Family Funk

Road Trip

Animal Issues, Daily Dose, Day to Day, Kid Talk /

We took off after work to deliver a mini care package to Prince J at Beloit. (Paczkis, Valentine candy, rice wine vinegar, Dr Pepper, an extra iPhone cord, paper towels and I don’t even know what else – oh, Chick-fil-A and waffle fries that were long cold by the time we got there — weird kid, he wanted it even if it was going to be cold, lol.)

Skeeter used to love riding in the car but for the last month or so, she pretty much hates it. Why is that? It can’t be because five hours in the car makes her knee, hip and back hurt — she’s too young to have that problem. I, on the otherhand… exhausted.

I hope the kid enjoys his cold Chick-fil-a and his paczkis.

Road Trip Read More »

The Birthday Box

5 Comments / Family Funk, Kid Talk, Memories /

This is Michelle’s birthday box. Well, she calls it her birthday box, I generally call it Michelle’s box. It’s got stuff that I tucked away from her childhood.

All of my kids have a box like this. Jenn has hers. I think I still have Chris’s with me. Michelle usually has hers but she decided to leave it here when she moved to Philly because she’s living in a super small apartment. That made me kind of sad because Michelle is the child who looks at her box every year. On her birthday.

Since she doesn’t have her box with her today, I thought I’d go through the box for her. Take some pictures. Talk about what’s in there. Celebrate her birthday, long distance-like.

Her baby book is here.

Baby clothes — she was adorable in all of these.

Books she loved and book reports of books she loved. Like One Yellow Lion, Barney, Brown Bear (though she really liked Polar Bear better) It’s Just Me Emily, and A Pony for Linda.

Poetry, a lot of poetry and poetry journals.

Writing samples and her first ‘zines!

Girl Scout stuff.

Bowling and Cheer stuff, too.

Awards, certificates, ribbons, plaques.

Art — a lot of art.

Especially, drawings of Pepper and Serano.

Happy Birthday, Michelle Belle. Next year, you’ll have the box to go through all by yourself but I enjoyed going through it this year. *sniff* 23 years. *sniff*

The Birthday Box Read More »

*Sniff*

2 Comments / Family Funk, Kid Talk /

So – you know what it’s like… you’ve had some kids and you know you’re not going to have any more. This is the last one.

And the last one outgrows that cute little outfit that someone gave you and you have to decide whether to give it away or save it or take it to a consignment store. *sniff*

And then he outgrows the tiny onesies.

And then she outgrows the swing. And the bouncer. And the crib. And the cute little baby rattles.

*sniff* *sniff* *sniff*
~~

When we came home from taking Jenn and JMP to the airport, someone had (nicely?) cleaned up all of the baby toys. I know whoever did it (my guess would be Rebecca) thought she was doing something nice (and she was) but it made me sad to see everything stacked up in a corner — obviously no longer waiting for JMP to play with them.

*sniff* *sniff* *sniff*

I’m going to have to clean them up — put them away, for reals. And, put away the pack-n-play. And, send the clothes his mom left behind. And, the baby food sitting on the counter.

*sniff* *sniff* *sniff*

Yes, he’s going to come and visit again. Many, many more times. But… it’s still sad.

Melancholy-making.

*sniff* *sniff* *sniff*

*Sniff* Read More »

A Hug From Mike Ditka

3 Comments / Family Funk, Kid Talk /

During the drive to take the girls back to their dad’s house, the conversation made its way to friends who aren’t touchy-feely and don’t like hugs. Elly said, “People who don’t like hugs just haven’t found the right hug, yet.”

Which caused RJ to say “Yea, like those lesbians who just haven’t found the right man, yet.”

Which caused me to roll my eyes, again.

Which led TW to say, “Elizabeth, you know I’m one of those people who doesn’t like hugs, right?”

Which caused Elly to say, “Yea, you just need to go around hugging random people on the street until you find the right hug.”

Which caused me to roll my eyes again.

Eventually, the conversation turned to Mike Ditka. We had to explain to the girls who Mike Ditka is and then we told them about seeing Mike Ditka in O’Hare on Sunday night. After much laughter and joke making, Elly piped up with… “Mike Ditka! You should have hugged Mike Ditka! I bet that was your hug, mommy, and you missed your chance!”

Poor TW, she’ll never love hugs because she missed her chance to hug Coach Ditka. *sniff* *sniff* Maybe we’ll run into him again someday and she can give it a try. A hug from Ditka could change everything!

A Hug From Mike Ditka Read More »

I’m Glad I’m a Grandmother…

5 Comments / Family Funk, Kid Talk /

It’s really nice to be able to hand JMP back to his mom when he’s tired or hungry. Really, really nice — because then I can take a nap. Or sit down and write a blog post about how nice it is to hand him back to his mom.

It’s also nice to be able to watch his bath time rather than to be the one on her knees on the bathroom floor, bent over the tub, giving the bath. My back and knees hurt just watching Jenn do it.

Also, JMP is HEAVY. I’d be in shape again if I had to tote is 20lb chunky, cute self around all of the time. As it is, my right shoulder is kind of groaning. When I said yesterday that I couldn’t believe how heavy he was, TW rolled her eyes and said he wasn’t… she’s changed her mind because her shoulder is feeling a twinge, too.

It’s awesome to be able to just play with him or watch others play with him and take photos and leave all of the real work to his mom. This grandmother gig is freaking awesome.

