Rainy Days

The last 2 days have been dismal and rainy and Jacob misses getting to play outside. Yesterday we decided to try finger painting. Knowing that he would probably want to taste the "paint" I made vanilla pudding and added blue food coloring. Somehow, Jacob managed to stay clean, while I, the slob that I am, got blue food coloring on my good polo shirt! The rolling pins were meant to hold down the paper, but Jacob decided to put them to better use. He's so creative!!

He is finally calling me Nana instead of "Diyah". Don't know where that came from. And every day he seems to have a new word or phrase. Today he's been saying, "I hold you." when he wants me to hold him. Sooooo precious.

Coach Blevins

Jeff finished out his first year of coaching Park Hill High School Freshmen with a 14-1 record. He was really blessed with a talented team and I'm sure their success can also be attributed to his knowledge of the game and ability to motivate. Only 2 runs kept them from having a perfect record. Great start to a promising career!

Sandbox

Just a few pics of Jacob at serious play in his new sandbox. Notice the fancy sandbox toys that Nana splurged on. Nothing's too good for the grandson! The challenge is keeping the sand IN the sandbox.

Apprentice

As some of my close friends and family are aware, The Apprentice is just about my favorite TV program. While on a trip to New York City, one of the highlights for me was seeing Donald Trump on the street and going to Trump Tower. Last night's episode was pre-empted by our local weather...we had to rounds of thunderstorms/tornadoes throughout the evening. I felt a little guilty for my frustration at not being able to watch my show, when lives were in danger. Then I got a phone call from my sister that further added to my frustration. It seems that the task of the teams on this particular day was to create brochures of Ellis Island and see who could sell the most. Egads! The day we toured Ellis Island in September we were approached to buy brochures and were being filmed during the process. I actually bought 2 brochures, one for myself and one for my mother-in-law. We both had to sign releases to allow our faces to be shown on this video. We were a part of The Apprentice!!!!!!!!! To my dismay, the team we bought from lost the task...I shouldn't have been so cheap and talked her into a lower price! I'm sure they lost because of ME! Fortunately, the episode will be rebroadcast tomorrow evening and I'll be sure to tape it and watch for mine and my families beautiful faces on Ellis Island.

Sesame Street

I am a brave grandmother! Today Jacob and I went to the Mabee Center to see all his favorite characters in Sesame Street Live. Thankfully, we brought Grandma Blevins along to help us out. Jacob was enthralled by the bright lights and music when we entered the theater. All the way to our seat he kept repeating, "Whoa! Whoa!" We had great seats on the floor next to the stage and Jacob took turns sitting in his own seat ($22) and sitting on the laps of Grandma and Nana. Before the show began, he was captivated by all the kids surrounding him. This particular showing (10:30 a.m.) was the most popular for schools and daycares. I was pleasantly surprised that the show held his interest for the entire time. Of course, towards the end, I'm sure those around us were getting a little annoyed that he kept batting around his balloon that Grandma Blevins bought for him during intermission. :) As we were climbing the stairs after the show, I allowed him to hold my hand and walk up the stairs by himself, not realizing that he would want to pick up every piece of popcorn that had spilled in the aisle! And there was PLENTY of that.

Sleepless in Tulsa

When was the last time I had a good night's sleep? Who knows, since I also suffer from memory loss. But seriously, I can't remember what it's like to sleep all night, to be awakened by the alarm, or to enjoy dreamless, deep sleep and wake up refreshed. I finally resorted to a prescription about a month ago--Lunesta. You know the ads--butterfly gently coming to rest on the peaceful sleeping woman. Lies, I tell you, all lies! I have to admit I slept "better" with the Lunesta, just not "good." But the adverse side affects were too much to bear, so the doc prescribed Sonata. First night with this "wonder drug" and I had a worse night of tossing & turning than without the medication. Time to take matters in my own hands. I have resolved to become caffeine-free. Didn't really think I ingested a great amount of caffeine anyway--2 cups of coffee in the morning, the occasional soda, iced tea and of course a treat of chocolate now and then. But I'm at the end of my rope, so to speak, and am willing to try anything. Knowing first hand about the "caffeine headache" I started yesterday by making my coffee with 1/2 regular and 1/2 decaf. Then no more caffeine the rest of the day. Yeah, I had a headache. And no, I didn't sleep well last night, but maybe slightly better than usual. Decided to go the same route today with the 1/2 and 1/2. Guess what? No headache today. Amazing. Maybe I'll cut back even more tomorrow. If anyone has any tried and true home remedies for insomnia, I welcome the feedback. Here's to a good night's sleep!

