2011 Catch Up?

Nope.  Got a lot to update but it's gonna have to wait!

Leah's 3 Year (and 3 month) pictures!

I love how these turned out except for one thing.  She doesn't look like she is three.  She looks way older, like five or something.  I didn't realize it until I didn't get much reaction from Rob on these photos.  When I asked if he like him he said, "Yeah, there really nice.  She just doesn't look like she is three."  I'm blaming it on the fact that she has a somewhat "big girl" haircut and then add the hat... well, you get the picture!  (Pun intended.)

 

Gosh, I love this girl.  Everything about her.

Crazy Bizzy

If I've ever alluded to my life being busy, chaotic, or stressful I need to rescind those comments now.  I had no idea what I was talking about.  I swear this summer just started.  I remember thinking it was taking so long for the weather to warm up so we could use the outdoor pool at the gym and now we are already donning sweatshirts and closed toe shoes.  This summer has been so much fun yet so busy.  My last post was in July, I think, and so much has happened since then that I have not written about.  It makes me kind of mad that I'm not blogging on a more regular basis because I really enjoy looking back at previous posts.  I'm not sure I had not a spare moment to indulge in a little blogging.  So this post is dedicated to catching up on what happened this summer!

I took a lot of vacation during the month of July.  Now that I don't have to save it up for maternity leaves I am actually enjoying using it!  The kids and I took a little trip up north to visit Yvonne, Dave and the kids for a few days.  The office Yvonne works for has a cottage on a beautiful lake that is available to the staff for a ridiculously cheap price.... something like $7 a week.  I've been there 3 times in the past 10 years and always have a great time.  This year our visit just happened to coincide with the hottest days of the summer!  Thank goodness for the beautiful lake because me and heat with no air conditioning is not a good combo!  It was HOT!  The kids enjoyed playing with their cousins and I enjoyed having a little get away!  Did I mention it was hot?

We were home for a weekend and then left for a week long camping trip with some friends.  Yvonne and Dave let us borrow their camper again this year (despite leaving baked beans in the microwave last year... oops).  The kids had a blast! What's not to love about daily swims,  golf cart rides, ice cream,  and great friends!  We had great camping neighbors too.  Rob's cousin and his family were across from us and then a boy that Max played t-ball with was across from us as well.  Everybody knew each other somehow and there were lots of kids!  We were in a more desirable location at Sandy Pines which really  made a difference this year.

A swing built for the big kid in the family

Bedtime snack.

Max putting his summer swimming lessons to good use!  He did awesome in the pool!

Leah, too, loved "swimming."  She mostly wore floaties and was all over the pool!

Tom's mud free mud bath.

The Brink Blood-  She can nap anywhere.

The cutest little fish I ever did see!

We even celebrated Brandon's birthday at the campground!

Too funny not to post again.  Look at Sarah... "Is he really my father?"

And in the middle of all this vacationing and summer fun we decided to put our house up for sale.  Sometime in early summer we had it listed.  There's nothing more frustrating than having to try to keep your house in a reasonable state of cleanliness while entertaining 3 children or packing and unpacking for trips!  We had one showing the first week and then nothing until week 6.  And then we had one after another.   Fortunately, our house was on the market for only 7 weeks before we had an offer!  It could have been a lot worse but I think, in total, we had 4 showings.  And a couple were on the same day.  But the house is sold now and we have just shy of 3 weeks before we have to move.

This is where the chaos and craziness arrive.  I've moved lots of times and think of myself as somewhat of an expert.  But never have I moved with 3 children!  Let the packing begin!  I'm thankful that the house sold before school started so we could start Max enrolled in the school where we would be living.  But that just means I have to take and pick him up every day.  That's not so bad; just more of an inconvenience.

So between working full time, helping a 5 year old acclimate to life as a kindergartener, playing school bus driver and now packing and moving, my life is pure chaos.  But it's all good.  Really!

My little kindergartener!

