To market, to market, to buy a fat pig; Home again, home again, etc... I'm back!
Overnight trip to Muncie. Grandchildren both have colds, but were batting on all cylinders. Meg hurt her back, so she wasn't batting on all cylinders, but mommies don't get a chance to be down!
Got the situation with the Taurus taken care of, and now that I'm home, I need to shift gears for work around the house tomorrow...and Independence Day! (Gears don't shift as easily as they used to!)
One of my ham friends (who is blind) asked me yesterday if I could provide transportation for him home from his workplace noonish today, if he bought lunch. Free lunch sounded good to me! I picked up Bill and his service dog Chance around 11:45. We had lunch at a Chinese buffet, then we took the opportunity to make a run to his bank. It wasn't much of a side trip, but it did sap me of my energy at home.
Then the other shoe hit. Meg called to ask me if I could come up to Muncie in order to provide the second car so she could get the brakes fixed on my old Taurus, which she drives. The brake situation has been bad almost since she got the car. I haven't had the funds to fix them...but she finally does. I will go up tomorrow and return on Friday.
Meanwhile, my little Ryan is sick. He has caught a cold and is running a fever high enough that Apple Tree called and told Meg to come get him. (I think 101 degrees is their limit.) They all have the "cold" in that household now, but Ryan seems to be the only one who is feeling bad...
Grandma Judy and I talked about taking one child for a weekend...she with one and me with the other...just to see how it goes. My guess is that Robin will want to come with me, and Ryan will want to be with Bampa. (Grandpa Phil is his hero!) We'll see how that goes... Tune in later for that news.
I'm out of here for a couple of days, then. On Saturday, one of my revered ham friends is coming over to help me get "stuff" done. I hope so! I need help here!
When I first bought this house (before I became a ham operator), I could actually get my car in the garage at the end of the day. On winter mornings, it wouldn't take long to warm up, and I didn't have to brush the snow from it. In the summer, it would be cooler and protected from storm damage. I could take the groceries into the house and not get wet. (There's a novel idea!) But, over the years, the garage has become overloaded with treasures that didn't fit anywhere else, and the car has sat out in the elements. I had it cleaned out once since then, but that didn't last long. For years I have promised myself that I would get the mess cleaned up so I could actually <gulp> USE the garage for that which it was intended, once again. (It has become somewhat of a joke among a couple of my friends. One, when I mention cleaning out the garage, says, "Peg, how long have I known you???") In keeping with one of my summer goals, however, I determined to TRY--and what better day than today?
It is pretty clear to me why the garage is in the condition it is in. The bulkiest items in the garage are baby trappings: two high chairs, a bassinette, a big stroller, etc. "These are too good to throw out. I'll just clean them up and...." Then there are cans and cans of paint that are too old to use, but "maybe they'll still be good enough for touchups." Then, of course, there is the inevitable overflow of radio junk--things that were unneeded by others and passed off to me to be used back before I could afford anything new in radio. (That has come full circle. I pass off as much as I can to others in the early stages of radio, but I STILL can't afford anything new!) There are also a couple of boxes of SATERN literature, several boxes of HCARS files and stored Field Day materials, and (of course) some family treasures that aren't useful but carry too much sentimentality to just pitch. (Like, whatever am I going to do with a bamboo "honey bucket" with an engraved plate bidding my parents good-bye from their military friends from our service in Japan back in the 50s?)
So...it looks like cleaning out the garage is going to take a few days, if I'm going to do it right, and will have to be two-pronged: go through and throw out the obvious, saving the rest; then going through a second time and getting more realistic about what I am saving! I think it would be a good idea to enlist some help to actually make the minor repairs for which some of the junk was purchased--like the new doorknob for the hall closet that I bought maybe 8 years ago, still in the package...or wall corner protectors that I never put up. (And now the corners are damaged and have to be repaired before I can put the protectors up!) <sigh>
Back to the abyss. I'll let you know when it is finished. Think we will live that long??
The car is unloaded and the perishables put away. I've removed my shoes and had my nap. NOW I am ready to write about Field Day!
My radio club has put a lot of advanced planning into our Field Day preparations over the last few years. Rather than relying 100% on the contributions of members for the items that we need for FD, we have made some purchases, obtained some logging software, made a map of the FD site to determine placement of antennas, etc...and generally have gotten the whole setup down to a fine science. And, for a few years, anyway, we have been blessed with good weather to make the experience run smoothly. We usually come home physically pooped but none the worse for wear.