The Sweet Life

What could be sweeter than eating Nana's bran blueberry muffins while watching Finding Nemo on my own personal dvd player? I couldn't possibly be spoiled, could I? Simply by coincidence, the t-shirt I brought to wear today says, "It's All About Me!" - Jacob

Jacob decided to take it upon himself to climb up into his high chair, retrieve his favorite collapsable tin cup and, appropriately for this little monkey, a delicious banana.

Handy Man

The "valuable" Walmart toy bench finally bit the dust yesterday. Since there were a couple of good pieces of wood salvagable, I began to take it apart. Jacob was sure I needed his help. I tried to coax him into using his plastic toy screw driver, but he looked at me like I was nuts. When he lost interest in the bench, he wandered off to see what else in the house needed his expertise. I called to him and said, "Jacob, bring me my screwdriver." He walked back in the living room, retrieved the plastic tool, and proudly offered it to me.

Spring Snow

We woke up this morning to about 3" of snow...and still counting. Can't believe that three weeks ago it was 93 degrees. Guess I'll drag out the sweaters and winter coat again.

Getting Reacquainted

Neal is home for the weekend. He and Jacob had some time to catch up yesterday. Here they are in the back yard enjoying the great weather we've been having.

Life of Ease

The new automatic sprinkler system is now installed and functioning beautifully. No more hoses drug across the yard. No more faulty, cheap, plastic sprinklers. No more random spots in the yard completely missing out on moisture. I never thought I could be so excited about plumbing! Now, if I could just program a robot lawn mower to pop up out of the ground periodically and cut any grass that had reached the 3" limit! Don't laugh, some day that will be invented and I'll kick myself for not patenting the idea.

Best Friend

There's a story behind this owl. We have had problems with birds building their nest in our chimney ever since we moved to this house. The bird screen is supposedly the strongest that's made...but they manage to break through. For Christmas, my in-laws gave me the owl to post watch over the chimney, but I haven't been able to solicit the help of anyone to climb up there and secure it. Jacob has taken a shine to the ominous bird and takes it for rides on his motor bike. "Owl" is one of the few words he tries to say. He puts several vowels together and it's close enough.

The Park

Jacob and I went to the park today. It was cooler today--yesterday we smashed all the records with a 93 degree high--so I didn't plan to stay long and didn't take my camera. Huge mistake! Jacob squealed with delight when he saw the dragon (dinosaur?) slide and the swings. He was able to climb the steps and slide down all by himself and applauded himself each time. I think he laughed the entire time he was in the swing, and to top off the day, there were several dogs in the park and he had to pet each and every one. Next time I will NOT forget the camera.

Birthday

So far, this has been a very good day. My day started with a phone call from Jeff followed immediately by a call from Gaylyn. Later I received phone calls from JoAnn and Mom & Dad. I was treated to lunch by Jeremy, Trista, Bruce, Heather and Bryan and will be going to dinner with Janet, Susan and Cindy. Fed-X was just leaving my house as I returned from lunch. They had delivered a beautiful bouquet of tulips. As I entered the house, the phone was ringing. Neal was calling to wish me a happy birthday. I told him I had received flowers (thinking they were from him) and he quizzed me about who had sent them. I finally found the message with the flowers from Linda and Marcia! Who knew 50 could be so fun?

Terrible Two's?

Jacob is not quite 20 months old but I think the terrible two's are beginning. I have a different perspective of this stage since my own sons were there. I used to believe it was "terrible" for the parents, and anyone else having to tolerate this toddler transition. But with Jacob, I sympathize with his frustration. He is at that awkward age when he wants more independence and to do things for himself, but is physically unable to master many difficult tasks. Take eating for example. He desperately wants to feed himself with fork or spoon. This morning, as I was scrambling eggs and toasting bread, he was filled with anticipation and hunger and couldn't wait to get in his chair and chow down. Only a few minutes into breakfast, the mood changed as the eggs simply refused to stay on the utensil long enough to make it into his mouth. Frustration set in and thrashing began. Eggs were everywhere except in the bowl or the mouth. I could feel his pain. Eventually, he reluctantly allowed me to assist him with the eggs, then was able to feed himself the toast.
Maybe I can relate better as a grandmother than I could as a young adult. I, too, want to do things that my body physically can't handle anymore and it is FRUSTRATING! I have also wanted to just swing my arms wildly and throw things in all directions. So when Jacob does just that...I understand.

