Wait....What?

The little man and I went and collected Grammy this morning.  Took her to her dr. appt. to check her arm.  We saw the bone guy.  He walks in, looks at the x-ray and tells us there is no break or fracture. Wait...what?  Yup.  I had looked at the x-ray and couldn't find anything that looked like a break to me, but I'm not a doctor so figured I just missed it.  He did say she bruised it pretty good and that it would take around four weeks to heal.  So there is that.
Then we went out for brunch and then took her home for a nap.  We did the same.

And He's Five

We started the day off with the question of "Is it daytime? Am I five?"  Yes, yes he is.  We took cupcakes to pre-school.  He choose seahawks ones.
Then we had our little party.  We had a chocolate cake with red poinsettia on the top.  The frosting was good, the cake was mediocre.  I'm not sure he cared.  He couldn't wait to get to the presents.  The crossbow is lighted and shoots lighted arrows.  Pretty cool.  He got a hovercraft that flies and it is also pretty cool.  He is in love with the batman shoes.  He also got a coat, some pants and a flashlight with a headlamp.  Mommy sent him money.  So he is set.  A happy five year-old.

A Fond Farewell

It was my friend Marti's last day at work.  So after work a bunch of us got together at Who Song and Larry's and had a fond farewell dinner.  Stories were told.  Monica brought some beautiful roses.  I am really going to miss working with her.  She is always in my corner and has been for a long long time.

Holiday Sadness

The littles and I did our Christmas cards this weekend.  Some got a special hand drawn picture in them.  Some just got pics of the kids.  As I was going through the address book it struck me how many of our favorite people are no longer with us.  It was kind of sad.  You could see how the family changed as names were crossed off and new addresses added.  Some addresses didn't even make it in the book and are just stuffed into the book on pieces of paper. A lot of good memories and a lot of sadness for the missing.

Quieter Day

We had a quieter day.  The littles played with the helicopters that Chad bought.  Kept them entertained for at least 45 minutes.  While playing we heard the geese.  Snapped the photo and then a bunch more went over.  This picture shows just a few of how many went.  But we just stood there and watched them.  We are still enthralled with nature.
I got the turkey carcass stewed up.  Tomorrow it will become soup.  Yum.  We are thinking noodle.  The little man really likes noodle soup.  He is funny.
And now it feels like it is time to start decorating for Christmas.  :)

Black Friday

And what a day.  I personally did not spend any money until I had to go to the grocery store for milk.  We spent most of the afternoon at Clackamas Town Center.  We had appointments at Picture People for the littles to get their yearly pictures taken.  I already had my groupons.
Chad and Ky wanted to come down and see the kids and today was their free day.  So they met us at the mall.  They bought the littles birthday/early Christmas presents.  Every thing was on sale so it wasn't as bad as it looked.  Audrie's bear is as big or bigger than she is.
After shopping and pictures we had a lovely lunch at Ram Restaurant and Brewery.  The mac and cheese looked divine, but I had a burger.  It was pretty good.  The little man had chicken nuggets that were better than McDonald's.  I know that doesn't take much for the adult palette, but it is some feat for the child.
We got to meet Chad's girlfriend and we really liked her.  Her son was along and he spent most of the time playing games on a phone.  Ky, being a little older, didn't need that distraction.  He paid attention to the littles.  Maybe it is because they are related......
Anyway...thanks Chad for lunch, company and all the gifts you let the littles get.  Sometimes blessings come from many different places.

Thankful

We had a lovely dinner.  I think I really outdid myself.  I had a little help.  The little man peeled spuds, whipped potatoes, whipped cream, cut fruit and helped with stuffing.  The little woman had set the table the day before.  Everything turned out nicely.

On this day of thanks I asked the table what they were thankful for.  We all appreciated the family and the food.

For me I am thankful for the two little people who share my life.  They teach me every day and make me feel blessed.  I get to practice patience.  I feel immense joy.  They are the lights in my life.

I am grateful for a brother who is always there for me even though he thinks I make a lot of mistakes.  He may be right, but he still lets me make them without too much judgment.

