Tuesday, October 16, 2012
The news....YAY!
Well the news I hinted at waaay back in January has finally happened. I had Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass suregery. Getting to the surgery took over a year...a very frustrating year. I had the surgery on September 24, 2012. The first week HURT, but things are much better now and I am slowly adabting to my new way of getting nutrition. I post more later, promise!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Happy New Year!
Wow! What a turd I was at posting last year... I plan to do better this year, and am shamefully bribing you for your forgiveness with holiday photos of the Skeeter-man. Am I forgiven?
I have some big, scary/wonderful news to share soon, but right now I have to fly to the grocery store and by apples and soy milk. Ta!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Happy Halloween 2010!!
Why hello! Didn’t think I was coming back, did you? I’ve meant to visit back for a while, apparently I haven’t been in the “mood” to blog for about 15 months. A lot has happened in that time. Skeeter turned 4, G turned 12, and we went to DisneyWorld. I’ve been in the hospital (briefly.) In fact for a little while last winter, Mom (bronchitis,) E (gall-bladder removal) and I (kidney stones) were keeping the ER staff pretty busy. Poor B, we really ran her ragged too. Work-wise I was busy too. Retirement reform, Early Retirement pushes in two of the retirement system’s my office administers. Lots of WORK, of course… Many great, knowledgeable friends retired or moved to other departments. Most positions have not been filled, and those that are mostly great new people who have a lot to learn. I swear, if I could put a shop-vac to my ear and suck out the knowledge I have and pass it around, I’d do it in a second!
I’m heading over to Skeeter’s house to hand out candy tonight while B and E take the little man trick-o-treating. To tide you over until I get this year’s pictures, here are some from last year. May I present Skeeter as Buzz Lightyear, with his jet-pack (aka his daddy.)
More later!
I’m heading over to Skeeter’s house to hand out candy tonight while B and E take the little man trick-o-treating. To tide you over until I get this year’s pictures, here are some from last year. May I present Skeeter as Buzz Lightyear, with his jet-pack (aka his daddy.)
More later!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Chopstick food: Raspberries and Cheez-its
Perhaps it is a bit early, but my Skeeter must know how to use chopsticks because someday he will be going to visit his cousin G in Taiwan. It can be a royal bitch to find a western -style fork when you go out to dinner, believe me! Thus we are starting sloooooow, and we are starting early. Jury-rigged starter chopsticks, thanks to the folded up wrapper the sticks came in, a rubber band, and a cool Internet site for instructions. We ate things big enough to grab tweezer-like with the chopsticks. He is getting pretty good with them, though sometimes you just gotta skip the utensils altogether and resort to le pingies. My chopsticks were regulation (No rubber band) but I did get a hand cramp. (Damn Carpal Tunnel!)
These pictures are from Good Friday. His day-care was closed so I took the day off to Skeeter-sit. The day was fun, but not drama free. One spanking, one time-out and a retaliatory tantrum (his, not mine.) Things went better for awhile and nap time was enjoyed by ALL. Things turned abruptly south when he puked up his crackers and fruit all over my kitchen floor. It looked better above than it did later...... Still a winner for him, he got an unscheduled bath (including Grandpa Reed's toy submarine) which is his Favorite thing under Grandma's supervision while Yea-yea gaggingly cleaned the floor.
These pictures are from Good Friday. His day-care was closed so I took the day off to Skeeter-sit. The day was fun, but not drama free. One spanking, one time-out and a retaliatory tantrum (his, not mine.) Things went better for awhile and nap time was enjoyed by ALL. Things turned abruptly south when he puked up his crackers and fruit all over my kitchen floor. It looked better above than it did later...... Still a winner for him, he got an unscheduled bath (including Grandpa Reed's toy submarine) which is his Favorite thing under Grandma's supervision while Yea-yea gaggingly cleaned the floor.Thursday, April 15, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
L IS GOING TO WMU!!!!!!
Woo Hoo!!!!! "God-daughter" is going to Western Michigan University!!!!! SHE GO IT. she got in. SHE GOT IN!!!!! She is going to apply to live in my old dorm. If you are sensing a WMU-Auntie K Nostalgia Tour 2010, you might be right!!! Better to embarrass her now before she is a Bronco that to have her peers witness it later. Woo Hoo!!! Now if she will just take a dang theatre class for gosh-sakes my joy would be complete.
