the peas overnight, (actually I soaked the peas a day and a night because I forgot they were soaking and didn't remember until yesterday morning.) I figured peas can soak for a few extra hours without any problem. I washed the peas, added plenty of water and the ham stock from the ham, (that I did remember to save), added some onion and the ham. Set the crock pot on the counter, plugged it in and we were good to go. Ger and I ran around doing some errands, then came home, cleaned up for dinner with friends and in the middle of dinner I remembered I haD never turned ON the crock pot. How bad could it be? The ham was already cooked and cured. It was sitting in water . . . what the hey . . . the only people I am going to poison are Ger and myself . . . When we got back from dinner I turned ON the crock pot and the soup finally started to cook. By the time we went to bed the smell of pea soup was filling the air and the pot was bubbling away. I figured it would not be good to leave the pot on HIGH for the night so I turned it to low and went to bed. NOT A GOOD PLAN ! This morning I have a pot of solid muck. It is brown and tastes (yes I did take a taste of it!) very salty but it still smells like pea soup although we technically cannot call this stuff SOUP. It is more of a mush.
BUT I WILL NOT GIVE UP! I WANT PEA "SOUP" !
In my quest for pea soup I have now transferred the muck to a plastic container, added a cut up potato to suck some of the saltiness out and put the mess in the fridge to chill. I figure I will add some water and MAYBE, just maybe, I will have pea soup for dinner tonight. I'll keep you posted on the results.
(Get well cards can be sent to Jupiter Medical Center)
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
HOW DO YOU WRAP AN ORCHID ?
Yesterday was my birthday and Husband bought this beautiful orchid for me. Now stop "OOHing and AHHHing", the man did not figure this out by him self. Ger and I were in Home Depot about a week ago and there were these fantastic blue orchids on display. Knowing that Husband ALWAYS has trouble buying gifts for me I stopped to admire these lovely plants. I purposely commented on how beautiful they were and how I would LOVE to have one. That afternoon Husband started in on his usual "pity party" telling me how hard it is to buy me gifts. He just NEVER knows what to get me for my birthday, (Christmas, Mother's day and any other gift giving occasion.) I told him I would really love one of the blue orchids we saw today in aisle 5 at the Home Depot on Indiantown Rd. I would have driven him back to the store if that was necessary but Husband came through with a surprised look and the comment, "REALLY? You really would want one of those?" (Dead Serious! I kid you not!) The next day I had a blue orchid.
I have gotten to the point of "WHAT EVER IT TAKES" to get this man shopping for me. I happen to love celebrating my birthday, anniversary, last car payment. Anything that gives me a chance for gifts and a party is fine with me.
It has only taken 42 years but I think Husband is finally getting it, maybe. On my birthday Ger also gave me a new lounge chair for the back yard AND the DVD of the newest Harry Potter movie. I think my birthday was fantastic this year. Topping off these awesome gifts Ger gave me a card that I know he searched for to say just the right things. Husband is not a very open guy. We don't talk feelings or thoughts. If it isn't on Fox News we don't talk about it. But his card to me said all the things he doesn't say and that was pretty cool. I guess I'll keep him around a little longer. Or at least till I find another orchid that I have never seen before.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
GRANDMA'S TEARS
I am just no good at saying good-bye to anyone but the grand kids just set me off without even trying. I was doing quite well and actually thought I might make it this time but when I went to the door of the car to kiss Abby one more time I totally lost it! Abby is quite used to me by now so it really doesn't seem to phase her. Like her father and grand father she just shakes her head. How can you keep from crying when you have that little face in your hands and know you won't be seeing it again for several months? Good thing they don't live in Australia where I would only see them once a year. (Who am I kidding? I would be flying around the world every 3-6 months to see these kids!)
These last 3 days have been extra special with Abby and Roman. Our sleep over was a HUGE success. Both kids slept till after 7 and we had such a great time at the zoo yesterday. WE had made chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, got to the zoo around 10, spent the entire day there and then went out to dinner with Kyle and Bridget to celebrate Grandma's birthday. WE had a very enjoyable dinner at the Crab House with the kids running up and down the dock to look at all the different boats going by. I offered to let the kids stay over another night last night but mom and dad knew that Abby and Roman needed a real good night's sleep in preparation for the long flight home today. But mom did say we could come and pick up the kids at 8 this morning and take them out for breakfast.