Still grateful for every day we have Mom.  Thankful that she hasn't forgotten us yet.  That day will be hard and we know it is coming.  But for now we take what we get.

Thankful for a roof (and a new one at that) over our heads, clean clothes to wear and good food to eat.  Thankful for a job that still allows me all the time off that I need.

Thankful for the family that supports us as best they can.  All those MN and IL relatives.  Thankful for the friends who are grand.  Heather, Kim, Brenda, Marti to name a few.  The people in our lives who are always looking out for us whenever they can.  

Feeling blessed.

Pie Day

The little man helped make pies today.  The little woman opted not to. My best guess is because she doesn't really eat pie.  But she couldn't go without doing something so she set the table.  I love the k-cups in the middle of the table in case we want coffee.
The little man and I made a pumpkin and a cherry pie.  We also have a crust ready to be turned into chocolate cream in the morning.  I love how much he loves to help.

New Roof

The crew arrived before 8 this morning.  Five guys up on the roof.  Before I left for work the back was cleaned of shingles and new tar paper going on.
When it started raining at work I was sure hoping the roof was done.  My guess is it was.  When I got home they were all gone with little signs of having been there.  Other than a nice new looking top.  Now I just have to pay the bill.  ;p

Progress

Came home from work to see this beautiful sight on the roof.  Roofing material.  So excited for this project to be done.  It is one of the major projects.  The list of small projects is still long, but the big projects are almost done.  :)

That Took Awhile

I think I bought the pressure washer back in June.  And then it sat in its box in the garage.  So today it finally got put together and used.  I did the front sidewalks and driveway.  The hardest part is how it makes my hands stiff.  After I was done and it started drying I could see spots I missed, but overall it looks much better.  I was starting to get concerned with some of the green growing on the concrete.  I don't want anyone falling because it is slick.....mainly me.
I could tell why the guy sold it to me.  He was starting a business and this pressure washer just isn't powerful enough for that. It is fine for my needs.  And the price was still right.
Now we shall see how long it takes me to do the sidewalks and the deck in the back.

Cheap Turkey

So, so happy that there are turkey deals this year.  Maybe not as good as years past, but deals none the less.  Last year there were none so there must have been a turkey shortage.  The littles and I went shopping and got our turkey.  Managed to forget half of the rest of the stuff for dinner.  No worries though, I will be shopping for the fruit on Wednesday anyway.
I did manage to get the bird in the frig.  If I really would have needed to I could have gotten it in the freezer.  For a short period of time anyway.  Otherwise our little freezer is too full most of the time.

Jenga

It was time to break out the Jenga game and see if the littles were old enough to play it.  Well yes, yes they are.  They are capable of taking the blocks out and stacking them up.  They are capable of making the pile fall.  And they are capable of throwing fits when that happens.  Not all that enjoyable for anybody.
But when you take one child out of the mix and only play with one, it is much better.  The little woman and I got our tower pretty tall with a lot of just one block centers.  I think she liked it.

Ipads

I am so tired of them.  They make life a lot easier.  When we have two.  Not when we have one.  Or let me rephrase that.  When we have two working ones it is much better.  So the oldest one is acting the same way one of the ones Papa bought acted.  Just does its own thing. It's not a good thing.  Something internal.  And I've got to say.....this one has lasted a lot longer than I thought it would.  It has taken a bath, been dropped numerous times, been dunked in milk and stepped on hard enough that it bent.  So in that respect it lasted well.  But now it is pretty useless.
The question then is do I replace it?  I don't know.

Second Doctor

Took Mom to see the dermatologist today. She was absolutely sure that the spots on her scalp and the one that was on her forehead were sun damage or skin cancer.  For future reference...skin cancer doesn't go away.
He told her that the problem was simply her picking at the spots all the time.  And she does.  A lot.  We will point it out and she says no she is just taking off the sloughing skin.  Nope.  She is picking at the spots.  He said you can tell she has been doing it for awhile and that there is nothing that can be done.
When it happens in children there is a word for it and I can't remember what he said it was.  But there is no word for it in adults.  But sometimes Mom is more kid than adult, so it is fitting.
We are just relieved that is isn't anything bad.  She still insists it is sun damage and she needs a hat.

