Beanie-isms

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!

 

 

McNary Day Care

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...

Let's See...Where Was I?

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! 

Another Day Still at School

I"m not done yet!!

Memorial Day

Although I spent the greater part of Memorial Day at school donating my time in order to help get me ready to check out for the summer, I was reminded constantly that Memorial Day is set aside to honor our heroes.  I couldn't be in Streator, IL, at the cemetery to decorate the graves of my military family members, but I had them in my heart.

First and foremost, I remember my father.  A member of Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation, Floyd Covill was born into poverty and raised during the Depression.  He found a way out of his family's plight through ahtletics.  He was chosen one of the top 25 high school athletes during his senior year, and was selected by Illinois State Normal University for a college scholarship.  He went to ISNU to study education to become a teacher, all the while playing football for the Redbirds.  (He was inducted into now-ISU's Football Hall of Fame.)  After college, he was offered a position with a professional football team in New York but took teaching/coaching positions, instead, to support his young wife and family.  When World War II started, he accepted a commission with the United States Naval Reserve and launched into active duty.  Lt. JG Covill was assigned to the USS Henrico APA 45 (a troop transport) on which he served as Navigator for the duration of the war, then remained on active duty during the Korean Conflict, and other duty after both wars were over.  Years later, he retired as a Commander and resumed his teaching career.  Dad rarely spoke of the horrors of war, so I errantly assumed that he hadn't seen any.  I was wrong.  He simply chose to protect his family from those memories because THAT is why he went to war to begin with--to protect his family from having to live with foreign domination.  Dad had no politics, to speak of.  He taught us respect for authority.  When I asked if he agreed with one president or other, his response always was:  "He is the Commander-in-Chief!"  Commander (USNR Ret.) Floyd Darwin Covill passed away in 1994, but I will always and forever salute the man whose service to his country and family was second to none. 

I remember my Uncle Bud.  Lt. Colonel George Edward Armstrong, my mother's brother, joined the US Army as a career man in his younger years.  He also served during World War II and Korea, decorated with a Purple Heart and the Army's Silver Star, among others.  During the Korean Conflict, Uncle Bud's unit was under fire when he took a hit in his left thigh.  He thought the Chinese were throwing rocks--until he felt his own warm blood running down his leg.  They wanted to evacuate him for medical care, but he refused to leave until he was sure that the situation was secure and his men were safe.  When he was forced to retire in his 40's due to diabetes, the Army hired him back on as a civilian, doing the same work in Washington DC, but with higher pay!  Uncle Bud was highly intelligent and wise, self-effacing, a wonderful storyteller, and easy to listen to--with the patience of Job.  When my mother (his sister) died in 1986, we begged to know how we could possibly get along without her.  His advice:  Close ranks.  He was right, of course.  And when he died, years later, the flag in our hearts flew at half-mast for months.

I remember my brother, EM3 F. Douglas Covill, who joined the Navy a year after high school.  Serving for 9 years, mostly on the USS Kawishiwi, Doug had tales to tell.  His ship was involved in the eventual evacuation of troops from Vietnam in the early 70's, and his eloquent writing style in his newsy letters home always were a focus of attention in the family.  When Doug shipped out of the Navy, he went on to become an electrician and engineer in a die casting factory in Chicago--then another company later.  Doug died suddenly on December 31, 2005, at the ripe old age of 52.  I'm not over the shock yet.

There are others:  My Uncle Bob who served in a shipyard.  My Aunt Rosie, with the Coast Guard.  My ancestors who served in the Civil War.  I honored them all this Memorial Day, 2006.

World's Greatest Spectacle in...Sweating!

Six members of the Hendricks County Amateur Radio Society, of which I was one, left K9PZ's house in Avon, IN, at 4:30 this morning for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in order to work the 500 as a fundraiser for our club. (I think this is the 4th year we've done this.)  Once again, we were assigned to Gate One at the corner of 16th Street and Georgetown Road, which is waaaaaay far away from the employee parking lot.  (Probably 1 1/2 miles.)

We managed to catch one of the last shuttle rides from the parking lot to our station before they shut the shuttles down when the track opens.  Standing at Gate One before dawn, I was amused: birds were chirping the sun up, and helicopters were beating the air overhead.  Ahhh...Mother Nature at her finest!  We had fire trucks; we had ambulances; we had police cars; we had a religious person on a microphone across the street, extolling a world full of sinners; and, when the track opened, we had cheery people carrying coolers to our checkpoint, and we ripped their tickets.  Nothing special there.

Traditionally, the race begins at 11:00 AM.  This year, however, for reasons known only to God, the race was to begin at 1:00 PM.  As the crowd of track-goers began to increase, so did the temperature.  By 10:00 AM, there was a sea of race fans, all seeming to converge on Gate One!  By 11:30 AM, the heat was beginning to take its toll.  Both track workers and fans alike were dropping like flies.  (Several of us noted that we had been drinking water like crazy, but no one had to take a bathroom break!)  There was no break at all in the crush of people entering the track.  By noon, we had been instructed to stop ripping tickets and just ask to see tickets as we waved fans through.  (This was the first time we had ever experienced that.  Regular track workers say it happens all the time in the last hour before the race.)  It was clear to me that track attendance was up, and it was clear to a lot of us that running the race two hours later than normal in high temperatures was a BAD idea!

As the final ceremonies began, the crush at the gates ended.  Several of us went to the stands to watch the beginning of the race--the parts that I love!  The balloon release, the songs, the fly-over, Taps, and "Lady and Gentlemen, start your engines!"  After the cars got through the first two race laps (and into their first caution flag), I went back to Gate One to try to snag a ride for us back to the parking lot.  We waited an hour, but at least we didn't have to hike it in that heat.  Back at the vehicles, we had an easy exit and trip home. 

Did I mention that it was hot???   Forecasts earlier in the week said it would be 88 degrees today, but the actual temperature got to 96.  The ice in the coolers of water at Gate One melted just about the time we needed it most.  (No more ice would be delivered, generally because golf carts wouldn't be able to get through the crowds of people.)  Megan and Nathan attended the race with Meg's father and wife.  Thank goodness they had seats in the shade!!  I felt sorry for the folks sitting in the sun.  (Some of those stands began to thin out about halfway through the race.  I know why!)

We were a bedraggled group that arrived back at our vehicles in Avon.  I had every intention of mowing my lawn after the race today, but my motivation completely evaporated in the noonday sun!  After I got home, I laid down on the couch to cool down for a bit and don't remember anything for an hour after that.  ZZZZzzzzzzzzz....

Had a brief visit with my grandchildren at the Heffelman grandparents' house before coming home for good.  What an exhausting day!  I hope we made some decent money for the club.  I'd hate to think we went through all of that for peanuts!

Oh...had a cell phone call from my daughter on their way home to Muncie.  They have had a flat tire and are limping home on the "donut" tire.  Awaiting word that they have arrived before I fall into bed....

Free at last!

Well....maybe not free--but reasonable!  The kids were wild today.  That was not unexpected, but it made for a LOOONG and stressful day.  Have to go back on Tuesday to turn in grades and complete the checklist for the end of the year.  I have too much to do to pretend that I can get away in just one day, so I may go back and work over the weekend.  THEN, and only then, will I be truly free for the summer!

I will be working at the Indianapolis 500 as a fundraiser for my radio club on Sunday.  Since the race starts two hours later than usual this year, we will be working longer, and the forecast is for 88 degrees!!! 

For now, I'll just enjoy my one day of sleeping in until next week when I can do it more often.  Yay!