The kids pretty much ate the muffins and left the parfait after eating the whipped cream off the top. (We should have taken them to Mac Donalds.) But it was fun and we had a great time eating out side and laughing the whole time.
From there it was a trip to the Juno Beach Pier to see the fishermen catching some really big fish. Abby has decided that the next time they come to Florida she wants to go fishing.
Then we headed back to the house for some last chance swimming and watching of the one movie we didn't get to see when they slept over. By then mom and dad had arrived after closing up the condo and packing all the bags into the van. The kids had lunch and then it was time to go.
And Grandma cried!
Monday, April 25, 2011
WHY AM I SITTING HERE ?
I should be sleeping ! Abby and Roman are sleeping over and I know they will be up at dawn and yet here I sit at the computer writing about our day.
We picked up the kids at 3 and took them to eat in the jungle. There is a restaurant in Jupiter called Guanabana's and it is great! I have heard about it for over 2 years now but we have never gotten there. It is on the water, some small river flowing into the inter coastal. When you go in it looks like you are walking into the jungle. All the tables are in among the trees overlooking the river. The food was FABULOUS! I had a mango, avocado, bacon salad that was to die for. The dressing was something I have never tasted but it was fantastic. The kids really enjoyed the atmosphere and their burgers. Grandpa and Abby managed to spill their drinks on each other but in spite of that it was a fun place to eat.
After dinner we were going to go to the park but the kids decided their belly's were too full so we stopped at Blockbuster (one of the few left open) and rented a couple of movies. Roman wanted to watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles so Abby and I left him alone with that playing on the living room TV while we crawled up on Grandma's bed to watch "Megamind". I thought it would be awful but it actually was pretty good. The movies were preceded by some ice cream and fruit and followed by Roman taking a very quick swim in the pool in the dark. Grandpa put on the pool light which gave the pool a rather erie effect. Roman jumped in, swam across the pool and jumped out. Abby decided she really didn't want to swim after all.
They are both sound asleep and Grandma and Grandpa are about to do the same. Tomorrow we are headed for the zoo so we better get some rest or we won't be able to keep up with the kids.
A side note to the "sleep over" . . . When the kids come to Grandmas they get to follow Grandma's rules. Those include staying up late, eating candy and anything else that Grandma can find to do that is not normally allowed. (We figure we are getting pay back for the years of putting up with the grand kids parents when they were little and driving us nuts). This afternoon Abby asked her mom if going to Grandma's still meant that Grandma's rules apply. Her mom assured her that was the case. Abby proceeded to finish packing her bag and told her mom to NOT LOOK inside her bag. Naturally Bridget checked it out first chance she got and sure enough there was a zip loc bag filled with Easter Candy. In Abby's family the kids are allowed 1 sweet a day so Abby was not going to miss out on the big opportunity to eat as much of her candy as possible. When we got back to the house tonight we offered the kids cake, cookies or ice cream. Roman had cake WITH ice cream on top and Abby had a bowl of vanilla ice cream on which she put jelly beans and M & M's. The child sat and ate that ice cream like it was a $75 fillet Mignon. She had a smile on her face the entire time and still went to sleep when it was bed time.
We picked up the kids at 3 and took them to eat in the jungle. There is a restaurant in Jupiter called Guanabana's and it is great! I have heard about it for over 2 years now but we have never gotten there. It is on the water, some small river flowing into the inter coastal. When you go in it looks like you are walking into the jungle. All the tables are in among the trees overlooking the river. The food was FABULOUS! I had a mango, avocado, bacon salad that was to die for. The dressing was something I have never tasted but it was fantastic. The kids really enjoyed the atmosphere and their burgers. Grandpa and Abby managed to spill their drinks on each other but in spite of that it was a fun place to eat.
