Girls' Weekend

I spent last weekend with my sisters and Mom. This was the first time we'd planned a weekend for the girls. Our families are growing and the distance between us seems ever-widening. We had a great time shopping, eating, hot-tubbing and laughing. I think we all agreed this should be an annual event. But next year, I think we should choose a neutral destination so that my little sister doesn't have to play hostess (although she's a natural). It doesn't seem fair that she should have to cook for us and launder the linens when we leave.

After returning home late Monday night, 7:00 came way too early Tuesday morning. I actually debated whether to get up and go to BSF or stay snuggled in my warm bed for another hour or so. Fortunately, I made the right decision and was renewed and refreshed at Bible study. When I checked my messages after BSF, I found that Jeremy had been frantically trying to track me down. He and the kids were sick at home and needed Nana's helping hand. So the rest of the day was spent at their house. Jeremy immediately retreated to his bedroom and a couple of hours later Lauren was willing to nap as well. Jacob decided to take his nap in his "beshroom" but wanted me to lie next to him. Noooo problemmmmm!! Soon we were all four dead to the world. No calls today, so I hope that means everyone is on the mend.

Conversations with Jacob

I picked Jacob up from preschool yesterday. When he got in the car he said, "I tired. I go to you house and watch Funbob Fwarepants and eat cantaloupe." Guess we'd better stop at Homeland and buy some cantaloupe.

Yesterday, I spent all morning cleaning house. When Jacob went into "Jeff's room" to play with his "Enigh, Enigh Joes" he said, "You cleaned the carpet! Thank you, Nana!"

JoAnn stopped by after work to visit with me and the kids. When Jeremy & Trista came, Jacob didn't want to go home. He pointed to JoAnn and said, "I go home with that!" Not too long ago, he had spent an afternoon with JoAnn and apparently they made cookies. Of course, who can resist those big blue eyes. JoAnn took him home to make cookies, after working an 8-hour day. It's funny that he referred to her as "that" since he informed me the other day that "Gwacie is a girl and George is a boy." And that "Gwacie is my best fwend," even though it's George that pays him the most attention and vice versa.

We're trying to cut back on the dairy products due to his "bowel problems" and give him more fiber. As I was cutting up his apple he said, "I need some cheese." Continuing to cut and peel, I casually said, "I don't think I have any cheese." (little white lie) Before I've finished preparing the apple, he has the grated cheese out of the frig drawer and is in the process of opening the bag. "Okay, just a little cheese to go with the apple." I'm not completely unreasonable. Besides, I usually want a little cheese with my apple, too.

Lest you think I have him totally spoiled, I had to get on to him the other day. After pouting for a few minutes he informed me, "Nana, you hurt my feelings." Oh, he's already learning to use those big blue eyes!

1st Birthday Cake

Just had to post the classic 1st birthday cake-eating pictures taken at the party on Saturday.

Bittersweet Signs of Fall

Our new pool cover was installed on Thursday and the pool is now closed for the winter. *sigh* That leaves me with less "chores" and I can completely forget anything to do with the pool for the next 8 months, which is a huge relief. But I'm kinda sad, too. The last couple of weeks we've had beautiful weather, with days in the mid to high 80's. But the nights are getting chilly which has caused the water temperature to plummet and swimming all but impossible. And no, I will not pay the cost of heating a 32,000 gallon pool! I almost jumped in for one last swim on Wednesday, but couldn't get up enough nerve. The members of the Polar Bear Club have to be insane. I already miss the afternoon swims and Monday water aerobics with Janet. On the bright side, my new cover is awesome. Not only does it look nice, it is strong enough to walk across, so no worries about grandkids wandering into the pool, or uninvited wildlife moving in for the winter. And we can look forward to the Spring opening of the pool, without the dreaded weeks of leaf and debris removal. A bittersweet end to the Summer.

Lauren Rebecca Blevins

Today is Lauren's first birthday. What joy this little girl has brought to our lives. I love her smile and those little dimples. She's been walking for two months, and won't let anything or anyone slow her down. She definitely has a mind of her own and believes that she is the center of the universe. She loves her brother, Jacob, and assumes that whatever he is doing or playing with is well worth her attention. While Jacob is a clone of his dad, Lauren is soooo much like her mommy--from her expressions to her strong will. Of course, she has us all wrapped around her little finger...of which she is very aware! What a blessing she has been to us. Happy Birthday, Lauren!!!!