First Doctor

When Mom broke her arm, her discharge papers said she needed a follow up appt. with a bone guy.  Tried to make that appt. and was told no she just needs to see her primary.  And that took nine days.  So today she saw her primary.  Mom said she said Mom just needs to heal.
When I read the paperwork there is a referral to the bone dept.  Seriously.  Oy.
Well at least we made it to our first appt. this week. Tomorrow we see the dermatologist.  It's a week of doctors.

Lows

Turns out one of my friends lives a life similar to mine.  I never knew.  We had talked about the alcoholic in our lives and commiserated.  But we never talked about the addicts.
So she had posted on facebook about the new low her son has hit.  He stole her shoes and was selling them on a sale site.  Wasn't even trying to get that much money for them.
I thought about it and my son never stole my shoes.  Ah, but then my shoes aren't worth anything.  I don't buy name brands.  I don't buy good shoes (although it is time to start).
While he never stole my shoes, my son is still in the same boat with her son and they haven't hit their low low bottom yet.  She and I are just sitting in our boat waiting.

Treasure

Fifteen years ago Mike and I went to Georgia and visited Heather.  We spent a long weekend with her. Explored her little town and surrounding areas.  One afternoon we took a drive across the Savannah River and went into a small community in South Carolina.  While there we did a little window shopping.  We found this really cool shop and in it was this dish set with leaves.
I was infatuated.  But I could see no way to bring any of it home with me and my frugal nature would not let me buy it.
Imagine my surprise when that Christmas I got this bowl and two plates from that set.  I haven't used the plates much, but the bowl has always had a permanent residence on my counter.  I still love it to this day.  And I love Heather who was thoughtful enough to get it for me.  She saw that I loved it.
And it always brings back happy memories of our visit with her.
Thanks again and always Heather for my treasure and your friendship which is an even bigger treasure.

Tessa's Birthday Party

A couple of weeks ago the little man told me he was invited to Tessa's birthday party at Chuckie Cheese.  I had to have an invitation before I just believed that.  Well on Monday there was an invitation in his cubby at daycare.  And so the party was on.
We counted down the days and then we counted down the hours.  And then we went to Chuckie Cheese.  That place is louder and more chaotic than I remembered. We are stamped on the way in and checked on the way out.  The kids must match the person they came in with, The pizza is marginally better than the last time I went, only twenty years ago or so. The sandwiches are pretty good though.
The littles had a blast and we ended up being there long after the other party guests left.  It took the little woman a long time to use up her tokens.  She knows how to stretch it out.  Naturally they did not get enough tickets for any good prizes, but they didn't seem to care.

Playing With a Balloon Again

The littles and I went to check on Mom this afternoon.  I try to go every other day at the outside, but had missed two days already.  Well the first thing one of the older women started talking to the kids.  Then Connor started helping a man move a chair.  And that put him in a living area with the balloon.  And the old folks just love it.  They had so much joy playing with him.  And he had fun with them.
One woman kept complimenting us.  She was just beautiful herself.
Mom is okay.  She is still fidgeting with her sling.  It doesn't sit right with the splint on.  So it annoys her to no end.  Kind of like the damage on the top of her head.  She insists she doesn't pick at it, but she does.  Good thing she sees her doctor and a dermatologist next week.  The bruise on her forehead looks better.  Poor Mom.

27

Mike turned 27 today.  We went out to Applebee's for dinner to celebrate.  He got a free dessert.  The littles behaved.  It was all right.
Then we spent some time trying to get him a new phone. The one he bought in Oct. got broken.  And they are hard to use once the screen is cracked.  Now he has a new one that he can probably break in less than a month also.  But we didn't have a gift from the littles so it sufficed.

