The Ole One Two Punch

It wasn't bad enough that my oldest son said he was moving to the other side of the country, but now my second oldest son is moving out that way too. He met a girl on a business trip last summer and it is serious enough for him to take a chance on moving. I know I can't hold on to them forever, but it doesn't matter what age your kids are you still worry and enjoy having them around to squeeze every once in awhile. I keep hoping they will change their minds before the anticipated move dates. I understand they are tired of our weather, I certainly am, winters are too long. Now that spring is finally here (temps will be in the 50's and 60's this week) I feel more cheery. Just to see the sun is great. The grandkids were over this weekend and we had fun. I talked to my 3 year old grandson about the move, but he doesn't realize he will be so far away from me. He of course thinks it will only be a short drive away. I will deeply miss my grandson and granddaughter. They are precious! I will have to invest in a web cam and a better camcorder in order to communicate with them so they won't forget me. It's a good thing we live in the era we can do this stuff.

You're My Hero

Well I heard the pitter patter of little feet coming through my door this past weekend. I got my Grandma fix. The grandkids came over for a full day's visit. We colored, played games, sang and danced. As usual we just rejoiced in each other's company. I am so lucky to have them visit as often as they do. Thank goodness there is no word yet on my son's family moving far away. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed they will remain close by. It would be hard to remain a "hero" in my grandson's eyes if he and his family move away. My grandson called my husband and I heroes this weekend. He whispered in our ears, "You're my hero."

My granddaughter is talking a little bit now. So it won't be much longer and I wlll hear her precious voice saying things that make me feel like I'm floating on air. There's nothing like a big ole squeeze from the grandkids. As my granddaughter and I danced this weekend with her in my arms, she gave me a loving squeeze as she rested her head on my shoulder.

The grandkids make me feel appreciated. What these two little ones may not realize is- they are my hereos. They rescued me from being just another forty something year old woman. I like the title of "Grandma" so much better.

God, why....

Today my post is not uplifting. It is a story that makes you wonder "WHY"

My youngest sister is 35 almost 36 years old. She and her husband had been trying to conceive a baby for sometime, but were disappointed each month. So they tried invitro fertilization almost four weeks ago and two eggs were implanted. Last week she called with the joyful news she was pregnant. Her hormone levels were doing good and the doctor's office wanted to see her in two more days to check the levels again. When my sister went back to the doctor's office for the next check up the levels did not increase as much as the doctor would have liked. They told my sister she might be having an abnormal pregnancy. My sister was a nervous wreck. Again she was told to come in a couple of days later for another check and an ultrasound. Well she had the ultrasound yesterday and was told one embryo was in one of her fallopian tubes and the other embryo was too small. She was also told that the baby in her uterus might have stopped growing. Today, she found out that what appeared to be an embryo in her uterus might just have been the embryo sack from the one in her fallopian tube. Tomorrow my sister will be at the doctor's office to "remove" the embryo from her tube. I feel so bad she and her husband have to go through this.

Our whole family had been praying for my sister and her babies. It seemed our prayers worked that she would become pregnant, but maybe we should have added things like "we pray she doesn't have an abnormal pregnancy" or "we pray she doesn't have an eptomic pregnancy".

I believe in the power of prayer, but I don't understand why bad things happen to good people. Why are some people allowed to have children who have no business raising kids when there are others who want children of their own desperately but can't or have to go through considerable lengths to achieve pregnancy. I know there are reasons for everything. Sometimes down the road of life you figure out some stuff on why things did or didn't happen. Yet there are some things that still don't make sense to me. One of my questions to God when I enter the gates of Heaven will be "God, why did you let children suffer in the hands of people who didn't care for them properly, I don't understand, why God, why?"

I pray my youngest sister's two remaining frozen embryos will be strong and grow healthy in her uterus for the whole nine months when my sister and her husband are ready to try invitro again. I also pray it's a normal pregnancy in every way shape and form. There I think my previous sentences covered it all and I have it in writing. God, are you listening or reading this?

Call Me Selfish

EVERY DAY IS A PARADE

I received a phone call from my oldest son the other day asking if I'd watch his kids this weekend while he and my daughter in law were having an open house. I asked what the open house was about and he sprang the following news on me - they were thinking of moving across the country. Well my heart sank. He is looking into a new career and has a lead in another state. I told him that I hope he can find a job right here. We talked about other things going on in our lives and then he says, you don't sound happy. I said, "I'm not, you just told me you're thinking of moving your family across the states." Anyway, I've been praying he and his wife think harder on this decision. I'm a family person. I'm not sure I can cope with this potential change. Call me selfish, but I want and need a close relationship with my grandkids. It will become hard to maintain the bond I've created with my grandchildren if they are a thousand or so miles away. And of course, I want my son to be nearby just as much. I do have something going in my favor today, he said the open house would not be this weekend, but maybe in two weeks. He also said he did find some businesses nearby that he would look into. We talked more about my desire for his family to stay close. I know he is a big boy, but in my heart he's still my little boy. So if the holy angels in charge of careers are listening - please, please, please point my son somewhere close to home, thank you!