After dinner we were going to go to the park but the kids decided their belly's were too full so we stopped at Blockbuster (one of the few left open) and rented a couple of movies. Roman wanted to watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles so Abby and I left him alone with that playing on the living room TV while we crawled up on Grandma's bed to watch "Megamind". I thought it would be awful but it actually was pretty good. The movies were preceded by some ice cream and fruit and followed by Roman taking a very quick swim in the pool in the dark. Grandpa put on the pool light which gave the pool a rather erie effect. Roman jumped in, swam across the pool and jumped out. Abby decided she really didn't want to swim after all.
They are both sound asleep and Grandma and Grandpa are about to do the same. Tomorrow we are headed for the zoo so we better get some rest or we won't be able to keep up with the kids.
A side note to the "sleep over" . . . When the kids come to Grandmas they get to follow Grandma's rules. Those include staying up late, eating candy and anything else that Grandma can find to do that is not normally allowed. (We figure we are getting pay back for the years of putting up with the grand kids parents when they were little and driving us nuts). This afternoon Abby asked her mom if going to Grandma's still meant that Grandma's rules apply. Her mom assured her that was the case. Abby proceeded to finish packing her bag and told her mom to NOT LOOK inside her bag. Naturally Bridget checked it out first chance she got and sure enough there was a zip loc bag filled with Easter Candy. In Abby's family the kids are allowed 1 sweet a day so Abby was not going to miss out on the big opportunity to eat as much of her candy as possible. When we got back to the house tonight we offered the kids cake, cookies or ice cream. Roman had cake WITH ice cream on top and Abby had a bowl of vanilla ice cream on which she put jelly beans and M & M's. The child sat and ate that ice cream like it was a $75 fillet Mignon. She had a smile on her face the entire time and still went to sleep when it was bed time.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
HOPPY EASTER
That silly Easter Bunny has nothing on my grand kids. The Easter Bunny may hop his way across the world in 24 hours but Abby, Roman and Smith have enough energy to put 6 adults to bed at 8PM after a day of playing, swimming and eating. I AM EXHAUSTED!
It has been a whirl wind of kids since Abby and Roman arrived last Tuesday. We have been spending lots of time in the "new" pool and so far the pool is doing just fine. Ger inflated the slide that sits and one end of the pool and we have had 2 rafts, a big green tube, 5 noodles and any number of toys floating or sinking at any given time. The pool is not that big so when you add 6 adults and 2 kids and a baby it really is a tight fit. But the pool survived as did all the people in it.
Last night we took a break from the pool and all of us, Smith included, went over to Rodger Dean Stadium, our minor league stadium and spring training center for the Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals.
There was a 6:30 game between the St. Lucy Mets and the Jupiter Hammerheads. GO HAMMERHEADS! But before the game the stadium had an Easter celebration. A local church bought out all the tickets to the game and GAVE them away. First come first serve. We got our 8 tickets and were there for the helicopter arrival and drop of 2,500 eggs. That was in addition to the eggs already on the field. It was organized bedlam but Abby and Roman were out there and got their hands on some eggs. Smith went out with his mom and dad to help and managed to collect a fair share. The eggs were filled with a piece of candy or a prize. None of the Lawlors got a prize but they could have cared less. Abby's family stayed for a few innings of the game, Kristen, Smith and I left early and Kent and Ger stayed till about the 5th inning.
This morning we all met at church for mass in the parish hall. We decided to forgo the beautiful church in hopes of a quicker and less crowded mass for the kids. The parish hall was only half filled, Father Eve said a 50 minute mass and the music was done by the youth choir. It couldn't have worked out better ! Smith crawled around on the floor in the back, Abby and Roman didn't fidget and Grandma stayed awake. After we got home there was the easter egg hunt and breakfast followed by more swimming! I planned ahead for a "simple" dinner. The spiral ham just had to be heated, the frozen mac and cheese just needed to be heated and the veggies went into the microwave. DONE! So how come I spent 3 hours in the kitchen?