WELL! This year was a little different! The guys put up the antennas and operating tent in nice shape, complete with orange day-glow tape on the guy wires. The Salvation Army canteen was on site early, providing the generator with which we operated our radios, lights, and fans. Saturday was sunny and bright but not exceedingly hot. At 2:00 PM, the radios were ready to go, as were the still-fresh operators. "CQ, FIELD DAY! CQ, FIELD DAY!" And that's about as well as it went. Before the day was over, we had two broken rails on the park's split rail fence, one broken arm, a dented car, a broken radio...and then there was Sunday, taking down antenna masts and tents with thunder all around!
The groundskeeper at the park came to shut the park down at 9:30. He hadn't gotten the memo about us, so he was reluctant to leave things open. (Like the restrooms.) He did, however, consent not to lock the restroom and leave one gate with the lock open so we could come and go. Thereafter, after dark, some of us noticed teenagers playing on the park playground equipment. (These were older boys--like very late teens.) When I moved closer to observe, a couple of others joined me for support. One of our number stepped over the top rail of the split-rail fence and caught it with his foot. It cracked and broke...then came down on the second rail, which also cracked and broke. I figured I would report it to the gal in charge of the park on Monday when I call her. (The rails were replaced before I got there on Sunday!) The teenagers left, only to return later with two friends. We chased them out, politely, a second time. It was my decision not to call the police....
Also just about dark, I was talking to one of our members when I noticed that there was a small crowd over by the canteen, all looking at something on the ground. I've been a teacher long enough to recognize a "situation," so we went over, only to discover another one of our members on the parking lot asphalt, having fallen off the back of the canteen. He was pale. One of the Red Cross visitors with first aid training was going through a litany of responses with him. He was having trouble moving his arm, so his arm was immobilized; one member transported him to the hospital ER, just a couple of miles away, while another couple accompanied them and kept in touch via radio. "Confirmed fracture of the proximal humurus, just below the shoulder ball joint." Mark returned to us about midnight, still in a hospital gown, with arm in sling, and Vicodin in his gut. Life will be a little different for him and his wife for a little bit!
The dented car was a direct result of Mark's fall. The "funny" part is that the car whose door he dented when he hit it is the newly-prized possession of another member who had been car-less for awhile. The car has seen a few other dings and dents, so it wasn't a critical injury, but it does link Mark and Travis (the car owner) in a moment forever caught on digital camera--never to be lived down. Poor Mark! Poor Travis!
As for the broken radio, what can I say? It was brand new and being used for contesting. There was something about using a headphone configuration in a phone jack not designed for it...or something like that. The radio now has no audio. Methinks it could have been a design failure and is still under warranty, but poor Dan!
I got home from the contest site at about 2:00 AM, having given up the thought of operating because I was too tired. Overslept this morning, but checked the weather forecast before heading back to the park: possibility of thunderstorms late this evening. Contesting was to continue until 2:00 PM. We were good to go! I got to the park and puttered around the gazebo organizing the food remains and getting things ready to pack up. Then the sky darkened with sprinkles, and another member in Danville called on the radio to report that a gully-washer was approaching. It was only noon, but we made the "executive decision" to tear down the contest site. I got concerned when I looked out to see "my guys" taking down an antenna pole with thunder all around. The tent was barely down before the rains came. I left just before that with my stuff and Mark's...and listened on the radio to the guys doing the remainder of the work as they got soaked waiting for the rains to pass. The weatherman lied!!!!
A couple of highlights of FD, for me, included the unexpected appearance of my son-in-law with my grandchildren! I was sitting at a picnic table and noticed my old Taurus go by. My babies! We had a good time, for the time they were there. Also, we made some new friends in radio. Some folks showed up to contest that we haven't seen before...and that is a good thing. And, as always, the dedication and friendship of the members of our club. They make me look good! It has ever been thus...
I haven't mentioned the trip to Kroger when the gal at the cash register couldn't manage to check me out with a flat of water bottles and two bags of candy on the club's money, and a pack of cigarettes on my money. It took two cashiers, a manager, and the patience of the people in the checkout line behind me to get the job done...but now I owe the club the amount of the pack of cigs. Some things are just too difficult to figure out, I guess.
Field Day comes but once a year, and now it is over for 2006. We lost a valued member when he retired and moved to Alabama just a week or two ago. Dave, if you are reading this, see what you missed????
