The Sandwich Life

Cub Scouts, Scans and Thanksgiving

It was Owen's first night of Cub Scouts last night.  He was VERY excited.  He got all ready but then decided the hole in his jeans was too big for a Cub Scout so he changed his pants.  He looked very handsome.  I know I'm biased but really.....he makes a pretty gorgeous little Cub Scout.....  His collar was all messed up so Ernie explained to him the theory that it's a good thing to have a messed up collar when you're going to a party because girls like to fix guys' collars.  So Owen messed his collar up even more just so I could fix it.  That boy's got a FUTURE....

My sister Judi is not feeling well.  She saw her oncologist today and will be going back for a CT scan and a PET scan next week.  I wish I were closer.  I think if she's up for it we'll try to go down to South Carolina for Thanksgiving.  It means leaving my mother alone here but she agrees it's most important for us to go there.  I'll try to figure out someone to bring my mom a meal.  I know last year someone said to me that 'oh there are tons of programs that provide Thanksgiving for people' but most of the ones I found either provide the groceries or expect someone to go to a location---neither which are options for my mom.  Anyway---I'll figure that out.  What's important is that the boys really want to see Judi.....Leo's been complaining about how long it's been since we went there. I forget---as I was down there a lot this last year that Ernie and the boys haven't seen her too much.  So that will be good for all of us....especially my boys.

If you say prayers or anything like that say them now....that the results of her scans are good next week.  And say a prayer for her to get through this next week and the exhaustion she if battling.  Judi is a very special part of our family.

Here's my Cub Scout:

Pictures of Leo are getting to be few and far between.  Here he is avoiding the camera while making Friendship bread (yes, and I know he needs a haircut as always) and then another of both of them playing with Lego as they get ready for school (pretend you don't see our living room filled with Legos and light sabers)

 

Happier Random Notes from the Sandwich Life

1.  O.K...I found a video of a cover of the Kinks' Better Things which sounds pretty great.

2.  Owen asked to go to church this morning.  In fact, despite the sadness of not being picked for the Nutcracker (what are those people thinking?) he woke up happily this morning and the first word out of his mouth was 'church.'  He even got ready to go cheerfully which is a miracle.  As we sped off to St. Patrick's we both sang along to the Long Ryders' Looking for Lewis and Clark and things seemed much brighter.

3.  After church Owen presented Father Joe with a drawing he'd done for him.  As Owen explained to me, it was a picture of Father Joe 'priesting' behind the alter, complete with the cross above him, candles, altar boys, etc.  He also gave him a package of Sweetarts.  Father Joe seemed suitably honored.

4.  Owen also began quizzing me on God, Christ, death and the church as I was hurriedly trying to get ready to leave this morning.  All I could think was Good Lord Owen, I don't have wikipedia at my fingertips.  Geesh.  Owen also told me he wants to go to church more often and asked why he couldn't do the chip thing (communion).  I told him we'd talk about it later.  I love that boy.

5.  I did my mother's grocery shopping which was not a whole lot---blueberries, cereal, some frozen dinners, orange juice and some wine.  They checker asked me for my little Schnuck's gascard thingy to scan and then said, "oh and they've changed it now so that alcohol counts."  HA.

6.  Ernie and I both feel a little hungover today---not hungover from alcohol....just hungover from a bad day yesterday.  Luckily it's absolutely gorgeous out and we've given in and are being lazy.  Tomorrow will be a busy day----lots to do at work and Owen's first night of Cub Scouts.

7.  Thanks for all the kind words the last couple of days----I LOVE you guys.  Here's to the rest of Sunday being good for everyone....

Androids, Stormtroopers and Mom

We just got back from a successful Labor Day celebration at my mother's house.  The parade goes down the street about a half block from my Mom's hosue so we go over there and watch it and then have a picnic kind of lunch.  Owen fell asleep on the way home and as soon as he got in the house laid on the couch and said his stomach hurt.  Probably all the candy he scrounged from the parade but I forgot about that so when he said, "come here quick Mommy" I scampered in thinking he was going to get sick.  He just rolled over to face me and said, "when they say 'from the deepest part of your heart' do they mean they start at the top?