It sounded very simple . . . I just don't know what took so long. Dinner was a success even if the ham was a little burned around the edges. ( God's joke for me making fun of my sister-in-law burning her ham.) The sangria mix that Kristen, Kent and Smith gave me for my birthday was FANTASTIC and I think that may have had something to do with me burning the ham. Kyle and Bridget took over the cleaning of the dinner dishes and they were as fantastic as the sangria! The two of them work so well together that they had the kitchen cleaned up before I even knew what they were doing. I was busy playing with Smith, Abby and Roman. We had spent a good part of the day in the pool so now it was time to play with the indoor toys that are covering the living room floor. Abby kept finding more and more things for Smith to play with so by the time Smith was ready to leave for the day the room was even more crowded than it had been at the start of the weekend. Husband and I have decided to leave everything out because Abby and Roman will return tomorrow for a sleep over. If I think I am tired now I can only imagine what I will be like by Tuesday night. The English Lawlor's will return to Windsor Wednesday evening and our house will return to the quiet place it usually is when no one is here. Grandma will return to sleeping 12 hours a night and grandpa will return to sitting in front of the TV 12 hours a day. We will miss the kids terribly but we sure are glad that we have time to recover before the next wave of visitors.
It has been a whirl wind of kids since Abby and Roman arrived last Tuesday. We have been spending lots of time in the "new" pool and so far the pool is doing just fine. Ger inflated the slide that sits and one end of the pool and we have had 2 rafts, a big green tube, 5 noodles and any number of toys floating or sinking at any given time. The pool is not that big so when you add 6 adults and 2 kids and a baby it really is a tight fit. But the pool survived as did all the people in it.
Last night we took a break from the pool and all of us, Smith included, went over to Rodger Dean Stadium, our minor league stadium and spring training center for the Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals.
There was a 6:30 game between the St. Lucy Mets and the Jupiter Hammerheads. GO HAMMERHEADS! But before the game the stadium had an Easter celebration. A local church bought out all the tickets to the game and GAVE them away. First come first serve. We got our 8 tickets and were there for the helicopter arrival and drop of 2,500 eggs. That was in addition to the eggs already on the field. It was organized bedlam but Abby and Roman were out there and got their hands on some eggs. Smith went out with his mom and dad to help and managed to collect a fair share. The eggs were filled with a piece of candy or a prize. None of the Lawlors got a prize but they could have cared less. Abby's family stayed for a few innings of the game, Kristen, Smith and I left early and Kent and Ger stayed till about the 5th inning.
This morning we all met at church for mass in the parish hall. We decided to forgo the beautiful church in hopes of a quicker and less crowded mass for the kids. The parish hall was only half filled, Father Eve said a 50 minute mass and the music was done by the youth choir. It couldn't have worked out better ! Smith crawled around on the floor in the back, Abby and Roman didn't fidget and Grandma stayed awake. After we got home there was the easter egg hunt and breakfast followed by more swimming! I planned ahead for a "simple" dinner. The spiral ham just had to be heated, the frozen mac and cheese just needed to be heated and the veggies went into the microwave. DONE! So how come I spent 3 hours in the kitchen?
It sounded very simple . . . I just don't know what took so long. Dinner was a success even if the ham was a little burned around the edges. ( God's joke for me making fun of my sister-in-law burning her ham.) The sangria mix that Kristen, Kent and Smith gave me for my birthday was FANTASTIC and I think that may have had something to do with me burning the ham. Kyle and Bridget took over the cleaning of the dinner dishes and they were as fantastic as the sangria! The two of them work so well together that they had the kitchen cleaned up before I even knew what they were doing. I was busy playing with Smith, Abby and Roman. We had spent a good part of the day in the pool so now it was time to play with the indoor toys that are covering the living room floor. Abby kept finding more and more things for Smith to play with so by the time Smith was ready to leave for the day the room was even more crowded than it had been at the start of the weekend. Husband and I have decided to leave everything out because Abby and Roman will return tomorrow for a sleep over. If I think I am tired now I can only imagine what I will be like by Tuesday night. The English Lawlor's will return to Windsor Wednesday evening and our house will return to the quiet place it usually is when no one is here. Grandma will return to sleeping 12 hours a night and grandpa will return to sitting in front of the TV 12 hours a day. We will miss the kids terribly but we sure are glad that we have time to recover before the next wave of visitors.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
A WONDERFUL DAY TODAY
Look at me . . . up at 8:30 in the morning. Only grandchildren could get me up at this unGodly hour. Abby and Roman arrive in 5 hours for a week in Florida with their parents. They will stay at their condo, (unless we can talk them into a sleep over), and come here for most meals, which K&B usually cook.
