We’ve reached another milestone at our house. Let me rephrase that – We’ve reached an unwanted milestone at our house.
As Ella’s vocabulary has expanded, she is speaking in full sentences now. When I come home from work she asks, “Did you have a good night at work, Daddy?” When she is thirsty she will ask, “Can I have a drink, please, Mommy?” When she wants to go outside, she will ask, “Can we go for a walk?” or “Wanna jump on the trampoline?” It’s amazing!
She has also learned a one word sentence, or more accurately, a one word exclamation – “NO!”
This has made life a little more … interesting …at our house.
She has mastered the use of the word.
“Can Daddy change your diaper?” – “NO!”
“Let’s put away the toys so we can read a book before bedtime.” – “NO!”
“Take a bite of your pancakes, please.” – “NO!”
“Do you want your polka dot jammies or your doctor jammies?” – “NO!”
“Would you like (insert whatever food item here) for dinner?” – “NO!”
“Don’t you like when your brother plays with you?” – “NO!”
It’s been a long time since I went through the “No phase.” Ella already has my temper, and Sam’s stubbornness. The next few months are going to be “fun” – and I write that as sarcastically as I can!
Saturday Sam and I took the kids out to eat at a local pizza place. They have a patio, which allowed us to eat outside. The weather was perfect. It was sunny, but not too hot and there was a nice breeze. Of course, there was plenty of cottonwood flying about, which was only a problem if it landed on our food.
Eating outside also allowed for Ella, who isn’t really great about sitting still, to wander a bit. There was a family who came out the patio and sat a table or so away from us. I guess the kid hurt himself, and Ella really wanted to help him. She said, “Kiss and make it better?” We told her that the boy’s mommy would do that for him.
She was walking around like she owned the patio. In one photo I snapped, I swear she looks like she is walking a model runway. She looks like a movie star with her sunglasses and all.
Sunday and Monday both allowed for neighborhood walks, but there were also showers and storms.
Tuesday started with “weigh in” for me. I was thrilled to see a 3 pound loss this week, bringing my total to 9 pounds in two weeks. I hope to keep seeing weight loss.
After breakfast and a few errands, I took the kids for our neighborhood walk. It’s become a thing to count squirrels, birds, cats and “puppies.” Ella sings through the entire walk, saying hello to everyone we meet. Tuesday, there was a guy riding his bike who passed us about 4 times. She said hello every time. LOL
When we got home, she wanted to swing on the swings, until she heard loud yelling and noise from the back of the house. It was field day and the kids were out with bounce houses, outdoor games, and kickball.
Both kids absolutely loved watching the kids play. Ella said hi to all the kids sitting on the bench and they were very nice to her. I think Andrew got the biggest kick out of it though. His smile as he stood against the fence was priceless.
Sam said if it was warm enough to put them in their bathing suits and let them play with the water table and little pool. The two of them had a blast. As much as Ella gets to where she doesn’t want Andrew around her, outside she welcomes him as a playmate. They splashed together, she poured water on him, and they got muddy together.
The only time they were really unhappy today was when it was time to come inside and nap.
Looking forward to the rest of the week and Father’s Day weekend.
This is just one of those stories that I wanted to document for my kids. It is all about a silly game that I never thought would be the hit that it is with them. Now, Ella asks for it ….
One day Andrew was crying and I started to try to do things that would make him laugh. My mother-in-law made a few tiny “Nana Blankets” for Ella. This used to be the blanket I would put in front of my face to play “peek-a-boo.”
I began to put it on my head and he would just stare at me. Once he started to be able to stand on his own, I would put this blanket on my head and he would start smiling and eventually he would reach up and pull it off.
When Andrew pulled it off my head, I would yell, “My Hat!” This would make Andrew laugh out loud. Once that happened, it started to crack Ella up, too!
It got to the point where they would both be laughing out loud. Ella would come over and start ripping the “hat” off, too.
Now, I have to tell Ella whose turn it is to grab “My hat!” And I HAVE to say “My Hat!” or Ella gets mad. As I said, she will bring over the blanket now and simply say, “my hat.” This means it’s time to play.
It is a good game to redirect Andrew. If he is walking around and about to get into something, I grab the blanket and put it on my head. He will immediately start to walk toward me to get the “hat.”
This is a game that gets old for me after about the 20th time, but as long as they keep grabbing it and laughing about it, I will continue to do it. I love to see them laughing!
Nancy was a music teacher at the school district I attended. She was always wearing a smile and her student’s loved “Mrs. T.” She was a very special friend.