Check out this handsome little man!  He is now a kindergartener!  It seems like just last week that I was calculating what year it would be when he started school and now it's here!  Max has been very nervous about starting Kindergarten.  It's been kind of tough because at the last minute we had to change schools because of the move.  But he is adjusting well and we are so proud!

Not so happy.

Really not happy!

A mom cop out.

I'm copping out of motherly duties tomorrow.  It isn't without a bit of guilt but rather out of complete necessity that I am sending the kids to the sitter tomorrow so I can clean this pig sty I am living in and to pack for our little camping vacation.  It's definitely talking the easy way out but if I can force myself to stay motivated and not take a nap, I can have the house cleaned in half the time I would if I had the kids here.  Not only do they follow me around the house like I'm mamma duck but they constantly want to "help."  Thoughtful?  Yes.  Helpful?  Not really!

The house is disgusting.  There is no other word for it.  There is food on the floor, dirty dishes in the sink, clothes everywhere but in the closets and dressers,  and the toilets are suffering from a terrible case of ring-around-the-toilet.  What's  grosser than gross?  Denise's toilets, that's what.

Anyway, that's what I have planned.  My guilt is slightly alleviated knowing that I will get to spend all week with my little munchkins cramped cozied up in a little camper.  We will have lots of bonding time.  Lots.

Reminiscing and Purging.

It has been over a year since Dad had his stroke.  He actually just had his one year anniversary in his current nursing home.  This poor man has had so many ups and downs this past year.  Currently I would say he is in the dumps.  About 2 months ago he started acting out, yelling, name calling and hitting and pinching the nurses.  He had just started a new medication so that was immediately discontinued hoping that was the cause and stopping it would stop the behavior.  It didn't seem to help.  He started on new medication that seems to be making a little bit of difference but he is so confused.  He still thinks he lives in West Virginia most of the time and doesn't believe he sold his house there.  "I know I didn't; I would never do that."  Fortunately he still recognizes us.  He just doesn't remember when we visit.

Over the past year Yvonne and I have been cleaning out his house.  It's amazing what you can learn from what somebody saves.  Dad was a saver.  Ok, Dad was a hoarder.  But he was also a sentimentalist.  I think the man kept every letter ever sent to him.  He had a collection of binders that housed various bills, account information, project lists, work related stuff, etc.  You name it, he kept it.  I think he kept every pay check stub, every correspondence.  He had a stack of return envelopes, the kind that a company sends to you to return your bill payment?  He kept 'em.  I even found my baby teeth.  Yes, the tooth fairy has finally been located.

He was also generous.  He donated repeatedly to several charities.  In exchange for his donation, he would get a set of address labels or personalized note pads.  Yep, he kept all of those too.  He loved filing cabinets.  I think I emptied out at least 3.  I couldn't quite figure out his system for filing but he had it organized in his own style.  He loved zip ties, Velcro and duck tape.  He liked Sam's Club.  If it could be purchased in bulk, it was.  I believe his personal motto, and not just related to bulk purchases, could be "Go big or go home!" 

He loved the USA, was a strong Republican, and very patriotic.  Because of him I learned the importance of standing for the singing of the National Anthem and doing nothing but focusing on the flag while saying a prayer of thanks for all the men and women who have, and are, serving our country.

Pilfering through his belongings and personal stuff was eye opening, humbling and sad.  This man had a sad life.  He had a not so good childhood.  His mother died when he was 4 or 5.  He was sent to live with the "wicked" stepmother, shoved off to boarding school and then entered the military at the age of 18.  He served two tours in Vietnam as well as Korea.  He served this country for 20 years.  He was married for 14 years or so before he became a widow at the age of 38.  He had three children.  Memmi (from Mom's first marriage) was 18, I was 7, Yvonne, 6.  He was an alcoholic.  After Mom died he spiraled into a dark hole.  He lost his children for 4 years.  He retired from the Army and then worked odd jobs.  He finally got his life on track and quit drinking and quite smoking.  He has been sober for 25-ish years.  He remarried, we moved back in, he had a step daughter and then another daughter.  He got a good job with Motorola and the work included a lot of travelling.  I think he enjoyed it at first but then it started to wear on him.  Motorola would fly Dad where ever the job was but he almost always chose to drive.  He liked seeing the good 'ol USofA.  After 17-ish years of marriage he was divorced.

