Marathon

Okay, so I have a lot to write. If you aren't interested in reading my family blatherings, log off! Once again, the system won't let me make paragraph breaks. (I need to figure out why!) Thus, there will be an * between paragraphs. *On Christmas Eve, I went to the 9:00 candlelight service, with a 25-piece orchestra and augmented choir. The music was exquisite, the service meaningful, and the message full of hope. I usually weep my way through the service, but this year, I didn't cry! What's up with that???? *On Christmas Day, my daughter and son-in-law (Megan and Denis) were due to arrive at Indy International 5-ish in the afternoon. The Internet is a wonderful thing! I could IM with Megan while waiting for their flight out of San Jose, CA...then could track their flight to Houston on the web. I then talked to her on IM again in Houston. Our last contact before they boarded for the flight for Indy was for her to call my cell phone when they got their baggage while I waited for them at the cell phone lot at the airport....but after they were in the air, I discovered that my cell phone wasn't working. Ugh! I panicked. Left her a message on HER cell phone that she should call me at the house when they landed, but I worried...then tracked their flight again. She got the message, but not until they already had baggage in hand. I launched for the airport and timed myself: 11 minutes from my front door to the terminal. Not bad! We ate some goulash that I had prepared, then got settled in. The children were to arrive 10-ish the next morning. *Megan got word via the children's father that they wanted a little more time because of a church service they wanted to attend before bringing the kiddos here. The delay gave me just enough time to get the children's rooms picked up after their last visit, get the turkey in the oven and the table set, etc. They got here a little after 1:00 PM. Then the fun began! Ryan went straight to my computer for his Spore game. Robin went to find her mother (who was in a back room drying her hair). We opened stockings and presents. There were Russian candies, cards, and stuffed cartoon toys from Denis's parents in Russia... and iPod Touches and games and watches and cash...and toys. (The kids got the iPod Touches. Thereafter, we usually only saw the tops of their heads!) We had a good time! *The next day or two, we had a major thaw. ALL of the snow that was on the ground melted away, thank God! I don't remember the whole litany of what happened on which day, but Megan and Denis took the children to the zoo on the last evening of Christmas at the Zoo in Indy. We played Clue and Monopoly. We ate well. We watched movies on TV and ate popcorn. The kids played with the neighbor children. And most of all, the kids played with their iPod Touches. Megan and I got some chances to talk. Denis did some work on his computer...and the techno-adults (not me!) determined that my router wasn't working correctly, so they went out and got a new one for my house! (Thanks Meg and Den!) *On New Year's Eve Day, little Ryan came down with a fever. He wasn't complaining of anything, but it was obvious that he wasn't up to speed. The worst part for him was that he couldn't play with his buddy next door. We got some children's Tylenol to help him get through the day...but he really didn't feel well. The night before, Meg and Denis had prepared some Olivier salad, which is a traditional food for the Russian new year. New Year's celebrations in Russia are bigger than Christmas. Their Christmas is on January 7th, but they don't give gifts for that...only for NY. Our plan here was to connect with his parents in Russia on Skype close to midnight there (4:00 PM our time), then connect again at our midnight (8:00 AM their time). It was pretty special. In Russia, it is traditional for the President to address the country just before midnight, then there are twelve bell tolls just before midnight. We drank champagne with Luda and Sergey via Skype...and again later that night. *We had our corned beef and cabbage dinner on New Year's Eve, since Megan and Denis were leaving very early on New Year's Day. Along about 9:00 PM, Judy and Phil (the other grandparents here in Plainfield) joined us for food (Olivier salad, shrimp and cocktail sauce, chips and dip, crackers and cheese...and a cake that Judy brought at my request--to die for!). We played a game of Clue, then reconnected with Russian on Skype, opened another bottle of champagne for a midnight toast. Grandpa Phil could talk to Grandma Luda in Russian. (He was apologetic about how poor his Russian was, but I was impressed...and so was Luda!) In the meantime, it was so warm outside that I had the back door open in order to dissipate some of the heat in the kitchen...then a thunderstorm hit with a lightning strike so close that there was a very noticeable POP just outside in the back. (We had fireworks to light off, but the thunderstorm upstaged that.) Phil and Judy left at about 12:30 AM; the children and I went to bed, but Megan and Denis never did. *At about 4:30 AM, Meg woke me up so we could take them to the airport. We plunked the children in the car in their jammies and headed out in the rain. By 5:00, the kids were back in bed and asleep. I stayed up long enough to see Meg and Denis board their flight...then took a nap. I woke up just as they were landing in Denver. Unfortunately, they were delayed about five hours in Denver, awaiting a connecting flight. That day, I took the kids to McD's for lunch, then Grandma Judy and I took the children to see "Tangled" at The Rave in Plainfield. (Great flick! If you haven't seen it, you really must!) Ryan still had a fever but didn't feel bad enough to stay home. When I determined that Megan and Denis were home safely in California, I could go to bed. Mommies never stop worrying! *Yesterday, (January 2nd), the grandchildren and I went over to the other grandparents' for their family Christmas luncheon with their father and step-mother. I was included. Nathan and Kendra (my former son-in-law and his wife) gave me a lovely card that made me cry...and the children enjoyed their visit. I came home and the rest of them left for northern Illinois. And that was that. *There is no such thing as a good divorce. My grandchildren have been through a lot in their young lives over the last few years, but I am so very proud that most of us have been able to put aside our concerns in favor of making things work for the grandchildren. Praise be to God, my former son-in-law's parents can come here and break bread with my daughter and her new husband, and I can rub elbows with my former son-in-law's family and his new wife...and her family. The grand recipients of all of this are the children. They didn't ask for what they got, but at least they know we are all here for them! *My daughter has had a health scare. I don't think things are bad, but she has been frightened by it all, as are we all when things feel out of control. It was probably good for her to be here in the cold Midwest for a few days. Now the real work begins. Please pray for Megan as she seeks ways to feel good again. *I had a great holiday week! It was wonderful to have all of my chicks back in my nest. I'm not sure how poor Denis felt about being trapped in a small house with the chaos that comes with kids, but he didn't seem too put out. Denis is a very patient, soft-spoken person. He plays games with a vengeance! *Oh...here's a funny. There is a game on Ryan's iPod called Moron Test. Every time he played it, he kept getting the "fail" notice. Finally, Denis asked him if he had passed the moron test yet. Ry said, "No! It's too hard!" Ha!