***********************************

The other day Owen was showing me something exciting on the Lego Star Wars game and I commented, "gee there's an awful lot of shooting" and he just stared at me and then said politely, "have you SEEN Star Wars?" Uh...o.k....I get your point.  Today I was quizzing Leo on the gender of various androids and stormtroopers and finally I couldn't help myself and asked why there was so much fighting.  He gave me a dumbfounded  looks and said, "Mom.....it's called Star WARS....."

**********************************

Sometimes I forget I'm living in a house full of men.  Things may change however.  This afternoon Ernie and I talked to my mother about selling her house and using some of the money to put a small addition on our house so she could live with us. We've got this goofy bathroom that was added on to the back of our dining room.  It don't think it was exactly done by a licensed contractor as the light switch for the light above the sink is in the basement.....  Anyway, it seems to me if we enlarge that a bit to the back and then extend it to the other side of the house it wouldn't be huge but it would be big enough for a little bedroom and we could redo the bathroom to make it more accessible for her.

I have to admit it's taken us awhile to get to this point.  It will be a big adjustment for all of us and I've put it off for awhile because of my concerns about Ernie's health.  But I don't know how long she can live alone but she's not ready for a nursing home yet and since the Prairie Winds debacle assisted living isn't an option either.  So Ernie and I have talked about it for awhile---we're trying to look at the whole picture. We told her we'd still want her to have her homecare person come in and help her with bathing and showering, etc.  That we'd do dinners for everyone so many nights a week but once or twice a week Ernie and I would eat late on our own or go out to dinner.  We would need her to contribute to groceries and things like that but it would ease her monthly costs a lot which she worries about.  We're trying to think it all out.

My parents had my grandfather live with them for several years and I think it was very difficult for her. She cried a little when we talked about it---saying she didn't want to infringe on our lives.  She said she knew we liked to entertain and she wouldn't want us to stop.  I told her we wouldn't stop and she could either hang out with the party or curl up in her room---that we'd muddle through all these issues.

I gotta say the thought of clearing out her house and figuring what to bring etc. would be a huge job.  And just as I thought about that her cats walked through the room.  Uh-ohhhhhhh.  The one thing Ernie really is against but they'd have to come.  We laughed a lot as we talked about it and she even promised to get hearing aids if she comes to live with us.

I told Owen what we were talking about----having Grandma come live with us and he thoughtfully said that if we turned our bed sideways in our bedroom that we could fit her bed in there too.  Uh...thanks Owen.

********************************

I missed my father at the Labor Day parade.  My dad was all for labor.....and at the parade he would stand everytime the American flag passed.  When I mentioned yesterday that I would miss grandpa at the parade Owen thought about it and then said, "well, maybe we could bring his picture with us."  My sweet pea....

Happy Labor Day all!  Here are a few scenes from a wonderful small town Labor Day parade....the ironworkers are always our favorite part----although my Mom is a softie for the high school bands....

 

O.K....not a great picture but still a rare picture of all three of us....

Cynthileo

Cynthileo or Leothia?

Hmmmm.  Well, whichever way you spell it, my eldest son and I are an awful lot alike.  I was just telling my friend Beth last night (GREAT EVENING GUYS) that I have learned so much about myself---both good and bad---since having Leo.  Now I don’t always want to admit that we are alike because he is damned difficult and incredibly stubborn and you know…..uh….that means I guess I am too.  He also isn’t the most physically active guy by nature. Uh, me too.  He’s pretty content to stay in the house and play.  He’s also the one that at this point seems most interested in gardening.