Am I ready for Field Day? Nooooo! For the uninitiated, Field Day is a national (and partly international) radio event. It is part disaster preparedness and part contest. Radio groups and individuals all over the nation throw up antennas in fields and yards, then spend the next 24 hours making as many contacts as possible via HF (high frequency, hence long distance) radio for 24 hours. I leave the antenna erection to the guys in the club. My job is to coordinate the food. We eat pretty well!
My first couple of Field Days after becoming a ham operator, I was a bit shy about contesting. Then I got my General license, and the lid came off! I learned good contesting techniques, and my contesting buddy and I would take a shift on the radio from midnight until we dropped from fatigue. My buddy, Kathy Gwaltney, died of lung cancer almost a year ago, and things haven't been quite the same. She came to FD last year with an oxygen tank, but didn't quite have the strength to get on the radio. I miss her!
Since I still have things to do before I am ready to depart for the FD site in Avon, IN, I need to cut this short. I'll come home on Sunday afternoon and flop on the couch for awhile. That's just how it is!
Took the Frodog to the groomer today. She wasn't all that shaggy, but was scratching some...and after the last time that I let her get TOO shaggy and had a royal mess around her bottom, I vowed that we would do this grooming thing more often. I don't get her the typical "cocker cut" because she doesn't like to be brushed. She just has the usual summer shorn look. She always looks a little bit plucked at first, but I sure do like her better clean and silky! One thing for sure: the ONLY time she will voluntarily hop into the back seat of the car is when leaving Petsmart! (She got a new squeaky toy out of the deal. Her old one is so full of doggy slobber that it attracts flies when outside!)
This afternoon, I got down on my hands and knees and started digging out the lower levels of my radio shack/computer room. I can't believe how long I have let things collect in this little room! Aside from the bathrooms, it is the smallest room in the house but has the most going on in it. If I do nothing else this summer, I would like to get the shack and the garage cleaned out. Maybe I should get a dumpster??
We had two Skywarn nets on our club repeater today. Neither storm turned into much in the county. Thank goodness!
Robin called me after "school" today to tell me that they had "sprinkler day". Ryan stole the phone from her and started talking to me about his day. He told me that he loves his friend, Edgar, at school. "He is so nice." Edgar is African American, and Ryan mentioned something this past weekend about "...when I become a brown boy". We had to explain to him that he would never become a "brown boy"--that people come in different colors but that they stay whatever color they come in. I'm glad there is some diversity in his school. My little blonde boy and his little brown friend must certainly make a wonderful contrast in the classroom!
Tomorrow will be busy. I will be preparing food for Field Day. The weatherman is predicting a break in the heat. Yes! Will be out of touch all day on Saturday and much of Sunday due to amateur radio Field Day. "CQ Contest, CQ Contest. This is N9HC calling CQ and standing by." I will be saying that in my sleep!
The longest day of 2006 has passed, and the days will begin to get shorter. We in Indiana have been all messed up by Daylight Savings Time. (Indiana never subscribed to it before.) It doesn't get dark until 9:30 or after because we are so close to the western edge of the time zone. Every day, I look at the clock and say, "How can it be so late?!"
Ciao for today.
Returned to my little home-on-a-slab this evening just about net time. Haven't unpacked the car, nor have I considered what I have left that's clean to wear tomorrow. I need to turn my attention to Field Day. But for tonight, it's nice to just sit here. (I'm not sure the dog is all that happy with it, however.)
Bath first, then bed. Yeah!
STILL in Muncie! Got started on a project that I figured I should finish before departing and leaving things in a mess. Will go home today, for sure!
In the meantime, I have been on an archeological dig here at the kids'. With two little ones around, there is no telling what one will find in various recesses of the house. Like the time, when Robin was a toddler, I saw her playing with my car keys but neglected to take them away from her...then, after their departure, figured I'd better go on a key hunt. I remembered where Robin was the last time I saw her with them, and sure enough, my car keys were in the pan cupboard! Yesterday, I found a child's hair clip and a lip balm stick in a jar of antacid tablets. Also found a big dill pickle under the seat of one of the tricycles in the garage. (Ryan said he was saving it.) This morning, I braved moving the couch by the picture window because I could see a child's sock. Well! There was a whole treasure trove of things that the children had dropped behind the couch. There were stuffed animals, plastic spoons and forks, miniature barnyard toys, some beads, a couple of unused diapers, one of Nathan's tennis shoes, one of Robin's shoes, some plastic Easter egg halves, a funnel, some beads for stringing, a sippy cup, my nightgown... Hey! My nightgown! I've been looking for that for a month now!