Now This Is Good Music

Every Day Is A Parade

I recently had my grandchildren over for an afternoon visit. Among the many things my grandson likes to do (believe me there are many things he likes to do and they are usually all at once; he's a busy boy), is listen to music. So I put on a guitar rock cd. On came a song that was popular in the early 1970's. He was ok with it at first, but got bored within a minute. He went over to the cd player and removed the cd. He looked for another cd and recognized one he enjoys. Then out of the mouth of my adorable grandson, he says, "Now this is good music!" He popped in the cd and danced around. I started singing along and he says "Be quiet, you can't sing now, I'm singing." I guess I was not allowed to intrude on his enjoyment. Also in the room is my granddaughter. So she and I danced ( I was allowed to do that at least). My grandson listened, danced and sang along to the whole cd, which is a feat in itself since he is mister busy body. I am still not sure if he knows I'm the one who recorded the cd or if he just thinks that it is a cd from our collection I have lying around. But it doesn't matter, all I know is that out of our collection of cd's I have one "good music" cd that pleases my grandson. And that cd is one especially made by me for him, my granddaughter, future grandchildren and the rest of my family. My grandson gave me a beautiful compliment whether he knows it or not. Thanks for the lift, buddy!

The Kid Cracks Me Up

EVERY DAY IS A PARADE

I called my oldest son last week to see how he and his family were doing because I hadn’t seen or talked to them in well over a week. They were out shopping for a new kitchen table and had looked at many styles and sizes throughout the day. I called just when they were leaving a store. I could hear my grandson in the background saying “Who’s on the phone dad?” He also sounded as if he had enough of the shopping excursion. So I asked his dad to let me talk to him. Well my grandson gets on the phone and he is going on and on about the kitchen tables being too big, too many to look at and other things that I couldn’t quite understand, except one word, RIDICULOUS, which he repeated over and over again. Everything was just RIDICULOUS. Obviously this was his new word for the day and he thought it was hysterical. I was laughing my head off and so was he. I can still hear his cute voice repeating the word. My grandson loves to get silly so if he’s saying or doing something that gets people laughing, he’ll keep doing it.

This kid loves telephones. Whenever their house phone rings or one of his parent’s cell phones goes off he wants to talk to whoever is on the phone. He can be relentless about it; which brings me to the call I made to their home a couple of days later. My son answers their house phone and in the background my grandson is saying, “I wanna talk Dad” at least a half a dozen times. My son gives in to my grandson’s pleas. My grandson and I are having a good conversation about what he did that day and how was his baby sister, my granddaughter, (I’m looking forward to chit-chatting with her too someday) when my son says “Ok it’s time to say good-bye”. My grandson says in an adorable tone, “No, I’m talking to MY Grandma”. He purposely stressed the word “my”. My son laughs and I’m grinning ear to ear. I wasn’t just Grandma, I was “MY” Grandma, I guess he told his dad. I was feeling pretty important because the phone call lasted another few minutes. He had a lot to talk about to his grandma and daddy wasn’t going to interfere.

This kid cracks me up. Sometimes when I think about him I find myself laughing out loud. Grandkids sure do make you feel good inside. Thanks little buddy!

School Cheers and School Tears

Every Day Is A Parade

Hi. I haven’t written in awhile because I decided to set more time aside in order to enjoy what was left of the summer with my children. As usual summer goes by too quickly for me and my kids. Well school is back in session and it’s time for a routine again, not only for me but my children too. My kids might say they don’t like going back to school, but when they eagerly get their backpacks ready days before that so called “dreaded first day of school”, I know they are secretly looking forward to it. It’s all about reconnecting with their friends. School is another word for “Social Arena”, a place where you save a seat at lunch for your best friend, girls giggling about the boys, and boys teasing the girls. Nothing has changed since I was a kid. I’ve already seen these scenarios happen last week when our school opened for a new year.

But what about a preschooler’s first day of school? Some are excited to be joining the realms of being a “big kid”. Others are not so sure why they are being sent out into the “big kid” world away from the familiarity of home. This week I saw a couple of preschoolers in tears. Our school has a preschool program and some of the children arrive by bus. The little girl was very upset, she cried hard as she got off the bus. My heart broke for her. The little boy tried hard to fight the tears. He had his arm up over his eyes and he was shaking. I talked to both of these kids as we walked in the school. They seemed to be more at ease as I told them what a fun day it was going to be, making friends and getting to know their nice teacher. The little girl was comforted so much by me that she wanted me to take her to class.

Where does time go? One moment our children need us so much and in a flash they are just too big to hold our hands and walk in school together. Oh my gosh, what would their friends think! And a kiss goodbye, yikes – don’t even think about it Mom!