I worked part time for the district as a custodian, in between radio jobs when I was in my 20’s. I would get a call each day from the secretary who told my what school I would be heading to each day and who I was filling in for. I remember being at one elementary school in particular for a long stretch of time. It was during this time that Nancy and I got to talk more.
I went into the music room to clean, and she was there working late. I don’t recall what she was working on, but I re-introduced myself (it had been some years, since I was a young boy). She remembered me, and my (now ex) wife and her family. We had some wonderful conversations about life and, of course, music.
I remember talking to her about how we used to put on musical plays when I was in elementary school. We did one on Thomas Edison (The Electric Sunshine Man), the year before they did Annie (Which scarred me for life), and I played the lead in The Runaway Snowman. She smiled as I recalled those memories. She loved working with students and she was glad to share many stories.
After I left the district and moved for a radio job, I lost touch with her. She reconnected with me on Facebook and we began to chat again. She was always interested in my life and supportive during some tough times. When Sam and I got married, she sent congratulations. When Ella was born, she made her a beautiful blanket/quilt. She was right there to congratulate us again when Andrew was born.
Over the past few months, I noticed she was a bit absent more than usual. It wasn’t until just recently I found out she had been in and out of the hospital. During that time, she was diagnosed with cancer and she came home to hospice in mid-May.
Her family set up a page for her on Caring Bridge, which allowed her friends and family to receive updates. You had to be approved to take part, so I reached out to one of her daughters. In talking with her, she asked for my address because Nancy had something for Andrew. I asked for her address in return, because I had misplaced it, so I could send a card.
On Sunday, I sealed up the card and was going to drop it in the mail Monday morning. When I awoke Monday, I saw that a new journal entry had posted. Her daughter posted that Nancy had passed away earlier that morning. I was heartbroken.
Just over an hour after I read of her passing, there was a knock at the door and a package was left. It was from Nancy. Inside was a gift for Andrew and gifts for Ella.
Nancy had made a blanket/quilt just like she had made for Ella, for Andrew.
Ella was excited to open up her gifts, too. Nancy had sent two pop-up books with shapes and colors. Ella loves books and immediately began to read them – while sitting on Andrew’s blanket!
I won’t lie, I was kind of overwhelmed with emotion. Nancy was gone, and yet, she still managed to shower my family with her kindness. Inside the package was a card:
Rest assured that there will be plenty of snuggles and smiles, Nancy. I hope you can here me expressing my gratitude to you for loving my family and for your friendship.
After the news began to spread of her passing, I was not surprised at all to see that she showed kindness to many others.
One post read: “Years ago, a wonderful woman looked at a beaten down young boy who she thought had amazing musical talent. She took that young boy under her wing and taught him the greatest joy in life – music. She also taught him all of the wonderful things music could do for him in his life. When in high school, she believed so much in this young man she helped pay for his vocal lessons so he could continue his talent and passion for music.”
Another wrote: “She was a wonderful, kind woman whose absence in our music department was felt the moment she retired a few years after I started teaching. Memory eternal, Nancy. Thank you for having such a profound impact on me.”
Yet another wrote: “You were inspiring in so many ways and will definitely be missed.. I’m glad you got to meet my kids and teach Emily music. We love you”
Another: “Mrs. T was a truly amazing teacher. Such devotion and compassion as hers is not seen enough in a lifetime. It was an absolute privilege to have you as a teacher, and for my children’s teacher. Thank you for your kindness and years of dedication. You will be missed.”
There were also posts from friends she had for decades! She obviously was a very special lady.
I began this blog with a picture that had a quote on it:
” There are some who bring a light so bright to the world that even after they have gone the light remains.”
Nancy “light” will definitely continue to shine for many years to come. Her influence and impact that she made on her students will live on through them. Her friends will forever have wonderful memories of her and the times they shared.
I will always look at those blankets and think of my wonderful friend.
Heaven’s choir obtained a wonderful voice this week.
With the nice weather I’ve had a chance to spend a lot of time outside. We’ve either walked around the neighborhood or played the with kids in the yard. The last couple times we’ve walked, I couldn’t help but think that something was missing.
I hear the usual sounds on our walks:
Singing birds
Barking dogs
Kids at recess
Woodpeckers knocking on trees
Motorcycles
Lawn mowers
These are sounds I have heard all my life in the spring and summer. The thing that was missing goes to show the progress of technology I suppose.
Growing up, weekends were spent mostly outside. I recall vividly that Saturday afternoons, my dad would pull out a big bucket, huge sponge, and the garden hose and wash the car.
It was also the day that he’d pull out the lawnmower and cut the grass. All the yardwork was done on the weekends.