Cruise--Day 7, 8

Our last fun day at sea. After breakfast we found a spot on the deck for a day of relaxation and sun bathing. Janet and I attended an informational "debarking" meeting at 11:00. There we learned that the Cuban refugees were awarded political asylum in Mexico, thanks to negotiations with the U.S. So the refugees had gone ashore in Cozumel.

After a day in the sun, we dressed for dinner and sat at our table for the last time. Then we went to the Toulouse Lounge and played Bingo--I just needed ONE more number! The main show consisted of the winners of the Karaoke throughout the week and was very entertaining.

The overnight ride to Galveston was quite choppy and I woke during the night with my first case of seasickness which subsided in an hour or so. We docked early, about 4:00 a.m. and by 6:00 announcements were being made for disembarkment. We got up around 7:30 and went to our last breakfast buffet, then prepared to leave. It was VERY COLD and windy in Galveston which was a shock to our sunkissed bodies. We breezed through customs fairly quickly. Christy was there to pick up Neal, and Janet, Joe and I headed for the shuttle bus. Despite the wintry conditions, our flight was on time and we arrived in Tulsa a couple of minutes early. Tulsa had snow and ice--welcome back!

A great time was had by all and Janet, Joe and I are already talking about our next cruise. Neal however says he had fun, but he'd rather go skiing!!!

Sunday

Just a little diversion from the Cruise. Yesterday was such a spiritually encouraging day. One of our men who has been sporadic in attendance and absent in involvement for the past several years led the first three songs of our service. In our "Forever Family" curriculum, we have been studying about and filling out questionnaires on gift assessment. David stated yesterday that he used to lead singing and with the recent studies decided he wasn't using his gift. He was very nervous to be leading on a Sunday morning, and wanted to begin with just the 3 songs, then let our regular leader take over. He did an amazing job. Our guest speaker for the morning was a man who attended Sand Springs for 7 years, as a pew warmer on the back row. A couple of years ago he and his family moved away, and now he has decided to attend East Tennessee School of Preaching. In the pulpit, he admitted his embarassment for the 7 years he was a "deadbeat" (his word) at Sand Springs and his commitment to his goal of spreading the gospel. He was such an exciting speaker and will make a dynamic gospel preacher.

Cruise--Day 6

After the ship arrived in Cozumel around 6:30 this morning, Neal and I had room service bring us some breakfast before going to the gym for a quick workout. The four of us tendered to shore around 9:00. We walked to the Forum for some shopping, stopping along the way for some photos and to splash around in the water. Janet & Joe bought a diamond to have mounted on Janet's grandmother's wedding band and Neal & I bought a diamond ring to replace the one I had stolen almost 20 years ago. Great souvenirs, don't ya think? The diamonds were set and mounted within a couple of hours. Meanwhile, we did EVEN MORE shopping. We went back to the ship around 3:00 and basked in the sun for about an hour before dinner. In the evening we went to the Toulouse Lounge to watch passengers play "Scene It".

Cruise--Day 5

During the night (or early this morning) our ship made an unscheduled stop to rescue 22 Cuban Refugees (15 adults, 7 children) who had been at sea 8 days in a small fishing boat. Two other ships had refused to stop, but our captain had compassion and took them onboard. They were given food, clean clothes, showers and beds. The captain and crew will take care of them until they can turn them over to the proper authorities.
We arrived at George Town, Grand Cayman around 7:00 a.m. We ate breakfast before tendering to shore around 9:00. Our ship is too big to dock at the pier, but it was a short boat ride to shore. There was time to do a little shopping before our scheduled excursion at 10:15. A bus took us to a dock where we were taken by boat to a sandbar in the Caribbean about 30 minutes out. There we swam with and fed stingrays. They would swim up against us and slurp the squid right out of our hands. It was an awesome experience.
After returning to the town we continued to shop until reboarding the ship.
Tonight was our second formal night, so we dressed early enough for pictures before dinner. After dinner we visited some shops and walked around the ship, ending up at the pizzeria for a late night snack before bed.

Cruise--Day 4

The ship arrived at Montego Bay, Jamaica around 6:30 a.m. About 8:30 we ate breakfast before disembarking. We took a taxi to Doctor's Cave Beach and spent the day playing in the water and on the beach. There was a water trampoline there and Neal couldn't resist. (I think he messed up his ankle on one of his dismounts.) Our taxi driver took us on a little tour of Montego Bay on the way back to the pier. Then we shopped a little in the duty-free shops at the pier. It was a beautiful sunny, warm day and we welcomed the heat. At 4:00 we boarded the ship and dressed for dinner. After dinner we browsed the photo shop and posed for more pics. By 9:00 we were worn out and decided to rest up for the day in Grand Cayman tomorrow.