HAPPY DANCE COMPLETE WITH BUTT WIGGLES!!!!
HAPPY DANCE COMPLETE WITH BUTT WIGGLES!!!!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
They are back.....
Like vampires creeping from the earth at dusk, they arise. Cautious. Skittish Deprived of access to food and water by the arrival of their nemesis, they are slow to trust. They sense he has left, but are they sure? One of their number was caught earlier, held and enveloped almost beyond endurance before he escaped. They slink forward...look right...look left....HEY CATNIP MOUSE ON A STRING!!!!!! WOO HOO!
That's right Skeeter came to visit Sunday morning and stayed all day, much to the distress of the cats. Bing was loved a bit, but he WILL survive. All in all we (humans) had a really good day, but no pictures, I'm sorry to say. The more fun I have with him, the less think to grab the camera.
Our new fun is playing with trains. Last summer I bought some trains from a friend whose sons had outgrown them. Did I say trains? I mean multiple battery-operated Thom@s the Tank Train engines, train cars, tons of track, risers to make overpasses, tunnels, trees and a table with rolling storage drawers for all it. So cool!
Actually the table was in my living room for months, but it was so big I couldn't access the drawers well and we didn't use it. I just dismantled it recently and took all the stuff to the back bed room. A couple of weeks ago, he and his mommy came over and I took him back to grab a few pieces to play with. We lay down the tracks on the living room floor, but it wasn't really big enough. "We need more tracks!" I said and hurried down the hallway for more with him close on my heels. I distinctly heard SOMEONE (no one is fessing up)in the room behind us say "It's like there are two little kids not one." We increased the track and played for a while, then he looked up and said "More!" And he went flying down the hall with me at HIS heels. With a couple more trips down the hall, it him occupied for three hours or more the first time. He was so cute laying on the floor, eye level with the trains as they passed by, he "helping" them along as they passed.
Thank you, Lisa. These toys ARE the greatest.
That's right Skeeter came to visit Sunday morning and stayed all day, much to the distress of the cats. Bing was loved a bit, but he WILL survive. All in all we (humans) had a really good day, but no pictures, I'm sorry to say. The more fun I have with him, the less think to grab the camera.
Our new fun is playing with trains. Last summer I bought some trains from a friend whose sons had outgrown them. Did I say trains? I mean multiple battery-operated Thom@s the Tank Train engines, train cars, tons of track, risers to make overpasses, tunnels, trees and a table with rolling storage drawers for all it. So cool!
Actually the table was in my living room for months, but it was so big I couldn't access the drawers well and we didn't use it. I just dismantled it recently and took all the stuff to the back bed room. A couple of weeks ago, he and his mommy came over and I took him back to grab a few pieces to play with. We lay down the tracks on the living room floor, but it wasn't really big enough. "We need more tracks!" I said and hurried down the hallway for more with him close on my heels. I distinctly heard SOMEONE (no one is fessing up)in the room behind us say "It's like there are two little kids not one." We increased the track and played for a while, then he looked up and said "More!" And he went flying down the hall with me at HIS heels. With a couple more trips down the hall, it him occupied for three hours or more the first time. He was so cute laying on the floor, eye level with the trains as they passed by, he "helping" them along as they passed.
Thank you, Lisa. These toys ARE the greatest.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
What a bad, BAD blogger I have been...
I have been away for so long, basically because a.) my life is boring and b.) I don't think anyone is paying attention to this blog except people who already know me. And they visit out of pity. After some serious consideration, I have decided I don't care... since I started this for me anyway, I'll keep it for me.
Below for the pity-viewers, I have 2 sets of Skeeter Christmas pictures. The first set I had done and the second Skeeters parents did. MY plan was to start a tradition of helping the little guy make presents for his parents and grandparents. This year is was pictures I would have taken and "he" would decorate picture frames for them. I underestimated the difficulty level of my proposition.