To go along with the realism of what one finds in a dig, the dog (who has turned up her nose at dog food for the last two days, but still has a hankering for people food), walked into the living room and promptly barfed on the floor in two places. I thanked her for her contribution.
Back to digging here. If I'm going to hit the road at a decent hour, I must finish my quest...
I'm still in Muncie. Will leave for home tomorrow afternoon.
For Father's Day, we "let" Nathan sleep in until noon. Then the children piled in on him to wish him a Happy Father's Day. Robin had a card that she had decorated for him; Ryan had a hand print and foot print on a sheet with a poem that he had made in school. Meg and I gave him an iPod, which apparently was a hit because he has been glued to it all day!
Sometime just afternoon, in spite of threatening clouds, we heard and saw the planes from the air show beginning their routines. I had heard that a B-2 Stealth Bomber was slated for a flyover yesterday, but we didn't see it, so I assumed we had either missed it or it had been waved off. Standing in the garage, I suddenly heard a LOUD aircraft, so jumped into the back yard in time to see the boomerang-shaped bomber fly directly over Meg's house. I screamed, "The bomber! The bomber! Come look!" Ryan stepped into the doorway from the garage to the back yard and was so frightened by the huge noise that the plane made, he gave a startled response and began to take several steps backward, but his father was right behind him and scooped him up in his arms to see it. I'm not sure if he did, but Nate did...and Megan had managed to see it from the front yard. I don't think Robin ever did, although I know she heard it. I'm not an aircraft buff, but it still thrills me to see something like that overhead. I hoped it would turn around and fly back from the direction it came so I could get a second look, but it didn't. I've seen B-2s before, but it is sufficiently rare to see such a sight that it made my day to see this one!
The children and Meg and I went shopping and spent the rest of the day trying to keep the lid on with the children. It's a full time job!
Not a description of the weather, but an air show event in Muncie, IN...but ALSO a description of the weather!
I drove up to Muncie on Friday. Got here about noon and did some laundry before surprising the grandchildren at pre-school. (They were happy to see me!) Daddy took them fishing, and we had Pizza King for supper. Just your average day.
Yesterday morning, I took a run to Marsh (which is just around the corner from here) and came back via a neighborhood yard sale. Sitting in the yard was a toddler bed (low to the floor and with rails) for $7. I snapped that right up. Ryan has been sleeping in his crib with the side removed ever since he learned to climb out of it, but has been falling out of bed on a nightly basis, disturbing everyone's sleep. We put that right together! Then, around noon, we packed up and went to Muncie's airport not far from the kids' house, where we took in Muncie's Summer Heat festival. It consists of air shows, concerts, carnival games and amusement rides, etc. It was hot, with a bit of a breeze--but no shade (because we were on the runways, etc.). We used copious amounts of sunblock, wore hats, used umbrellas and a blanket for shade, and managed to come home sweaty but unburned. Sunblock really works!
Let's see--we got to ride on a trolley that took us from the parking lot to the event. Saw a kite-flying demonstration of some pretty neat kites. Watched the Red Barons and other planes performing aerobatic feats of daring. Saw some combat-ready parachutists land right in front of us. The children rode some rides and played a carnival game (catching ducks with a fishing pole--prize guaranteed). On the way home, we had ice cream, then played in the "poo" and had a cookout. A very busy day! Had to laugh, however: the parachutists--all good-looking young soldiers in full gear, covered head-to-toe, complete with packs and weapons and carrying their deployed parachutes--walked past us on their way back to their station. I felt sorry for them in those temperatures. I said, "You guys look hot." One of them responded, "Thank you very much!" Uh.......
The two days all summer that I have HAD to be outdoors have been two of the hottest days of the year, so far. This doesn't bode well for Field Day!
Let's see....today is June 15th, and I have spent exactly ONE day at home without anything else to do. This is nuts!!
Yesterday, I took an unplanned trip to visit a friend in a part of the state I haven't seen before. It was impulsive, I know...but since the car hasn't been unpacked since...hmmm...late May...I figured I didn't have anything to lose. I left the dog on her own for 24 hours. Poor puppy! I left her extra food and water that she didn't touch, and she was acting very hang-dog when I got back because she pooped RIGHT IN THE WAY OF THE FRONT DOOR, so that when I opened it....well...suffice it to say that there is a poop streak that follows the swing of the door that I am trying to get up now. (She is very good about piddling on the "puppy pampers" that I leave down in the kitchen.) She knew she had messed up...but I forgave her. She is SO MUCH better than she was when I first got her a year ago!