Anyway, woke up a bit tired this morning and well, let’s face it…a tiny bit hung over (Matt and Beth are DANGEROUS friends) with a three day weekend lying ahead of me felt like I could be lazy.  I sat and read all the political sites and blogs (Palin geez….) and happily drank coffeemilk.  Ernie agreed that he felt like being lazy so we blew off the farmer’s market.  By mid-morning I was still happily ensconced with my laptop but my husband started getting antsy so he cleaned up the kitchen.  I continued to read.  Then he offered to go pick up my mother’s prescriptions and maybe stop by the farmer’s market.  “Sure,” I said as I continued to tap away on the computer.  In the meantime I forced Leo off the playstation, tried to convince them to go outside to no avail.  He Lego’d for awhile and then went up to the computer upstairs to do something.  I sat here thinking about he really should be outside and then I realized that he’s just doing exactly what I’m doing.  Doing exactly what he feels like doing…playing on the oomputer, feeling the warm breeze waft in and out of the windows.  He really is my baby.

Owen on the other hand is completely unlike me in many ways.  I really wish I were more like him sometimes.  The other day as they were walking home he told Ernie he had to talk to our friend (and crossing guard) Becca.  So he went over and asked her if he could come over to her house and play with her Lego (it’s not actually HER Lego, I assume it was her kids but they’re older now).  Now at the age of six I could barely SPEAK to adults….much less come up with the idea that I wanted to go to their house and then confidently invite myself over.  I would have died before asking even if I had desperately wanted to go.  Amazing.  Utterly amazing.  Becca, kind soul that she is, said, “Oh, um sure Owen” and worked out a plan. Leo is going with him and they are WAY excited.  All morning it’s been, ‘How much longer? How many minutes?”

I love my sweet peas and I admire them.

Random, Random, Random

1.  I'm pleased at how many people totally understood my worry about ice cubes and the like.  My husband's response was a tad more prosaic.  He said, "no wonder I always had to empty the ice cube trays.  Couldn't you have just emptied the whole thing and refilled it?"  humph.

2.  I was playing Dale Watson last night and thinking about what a great show that was.  I think if the Vertebrats play here next year they should play at the Rosebowl.

3.  My sister called Owen the other day to ask how his first day of school was and he responded with "don't you mean how was my first day of FIRST GRADE?"  How an aunt could be so clueless not to realize this important distinction I just don't know.

4.  Leo walked to school by himself this morning.  sniff, sniff.  So much for his demand that Ernie walk him to school until he was in fifth grade.  Owen was doing his normal roller-coaster-mood/procastination thing and Leo just sighed deeply and said, "THIS is why I will have to walk by myself."  Leo gets VERY upset at the thought of being late.  So off he trotted...

5.  I bought new jeans and such for the guys the other day.  It's the first time I've had to give in and buy the exact same size for both of them.  I noticed today that the SIZE EIGHT jeans are a bit snug on Owen and a bit short on Leo.  For God's sake I can't buy my six year old size TENS.  I need to stop feeding them.

6.  I'm moving into denial mode about getting everything ready for our party that's in a month.  You gotta go with your strengths in life though and God knows denial is one of mine....

7.  Dinner last night:  Linguini with fresh tomato sauce (thank you Matt)  just simmered a few minutes with slivered cottage bacon from Triple S farms and parmigiano reggiano.  Oh my.  And cottage bacon....I'm a sucker for just the NAME....

8.  After having to postpone dinner with my mother two nights in a row we'll give it a try tonight.  Pancake night because we haven't done it in ages and the guys get so excited.

9.  Like many people, I cried through most of Ted Kennedy's speech last night. It's somehow tied into my grief about my father I think.  They are men of the same generation---my father loved Bobby Kennedy.  Good men.  Imperfect men but truly good men with loving, passionate hearts.  Of course my father suffered through brain tumors years ago although not malignant....and then again I'm not too fond of the whole cancer thing.  So it all coalesces until I'm just a big weepy ball when I watch him.

10.  Lots of hummingbirds among my flowers of late....they love my zinnias and my false turtlehead. Oh, and my pink morning glories are finally blooming as you can see below.  Not the best morning glory year for me----one of my worst  Heavenly Blue years in awhile but even few and far between I love them.