He was not without his faults and he knew that too.  He made mistakes and some pretty big ones; none that I feel obligated to share.  I think he has been wrestling personal demons for most of his life.  I have had my personal share of grudges against him but over the past year they have just faded into pity for the man.  He moved to Michigan 4 years ago to start over, I believe.  To try his hand at happiness again.  After moving here he had a couple of major events going on in WV that he had to deal with.  I think he kind of slumped into a depression.  He slept all the time.  It was hard to see this.  I was so busy with my life that I didn't really try to be part of his.  And that goes back to grudges.  I wanted some apologies and change. I wasn't ready to let go and forgive. And then he had the stroke. One day he left his house by ambulance and hasn't been back since.  Since the stroke I kind of feel like this was God telling me that I needed to forgive and to reconcile.  When he lived in his house I could go months without seeing him and weeks without talking to him.  Now I see him weekly if not more.  The kids love to go to the nursing home to visit him.  Max is so good and understands that Grandpa's brain isn't working right.  Those of us that know him well know his brain has never been right  :-)  I can say that because I know for one, he would agree, and two, he would laugh at that comment.

All kidding aside, I hate the idea that he is going to live out the rest of his life in a nursing home.  He is unable to do anything for himself except to eat.  What kind of happiness is that?  He spends the majority of the time in his bed- sleeping or staring at the tv.  I know how I feel about his life but  I wonder how he feels about it. Was there more sadness than happiness?  Does he feel like he accomplished what he wanted?  Did he have dreams?  Did he love?  Did he feel love? 

I can't change the past and I can't make him walk again.  So for now we just make him happy with the little things, like banana splits and butterfingers. 

Summer madness....

Wow-  It seems like summer just got here but really it is half over!  We had a long, wet, cool spring.  The summer has been pretty rainy too.  Lately it has been hot, hot, hot!   Despite the lack of true summer weather, we have been very busy.

Gearing up!

In June Max played t-ball.  He loved this and we really enjoyed watching him "play."  His favorite positions to play were catcher, pitcher and first base.  On the very last day I watched him eye a boy that was a sliding machine.  This kid slid into every base.  I could see the wheels turning in Max's head.  His very last time up to bat he decided that he was going to give it a try and "slid" into third base and then into home.  I wasn't sure, at first, if he had tripped or if he was trying to slide, so I didn't say anything to him.  But as soon as the game was done he says, "Mom, did you like my slide?"  Good thing he has years to work on his technique!  But I love his enthusiasm!

MVP (according to me!)

I
After t-ball ended Max had a week of day camp at the gym.  From 9-1p he was kept busy playing tennis or basketball, making crafts, swimming, and having lunch.  He did this last year and loved it.  This year was no different!  (Oops... no photos to include!)

As soon as camp was done we sailed right into swimming lessons.  A lady that teaches at her own pool was recommended to me by a friend.  After 8 days Max went from not putting his face in the water to holding his breath and submerging his whole head under the water!  Tonight was his last night so the parents were able to stay and watch.  I'm impressed with the amount of progress he made.  I would love to have him take another session this summer but this particular lady doesn't have any more openings and she is a bit too far away.

Blowing bubbles through the hoop.

Yeah, Max!

Getting better!

This is him going down the orange slide.  I don't think is face got anywhere close to the water!

This slide was a huge step for Max.  I did have to bribe him to go down it.  It only cost me $5!

Learning to swim with milk jugs.

Giving a reassuring thumbs up sign to mom.

Are we going to make a swimmer out of him? 

This weekend I work and then off to the great "Up North" with my sister and her family next week!  I'm using tons of PTO this month but it has been worth it.  Now that I'm not saving for maternity leaves I might as well use it for family functions and vacations.

I'm starting to see double so I guess I'm done typing for the night.  I feel like I need to post updates on the kids-  they are growing and changing so much-  so those will be coming soon.