I have contracted with a local young ham friend to mow my lawn this summer. He needs the money, and I need the help. I can do it, but I don't wanna! I would rather spend my outside time working on flowers and the like...
Going to Muncie this weekend for their air show deal "Summer Heat". After that, I am coming home to WORK. :)
I didn't wake up this morning until after 9:00! Unheard of!
It turned out to be a lovely day. I should have been working in the yard, but there were other things that needed to be done, like grocery shopping. There wasn't much food in the house after being gone for a week. I also made a couple of important phone calls and prepared for tonight's radio club meeting.
At the HCARS meeting tonight, we finalized plans for Field Day later in the month and said good-bye to one of our members who has retired and is moving to Alabama. Interestingly enough, that was a tough one. I've not been particularly close to Dave, but he has been a valued club member and officer, and has always been there for SATERN events. I came to appreciate his sense of humor and his sensitivity. His departure will leave a pretty big hole in the county's radio responses. I, personally, will miss him!
My grandchildren spent their first day at "school" today. It went well, according to Meg. Robbie also had her first "ballet" lesson. More later about all of that. I thought about them all day, wondering how they were doing. It's hard to give up control!!!
Time for bed. I'm blabbering...
Drove to Merrillville this morning for the Salvation Army Commissioning Service. I have been going there with Majors Pat and Carmella McPherson, as their guest, for at least six years now. (It hardly seems possible!) Got home safely about 8:00 PM. I am now experiencing the first night of my summer "vacation" at home with no reason to get up early tomorrow!
Pat looked great! He has trimmed considerably, and didn't look as weary as I have seen him in the past. Carm looked lovely, as usual. Their grandson, Andrew, has grown a foot since last summer! He is 14 now and quite the handsome young man. Their granddaughter, Breanna, didn't come with them this year. Missed her!
I always enjoy the service. The Chicago Staff Band is world class. The newly-ordained officers look radiant in anticipation of their first ministry assignments. And, after all these years volunteering for TSA, I see faces that I know--a time to meet and greet. It makes for a lovely Sunday, even if two hours away.
Needless to say, I'm tired and intend to sleep in tomorrow. The world can wait!
Got home to Plainfield this evening. Meg and I caravanned to the Sam's Club on 96th Street, did our shopping, then went our separate ways--she back to Muncie, and me, homeward. God Bless the Frodog. She who hates to ride in the car was a good girl during the long trek home. Thankfully, the temp was cool enough that I didn't have to worry about leaving her in the car while we did Sam's. In fact, I got cold on the trip home! It IS June, isn't it??
Thursday, I took the children to the Muncie Children's Museum. Meg and Nate have a membership there, and the kids are quite familiar with the place. Still, it was a somewhat cloudy day, so we went for a couple of hours. The kids were great the whole time...until it was almost time to go home. Then Ryan did something Robin didn't like, so she clonked him on the head with a toy train car and then hit me when I put her on a stool for time out. I smacked her on the leg...so had TWO crying children. At that point, we departed...with one of the ladies of the museum sure that I had abused them. "Are they OKAY???"
Yesterday (Friday) turned out to be a gorgeous day. Trying to keep the children happy all day at home is, at best, disruptive to Meg's concentration online. I decided to take them to the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. It's a trip of about 1 1/2 hours, one way, but I figured that would just kill more time. I quickly packed a picnic lunch and drinks for the children, rounded up extra clothes, diapers, wipes, a stroller, sunscream (Robin's word), ball caps for their beanies--and off we went.
We had a really great day! The kids were extremely well behaved, and because of that, even Grandma had fun! One nice thing about that zoo is that most of the paths and overlooks are shaded. We weren't too hot or too cold, and since the children wore their hats, I didn't have to worry about too much sun exposure. No one ran off too far and no one had to be scolded for anything. I did, however, have to be aware of Robin's potty needs. When she is having a good time, she says she doesn't have to "go" until it is almost too late. I took my signals from the amount of stilted walking and holding herself to know, in spite of what she said, when we had to find a potty. (I know....Too Much Information!)