Cruise--Day 3

We ordered room service for a little nourishment before our workout--bagels, yogurt, fruit and coffee. After the workout we headed to breakfast on the Lido Deck then relaxed in our cabin for awhile. Janet's hormones were out of whack so the rest of us steered clear. At 1:30 I had a "hot stone massage", a Valentine's gift from Neal. It was an hour and a half of pure ecstasy. Then we spent about an hour by the pool and got a little sun despite the cool wind. After dinner we found a spot in the Karaoke Lounge to watch the auditions for Saturday night's show. Janet was feeling much better by now. At 10:00 the "Lounge Crawl" began and our team, the Blue Team, started in the Karaoke Lounge. Next stop was the disco lounge, followed by the casino with great music at all locations. All three teams came together on the Lido Deck for music and dancing. We had loads of fun and this was the latest night so far. We even stayed awake long enough to enjoy the midnight buffet and filled up on Mexican food, which later proved to not be such a great idea!

Cruise--Day 2

On Monday we started with a HUGE breakfast then waited an hour before heading to the Spa for a workout. Yes, we even coaxed Joe into doing some cardio. After our workout, Neal, Janet and I got our swimsuits on and headed to the deck. Joe had to recuperate by taking a nap in his cabin. We ate hamburgers for lunch while watching the "hairy chest contest" by the pool.

This was our first of two very formal nights for dinner, beginning with the Captain's Welcome Cocktail Party at 5:00, then dinner at 5:45. I say "very" formal, 'cause the men had to wear suits and ties. We had to "dress" every evening for dinner. Each night we had several selections to choose from for appetizer, salad, entree and dessert. Of course, if we couldn't decide between two items, we'd just order both! Tonight lobster was on the menu and Neal had two helpings.

After dinner we did a little shopping and Janet and I both bought long-sleeved shirts, since we'd been cold since the trip began. Don't we look adorable?

Later in the evening, we went to the Main Show (a Vegas-type song & dance) then decided to check out the Karaoke Bar. It was packed, so we went to another Lounge to listen to a band and laugh at the "old" people dancing.

Cruise--Day 1

The stress began when Janet's dad decided we needed to be at the airport earlier than we had planned. I expected them to arrive at my house at 8:15 a.m. but instead the doorbell rang at 8:00. The rushing and waiting cycle had begun. I rushed to throw in my last minute articles and we headed to the airport. Once we arrived, we were informed that our flight had been delayed about 1/2 hour. Not a problem if we weren't on such a tight schedule. This only left us about 15 minutes to make our connection in Dallas and little to no chance of our luggage making the transfer. Our only option, we were told, was to be placed as a backup on the next flight out of Dallas in case we missed our original flight. The problems with this plan was that our one and a half hour shuttle from Houston to Galveston would get us to the pier around 4:30 and our ship was sailing at 4:00! Luckily, I have made enough trips to Houston to know that we could probably get a flight into Hobby Airport (much closer to Galveston than Bush) and if need be, Neal could pick us up there. We were able to book a flight from Dallas to Houston Hobby and arrived in Houston around 2:30. Fortunately, we had booked all our travel through the cruise line and they called us a taxi to take us on to Galveston. We arrived at the ship about 3:30 and were the last to board. On the bright side we had no lines or waiting to board the ship and since Neal had been on board since noon, he was pretty much at home and knew where all the food was!

Shortly after finding our staterooms we were summoned to a lifeboat drill. After the drill, Joe was starving so we got sandwiches and pizza about 4:30.



Our dinner seating was at 5:45 each evening in the Monet Dining Room. First night was casual and we met our head waitress and her assistant, Victoria and Lyudmyla, who would serve us the entire week.


After dinner we browsed through some of the shops then spent the rest of the evening relaxing from our stressful day of travel.

Caribbean Cruise

Returned today to snow and ice after a week in the Caribbean. Back to the real world! This was our first cruise and for those of you who have nothing better to do, you can read about our daily adventures in the next several postings. Our ship, the Carnival Conquest, is the biggest ship to sail out of the Port of Galveston. It is like a floating city, and we were treated like royalty. We couldn't leave our cabin for five minutes without it being cleaned and fresh towels put in place. Our bed was turned down each evening and our Cabin Boy, Melvin, was at our beck and call 24/7. A week is just not long enough!