Thanksgiving ... giving thanks

I am so stuffed and so I do not know why I keep going in the kitchen for more of something. It is like I do not want this miserable feeling to end! ; )

What a great day! Jennifer and the kids were here as was Megan and we made it thru the whole day without a single hiccup, yea! Matthew actually ate pretty well and that is a successful day in itself!

Megan got attacked by a dog at work (she works at a Vet) yesterday. The dog bit her on the mouth. She said the only thing that popped into her mind was "I hope I am going to be able to eat tomorrow". Funny ... we must have priorities, right?

Allison was a huge help with the meal. She made the fruit salad, the sweet potatoes and helped with the mashed potatoes. She is a natural at it. Jennifer made the green bean casserole. Jennifer and Megan cleaned up. The teamwork was great!

It is very apparent that things will change when they move in but one thing about all of the kids is they do listen to Grandpa and I very well and you do get the feeling that they are as intent on making this work as we are. Louis went to the store and took the boys and so the next time he took Allison. He told the boys it was Allison's turn. I fully expected AT LEAST a whine out of one of them but not a peep. They may fuss as siblings but they do care about each other and want the best for the each other. It is very obvious.

Louis talked about how we should be writing down the agenda for the first family meeting as we think of things so we do not forget. That is a great idea! And we have to write down even the littlest things that are important to us because it is little things adding up that sink ships!

Megan talked about making cubbies for each of the kids to put shoes, homework, backpacks, etc. in. That was interesting because just yesterday I was thinking the same thing. It is my goal to make the evenings before school and school mornings look like one of those videos you see where to show the evolution of a story they fast forward it. People moving like synchronized swimmers. That is my dream ... the reality is that it will probably start out looking more like bumper cars!

A funny ... Louis and the boys were in the shop and Matthew discovered his bike was flat. So he asked Grandpa if he could fix it and Louis said yes but it needs a tube. Matthew said, "Go ask Grandma if it is okay if you go get a new tube". So they came in and Matthew said, "Grandma, Can Grandpa go to the store and get a tube for my bike?" We laughed, he knows who the boss is around here huh? So I went along and I said, "OK as long as he comes straight home." Matthew looked at him and said, "She said you can go." And then turned to me and said "Thank You"

Everyday find at least one thing to be thankful for or for at least one thing you have learned. You will find no day is wasted.

Only 15 more days of school!

Time Travel, Transitioning, Teachers

The day was cut short by my horrible headache this morning so we did not get started as early as we would have liked. This was not just a headache … it was a HEADACHE. I sat up and my head was throbbing so bad that it seemed like there was a metronome inside my head ... back and forth ... side to side. It was hitting the inside of my temples so hard that if someone were watching me I feel certain they would have been able to see my temples pulsating as the metronome moved from one to the other. I do not think this was a true migraine but I took an imitrex (migraine medicine) anyway.

I then lay back down with a hot wash rag on my face, waiting for the imitrex to do its magic, and we start talking about how old the hotel is and how neat it is that they kept so much of the original structure in place. The suite we were in was the barbershop back in the day and the original mirror was there with the ledge I am sure the barbers used to lay their tools of the trade between uses. Even the old cabinets built into the wall that they used to store their supplies in at the end of the day are still there. It was so easy to imagine the barber chair with the customers in them, all lathered up, while the barber sharpened the straight edge razor on a razor strap. It still blows me away that they used straight edge razors. We were so much more trusting of our fellow man back then. ; )

We talked about hearing people walking outside the window. Maybe we did or maybe we didn’t. But in that moment it was almost like I traveled back in time and I could hear the horses and the wagons outside and could see the hustle and the bustle of people up and down the street, men in boots and hats and women in those long dresses and hats.

Then I took the washrag off my eyes, saw the time projected on the ceiling from the alarm clock and my trip back in time was over … my headache started to subside.

We went to our little house in Roaring Springs where Jennifer is staying because the plumbing in her house is kaput. Thousands of dollars to fix her house so this is the workaround. A very small house for her and the 3 kids but she has made it so homey … I am so very proud of her. Louis said that under the circumstances you expected to walk in find a chaotic mess with not enough room but it was not at all. It felt so comfy and warm and cozy. It felt more like home than it does when it was our getaway waiting for us to show up for a visit. I did not want to leave. You go Jennifer!

Oh and the guy that had Jennifer’s broken car brought it back still broken but he said “I have a workaround, if you loosen the radiator cap you can drive it to Matador and back as long as you check the water before you go and before you come back!” You know a person is not spoiled when that is the best news in the world! Love you Jenn, can’t wait to start our new adventure!

We also visited Kathy and Clois and Dad Shorter. What a great visit! When will I learn? Every time I go out there and see them it is so awesome and I leave feeling like all I got was the appetizer and not the whole meal! We NEVER seem to allow enough time out there. That perfect quiet love and acceptance from Everett, that perfect not so quiet meanness from Clois, although he was very nice today. He did say it was killing him to do it though. That is ok it was still very nice and I know he loves me! ; ) And my girl talks with Kathy … they leave me so ready to tackle anything I have on my plate. She gives me so much wise counsel. I am so blessed to have my sister’s … they are all so different. The wisdom, support, and humor I get from each of them in different ways makes it possible for me to take on anything and enjoy everything. Love all of you!

When we were leaving Matthew hugged me forever, I know it is feeling like forever to him. But we are almost down to counting sleeps which means it is getting very close. That is an easy way to make kids understand, I learned that from one of my sisters! Just another way of counting down …

A long day ...

It started about 1:15am when Megan's dog (in the mudroom) started sounding like a dog in a padded cell. Bang, Bang, one door and then the other, ... I thought Megan must be home but what was taking her so long to get in the house so I got up to check. She was not home but Korbin was very ancy so I let him out. Since Megan was driving my car I was a little concerned that she was not home and I would need the car soon so I called her ... and I called her ... and I called her! I tried to go back to sleep but my head hurt and I was irritated that she was not home so I got up and started getting ready for work. Then she called ... she had had a wreck ... she is okay. The car is most likely totaled though and we were already juggling 2 cars for 3 people since her car needs a transmission so now we are down to 1 car for 3 people! (I did find out later that we would get a rental car from insurance, whew!)

I told that story mostly so that I can tell these stories though.

I tell someone my story and since she knows about all of my ups and downs over the years she says, "You must have nerves of steel, I cannot believe you do not need xanex"! I told her well I was not quite this calm earlier! Overall I do stay pretty positive because I do always find there is a silver lining in every cloud. And I believe this one will have one too.

So the plan was to take the car to Jennifer this weekend so that she can drive it back here for Thanksgiving. You see her engine thrashed on her car so this was our solution to make sure she can come home for Thanksgiving and Louis is off this week so he does not need a car. So I call Jennifer and I tell her the story about the wreck and after she confirms Megan is okay she listens quietly and patiently to my philosophical speech but the minute I take a breath she goes "What about next week and the car?" We laughed about the way she wanted to cut to the chase and she jokingly said yea it is all about me. Now we do not have a car to leave her. Choices you make, things that happen affect so many, you think it only affects you but that is not true.

Louis will drive down and pick them up on Wednesday. It is just important to have them here.

So then Megan says it was so weird the way you woke up and called me like that. It was your motherly instinct. You started calling right after the wreck. I said no it was your dog that sensed that ... he woke me up. Korbin stays in that mudroom all the time and this is the ONLY time he has woke me up like that. I think dogs are something else!

I am glad to move beyond this day so I can keep counting down ...