Fair Days

Time again for the Tulsa State Fair. It's been years since I've gone, but when Jeremy asked me today if I wanted to join his family for an afternoon at the Fair, it sounded like fun. First order of business was FOOD...the absolute, indisputable, BEST part of the Fair. Anything fried on a stick will do. Jacob, our picky eater, opted for the safe popcorn chicken, but I don't think he figured on sharing with Lauren, our "I'll eat anything you're eating" eater. Those stroller seats are just too close to keep the little fingers at bay. We looked all over for the mini-cini rolls, but no luck. No problem, we'll just go on to the fun stuff.

After feeding and petting the animals at the Petting Zoo, Jacob couldn't wait any longer to get on the rides. Mommy and Daddy steered him toward the kiddie rides, but he was determined to steer them to the more adventurous ones. He agreed to begin on the less-scary "Big Trucks" and Dragon roller coaster, but soon moved on to the high-flying planes, the BIG roller coaster (which even made Mommy scream) and the Sky Ride.

While Jacob was getting his thrills on the rides, Lauren took advantage of the opportunity to catch a little nap.

Jacob konked out on the way home.

Nana konked out as soon as she got home!

Accolade for the Butterfly

This is one tough butterfly. You may not recognize it, but it began as a beautiful, soft, pink crib toy. When Lauren was born, she received two of them as gifts. We apologize to the gifters, as one of them was snatched by Jeff's basset, Gracie. Trista, being kind-hearted, not to mention sanitary and protective, insisted that Gracie keep it. That was almost a year ago. Recently, my parents and I were sitting on the front porch, being entertained by the dogs wrestling with one another and playing "KeepAway" with Gracie's favorite toy--the butterfly. To our amazement, we heard the familiar "Rock-a-Bye Baby" tune as she chewed on the toy. This thing was made to last!

Speaking of the dogs....yesterday they were barking incessantly (I love to use big words when I write, cause I never use them when I talk)...so I went to see what all the fuss was about. It became clear that they had something cornered and I was a bit apprehensive about getting any closer, fearing it might be a snake. Turned out to be a HUGE tarantula. I guess they thought they were going to bark it to death, because that was the extent of their attack.

Retired?

Since I'm no longer employed outside the home, I consider myself retired. I now understand what my parents were talking about when they said they were busier now than before they retired. I'm sure I'm not alone....everyone is busy. But lately, with the return of my son, I find myself wearing many hats. Granted, Jeff has been basically on his own for the past nine years, but for some strange reason, I have reverted back to exhibiting "motherly" characteristics. He doesn't expect it....it's just a natural instinct. I know this will take some adjusting, for both of us. I'm trying not to be overly inquisitive about his schedule, what he's going to eat, whether he has clean, pressed clothes to wear. On the other hand, I don't want to have to report to him either. We are both accustomed to being on our own.

Here are just a few of my job descriptions:

Accountant: pay the bills, balance the checkbook, etc.
Investment Manager
Travel Agent: schedule and reserve all Tulsa-Houston flights
Pool Boy (girl): empty skimmer, vacuum pool, balance chemicals
Snake Handler: (see above)
Game/Wildlife Ranger: check for and report any deer spottings, figure out digital game camera and download all pics to computer, buy and scatter sunflower seeds around dove decoys, make sure deer feeder is full of corn
Grocery Shopper
Cook: Made much easier by Pass Your Plate
Housekeeper
Entertainer: for grandkids

Not to mention my volunteer work at the church and with OKMRC and time set aside each day for Bible study.

So, you say...how do you find time to blog? Guess I'm not so busy after all.

Before/After Master Bedroom

GREAT Grandparents

I kept my grandchildren this week (Jacob starts preschool on Monday) and my parents have been here the last couple of days. They really helped me out, especially when I had a LONG doctor's appointment on Thursday. Jacob and Lauren don't get to spend much time with these great grandparents, since they live in Canada. But the way they quickly warmed up to them made it hard to believe the visits are rare. When I told Jacob I was leaving to go to the doctor, he just said, "Okay, bye." Lauren immediately pulled a book out of the case and took it straight to Grandpa. I remember having one great grandmother when I was small, but I don't remember much about her. Are we having kids at a younger age? (I don't think so.) Are we just living longer? My kids--ages 29 and 27--just lost their last great grandmother last year! My grandchildren have 8 great grandparents. How wonderful to have so many people that think you are the most precious children in the world! Great grandparents truly are just that...GREAT.

