MY GENTLE LITTLE MAN

Come on Grandma!

There he is . . . Little man Smith. Only two and a half years old but way much older in personality and intelligence.  And in awareness and compassion.
Probably the last thing you would think is that he is gentle. As he drives his motorized motorcycle across the living room and den, careening off walls while chasing the cat the word GENTLE does not come to mind. Neither would you think "gentle" as he scales the bar stool by the kitchen counter to climb up and over to get to the kitchen cabinets to see what treasures he might find. Neither is he gentle when playing MONSTER TRUCKS with grandma and daddy and trucks are flying every which way. But take him for a walk around the block and come across a worm stranded on the sidewalk in the hot Florida sun and this little guy is all over it with gentleness.
There we were, walking along hand in hand when this little voice says, "Grandma, a worm!" And so we stop to check it out. No matter whether the worm is full dead after 3 days baking in the sun so that it is near to petrified, or whether it still has a breath of life in it Smith has to stop and gently pick it up to examine it. The worm then gets a royal funeral or a return to the grass to live another day, depending on what Smith deems necessary. Grand pa's instinct is to step on worms and here is this little 2 year old being so gentle with one of God's creatures.
I remember the year from Hell when I returned to work after my kids were in college. I took a job in a day care center on Long Island and HATED every minute of it. The kids were great, 3 and 4 year olds who were spending most of their lives in the care of strangers. There was one little guy named Connor who was built like Smith. All muscle and brawn but none of the tenderness that my little man has. One day the class and I were taking a nature walk around the building and Connor found a worm. Just as he was ready to jump on it to mash it into the sidewalk I grabbed his arm and stopped him. Right there we had a lesson on all God's creatures, great and small. I remember the look on Connor's face as we talked about how the worm was ALIVE, just like us. And how we cannot hurt things (or people) who were smaller than us. (Connor did have the potential to be a bully) Connor listened and then picked up the worm and put it in the grass.
I figure Connor must be in college by now and I often wonder what sort of young man he has become. Did the "worm talk" stay with him? Who knows. All I know is my little man Smith doesn't need anyone to have a talk with him. His parents are doing a good job and this little guy has some mighty grown up, wonderful traits about him.
I'm proud of my son and his wife for doing such a good job teaching Smith about life as well as ABC's. And I am proud of Smith for taking all this to heart and being such a wonderful little guy.

LA LA LOOPSIE

That is actually the name of a doll . . .  La la LOOPSIE !  I know because I bought one for Kaelin for her birthday. Never heard of it before she told her mom that was what she wanted. And so I did a little Internet research and sure enough there is a doll by this name. Kaelin seemed to like her doll but I have trouble getting past the name. I mean, what happened to CHATTY KATHY and BETSIE WETSIE?  Even Barbie has more of a ring to it than LA LA LOOPSIE!!

In fact, I think I should have coined this name for myself a long time ago. Most days La La LOOPSIE is pretty descriptive of me. My brain gets to going la la LOOPSIE and I am one step this side of a brain dead hippo. Yesterday was one of those days that I was just not functioning and could not get it together for anything. Ger had a doctor appointment and was being totally chemo brain dead. The nurses and doctor all ask him questions which he answers with "I don't know" and then everyone turns to me for the answers, including Ger. Yesterday day I didn't have anything to give them. My brain was totally gone!
Usually I have THE BOOK with all Ger's information in it. His medications and doses. His list of appointments, his weight chart, his blood pressure record. You name it I have it.  Not yesterday! Yesterday I had LA LA LOOPSIE BRAIN which beats chemo brain any day. Chemo brain just makes you dull and stupid. La La brain makes you dull, stupid AND emotional. So not only do I not have answers I also start to cry because I don't have the answers. REALLY!  I mean, how stupid can I get.  Husband just stares at me like I have totally lost my mind and then gives me attitude because I don't have all HIS information which just makes me cry more. And to top it off I read an email from BFF Jeanne that makes me even more weepy.  By the time the doctor came in she took one look at me and gave me a hug! Being a woman she probably knew the symptoms and knew enough to just hug me and move on, knowing I would return to normal eventually.

Today is much better but I still think it is cool they named a doll after me.

Way to go Cath.  And to think they named that silly doll after me.

DID I MENTION . . .

THE CASTLE IN THE LIVING ROOM ?