Grandma and Grandpa have lots to do to get ready so I can't blog too much this morning. Hopefully I'll be back this evening to let you know how the day was and hopefully give you some up to date photos of the terrific twosome.
Grandma and Grandpa have lots to do to get ready so I can't blog too much this morning. Hopefully I'll be back this evening to let you know how the day was and hopefully give you some up to date photos of the terrific twosome.
Monday, April 18, 2011
CHRISTENING THE NEW POOL
The weekend was warm and sunny. The pool was cool but not cold (Kristen thought otherwise but went in anyway.), so it was time for a family swim complete with beer, snacks and the floating bar. That would be the float that Smith is sitting in. We do have a boat for the little guy but this made for a much better picture.
Smith was on his very best behavior, (we can't say that for his father!) but then I don't think this little man has any behavior but best. He just smiles and smiles and loves tearing the house apart. Since we saw Smith last, (only 3 weeks ago) he has learned to do the army crawl on his belly. He could be a trainer for the Marines as his army crawl takes him no time to cover an area the size of Rhode Island. The boy sees something interesting and he is off in a flash! There were a few times when he was up on his hands and knees ready to "crawl" crawl but he finds the belly method a lot faster. Kristen is threatening to tape Swiffer dust pads to Smith's belly so she can clean the floors as he travels through their house. Mookie the dog is managing to stay out of grabbing reach of Smith but I hear the cats have not been as fortunate. Between being mobile and putting EVERYTHING in his mouth Smith is consuming amazing amounts of cat and dog hair. (I expect Kristen will have to take him to the vet to have the hair balls removed.) At one point of the weekend Smith and I were laying on the floor playing when Smith crawled over me to go chew on Mookie the dog's foot. Mookie just lay there as if this was an every day occurrence and it didn't bother her in the least. Mookie did give me a look that said, "HELP ME PLEASE!", but being the great dog that she is she didn't move an inch. And anyway, Smith doesn't have any teeth yet so how much damage could he do? At the worst he would drown Mookie in drool.
Little Man Smith is just the best and Grandpa and I had such a fantastic weekend with him. His mom and dad left him with us overnight while they had some R&R.
Friday, April 15, 2011
NO TIME FOR BLOGGING
When you live in South Florida and the sun is shining every day you just don't want to stay indoors. Yesterday Ger and I went to Home Depot and got a bunch of gardening supplies. We spent the entire afternoon gardening and cooling off in the pool. Gardening is so much more fun when you don't HAVE to do it. No leaf raking or lawn cutting, just planting and pruning if we feel like it. And the last thing I want to do on these beautiful days is to sit in doors and play on the computer. I think most bloggers must blog at work. When else would you have the time for this? By the time the evening rolls around I am too tired to think or be creative and early mornings are NOT my thing. In fact I don't function at all any time before noon. This morning some fool organization called at 8:45 to ask for money. Not only will I not donate to them now but I have crossed them off my list of groups I will ever donate to. That will teach them not to wake me!
Thank Heavens today was a cloudy day. We even had a little rain shower. It lasted all of about 40 seconds. But the clouds gave me the incentive to work on clearing off my desk and throwing out some papers. It felt so good to see the pile of "garbage" slowly get smaller and disappear. I can now see my desk and as a result of going through papers I have created a list of at least 7 other projects I want to do. You know how that proverbial snow ball gets rolling. . .
So now I will wake up and be hoping for rain or at least clouds. When we lived in NY I would put off doing things inside until winter. You knew you would be cooped up in the house for at least 4 months so it was easy to leave something till winter. In Florida it is just the opposite. I leave things for summer when it is too hot. But that really doesn't work because I am one of those people who like cloudy days. They energize me and make me want to "get to work" on something. There really aren't enough cloudy days down here to get everything done inside that needs doing. Hot or not in the summer I still want to be out of doors. And now with the new pool there is just more incentive to get out side.