I love it. And I love JMP, tons.

I’m Glad I’m a Grandmother… Read More »

OMG! Johnny Mac Pippin Is Coming!

5 Comments / Family Funk, Kid Talk /

When Jenn called me a few weeks ago to say they might becoming to the mainland, I was very excited but didn’t talk about it because it was a big “maybe”.

When she called me again, a week later, to say they were coming but the dates were a muddle, I was very, very excited but didn’t talk about it much because it was such a confusing mess.

When she called again, with more specific dates, I was over the moon, but didn’t talk about it a lot because she also called to give me some sad news and that over-shadowed the over the moonieness of it.

I did, however, start to prepare!

I ordered cold weather clothes, because JMP gets cold if it’s 60F or if the fan blows on him. Oy.

We went to Target and bought more cold weather clothes, because JMP gets cold if it’s 60F or if the fan blows on him. Ugh.

We bought a wooden farm toy thingy. I went digging in the closet for toys I’d bought to send him for Valentine’s Day or Easter or his birthday.

We bought diapers and wipes and baby food! We bought a sippy cup.

We cleaned out Prince J’s bedroom (sort of) and I decided he needed a pack-n-play, so I ordered one (on sale!)

TW decided he needed more toys and maybe a Jenny Jumper since he loves to bounce and jump. So, we went to a couple of thrift stores and a used clothes/baby toy shop. We hit pay dirt at the used clothes/baby toy shop.

We came home with a box of blocks, a drum, a panda rattle thingy, a Fisher Price Little People school box, a circus car, a board book and… I over-ruled TW and insisted on the bouncy car instead of the door frame jumper. Heh. Totally ridiculous, but it’s cute! And it was only $5 more than the jumper.

I cleaned all of the toys. I’m washing the pack-n-play sheets and his cold weather pajamas right now. The house is trashed, but it’s always trashed because we have a puppy who shreds anything she can get her teeth around… hopefully she won’t shred JMP. His shoes, toys, socks, diapers etc… I’m pretty sure she’s gonna LOVE those.

I cannot wait to cuddle JMP… and hug his mom, tight. After spending a month with her in May, I’ve missed her a lot. Like I missed her when I left her behind in NJ after high school graduation. Sniff.

Did I mention JMP is COMING???!!!! I hope you don’t get sick of me posting photos and videos for the next week…

OMG! Johnny Mac Pippin Is Coming! Read More »

The Damn Dog Reads My Blog, Doesn’t She?

4 Comments / Animal Issues, Family Funk /

Yesterday’s post, the one where I kind of raved about how awesome my dog is about sleeping on her bed when she’s told to sleep on her bed.

Yea. That post right there, pretend it never existed.

Because last night… 2am, the dog was on my bed. 4am, the dog was on my bed. 5am, the dog was on my bed (and I gave up telling her “Off. Place.” because by then, I was awake and figured I’d just get up and get to work. Busy day ahead and all that.

The little beast had the nerve to GROAN at me when I accidentally bumped her foot (that was hanging off of MY bed) as I stumbled to the bathroom.

How dare I keep her from her beauty sleep.

Shit. I’m tired.

The Damn Dog Reads My Blog, Doesn’t She? Read More »

The Battle of the Bed

1 Comment / Animal Issues, Family Funk /

Are you wondering how we’re doing battling Skeeter for the bed? Or have you assumed, based on the instagram photos, that she’s won and we’ve thrown in the towel?

We did, sort of, throw in the towel for awhile. The holidays, for instance — too much madness and mayhem. Too many people. She was in our bed constantly — which means we got no sleep because SHE IS A BED HOG.

Once everyone went home, TW took the situation in hand and offered her a compromise — which she grudgingly excepted.

It didn’t go quite that smoothly. There were a couple of nights when TW forced the poor baby to sleep in the kitchen, on the cold hard floor. Well, on her comfy bed on the cold hard floor. But, the puppy did not like this and she cried and whined and completely annoyed me. All. Night. Long. And especially early in the morning when she’d wake up and find herself cold and alone.

I admit it, I whined and TW gave in to me — not to the dog — and brought her back into the bedroom at night.

The compromise is … she can be on the bed until we say it’s bedtime and then she has to get off the bed and go to her place and stay there til she’s invited back to the bed. Or at least until I get up in the morning, at that point, she’s free to take her rightful place cuddling TW.

It took a couple of nights of treat training plus leash training to get her to get off the bed (and stay off) when we told her it was bedtime. And there were a couple of nights when she woke up and tried to sneak back into bed in the middle of the night. But, she did get right back down when told to go.

Now if we could convince her to stop eating the mail…

The Battle of the Bed Read More »

Post-Holiday Blues

1 Comment / Animal Issues, Daily Dose, Family Funk, Work /

It’s not me who has them. Not really. It’s the dog.

She doesn’t like it when we both work all day. She wants us both in the bedroom, preferably without our computers (most of the time), reading books — giving her belly rubs — giving her treats — just available to pay attention to her, should she choose to want it.

It’s bloody hard to get work done when you have a 45lb dog tugging on your sleeve while you type. Or barking at you when you’re at your desk because she wants you in the bedroom with her (and with TW.)

The first work day of 2013 has been… difficult. To say the least.

Tomorrow will be better, won’t it?

Post-Holiday Blues Read More »