FLORIDA TORNADOS

The three tornado's blew through this normally quiet neighborhood last week beginning on Good Friday and ending early yesterday morning. The path of destruction was accompanied by high pitched screeching, squealing and occasional moaning. This is a picture of the destruction that was left behind. Most of the turmoil was contained in one room of our home but the remainder of the house and yard were not left unscathed.

SPRING BREAK 2013!
Kaelin, Finley and Smith combined last Saturday to create the "PERFECT STORM" and it will take Grand ma and Grand Pa days to shovel out of the carnage. But I wouldn't change it for the world!

What an awesome week we had with the Maryland Grand Kids visiting with their parents and Kent, Kristen and Smith popping in for the Easter weekend. The kids are FANTASTIC and played and played and played. A great time was had by all. Grandpa is exhausted! Grandma is pooped but glowing. I just love being with these little people.

Here's some photos of the past week to show you the highlights.

Celebrating Finn's second birthday. Presents for Everybody!

Elmo Pinata

AND CAKE !!!

Finn's party was on Saturday before Easter. Smith and his family came to help celebrate.  Then we Celebrated Easter Sunday with an Easter Egg Hunt and church.

 

A TRIP TO THE ZOO

PLAYING IN THE ZOO FOUNTAINS

BATH TIME !

AND A TRIP TO THE HOSPITAL WHEN KAELIN HAD AN ALLERGIC REACTION

THE GRAND KIDS ARE COMING . . .

OR ARE THEY ?   Just got a call from Keri who was driving to the hospital to meet Finn and Steve in the ER. Finn was arriving via ambulance straight from the doctors office because of possible pneumonia.  AHhhhhhhhhhhh  the joys of parenthood.  Needless to say Keri was upset and calling to cry on dad and mom's shoulder so she would be "together" once she arrived at the ER.  So far, no news.

Once again we have to wonder why we make plans in life.  Our plans last year all fell apart when Ger got his lung cancer diagnosis. So we aren't planning more than a day at a time.
Well, not really because I am planning on the kids coming to Florida for Easter. At least Smith will be here, unless his mom murders him in the next couple of days. Seems that Smith's toilet training isn't going as smoothly as hoped.  Just read Kristen's blog from a few days ago and Smith peed his pants TWICE in school. BUT, we have gotten two calls from Smith in the last 2 weeks telling us he did "Poopie in the potty" and very proud of it! (As well he should be!)  Hopefully a week with dad will help Smith stay off mom's radar. Kent is off this week for Easter vacation and is taking Smith for swim lessons every afternoon at 3:30. I know I would not want to be swimming this week thanks to the hurricane like wind and the lower than usual temperatures. Burrrrrrrrr !  But they are south of us so hopefully the lessons aren't bone chilling. Smith also got to see the Easter Bunny last weekend. He seems quite unimpressed with the whole thing. Smith did color some Easter Eggs last weekend and that was a hit.  IF Kaelin and Finn don't get here Smith can color all 18 of the eggs that I bought.

But we will think positive!  Finn will be fine and we will pick them up on Friday as planned. Keri had taken Finley to the walk in medical yesterday afternoon and they diagnosed him with a bad cold. They also said his oxygen levels were down so they gave him a "breathing treatment", something that Abby and Kaelin are quite familiar with . (No getting away from all these cousins inheriting the Lawlor genes.) Finn had a rough night and Keri knew he needed to see his own doctor this morning which brought him to the trip to the hospital. Poor little guy! And his birthday is TOMORROW !  Tell me he will spend his second birthday in the hospital!  I wonder if the huge toy tool bench will fit in the hospital room?  But I am getting ahead of myself and hopefully the little guy will be home for his big day. The planned second birthday party will be a bust if Finn doesn't make it to Florida. Party plans have been in effect for a month since I got the call from Party Planner and Big Sister Kaelin. She has planned an Elmo/Cookie Monster party and left Grand ma in charge of the details. The Pinata is bought and filled and the cake is ordered as of yesterday. Smith and I will have fun finishing off the cake if the Cavanaugh's don't make it.
Just got a call from Keri to say they WILL be spending the night at the hospital so Finley will be having his second birthday dawn in Civista Hospital, La Plata, MD.
At least the Maryland kids have been having a good time up till this. The family is planting a garden and these photo's are from the trip to Lowes to buy the supplies.