Relief

Somewhere along the line the external hardrive got misplaced.  I remembered using it, but not when.  I believe it moved when I moved the office out of the bedroom.  And I have looked and looked.  That harddrive contained ALL the digital pictures from about 2008.
I tried very hard not to worry too much about it.  It had to turn up eventually.
Well nine months later it has.  It was in the garage.  I am greatly relieved.  I know I would survive without all those pictures, but it would be sad.  All the Elizabeth days documented.  The first years of the littles.  And all the other pictures.  Dave had given me that harddrive just to store the pictures.  That way when a computer crashes I won't have lost the pictures.
So we spent a good chunk of the evening looking at the videos Papa had made.  The littles would ask where is Papa.  Well he was filming.  Love hearing his voice.  So did they.  They were amazed at how little they were and how much they have changed.  I find it amazing when they can recognize that.
So happy.

Guess Not

Nope, not normal yet.  Maybe a few days and the hoopla will settle down.
As a liberal democrat it was disheartening to wake up and find out that Donald Trump is the new president elect.  But it is what it is. We will survive this just as we have done in the past.  Just this time I see our country going backwards.
Someone posted on facebook about Reagan being the greatest president we ever had.  Funny how they see that.  I don't.  Reagan and trickle done economics is when my family had to go to two incomes to feed our kids.  It wasn't wonderful and better than anything before or since.  But we survived it.
We survived the Bushes and the war in Iraq. All those weapons of mass destruction that just weren't.  And a vendetta for Daddy's honor.
So let's hope that we move forward and not backward.  And if we move backward, let's hope it can repaired in the future.  His platform was Let's Make America Great Again.  I never thought it wasn't great.  I have always been proud that I was born here and realize it is just luck.  Are there areas that could use work, well of course.  All the social media and cameras now days show us a lot of things we didn't know.  What his campaign showed me personally is that there is a lot of racism and sexism out there.  Thought we had come a lot further than that.  But alas, I was wrong.
So I will just continue to live my life like I have.  I have two kids to keep raising.  And that takes up a great deal of my time.  So I'm not left with a lot of time to worry about politics.  Will politics affect my life?  Yes.  But I'm a survivor.  And I will just roll with it.

Election Day

Oh so glad this day is here.  Then maybe we can get back to "normal".

Tired

So first the time change has gotten me.  Feels like bedtime way too early.  Then today we worked on the Nebraska pallets.  I spent almost two hours just putting out books.  The first hour was spent taking care of deliveries and putting out flyers for our upcoming sale.
When I got home I was tired.  Checked in with fitbit and I was 150 steps away from my 10000 goal.  Most of those were done in my three hour shift.  No wonder I was tired and my feel hurt.
It's good though.  Got my steps in.
Audrie took another sick day.  I think she is well enough to go back to school tomorrow.

Off Sunday

The only thing we did was check on Mom.  She was okay.  Naturally wishing she hadn't fell.  First broken bone in 73 years.
The rest of the day was spent on the couch just resting.  The little woman is sick.  I watched all those sick people in the ER and hoped none of us got sick.  And of course, I don't know what they had or the incubation period.  But this is how we spent our day.
The little woman perked up for about an hour in the middle of the afternoon when she ate.  I kept offering her food and she kept turning it down.  She got warmer as the day progressed.  She had a nice bath, but she said it just made her cold.  Yeah.  A fever I think.
Guess we will see what tomorrow is like.