Where is Neal when I need him?

This morning as I was performing my routine chore of emptying the skimmer basket, I was greeted with an unexpected and unwanted visitor. I don't know if he was poisonous or not, and I'll admit he was small, but a snake is a SNAKE. With rubber gloves and LONG tongs, I managed to remove him and promptly cut off his head. I think it surprised my parents (my dad stood by for moral support) and to be honest, I surprised myself. I actually stayed quite calm. My parents reminded me of the time in 5th grade when I was digging up a plant for a science project and found a worm. I freaked out and screamed so loud Mom & Dad thought for sure I was being attacked by an ax murderer. I've come a long way, baby.

Jacob's Jargon

Last weekend: while playing in the pillows with Papa, Jacob rubs Neal's head and says, "Nice haircut."

Yesterday: getting ready to go to Papa Hill's, I'm trying to explain to Jacob which Papa we're going to see. He finally lights up and says, "Papa Haircut?" No. The other one.

This morning: putting on his sandals to go out and play, his little toe ends up on the outside of the sandal, to which he says, "What the heck?"

Watching a TV commercial: "I not like girls." "You don't?" "No, I not like girls." "Well, I'm a girl." "Noooooo, you not a girl, you Nana!"

Walking

There's no stopping her now. Lauren has been taking steps since she was 9 months old, and now, at 10 months, crawling is no longer an option. She stayed with me today and her biggest challenge was making the slight step up from the dining room to the kitchen. Her determination was obvious. She approached it slowly and methodically, and each time ended up on her diaper-padded rear end. Standing in the kitchen, next to the slope, she would stare at it and stomp her left foot 7 or 8 times in a row, reminding me of a golfer taking his practice swings. A light bulb finally came on and she resorted to steadying herself with the brick partition. By the end of the day she had successfully stepped up into the kitchen ONCE without falling. Maybe next time she'll conquer the stepping down part. Here she is, still in her jammies. Linda, it's a good thing you gave her the 12-month size--she'll soon grow out of them.

NaCl

To some of you this is probably old news. But to us country folks, this is a major step in the direction of high technology. If you're a veteran reader of my blog, you know of the frustrations I've had in keeping enough chlorine in my pool. The "once-a-week" shock treatment became a "once-ever-other-day" routine, despite the floater of chlorine tablets that remained in the pool constantly. We've spent close to $800 in chemicals alone during the two and a half months we've lived here. When my sister visited from Canada she asked if I had considered a "salt water pool." Um...never heard of it. So began the investigation. All I really wanted to know was--will it solve my chlorine problem and will I save money? After an indepth chemistry lesson from a pool tech on what elements make up salt and how salt can generate chlorine, blah, blah, blah, I knew more than necessary to make the decision. I NEEDED one of this generators! The systems went on sale last week and they were offering free installation. Woo hooooo! Benefits: (a) salt is cheap! and rarely has to be added (b) need more chlorine?--just turn up the dial! (c) easy on the skin, hair and eyes (d) silky, soft water (e) no faded swimsuits (f) is it my imagination or is the water more sparkly, clear and beautiful?

Thoughts from a 3-year-old

I've decided to try to occasionally post some of the sweet, comical, and sometimes questionable words that come from the mouth of my 3-year-old grandson and the weird conversations we sometimes have. This is more for me...so that I don't forget these precious moments.

While reading a book with Lauren on my lap and Jacob perched on the arm of the chair: "Nana, what's 'at?" "It's my fingernail." "What's it doing?" "It's just laying there, being a fingernail." "Oh."

After reading several books in a row: "Good job, Nana."

While holding up a fish caught in our pond: "Papa...check it out!"

While reading The Rainbow Fish (we read a lot, can you tell?) and looking at all the "under the sea" pictures: "That's wike funbob squarepants!"