11.  Oh....and I forgot to say it was just a lousy garter snake that bit Ernie the other day as he tried to relocate him.  You know me and snakes already though...and then to see blood dripping from his hand....yeuch....  Sasha thought it sounded biblical and wondered if we'd seen any hordes of locusts or had frogs rain down on us and what do you know?  When I got home there WERE a bunch of cicada shells stuck on our adirondak chairs.....

Snakes, Comcast and Children in Disgrace...

1. Friday afternoon a snake in the yard bit Ernie.

2. Later that evening my two beloved children misbehaved so badly at someone else’s house that I could barely speak or function I was so aghast. I am making them write apology letters to our hosts and they have been stripped of playstation/tv/computer privileges for the entire weekend....and they were sent to bed as soon as we got home.  Ohhhh....this will take me a LONG to forgive. I’ve never been so embarrassed by my children in my life and I know everyone understood and just felt bad for Ernie and me but suffice to say it was NOT a pleasant car ride home. 

3. My Saturday morning was kind of shot because I was still filled with fury but I dragged the whole family to Farm and Fleet and Menard’s.  Owen then proceeded to have a jumping up and down tantrum in the parking lot at Menard’s because I wouldn’t buy another bottle of water for him because I had just bought a drink for him at Farm and Fleet that he didn’t drink. WTF?

4. Once we got home it was hot so Ernie and I got in the pool and sat while the boys went inside and played with Lego.  We pondered our poor parenting skills and splashed a little.  My productive goals for the day faded away.  We were tired….we hadn’t slept well and fury can wear you out.Ernie cooked ribs and we used the last of our Ragin’ Raven Zinfandel BBQ sauce.  He has checked at Schnuck’s and another store or two in town and hasn’t found it.  I've looked online but nothing yet.... The search begins….

5. So now it’s Sunday and Monday morning and a very busy week ahead loom way too large.  I need to go buy more shoes for the guys as the last purchases were not terribly successful.  It’s because I brought them with me and measured their feet….it’s much better when I just pick up a shoe, squint at it and throw it in the shopping cart at Target.

6. So Comcast cares but evidently not enough...yet.  A couple of posts ago as I whined about my Comcast service and a kind Comcast customer service person contacted me.  He had Comcast people out the next day and they worked here for quite awhile.  They my personal Mac guru came over and updated/tweaked  my computer and I had great hopes.  Alas, this weekend it has been on and off service again.  I've barely been able to be on today although right now it seems fine.  Another phone call I guess and then I give up....

7. Here is a band that Owen built out of Lego.  I particularly like the drum kit.  He was QUITE proud of it. The drummer used to have drumsticks....not sure what happened to the.  Perhaps he flung them out into the crowd....

8. Beautiful homegrown tomatoes from my Mac guru....it's so good to have the right friends....

9. Owen came outside wearing this t-shirt and I just shook my head and thought, "did my husband REALLY wear that t-shirt when I first met him?"  Guess we were BOTH smaller!!!  I asked Owen if he knew who was on that shirt and first he said, "Adam Schmitt?" and when we said no then he guessed John McCain.  When we stared at him blankly he got flustered and said, "oh no, that's not what I meant."  Then we told him it was Kenny and he lit up and said, "the guy that sang while I was on the stairs?"  Yes we said and he smiled and gave us a thumbs up.

True to Form

I went over to see my mother after work for awhile yesterday.  I didn't stay super long as I really wanted to get home and see how the first day of school went.  BUT....while I was there I happened to see a framed picture of the boys sitting on a table....and I shrieked because it was the exact same pose as the pictures I had taken that morning.....

