The Accident

Unfortunately, last Thursday G (aka Carol, mother-in-law) got into an accident with both grandkids in the car. Everyone's ok, and it wasn't her fault - a car hit her in the median while she was stopped - but it certainly has shaken Baeleigh. The car didn't hit her side, and she came away from it with only minor bruises from her car seat and seat belt (G has a very sore shoulder), but it has definitely been traumatic for her. She has consistently asked/said things like:

-G can't drive us any more because she had an accident.
-We can't drive over the "bump" (median is a hill) or we'll have an accident
-Will na-maa and pop-pop have to pick us up because G is hurt?
-If we drive, are we gonna have another accident?

Do you know how hard it is to explain an accident to a 4 year old? Difficult. I tried to relate it to when she has an accident, unexpected and rare. I think she sort of understood but I can tell she's still leery of driving. I'm sure it'll pass in time, but in the interim G has decided to forego the median an make a U-turn at the light to make her feel more at ease.

For me, it just underscored how far away my job was. It took an hour and a half for me to get to them, only hearing bits and pieces of what was going on. It drove me crazy and it was difficult for me to not drive 80 to get to them. In retrospect, what good would it have done for me to have an accident getting to my kids? I had to meet them at the hospital (to get checked out). Luckily my parents were both home and able to get to them in about 15 minutes. I'm not sure how I woud have handled things if it didn't work out this way. So, thank God that it did and everyone is alright.

When I grow up....

"I wanna be a race car driver." Hmmm. Who do you think said this? Yep. Baeleigh. And unprompted. Her teacher asked everyone what they wanted to be when they grow up, and this is what my daughter shouts out. Skeptical, the teacher says, "are you sure, Baeleigh?" But the director of the daycare knows better and says, "Oh, yeah, that family. I believe it!"

Well, there are more and more girls joining drag racing now. Maybe she'll be the next SUPERSTAR!

Columbus Day Fun

Ok, for a 3-month old this is fun - and I had fun watching him. Gavin was busy bouncing in his too cool jumperoo and talking to his "friends" to even notice that mommy was recording him. He's starting to "talk" much more to the little friends, Froggie, Birdie, et al on his jumperoo. And, whatever they say or do must be down right hilarious because he smiles and giggles at them constantly. We've got a little pillow under the seat so that his feet actually touch the ground. He's still a little too short to reach on his own. Regardless, he has tons of fun....

P.S. I found out that someone has very ticklish feet after rubbing lotion on his feet last night.

The Yardboy

Look at my honey's great job on the front yard! After years of watching the grass encroach ever farther into what used to be our sad little front landscaping, Tommy finally dug it all out, put in some pretty new encore azaleas, japanese sky pencils and some much needed mulch. And, let me tell you, this took a lot of convincing on my part. Tommy would have rather hired someone to do it, but I think this just goes to show that he's very capable.

From ghetto to gorgeous, I'm proud of our front yard once again!

To Rice or Not to Rice

Ok, from day one of weaning over to formula Gavin, he has been a constipated kid. He's gotten so bound up that we had to give him suppositories to make him go after days of not. Yeah, that's fun! So natural to shove a glycerin cone up your child's hiney. (And, why is it that I am so fascinated with how big his little butt hole stretch when I do catch him poo'ing in mid-diaper change? No wonder it's painful!) After switching formulas four (yes, 4!) times, we finally landed on A.R. Lipil. Basically added rice, which although satiated more, it definitely is an ongoing battle to get this child to poo. And, when he does, they come out as ....well, we refer to them as either Play-doh balls or nuggets. Because that's what they look like. Now, A.R. Lipil, in a big can is hard to find. And, on my last outing to Walmart, they didn't have it. So, I got the next best thing - another Lipil but this one called Gentlease Lipil. No rice. The can had 20% more and now I know why. My kid is 20% more hungry without the rice. And, on top of that, not only does he still have Play-doh nuggets but now they wreak to all high heaven. Even his burps. How can a baby produce so much smelliness, I ask?

G (aka Carol, mother-in-law) brought me a box of rice to start giving him. "It's time," she says. Yeah, well, I'm not so sure about that. A - that means I have to come to the realization that my son is growing up and B - that he's ready when you are supposed to usually wait until he's 4 months at least.

Well, I tried a small half tablespoon last night, trying to just fill his tummy a little to stretch him to his bedtime feeding. That boy scarfed that rice down like there was no tomorrow. I thought he'd spit it back out at me but nope. Right down the hatch. So, do I let my little baby keep eating it or wait a little bit longer? Oh, the drama.

Another Championship Under His Belt

As we speak Tommy is driving back from his 2nd year Championship win from Bowling Green, KY. After a shakey start with a new car and several racers torn down and caught cheating, Tommy managed to pull through in the end and with a record time in one of his qualifying runs as well - 11.09 seconds.

Here are the results: http://www.nmradigital.com/forums/showthread.php?s=8d067464906927aa2acc4a3527e69349&t=81114

Good job, babe.

The Hanky

I struggled with even writing anything about my grandfather's passing, which happened a little over a month ago, on this blog. Mainly because it's been a really painful subject for me. I guess I've felt that if I didn't talk about it, then it really didn't happen. Except that it did, and I really miss him. I'm sure that each member of my family has their own memories of him - I know that I have many fond memories of him. Tinkering in the shed, putting contests, lunch with him and grandma, the super loud TV, his pipe, his hankies, his adoring grumpiness, snappy wittiness, to name just a few. But more importantly I have had regrets about what I wish I had said to him before he left us. That I loved him very much. I wish I had spent more time with him. I guess we all have felt that way though.

Gavin will never know him the way that I knew him. Though I'm contented to know that my "honey", as I called him, got to hold him - both in the hospital and at his 80th birthday party. He was so excited to hold him, so proud. At least Baeleigh had some time with him. I hope that both of them will be able to spend more time with my grandma.

What made me decide to write this though was one because I just need to get it off my chest, to grieve I suppose, but also because I was reminded a few weeks ago and again after a discussion with my grandma on Thursday about his things that I had a hanky of his. One of his quintessential hankies. The ones that he always kept in his pocket and loudly blew his nose with. He handed me a hanky on my wedding day, in a moment when I was so touched that I had teared up. He gave me that hanky to dry my eyes and had folded it in the same way that he always folded them. I still have that hanky, folded exactly the way that he handed it to me, never washed. And, it never will be. My grandma asked me (and my dad) if there was anything that I wanted of my grandfather's. But I already have what I wanted: the hanky. In my little box of things to remember from my wedding, and that's where it will stay.

I love you "honey".