One of the projects I have been putting off was to up load the pictures from Maryland and Finley's birth. I did get to that today so here are just a few of my favorite photos of my wonderful Maryland grand children. Kaelin is delighted to be a big sister. While mommy was in the hospital we baked a "BIRTH" day cake for Finley and mom and dad. Kaelin was in charge of the decorating and the cake was a huge hit for all.
Thank Heavens today was a cloudy day. We even had a little rain shower. It lasted all of about 40 seconds. But the clouds gave me the incentive to work on clearing off my desk and throwing out some papers. It felt so good to see the pile of "garbage" slowly get smaller and disappear. I can now see my desk and as a result of going through papers I have created a list of at least 7 other projects I want to do. You know how that proverbial snow ball gets rolling. . .
So now I will wake up and be hoping for rain or at least clouds. When we lived in NY I would put off doing things inside until winter. You knew you would be cooped up in the house for at least 4 months so it was easy to leave something till winter. In Florida it is just the opposite. I leave things for summer when it is too hot. But that really doesn't work because I am one of those people who like cloudy days. They energize me and make me want to "get to work" on something. There really aren't enough cloudy days down here to get everything done inside that needs doing. Hot or not in the summer I still want to be out of doors. And now with the new pool there is just more incentive to get out side.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
A SPECIAL LITTLE GIRL
We hve left MD and Keri and her family. It was a tough departure with Keri and I in tears and Kaelin hiding behind the couch so she wouldn't have to see us go. As Keri said, she can blame the tears on hormones but what was my excuse. I just cannot say good-bye without crying. It is a genetic fault that I have never been able to overcome.
Years ago I should have bought stock in Kleenex.
Kaelin on the other hand has been telling us for the past 3 days that she did not want us to leave. She must have told me that 10 times just this morning so when it came time for us to go I had gotten bunches of kisses and huge hugs but then she went off to play with her toys and she wouldn't come out to see us walk out the door. Whatever works!
Over the past 10 days that we had been with Kaelin she has come up with any number of things that have "cracked us up". (Kaelin's expression. As in "Mommy, I cracked up Grandma.") The child listens to everything and contributes to every conversation. The very best Kalin "ism" was from 2 nights ago when she had gone to bed but gotten up twice to pee and to kiss Grandpa. Keri was feeding Finn and Steve was working in his office. There was a blood curdling scream from Kaelin's bedroom and Ger ran in to see what the problem was. There was Kaelin sitting up crying out, "We have a problem here!" When she realized it was not Mommy she jumped out of bed and made a bee line for her mother. Turns out she had scratched her finger and needed a band aid. That phrase will go in the book along with Abby's "I need to throw a fit!" It must have something to do with being 3.
We will miss our little girl and her baby brother but we will get to see them in May when they come down to Florida for 3 weeks. Can't wait!
In the meantime we are on our way home by way of Willmington, NC to visit our friends Jerry and Nancy. Then it is home to get the house ready for the visit of Abby and Roman on the 19th of April. They will be in the US for 3 weeks and in FL for one of those weeks. Roman will be baptized up in MD at Bridget's sister's church before they come to see us. They are also planning a stop at Keri's to see her and her family.
It seems like our whole family is on the road. Good thing Smith will be at home in FL for when we get home. I have been missing that little man and can't wait to see him.
Never a dull moment with 5 grand kids in the family. I just love it!
Years ago I should have bought stock in Kleenex.
Kaelin on the other hand has been telling us for the past 3 days that she did not want us to leave. She must have told me that 10 times just this morning so when it came time for us to go I had gotten bunches of kisses and huge hugs but then she went off to play with her toys and she wouldn't come out to see us walk out the door. Whatever works!
Over the past 10 days that we had been with Kaelin she has come up with any number of things that have "cracked us up". (Kaelin's expression. As in "Mommy, I cracked up Grandma.") The child listens to everything and contributes to every conversation. The very best Kalin "ism" was from 2 nights ago when she had gone to bed but gotten up twice to pee and to kiss Grandpa. Keri was feeding Finn and Steve was working in his office. There was a blood curdling scream from Kaelin's bedroom and Ger ran in to see what the problem was. There was Kaelin sitting up crying out, "We have a problem here!" When she realized it was not Mommy she jumped out of bed and made a bee line for her mother. Turns out she had scratched her finger and needed a band aid. That phrase will go in the book along with Abby's "I need to throw a fit!" It must have something to do with being 3.