 Fingers are crossed for Finn's SPEEDY recovery from what ever he has.  The doctor's have ruled out what he does NOT have but there is no word on what the poor little man does have. At least they are working on it!

And then there is the latest up date on the London Lawlor's. The return to the states has been moved up from mid July to EARLY JUNE !  Hooray !  Abby will make her first Holy Communion in May and then pack and return to being residents of Atalanta, GA.  Roman will have to start all over again getting used to his new surroundings but at least they will have the entire summer to
settle in and get used to things.  We are really looking forward to having them all back in the states and only an 8 hour car ride away rather than an 8 hour plane ride. Even with the price of gas it is still cheaper to drive!

What aisle can I buy them in?

MAKE MY DAY !

If only I can make my eyes stay open maybe I could make some sense. We have made it through the major portion of the "winter visitors" and boy are we tired.  I must make an effort to discourage folks from visiting for more than 36 hours. Our friends Jim and Kathy did it right. They made the trip over from the Tampa area, visited overnight and left. Awesome visit, lots of talk and good vibes and they didn't make me tired.
Now we will make the effort of gaining strength before the Cavanaugh Clan arrives at the end of the month. In the mean time I will attempt to make myself get up and get some thing done around here. Getting up in the AM is daunting on a good day but when I have to get up to make breakfast for Ger, make the bed, make time to make lunch and dinner I would prefer to cover my head and make my way back to dream land.
I need to make an appointment with the chiropractor before I make the wrong move and throw this Oh so aching back into a tail spin. Maybe I will also make an appointment for a massage to make my muscles relax a bit.
That makes sense to me !

BRAIN OVER LOAD

My brain is like the old Model T Ford . . . .   it chugs and sputters along and then every so often it just gives up the ghost. The other day there was a flash of light from my eyes,  a puff of smoke from my ears and that was that !  Brain Over load !  You can always tell when that happens because I don't have the energy or brain power to write. And so I vegetate ! I would prefer sleeping for about a week but that isn't happening. Even though I have not gotten up before 10 for the past 2 weeks.  I am not sleeping well and it isn't until Ger gets up in the morning that I finally fall into a sound sleep. But since he is waking at 9 that is really only an hour of good sleep each day. I think what I could really use is some good old fashioned GIRL TIME ! I am missing our annual "GIRLS WEEKEND" with my 2 bestest of best friends.  Time to kick back and just veg and laugh with some eating and drinking sprinkled in. It has been ages! Jeanne was in Florida for a month, which was way too short a time and we did not really get time together.  Husbands were here too and it was better than nothing but she left way too soon.  Sharon is in Florida now but once again husbands are here along with Aunt Ann Marie so Sharon and I have not yet had an opportunity to just get together and laugh.  I NEED SOME SILLY TIME.  The ball is in Kathy N's court for when she and Jim visit next week. I am so looking forward to seeing her as she is a really super great lady who's company I really enjoy.  All those years ago before children G and I used to vacation with Kathy and Jim on Cape Cod for the week before 4th of July, (when the rates were low). We had a lot of laughs those days and then we had kids . . . Say no more. Not to say we don't love our kids but those days BK (before kids) were fun. Of course we were a LOT younger and full of adventure then but the laughter is still there.

Aunt AM and I were just talking about some of the young women in our lives who are in such need of "ME" time.  I often hear the girls saying, "I just need some time to myself", or "We haven't had a vacation in years"!  I remember saying the exact same thing when I had kids. Alone time would be 15 minutes locked in the bathroom and vacation was an afternoon spent in one of the neighbor women's back yard with some of the other neighbors, a gallon of wine, some snacks and all the kids running around together like maniacs and us not giving a damn. Ger still reminds me of the day he came home for dinner only to find an empty house. He called my neighbor asking if I was there and telling me to come home and get dinner started because he had to go back out. My friends also remember that day!  I do remember walking home with the kids with quite the buzz on cursing Husband up one side and down the other. The kids were just as pissed to be taken away from their friends at such an early hour of 4:30!

But now when the girls need a weekend away either alone, with a friend or some times even with their husbands I can't complain because that means Grandma gets asked to babysit and that is a GOOD thing. None of my friends or I had grandmas around to help out when we really needed a break. Good thing we are living longer these days.

But what happens when Grandma needs some ME time ?