Today, the children were contentious almost from the beginning. They start "school" (day care) on Monday--and I honestly think it will be good for both of them. They are extremely sharp kids (truth--not bragging) and being in a structured environment will give them time away from each other with children of their own ages, some of whom they already know.
Robin has derived a new name for me. I am now Gway-mawww instead of Gwamma. Guess she's a true Hoosier!
Going to Merrillville tomorrow for the Salvation Army Commissioning Service. Will get to see my friends Pat and Carmella for the first time in a year. I hope they aren't too shocked by how bad I look!
I know, I know... I've already posted today, but I am enjoying a little alone time tonight, so thought I would mention some children "funnies" of the past few days.
My granddaughter, Robin, will be 4 in August. Robin Michelle became "Robbie," then "Robeena," then "Beana," "Beanie," "Beaner", "Shelly Bean," "Jumping Bean," and on from there... Most of the time, I just call her Beanie. Beanie is a babbler--a Chatty Kathy -type with a huge vocabulary--and very animated when she talks. And Heaven help you if you aren't listening when she does!
The other day, Daddy brought home some plants to put in the garden. The children "helped". Beanie came dashing into the house to tell me and her mother, "We put some plants in the ground and I gave them some water to help them grow, and we shook hands with them to get to know them better, and, and, "blah, blah, blah... We laughed out loud. Shook hands to get to know them better? Did we hear that right?
Robin and Ryan are going to start day care next week. We are calling it "school". Today, Robin was playing in the sandbox. She had made an island, and put a tall stick in it, saying "That is a teacher, and she is looking high and low for her students." Yeah...I look high and low for my students, too...
Beaner used to talk to ants, asking them about their home and families...and let them crawl all over her. Imagine my surprise the other day when she squashed one with her foot. Then she looked at me and said, "Do you think you just saw me step on an ant with my shoe?" Uh...yes...I THINK I did! What's up with that?
Robin cut her hair last week. Just took a pair of scissors and whacked off 5 or 6 inches of locks by one ear. Her mother took her to a beautician for damage control, but there wasn't much that could be done. When I said something about how short her hair would be if we fixed it, she said, "My daddy will still say my hair is pretty." Now that, my friends, is security!
And with that, I will go to bed!
Yesterday (Tuesday) was a marathon of patience and fortitude. The kids were up early and were contentious, but since it was a lovely day, we retired to the back yard to play after breakfast. We had yer kiddie swimming "poo," we had yer sand box, we had yer swing set and yer Little Tykes jungle gym and slide. We even put up a little dome tent to play in. STILL, keeping occupied and happy was a major undertaking. At one point, I observed Ryan chase Robin around the yard with a plastic shovel raised in the air, as if to hit her, for at least 20 minutes. It was a gigantic game, but I had to watch every second to make sure murder and mayhem didn't ensue. We only went through two or three sets of clothes due to accidental poo dunking. Nathan cooked supper while Meg ran an errand and I bathed children. The kids ate their picnic supper in their jammies and were spirited off to bed shortly thereafter. The adults soon followed.
This morning, we woke up to the dreaded rainy day. Thunderstorms here and there made backyard play pretty iffy during the critical hours, but the children were relatively mild-mannered. They watched a couple of their favorite shows on television after breakfast, then we decided to go to a place called Escapades, which is nothing more than an enlarged McDonald's-or-Chuck-E.-Cheese-type play place. For $4 per kid, you can let them run their little hearts out--which is essentially what most of them did! We rolled in behind a school bus from Anderson carrying 35 kids, so it was already busy when we got there. It soon became obvious that little Ryan was one of the smallest children there and that I was going to have to stay with him to prevent him from being run over by running, screaming, bigger kids who have no sense of where they are going or where their arms and legs are at any given moment. Robin had since run off on her own. Bless them, the children were largely good. After we had been there almost two hours, I gave them the 15-minute departure warning, but that had to be shortened because a particularly rowdy group of kids showed up. One knocked Robin over; others were just too rough in the "ball cage" for me to let Ryan stay in there. (That's his favorite, as he will tell you.) So, we just left. It was time, anyway...
When we got home, I changed Ryan's diaper and put him down on the couch in "Gwamma's sleeping bag," and he quicky fell asleep. Robin and I retired to the back yard to play and await Daddy's arrival home from work. I gotta tell you--dealing with one child is a snap. Put the second one in the mix, and it gets exhausting, real soon! With Ryan pooped out on the couch, Robbie was a little angel in the yard. Piece o' cake!