I told B I was taking Skeeter to my office because "everyone" wanted to see him and instead we went to the MALL. Now, please realise I hate going to the mall, and I had never been to one with a 2 and a half year old before. Getting him into the store, past the bra department without fingering all the wares (oooh!), then past the jewelry (pretty!!!), up the escalator (whee!!!!) and then past a larger than needed display of Disn*y (Pooh! Pooh!) holiday merchandise right outside the portrait studio (product placement or demonic marketing?) was hell. The actual picture taking went fine as long as it was the "Holiday" set that looked like a living room, but once it was swapped for a black backdrop he became shy and scared, and suctioned to my thigh...so endth the photo shoot. What followed was an excruciating 45 minutes with a brand new employee who tried to up-sell me hundreds of dollars worth of "keepsakes" and "irreplaceable memories" while Skeeter was bonging around the room and trying to get back to the Disn*y display outside (the MOUSE, Yea-yea, the mouse.) Finally, I said "gimme those in 5 x 7's and that in wallets" and got the heck out of there. Flying past the Disn*y, down the escalator, rushing around the jewelry and bounding through the bras. Outside, so close to our goal the little bugger shouted "NO!" pulled his hand out of mine and tried to run away in the parking lot. HEART FAILURE. I nabbed him quick and took him home for a nap (for both of us.) Below are the results, worth it to be sure....but not to be repeated as a solo covert operation again...
Below for the pity-viewers, I have 2 sets of Skeeter Christmas pictures. The first set I had done and the second Skeeters parents did. MY plan was to start a tradition of helping the little guy make presents for his parents and grandparents. This year is was pictures I would have taken and "he" would decorate picture frames for them. I underestimated the difficulty level of my proposition.
I told B I was taking Skeeter to my office because "everyone" wanted to see him and instead we went to the MALL. Now, please realise I hate going to the mall, and I had never been to one with a 2 and a half year old before. Getting him into the store, past the bra department without fingering all the wares (oooh!), then past the jewelry (pretty!!!), up the escalator (whee!!!!) and then past a larger than needed display of Disn*y (Pooh! Pooh!) holiday merchandise right outside the portrait studio (product placement or demonic marketing?) was hell. The actual picture taking went fine as long as it was the "Holiday" set that looked like a living room, but once it was swapped for a black backdrop he became shy and scared, and suctioned to my thigh...so endth the photo shoot. What followed was an excruciating 45 minutes with a brand new employee who tried to up-sell me hundreds of dollars worth of "keepsakes" and "irreplaceable memories" while Skeeter was bonging around the room and trying to get back to the Disn*y display outside (the MOUSE, Yea-yea, the mouse.) Finally, I said "gimme those in 5 x 7's and that in wallets" and got the heck out of there. Flying past the Disn*y, down the escalator, rushing around the jewelry and bounding through the bras. Outside, so close to our goal the little bugger shouted "NO!" pulled his hand out of mine and tried to run away in the parking lot. HEART FAILURE. I nabbed him quick and took him home for a nap (for both of us.) Below are the results, worth it to be sure....but not to be repeated as a solo covert operation again...
There I was, smug with myself for providing such a priceless gift documenting his 2 year Christmas without a body count, when in the mail I received what? That's right, professional Christmas pictures of the whole family!! (What the @#$%^@%^%^@%@!!) Truly lovely and glad I have them, but crap there went the uniqueness of our/my surprise, kinda.....
The following are some of these pictures B sent me electronically, though she isn't in any of these. The two of Skeeter and his daddy are great.
Well, bye-bye. It's snowing very hard here and it's time to leave. Happy 2010 everyone!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Look at the handsome little boy - 2 Year Pictures
Here are this year's portraits of Mr. Cutie. I only wish they had one with his hair mussed up, he looks like such a little puck then....
Okay, the one above does look a little cheesy, kinda like a famous movie poster I can think of...
So sweet, but in fact he is probably trying to figure out how to get into some water, it's his favorite thing... Bath-time, water balloon's, squirty fish, sprinkler....as long as it's wet he is happy.
This Shot was for for Grandpa, lord knows it wasn't for Uncle A.
Ah!!!!! Dressed for his element!
Okay, the one above does look a little cheesy, kinda like a famous movie poster I can think of...
So sweet, but in fact he is probably trying to figure out how to get into some water, it's his favorite thing... Bath-time, water balloon's, squirty fish, sprinkler....as long as it's wet he is happy.