We will miss our little girl and her baby brother but we will get to see them in May when they come down to Florida for 3 weeks. Can't wait!
In the meantime we are on our way home by way of Willmington, NC to visit our friends Jerry and Nancy. Then it is home to get the house ready for the visit of Abby and Roman on the 19th of April. They will be in the US for 3 weeks and in FL for one of those weeks. Roman will be baptized up in MD at Bridget's sister's church before they come to see us. They are also planning a stop at Keri's to see her and her family.
It seems like our whole family is on the road. Good thing Smith will be at home in FL for when we get home. I have been missing that little man and can't wait to see him.
Never a dull moment with 5 grand kids in the family. I just love it!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
WHO'S IN CHARGE??
One week and a day into the addition of Finley into the family, Keri and the other 3 adults in the house have realized that 3 year old Kaelin is running the show. Kaelin has always had Grandma and Grandpa wrapped around her finger but this is ridiculous.
Life is beginning to settle down and Finn is doing great. He is getting into his routine of 2 hour feedings, Keri and Steve are getting into the routine of having a baby in the house again but Kaelin is the one in charge. Kaelin is loving her little "broter" and she is involved in all aspects of his life. She helps mom when mom is feeding Finley. Kaelin gets dad when he is needed and she keeps Grandpa from sleeping all day.
The first week of Finley being home was ROUGH! Of all the ages to bring a second child into the family, three years old is probably the worst. Three year olds are in the "ME" stage. Everything is "mine" . . . "I want" and the worst of all . . . "NO" . Even my angelic Kaelin has her rough times when all of the above terms are used at full volume. It is rough to go from the one and only focus in the family to sharing the lime light. The day mom went to the hospital Kaelin came with Grandma and Grandpa and we went out to lunch with Granny and Grandpa Fred. Then all of us returned to the hospital to await the arrival of "THE BABY". Kaelin was showered with gifts to keep her from feeling ignored so when the baby arrived she was only slightly interested because she was too busy playing with her new toys. All in all Kaelin has done very well adjusting to the new family dynamics but it is hard to get the family back to "normal" with grandma and grandpa still here to spoil her. We have been out to lunch every day and off to the park and the Christmas Tree Shop to buy goodies. Every day is an adventure and every day is bringing Keri and Steve closer to getting more sleep and ""back to normal".
It looks like Ger and I will leave here on Thursday after story hour with Kaelin. I can't figure out if it will be harder or easier to leave after being here for almost 2 weeks. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time with Kaelin and family and have had the opportunity to spend some quality time with Finley. At the moment he is asleep in my lap while his mom tries to catch up on some sleep. A great plan except for Miss Kaelin trying every trick in the book to postpone bed time. After I got Kaelin ready for bed and read her a book Keri came in to tuck in the "princess". That was only the beginning. Two minutes later there was a blood curdling scream. Ger ran in to Kaelin's room where she told him, "We have a problem here!" When she realized it was Grandpa and not mommy she took off down the hall screaming for her mother. Turns out Kaelin had scratched her fingers and needed a band aid. (Poor child has terrible eczema especially on her hands and feet.) Keri got up and put cream and band aids on her fingers, tucked Kaelin in AGAIN and they both went back to bed. Five minutes later Kaelin was yelling that she had to go potty. ( She had just gone potty right before she climbed into bed.) As she sat on the potty for the next 10 minutes daddy, mommy and Grandma all tried to get her to bed but it is tough to argue with "I STILL HAVE TO GO".
I think Kaelin finally got to bed about 9:30. I know I'll sleep well tonight.
Life is beginning to settle down and Finn is doing great. He is getting into his routine of 2 hour feedings, Keri and Steve are getting into the routine of having a baby in the house again but Kaelin is the one in charge. Kaelin is loving her little "broter" and she is involved in all aspects of his life. She helps mom when mom is feeding Finley. Kaelin gets dad when he is needed and she keeps Grandpa from sleeping all day.