Robin has taken to wanting to sleep with me when I'm here. (This is a first.) The understanding is that she has to fall asleep in her own bed, then I will carry her to the futon with me when I retire. Well...two nights, I didn't do that and their were tears in the morning. <sigh> Between the dog and the granddaughter, there is almost room for me on the futon!
I have been out of school exactly a week and I haven't had a single day not spoken for--and it isn't over yet. We shall see what tomorrow brings...
I finally got done at school on Thursday. Left Friday morning, early, for Muncie, IN, (where I am now) in order to babysit so my daughter could go to a couple of doctor appointments on Friday and Saturday, then will be chief cook and bottle washer for the grandchildren during the days this week while Meg takes an at-home job. Today was "sort of" my day off.
The first thing we determined to do on Friday was to get the flat tire on the Taurus fixed. (The Taurus is my old car that the kids are driving. They had a flat going home from Plainfield a week ago.) I opened the trunk and saw not just a flat tire but a blown out one! It's a wonder the kids didn't have a wreck because of it, but since it was in a rear position instead of on the front-wheel drive, they got lucky! I decided to have the front tires, which are still in pretty good shape, rotated to the back...and put new rubber on the front. It didn't take long, and I feel good about that little chore.
Nathan has taken advantage of the weekend and the extra pair of hands in order to get some projects done. (Believe me, it isn't easy doing ANYTHING with two young'uns running around trying to kill each other!) He fixed the dishwasher that wouldn't drain and replaced a worn-out electrical breaker that wouldn't stay on, no matter what. He planted some more garden, and even replaced all of the screening on the door from the kitchen to the garage. There are, of course, more "honey-do" jobs, but those were biggies.
After a long time of working on it, Robin is finally potty trained. (She simply resisted, for reasons known only to her!) Every time we leave the house to go somewhere, I ask if she has to go. She always says no. Yesterday, I took the children to a play park with a McDonald's picnic in the evening while their parents celebrated their 6th anniversary. We had fun! When we headed for the car, Robin waited on the park side of the car while I strapped Ryan into his car seat on the street side. When I came back around the car to Robin, I noticed that she was sitting on the grass. I asked what she was doing down there. "There is no place to go potty here and I had to go." I asked if she wanted me to put a "pull-up" on her so she could go in that, but she informed me that she had already gone. She stood up to show me where she had piddled on the grass, then promptly pulled her panties up under her skirt, mooning the whole neighborhood in the process! I didn't say a word...just strapped her in her car seat and headed for home. I mean, what was there to say? She didn't wet herself, and that has been the goal all along. Guess we'll have to hit up sanitation and the social amenities later! It was embarassing, of course, but anyone who doesn't understand has never had children!
Speaking of Little Miss Robin, she got hold of a pair of scissors the other day and cut a big chunk out of her hair. Meg took her to a beautician on Friday in hopes that something could be done, but the only solution would have been to give her a pixie-type cut. She is supposed to be the flower girl in her Uncle Dan's wedding in October. Barring any further scissor events, It should be somewhat grown out by then...
And speaking of haircuts, I got mine cut on Thursday...and there is nothing left! I don't know what my beautician was thinking. He gave me an old lady haircut...and I've been going to him with the same hairstyle for 15 years!!!! It's all I can do to look in a mirror. We women are vain, I guess. I don't have the best hairdo in the world, anyway...and now it is much worse!
I am now about to enter the world of cellular technology. (Since I am an amateur radio operator, I have never really felt the need to have a cell phone.) My daughter, however, ran into a promotion for Tracfone (which is the brand she has) whereby she gets a bunch of extra units just for referring me. She did more than refer: she bought me the phone! It's going to take me awhile to get used to how to use it. I figure if I take on one feature every day for a week, I may have it figured out by the time I leave here next weekend.
Will be traveling to Merrillville on Sunday for the Salvation Army Commissioning Service, and to see Majors Pat and Carmella, my dear, dear friends, who are now living just far enough away in Michigan to make weekend trips almost impossible. I have been meeting them there for the service for at least the last four years....maybe longer. It will be great to see them, although I am apprehensive because of the haircut and extra weight. I'll get through it!
Wish me luck for tomorrow. Robin is asleep on her bedroom floor after being up a full three hours after she was put to bed. I just reinstalled Ryan in his (he was asleep on the floor in his room, too). I'll have two crabby children tomorrow!
Will try to post more frequently!