This Shot was for for Grandpa, lord knows it wasn't for Uncle A.
Ah!!!!! Dressed for his element!Monday, July 27, 2009
Watertime Fun
We started out in the sprinkler, but it got too cold. So back to our trusty squirty fish!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Explaining his theory on water ballons
Sometimes he has to splain things s l o w to Yea-Yea, just to be sure she gets it....
Monday, June 22, 2009
Sprinkler TIme!!!!
It was so dang hot and humid this weekend that I introduced my friend Skeeter to the fun of the kiddie sprinkler on Sunday. As you can see he took to it quite well....
( Click on photo a better look at his facial expressions, they are a hoot.)
( Click on photo a better look at his facial expressions, they are a hoot.)
At first he was afraid, so Yea-yea had to run through the wiggly sprayers by herself, but slowly he became braver. I made the fatal mistake of demonstrating how to point one of the sprayers by refilling a squirt gun with it, and then no part of me was dry for the next 40 minutes. Little monkey!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Lazy Butt
The sad truth is I have just been lazy and ignoring you, please forgive me. I CAN explain.
Aside from the fact that I have been sick with almost everything circling the planet this winter, my mom hurt herself. She fell and broke her ankle in January, and after an abortive attempt to go home from the ER with her "sprained" ankle, an ambulance ride and a horrid week on the oncology floor of the hospital (they had a spare bed,) trying to figure out why she couldn't walk, she left town. She needed to be in a rehabilitation facility and the good ones here in town had no room. So she chose to go to a brand new place where she grew up, that just happens to be owed by one of her brothers. For her this has been a very good choice, as she has had hot and cold running visitors from our big Swedish family and people she knew growing up. For me it means a half of every weekend is spent on the road visiting her. The other half of the weekend is spent trying to muster enough energy to start another work week, 'cause I am so dang tired. I did miss two weekends due to bad weather then illness, but she misses her kids so much, and I can't deny her 4 or 5 hours a week when she is going throgh so much pain. (Plus there is still some residual guilt from abandoning her in a youth hostal when she visted me in London on limited resources, but that is another sad tale I am not going into today....)
Sadly, I have been living off of fast food, and quick tricks (toasted baguette with cheese or canned soup) and it hasn't been very good for me. I just don't cook in single person quantities, and I don't like to eat the same thing for 6 days in a row. Seems like a waste to cook, so I haven't. When I have wanted a "real" meal I have been bumming them off my sister or ordering a steak with green beans and pasta from C@rraba car side service. I realized I haven't really been taking care of myself when I saw the sad state of my cooking onions.
That all changes now. Mom is coming home on Saturday and I can finally go back to cooking for plus one again. These past three months have been odd. The house is a pit, the cats have gotten VERY weird and I have confirmed my long held belief that I am not meant to live on my own. I am too solitary by nature, I need someone making sure I'm still alive on a regular basis. Although I sometimes feel defensive about "living with my mommy, " the truth is she can no longer live alone, I don't live off her (we split all expenses) and I do not want to live alone. Perhaps this "vacation" will cure me of my sheepishness on the subject. Perhaps not, since I feel compelled to rationalize things to you....
On prettier news, just look at how beautiful my G is. Her aunt (mother's sister) took her to a Taipei "Glamour Shots" shoot and it looks like she had a good time. A's favorite is the black and white picture, because her smile is less "fake-y," but I love them all! Can you believe she is TEN.
Aside from the fact that I have been sick with almost everything circling the planet this winter, my mom hurt herself. She fell and broke her ankle in January, and after an abortive attempt to go home from the ER with her "sprained" ankle, an ambulance ride and a horrid week on the oncology floor of the hospital (they had a spare bed,) trying to figure out why she couldn't walk, she left town. She needed to be in a rehabilitation facility and the good ones here in town had no room. So she chose to go to a brand new place where she grew up, that just happens to be owed by one of her brothers. For her this has been a very good choice, as she has had hot and cold running visitors from our big Swedish family and people she knew growing up. For me it means a half of every weekend is spent on the road visiting her. The other half of the weekend is spent trying to muster enough energy to start another work week, 'cause I am so dang tired. I did miss two weekends due to bad weather then illness, but she misses her kids so much, and I can't deny her 4 or 5 hours a week when she is going throgh so much pain. (Plus there is still some residual guilt from abandoning her in a youth hostal when she visted me in London on limited resources, but that is another sad tale I am not going into today....)