Potty training: (Got the pee pee thing down, but working on the poopy thing.) Nana, while removing the poopy diaper: "Jacob, next time let's go poop in the potty. You know, Daddy poops in the potty, momma poops in the potty, Nana poops in the potty, Papa poops in the potty." Jacob, after thoughtful consideration, "No.....Papa not poop in the potty."

Reflections

Tomorrow is my little sister's birthday. If you asked me to describe my sister in one word, I would say, "strong." As much as we would've liked to protect the baby of the family, she has had to face some heart-wrenching adversities. Sandra's first baby was full-term stillborn. As a family, we raced to her side to offer comfort. She ultimately comforted us. God blessed her with two more beautiful children, but when the second of those was born, Sandra was separated from her husband. She grew stronger. Strong enough to patiently wait for her husband to work through his battles and seek forgiveness. She forgave.

When Sandra was a child (9 -12) my older sister and I were teenagers and constantly ridiculed her. We were "cool" and she was "stupid." She couldn't WALK through a room--she had to do cartwheels, or sommersaults, which was totally annoying. On long trips from Canada to Oklahoma we would banish her to the front seat, as far away from us as was physically possible in a 4-door sedan. (Deep down she really preferred the arm rest between Mom and Dad--this was before the seat belt laws, of course.) We made fun of her singing along to the radio. Remember "Love Train" Sandra? Mom even had a little heart-to-heart with us one day and warned that we were going to cause her to have an inferiority complex. I prefer to think that we had a part in making her tough....strong.

I don't get to spend much time with my sister any more. She now lives in Michigan. But there is a bond there that only sisters experience. When we do get together, we become giddy schoolgirls again. It's not unusual for us to get an acute case of the giggles for no apparent reason. Once it starts, it's anyone's guess how long it will last. Our husbands simply look at each other and roll their eyes...."here we go again."

God gives us people in our lives that make us better. People we can look up to and say, "I want to be like her some day." Sandra is one of those people. Happy Birthday Little Sis.

Today

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I receive numerous emails from friends that are the dreaded "forwards." When I'm really busy, which is most of the time, I tend to delete without even opening them. When I do open them, I usually just read them if they're short. The long ones, no matter how touching or how true they are, just don't get a chance. If I have time, I will occasionally read a really long one--maybe not word for word, but I get the idea. I hate to tell those of you who regularly send me these forwards...to be forwarded to my address list...it ain't happenin'. Today I perused a "forward" that was really sweet, but what impacted me most was a little phrase tacked on at the bottom, sort of as an afterthought. It read:

"Learn from yesterday...live for today...hope for tomorrow."

So much wisdom in that little phrase. I personally know people that carry a huge load of guilt for their "yesterdays". Because of this, it's an impossibility to "live for today" or for that matter "hope for tomorrow." I've been through the guilt phase and have finally moved on. My problem seems to be the second and third parts of this saying. My obsession with "hope for tomorrow" doesn't allow me to fully "live for today." Contentment is difficult for me unless I have something big to look forward to. So today, I'm glad I opened that email and perservered to the bottom of the page. This is my pledge. Today I will live---not just exist---but live, knowing I have learned from yesterday and have hope for tomorrow.

Country Living

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT COUNTRY LIFE

1. Far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. (peace and quiet)

2. Land, lots of land. (move over Mr. Trump)

3. Wildlife. (picture above taken yesterday evening--she also has two fawns)

4. My swimming pool. (ahhhhhhhhh)

5. My front porch. (especially the porch swing)

THINGS I HATE ABOUT COUNTRY LIFE

1. Far away from civilization. (aka Starbucks and the Mall)

2. Land, lots of land. (lots of mowing, lots of weedeating, lots of steps to the mailbox)

3. Wildlife. (something ate my kittens)

4. My swimming pool. (the daily job to keep the chemicals balanced and the pool clean, not to mention the expense!)

5. The wood bees that have bored into the beams on the front porch. (between insect spray and the trusty tennis racquet, their number is dwindling, so hopefully they won't completely demolish the beam holding up my swing!)

Birthday Week

Jacob turned 3 this week, and we concluded the celebrating yesterday. His actual birthdate is the 17th and that night we ate and played at Incredible Pizza. Really more playing than eating. Even Lauren enjoyed watching her daddy and brother on the racetrack.

