Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Just Playing Around

Our first full snow day this school year.  I've made a few meals, had a big phone conversation, which usually only a weird day like a snow day ever affords, and when Handy Man gets home, we'll plow through the snow for the Shower Hour at Westminster.
Mom is okay.
Some days she gets out and about in the population on her floor.  Sunday, three different ladies came by for a visit.  When I stay all days on Sunday, I usually take a tasty treat (Hershey Bar Cake) and invite them in. Consequently, ha, I'm making lots of new friends.  I left it there on the table and she gave it her favorite nurse.  Praise the Good Lord for sweet nurses.  She has a favorite lady on first and a favorite young man on second shift.  I feel like if homemade bread, or a yummy dessert keeps Mom on their radar, well it is worth the trouble. I work hard to remember the client's and the worker's names and smile at them and say their name when I'm there.
On Sunday she was willing to get in her motorized chair and take it for a spin.  My Mom was always bold in my eyes. It is strange now that the everything outside of her chair is a fearful place. We have to beg and cajole to get her to try anything.  So I beg and cajole and in she went and did fine. Even when I stay hours like all  day Sunday, she broken hearted when I go and I feel like I'm leaving my child in an institution.  Ahh, well- life. She surely does brighten up from a visit, a card or just an "Hello, I'm thinking about you today," phone call.
She's had a lot of trouble with UTI's for like forever.  She had a CAT Scan last Thursday, and perhaps we'll have a new plan for treatment after the follow-up tomorrow.  I pray so.
So back to play.
Our first snowy Sunday called for an exciting gourmet lunch and a new to us, $1 Goodwill puzzle-living large we are. There are times I wonder how Handy Man and I can even be so polar opposite.  He plows through the pile on a mission, remove all edge pieces.
Well, I start out trying to follow that plan, but this puzzle is of a downtown street with all sorts of colors and words, be still my heart.  I must sort them, the words, the colors and yes, the edge pieces, though secretly I'd rather those edge pieces went with their right colors and letters.  He does the vast expanses of like colors, which bring me no joy or relaxation.  I do people, animals, words and the last fifteen pieces that are easy as the piece perfectly matches the hole.

Well, guess it is good we are so different, as I would never finish a dreary puzzle.
I bought Phil books about Leonardo DiVinci and some model kits for Christmas.  I thought it might be a good activity for Bean and Pap.
Bean goes about activities more like his Gramerly, Ready, Fire, Aim, but he was a good listener doing it the expected way and.......


It worked, hurrah!

Bean and Bugg are enjoying my new Prisma colored pencils and coloring book and it is lovely to just color with your wee ones.
Missy Bugg is a good helper in the kitchen always, even if she wouldn't allow salmon patty within ten feet of her lips.


 Too cold for any outside play, so fun with a new game,
 and an old sensory box I made when he was wee.
 And may I introduce the new Paris House Paparrazi.  He loves a camera as good as his Gramerly. I have ten million wee boy toys and he surrounds himself with every last phone, remote and this old camera that is so heavy he can hardly wag it around.
 I can hardly stand his cuteness.  He was playing in the living room when something fell off the table.


 He loudly exclaimed, "Shoot!"  His eyes quickly darted to those of us around the kitchen table and he dropped his head and sadly spouted, "I sawee."   Funny, handsome, sweet boy.
Traveling mercy for Aunt SuzQ  and Mister as they head to a warmer clime for a bit. I hope some sunshine refreshes their spirit and warms their bones.
I also hope I go back to school tomorrow.


Saturday, January 16, 2016

Where Were We?

I believe I finally made it through Christmas.  Next on list was New Year's Eve.  Since Bean was born we've been available for New Year's Eve caregiving.
Cots are ready.
 First we went to the movies. Pap and Bean watched Star Wars while Bugg and I endured  enjoyed the latest Chipmunk nonsenses.
Then it was home for fireworks.


We watched the ball drop.
 
Toasted with sparkling cherry juice.


 Bugg still finds this drink rather ticklish.
 Rae's family joined us for the New Year lunch.  Usually it is supper, but my team was serving supper at the soup kitchen that evening, so we switched it up.

Here we're giving the traditional blessing gems, or balls as Bugg insists on calling them, a shake.
 Whoa, look at that, we have a blessing chicken.
 I love thinking and discovery, so when Bean wondered if Nestle Quik added would make chocolate blessing balls, I said, "Give it a whirl."
 Wise young man who noted that added something did not add to the enjoyment of the original.

Next, untrim the tree.
 Bugg and Giddy-Up spent much of the morning with playdough.
It was time for traditional cabbage, corn beef and black-eyed peas and thanking the Lord all all the good we've enjoyed and asking for His blessing in 2016.
Happy New Year to one and all.

Friday, January 8, 2016

Not A Good Sign

Not a good sign when I've been back in school for a week and still haven't wrapped up Christmas.
Yesterday before I got home, Handy Man put the final pieces in the Christmas puzzle.

 That is all that remains of this Christmas past except for the kitchen tree.
So, Christmas Eve, Tish and SuZQ and I cooked a bunch of stuff added to by different ones as they came to see Mom.
The social center on her floor is just outside her door, and you can  reserve it, so Christmas Eve at Granny's went on again.
Mom wasted no time in trying out all the good food.

 Most all of the kids made it for a visit.  I got Laurie Lou's crew, but was detained, probably playing the marble game with the little ones and didn't catch Amie and her group.


 There was some picking and grinning.
 And this little one was all about the dancing.
When my little brother got married, the Captain was two and all dressed up in his suit jacket and short-alls. He danced (jumping straight up and down on the floor ) to every song, till I wondered if is little legs were going to just drop off.  Later I said, "Son, you danced and danced!"  He gave me an odd look and explained himself by saying, "They singed and singed." They did at that.









 All of my chicklets were there as well, but since I've already posted all of them and theirs, they won't be repeated on this post.
Turn around twice and time to clean up the mess.  Mom was worn to a complete frazzle.  As I mentioned earlier, Handy Man and I headed to mass.  So very beautiful and peaceful.


Thank the Lord for another  Christmas Eve with Mom and most all of our people big and small.

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Pushing Through

So, after the kids went home from the sleep over, I took a big nap, but had lots more to do.  I needed to make the caramel and get it and the fudge on their way to New Jersey the next morning.
I did some last minute shopping and went to Mom's early to get the "Shower Hour" out of the way before our last Christmas Tea.  She actually didn't try to talk me out of it this time. It was another warm balmy, weird December day, so after the shower we strolled about  outside and came in to listen to some music. She was not impressed so we headed upstairs to await our visitors.
Wednesday was my traditional Black Bean Omelet Christmas with Ol' Mother Hubbard's cupboard.



 They've outgrown their little aprons and chef hats I fear.  It seems like such a short time ago they were huge.


I barely finished their gifts in time to wrap them.  

Whilst Antebellie entertained us her talent on the recorder, Baby Boy and Miss Linnee served us tea and cookies.
 Then it was time for a piano recital.
 Mother Nature, not to be outdone, put on such a show of pounding rain and hail, that we had to watch.


 The hail piled up like slush.


 We snuggled on the couch for "The Light Before Christmas." The girls wanted to dress up in their fancy scarves, only the fancy dress-up get ups fit them like a glove and nearly takes my breath at how old and grown up they look.  Time just keeps moving right along.
Up next, Granny's Christmas Eve in her new digs.