Sadly, I have been living off of fast food, and quick tricks (toasted baguette with cheese or canned soup) and it hasn't been very good for me. I just don't cook in single person quantities, and I don't like to eat the same thing for 6 days in a row. Seems like a waste to cook, so I haven't. When I have wanted a "real" meal I have been bumming them off my sister or ordering a steak with green beans and pasta from C@rraba car side service. I realized I haven't really been taking care of myself when I saw the sad state of my cooking onions.
That all changes now. Mom is coming home on Saturday and I can finally go back to cooking for plus one again. These past three months have been odd. The house is a pit, the cats have gotten VERY weird and I have confirmed my long held belief that I am not meant to live on my own. I am too solitary by nature, I need someone making sure I'm still alive on a regular basis. Although I sometimes feel defensive about "living with my mommy, " the truth is she can no longer live alone, I don't live off her (we split all expenses) and I do not want to live alone. Perhaps this "vacation" will cure me of my sheepishness on the subject. Perhaps not, since I feel compelled to rationalize things to you....
On prettier news, just look at how beautiful my G is. Her aunt (mother's sister) took her to a Taipei "Glamour Shots" shoot and it looks like she had a good time. A's favorite is the black and white picture, because her smile is less "fake-y," but I love them all! Can you believe she is TEN.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Woo-frickin-hoo
I am having an “O” day. Starts with it and ends with it. With a “gawd” in between to make it alarming. We all have them, they come around every ten years or so and get more distressing the older you get…. Today is one of my turns. As in “OH MY GAWD, I’M 40!”
How the hell did THAT happen? I still have nightmares about forgetting I have midterms. (Usually in the 60 seconds before the instructor says “You may begin...” I realize I haven't studied all semester and/or I forgot I enrolled in the damn thing and it's too late to drop!)
How can I possibly be 40 with a mortgage, vested for retirement??? To quote Vizzini from The Princess Bride, “INCONCEIVABLE!” Sorry, had to wipe some spittle off the screen after that one.
The picture below is how old I feel...with a driver's license...and a nice pay check...:) Growing up and growing old is for the birds!
How the hell did THAT happen? I still have nightmares about forgetting I have midterms. (Usually in the 60 seconds before the instructor says “You may begin...” I realize I haven't studied all semester and/or I forgot I enrolled in the damn thing and it's too late to drop!)
How can I possibly be 40 with a mortgage, vested for retirement??? To quote Vizzini from The Princess Bride, “INCONCEIVABLE!” Sorry, had to wipe some spittle off the screen after that one.
The picture below is how old I feel...with a driver's license...and a nice pay check...:) Growing up and growing old is for the birds!
(G and and my cousin's daughter on a museum visit in 2007.)
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Away too long
Hello! I have been away too long. First it was the January Blahs unmotivating me, then we had some health issues in the family, (not just me this time.) I will write about that later... I just wanted to pop in for a quick moment and post some recent Skeeter-man photos, as I'm sure you must be going through withdrawal by now!!
Enjoy! And Happy March!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Christmas pictures
The sad truth of the matter is that little skunk is getting really good at not holding still. As soon as he sees the camera, it becomes an elaborate "bob and weave" maneuver to avid the lens. As a consequence I don't have that many pictures that aren't of the back of him. Here are the two best ones.
He added the bow himself! I am not to blame..... okay, maybe just a little as I lead by example on this one.
I am definitely to blame for this!! Hee hee. I bought his a bunch of musical instruments, including a tambourine and cymbals! You should have seen his face the first time I smashed them together!! I think his daddy will enjoy them too. I just better not get them back on my birthday....
He added the bow himself! I am not to blame..... okay, maybe just a little as I lead by example on this one. I am definitely to blame for this!! Hee hee. I bought his a bunch of musical instruments, including a tambourine and cymbals! You should have seen his face the first time I smashed them together!! I think his daddy will enjoy them too. I just better not get them back on my birthday....
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