My sister, Linda, was visiting from Canada this week. She, Uncle Jeff, and I took the kids to the Aquarium on Thursday. Jacob couldn't run fast enough from one exhibit to the next. He was so excited! He did slow down enough to feed the turtles. I think Lauren enjoyed it almost as much as her brother. She was mesmerized by all the colorful fish.

Yesterday was the big "burday pardy". Lots of little munchkins swimming. Thankfully the rain held off until after the party.

So.......the little guy is now 3 years old. So hard to believe how quickly time has passed. There is something special about every stage and he is so much fun right now. I know life is short and soon he'll be at the "next stage" and that too will be wonderful.

The Disappearance of Yankee and Sox

This is the 5th day that my kittens have been missing. I fear the worst, but try not to think about the details of their demise. There is no shortage of coyotes, bobcats, foxes and hawks around here. Just seems strange that they both disappeared at the same time. Last Thursday I made an appointment with the Vet for shots and possible neutering if they were ready. Friday they were gone. I'm sure they overheard the conversation and conspired to run away from home to avoid the dreaded procedures. One less "chore" for me, but it still makes me a little sad. I miss the little fur balls.

Millionnaire Wannabe

I envisioned crowds of people sleeping in the Casino parking garage and huge lines for the Millionnaire auditions. Got up at 5:00--the earliest any sane person would get out of bed--and beat the rush hour traffic. Surprisingly, the line didn't extend out into the rain, and I actually was in the first test group...barely. But I regret to inform you that you will not be seeing me anytime soon on the show. Me too dumb to pass first test. I blame it on the frigid temperatures inside the casino. I'm sure I had brain freeze. There were actually two tests, one for the Netflix Movie Trivia (which I was certain I would bomb) and one for the General Trivia. We all had different tests and had 10 minutes to answer 30 questions. They didn't elaborate on what percentage you had to answer correctly to pass and we didn't have any way of knowing how many we missed. They just called out the numbers of the applicants that passed and the rest were free to go. I was free.

All in all, it was a fun experience and I would do it again. The Tulsa teacher who won a million on the show was there and talked to our group while the tests were being scored. She tried 4 times before she made it onto the show.....so now I don't feel so bad. I met some really nice people on line and there was excitement in the air. Oh yeah, and I got a nifty frig magnet and pencil to memorialize my experience!

Update

Neal was here all week last week. Much was accomplished--top rails welded onto fence posts, threshold installed on front door, weed eating, not to mention all the half-finished Sudoku puzzles now complete. However, there is still so much to do. We've decided he needs a whole month off to finish the fence.

New subject: Who Wants to be a Millionnaire? I do. Auditions to be a contestant on the show are Friday at Cherokee Casino in Catoosa. I really want to go, but don't relish the idea of standing in line all day by myself. So who's up for it? Who will go with me? Anyone....anyone?

Tree Frog

After our 4th of July get-together, I had hung the beach chair on the fence. Yesterday, as I was getting ready to take it down, I noticed a silver glob on the aluminum frame. A closer look confirmed that it was a tree frog. What was so interesting, was that it not only was the same color as the frame, but it was also shiny, like the frame. I got excited, thinking how amazing it was that it could change its color and completely blend in with its surroundings. Today, I did some (limited) research on the internet, and now I think it's just a "Gray Tree Frog". Maybe it's always that color.














We have A LOT of frogs and toads out here in the country. Trista has croakaphobia (latin is my second language) and is absolutely TERRIFIED of the little hopping creatures. So, as fate would have it, Jacob LOVES them! Today, he and I found a small frog of some kind in the skimmer basket and he carried it around, pulled on its legs, rubbed its tummy, etc., etc., while his poor mommy was having a meltdown. I finally persuaded him to throw it out in the field to return to its own mommy.

4th of July

Our first big bash was Wednesday. We had a total of 43 people at our place for swimming, playing, burgers & dogs, and fireworks. Only one minor injury...a fireworks burn on the finger...which is not bad considering 13 of the 43 were children. The number of children also explains the amount of chlorine consumed in the pool (if you know what I mean). Clean-up the next day was not nearly as bad as I expected. This may become an annual event.