The first week of Finley being home was ROUGH! Of all the ages to bring a second child into the family, three years old is probably the worst. Three year olds are in the "ME" stage. Everything is "mine" . . . "I want" and the worst of all . . . "NO" . Even my angelic Kaelin has her rough times when all of the above terms are used at full volume. It is rough to go from the one and only focus in the family to sharing the lime light. The day mom went to the hospital Kaelin came with Grandma and Grandpa and we went out to lunch with Granny and Grandpa Fred. Then all of us returned to the hospital to await the arrival of "THE BABY". Kaelin was showered with gifts to keep her from feeling ignored so when the baby arrived she was only slightly interested because she was too busy playing with her new toys. All in all Kaelin has done very well adjusting to the new family dynamics but it is hard to get the family back to "normal" with grandma and grandpa still here to spoil her. We have been out to lunch every day and off to the park and the Christmas Tree Shop to buy goodies. Every day is an adventure and every day is bringing Keri and Steve closer to getting more sleep and ""back to normal".
It looks like Ger and I will leave here on Thursday after story hour with Kaelin. I can't figure out if it will be harder or easier to leave after being here for almost 2 weeks. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time with Kaelin and family and have had the opportunity to spend some quality time with Finley. At the moment he is asleep in my lap while his mom tries to catch up on some sleep. A great plan except for Miss Kaelin trying every trick in the book to postpone bed time. After I got Kaelin ready for bed and read her a book Keri came in to tuck in the "princess". That was only the beginning. Two minutes later there was a blood curdling scream. Ger ran in to Kaelin's room where she told him, "We have a problem here!" When she realized it was Grandpa and not mommy she took off down the hall screaming for her mother. Turns out Kaelin had scratched her fingers and needed a band aid. (Poor child has terrible eczema especially on her hands and feet.) Keri got up and put cream and band aids on her fingers, tucked Kaelin in AGAIN and they both went back to bed. Five minutes later Kaelin was yelling that she had to go potty. ( She had just gone potty right before she climbed into bed.) As she sat on the potty for the next 10 minutes daddy, mommy and Grandma all tried to get her to bed but it is tough to argue with "I STILL HAVE TO GO".
I think Kaelin finally got to bed about 9:30. I know I'll sleep well tonight.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
T.V. CLICKER WARS
I thought this would make for a good reality series . . . husband and I locked in a room with nothing to do but one TV set and one clicker. It would become a nasty scene in a very short time. If two people can live together for 40 something years without killing each other you would think it would be easy to co exist with only one TV and one clicker. HA ! This is the true show of just how different we are. I can only watch so much "Fox News, Cops or The Weather Channel". There comes a point where I want to watch something of my choice. But that ain't happening. I was in Heaven today when Kaelin and Keri discovered the movie "Tangled" on Pay Per View. It was heaven sitting watching a kids movie for an hour, even with all the interruptions for "potty" and snacks. But now it is 10 PM and Ger and I are sitting up to take care of Finn once Keri finishes feeding him. He had a tough day with his BIG sister waking him at 6 AM. For the past 3 years Kaelin has been Super Sleeper, letting her parents sleep till 8 or 9 every morning. This past week has sent her into a tail spin and her schedule is shot to hell along with the introduction of this baby who is taking attention away from her. This morning Grandpa and I took Kaelin out for her second breakfast at Mac Donalds and then to a Nutrition Rock Concert at the minor league baseball stadium. It was actually a lot of fun and Kaelin enjoyed it for about an hour before she ran out of steam.
And so now everyone is in bed, Finley is eating and Ger is watching "Lobster Men" on TV. There is only so much to keep my interest on this show so tomorrow I hide the clicker the minute Keri and Steve go to bed. I'd rather sit and read than watch this stupid stuff.
And so now everyone is in bed, Finley is eating and Ger is watching "Lobster Men" on TV. There is only so much to keep my interest on this show so tomorrow I hide the clicker the minute Keri and Steve go to bed. I'd rather sit and read than watch this stupid stuff.
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