Fun at the ER

We thought we would go to Skipper's and have some fish and chips.  Well some of us would have fish and chips and some would have chips and one was hoping they had chicken strips.  We stopped to check in with Grammy first to see how she is doing.  Right off the bat the little woman tells her what we are doing and invites her along. I'm sure Mom has ate dinner since it was after 6:30 p,m, but she said she could ride along anyway.
Three of us made it into the actual Skipper's building.  The littles just because they are fast and me to find a big guy.  Mom fell on the sidewalk.  And I can't get her up.  And she couldn't help me.  She banged her head and thought perhaps she had broken her arm.  So with a little help from a wonderful customer we managed to get in the car and go to the ER.
They wheeled her in while we parked.  They took her into triage and then back for an x-ray.  They were going to bring her back out front when they were done.  I don't think they ever made it to the X-ray room.  After waiting in the waiting room for quite awhile we decided to check.  Yup she was in a room and they let us go back.  And then she wasn't there.  She was getting an x-ray.
We went back out front as it was a better place for the littles to wait.  And that part was the best part.  They played with other kids and had snacks.  Afterall, we did not have dinner.
A little after ten they brought her out.  She had broken her arm so had a splint and a sling and her head was just banged up a bit. We got the car and then we needed to go get her prescription filled.  Joy.  The only 24 hours pharmacy is up on 164th.  So off we go checking Kaiser as we passed but they were closed.  Got Burgerville and her pills.  The littles ate, She took a pill.
Then she tried to take another one, but she didn't.  Until about five minutes later when she was sneakier about it.
By the time we dropped her off and got her settled it was 11:30.  I left the nurse to do the checking in of the narcotic and I hope she took them away.  Mom was insisting she was going to manage her own pain meds but she couldn't remember taking a pill five minutes before.  She hid them in her purse.  Before I left I took them out.  And then we headed home.
Home just before midnight and we are all tired.  The littles really behaved pretty well for the ordeal.  And now we get to wait while Mom heals from her fall and rethink how we do things in the future.  But this falling is becoming more often.

First Friday Again

Oh it was a busy afternoon and evening.  Picked the little woman up from school, running the parent pick up gauntlet.  Then we headed to WIC to pick up our very last set of WIC checks.  The little man ages out this month.  We will miss them.  Have been going there for over seven years.  And we greatly appreciate all the help they gave us with formula first and then milk and veggies.
Both kids had dentist appts.  Oy.  We need to do better.  The little woman goes back next week to get a filling.  We are watching one of the little man's teeth to see what happens.
When we were done with those two things we hit the drive thru at McDonalds and they ate on the way to the Portland Children's Museum for First Friday.  They did some of the normal things that they always like to do.  The water room, the cafe/store, the dig pit.  There was an Eric Carle exhibit and it was pretty cool.  Then both found the stage and played there for quite awhile.  They never had before.
They had a great two hours of play and brain work.  The whole ride home was very quiet.  A great start to our weekend.

Rough Morning

I stopped to see Mom on the way to work.  She was having a rough morning.  It always surprises me when she has those.  Usually she has rough evenings and the morning are all right.  Hence why I visit in the mornings.  She was fine on Tuesday when I saw her so I'm not sure what set it  off.
Scratch that.  I still think her visit to the house over the weekend is what did it.  It just took longer to manifest than normal.  My Uncle Jerry had suggested back in June to not bring Mom to the house anymore.  He could tell then it was just too difficult.  So I was apprehensive how it would go for the little woman's birthday.  But it seemed to go fine.
In fact I was thinking it would be fine for Thanksgiving.  But maybe not.  So Rose at the facility suggested we all come have Thanksgiving dinner with them there.  I think we are going to think about that.

Care House Days

The little woman is feeling pretty grown up.  She has no care house days this week.  Usually I am off work by three which puts me home before she gets home.  It is just those occasional days where I work late or she gets off early that she goes to Little Tigers.  She also once in awhile has to go to school from Little Tigers.
Every day I am thankful for Little Tigers and all their staff.  It has been the littles' second home since Feb. 2013.  The only other constant in their lives.  They work with my schedule.  We are truly blessed.
The little woman hasn't quite figured it out that as long as I work, she will have day care days until she is about twelve.  :P

Customer Service

After our Halloween, I went back online to check on that Harley Quinn make-up kit. Then I went back onto Amazon and left a message for the seller.  Not nasty, not asking for anything, just making them aware that something went wrong.
The first email I got was from Amazon.  My money was refunded.  That was a pleasant surprise.  Then I got an email from the seller, who uses Amazon.  They could see better than I could.  It looked like the post office rerouted my package.  They, of course, did not know why.  But they told me that my money was being refunded and that when the kit arrives, we can just keep it for our patience.
I love Amazon and their sellers who are respectful.  This more than took care of any issue I had.  I knew it probably wasn't the seller's or Amazon's fault.  And I did not expect my refund, but naturally I am going to take it.
One day soon Audrie can just pretend she is a bad girl named Harley Quinn.