First Day of School 2008

Random Notes from the Sandwich Life

1.  Overall a pretty nice weekend.  Didn't make it to the farmer's market but given that I still had some things left from last week it's just as well.  Instead I got together with a good friend for coffee and then watched all my boys paint.  I let the boys convince me to buy them their first Lego Star Wars sets on Sunday.  God knows I am a sucker for those guys.....they showed me what they wanted on the computer and Leo earnestly explained to me that although on the computer they were only $10.99 each it would still be cheaper to go to Meijer where they had seen them for $11.99 each because then we wouldn't have to pay for shipping.  So I looked at those big brown eyes gazing at me so hopefully and said o.k.  We trotted off to Meijer's and the boys were beside themselves with excitement.  All the way through the store and the check out they clutched their little boxes and kept thanking me over and over.  Leo told me that I was the best mother in the history of the world and kissed me.

2.  After the three guys of the house finished the last coat of orange paint we went over and picked my mother up so we could drive out to the cemetery and see my father's headstone.  It was a beautiful day and the stone is beautiful as well.  The boys put zinnias from our garden in the little vases and then Owen asked if he could take two zinnias out and put them in front of Grandma Alice's grave.  I said of course.  Leo even let me take a picture. Look at the size of that head!  Guess I need to get him a haircut.

3.  Here is my dining room. Woo-hoooooo!

4.  I sat and talked with my mother yesterday when we got back to her house.  We were talking about my father---she mentioned the time he was stopped in the middle of the night while driving down the wrong side of the highway.  She asked when that was and I told her that was in 2004.  Then as she traced some other things---her skin cancer surgery and recovery in a nursing home, Dad's prostate surgery and his carotid artery surgery, etc. I said," yeah, that was in 2004."  "Really, those were all in 2004?"  Yep....and the two huge trees in your yard came down in a storm on the same day as Ernie's prostatectomy.  "oh, when was that?" she asked.  "2004" I replied.  "oh, and Ernie's mother Alice died that year too."  She looked at me in disbelief and I said, "yeah, that's the year I started taking antidepressents."  We both laughed because that's all you can do.

I mentioned that Dad had not done well while she was in the nursing home that year but that when she was back he was more himself.   "He loved you so much....he really needed you" I told her.  She nodded and said, "I knew I had to outlive him so I did....and then her eyes filled and she said, "I guess he didn't know how much I needed him."

5.  School starts for the boys this week.  Do I have their school supplies?  Nope.  Have I bought clothes for them?  Nope.  Have I got new shoes for them?  Nope.  Leo says he doesn't want new shoes.  I told him he could not wear shoes to school that had his toes sticking out of them.  He said, "well, they only stick out a little."  

Random Notes from the Sandwich Life

1.  So far two possums and a raccoon have been caught at my mother's house.

2.  The tree people aren't returning our phone call about the tree in our front yard but that's probably just as well as I don't want to know what it will cost.

3.  Ernie registered the boys for school yesterday.  Cross your fingers that Owen's year starts off well.  He had a long cry about going back to school the other day but we talked a lot of it out.  I wish Leo could have the same teacher again....he's going to miss him.

4.  Owen's new hobby is climbing up door frames. To get through you have to give the password which is generally "Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga."

5. The other night our neighbor Dave gave us a BLT made with lettuce and tomato from his garden.  It was the classic BLT----toasted white bread, mayo and the B, the L and the T.  It was SO good that Ernie and I almost swooned.  So last night we went over to my Mom's and made BLT's for dinner.  My mother hadn't had bacon (I don't count turkey bacon) in almost a decade!  They were good but not as good as Dave's. hmmmmm.

6. My roasted beets.  I tend to just throw them in a roasting pan, put a splash of water in, cover them with foil and roast at 400 degrees about 45-60 minutes.  The skins then slip off pretty easily.  These golden beets were amazingly good.  Some of the red ones were a little too big....they're not as sweet at that point....but I still love them.

7.  I'm feeling particularly random of late....it's as though I'm existing in this state of suspended animation.  What am I waiting for?  Sometimes by the end of summer I look forward to school starting and the return of routine but not this year. I think Ernie's in the same state.  I guess I partly feel like the last year has been one drama after another and things have calmed down a bit and we almost don't know how to deal with it. huh.  I think it would be a good weekend to paint the dining room orange....Ernie doesn't necessarily agree....