Toward the end of the day, dinner was prepared on the grill. Burgers, hot dogs, or grilled chicken would be typical weekend menu items.
These things all still happen today, but in most cases, something is missing – Music.
When dad washed the car – we’d listen to Casey Kasem and American Top 40. When dad mowed the lawn or did work out in the yard, the radio would be sitting on the cement by the garage blaring music. The music would continue as dad flipped burgers on the grill. Sometimes it was music, sometimes it was a Detroit Tiger game. The radio was always on and the sounds from it interspersed with the other sounds I mentioned earlier.
There was a guy outside on our walk yesterday who was waxing his freshly washed car with no music whatsoever. The guy we saw grilling was just standing there staring off into space. He took a second to say hello as we passed, but then went right back to staring. Then there was the guy shoveling some dirt and working in the yard. He had ear buds in, so there was music, but only he could hear it.
I guess one of the things I loved about music being everywhere as we grew up was the discovery of new music. Everyone’s radios were tuned to whatever they wanted to hear. The sounds of pop music, oldies music, rock music, country music and more all screamed from the speakers of boom boxes, car speakers, and cabinet speakers from a stereo system. As I’d pass a house, it was often possible to hear a song I had never heard before. This would lead to a trip to the local record store to find it.
Don’t get me wrong, I love being able to hear the songs of the birds and children playing, but that sound from a distant speaker is one I miss. To be fair, I still get my fair share of music on walks, because my daughter is often singing “The Wheels on the Bus” or “Mary Had a Little Lamb” at the top of her lungs. Come to think of it, that may be the only music I need …
I hope this blog finds you well rested after the holiday weekend. It was a relaxing weekend for us for the most part. We had lots of outside time and actually got to enjoy some family time.
Andrew will be walking on his own and without any help VERY soon. He’s taken some steps randomly here and there. Yesterday, he took like 10 steps from the couch to where the cat was. That’s the most I’ve seen him take so far without falling.
He had some lasagna the other night for dinner and he was so soaked with sauce, we had to give him a bath, Afterward, he was sitting in the living room and I had to laugh that his hair was like Alfalfa from the Little Rascals.
One day while he was napping, Ella and I went for a walk around the neighborhood. She always asks to see her “puppy friend.” Lately, the pup has been up on the back porch. She was so happy to see it closer.
When we got closer to home, I noticed the smell of lilacs. Sam planted them when she moved in about 7 years ago and they are getting so big. They smell just amazing. It’s always a spring highlight when they bloom.
She got some mommy daughter time this weekend, too. Mommy took her out Monday morning for donuts. She got to order donuts for everyone. She knows dad likes Boston Cream, mom likes chocolate dip, and she loves Tim Bits. She loved sitting at the picnic table watching the cars go by before bringing home my donut.
Still in PJ’s! Eating Tim Bits with Mommy.
Andrew’s high chair needed a good cleaning. The last few meals were messy. So Sam took it outside and used the hose to clean it up. This caused a big pool of water to build up on the driveway, which Ella immediately wanted to play in!
Sam knows she loves the water, so she got Ella (and Andrew) a new water table. I spent the day putting it together so they could play with it. It came with plastic fish, turtles, and buckets. I’m sure they will have a lot of fun playing with it. Now, we just got to get Ella to share!
After the lawnmower fiasco (see previous blog), we stayed home and enjoyed the remainder of the holiday. We threw some brats on the grill and afterward, had ice cream. All in all, it was a nice family weekend.
Every once in a while, something will happen that prompts me to reach out and give props to someone. One time I called the manager at my local Tim Horton’s to tell them how one of their staff was always so pleasant at the window. I felt that her superiors needed to know she made a difference.
This weekend, I noticed some kids acting suspicious around the daycare behind our house. They had obviously jumped a fence to get back where they were and were attempting to open doors and such. I made a call to the local police station because it sounded like they were up to no good.
The kids must have seen me out on my porch and they climbed the fence and started to walk away. I saw the police cruiser slowly driving around the parking lot. The officer got out and was checking some things out. I started to walk out to the back fence to try to get his attention, but he didn’t hear me. Next thing I saw was the cruiser driving down our street. He pulled into my driveway.
Ella was so excited to see a police car in the driveway that she begged Sam to bring her outside. As I spoke with the officer and told him what I had seen, Ella came out. “Hello, Mr. Policeman!” she said. The officer was so kind to her. He asked her name and then asked if she wanted to see his car. He let her sit in the front seat and turn the lights on. He asked if she wanted to turn on the siren, but she’s not really into loud noises. He gave her a sticker, which she wore proudly for hours! When she went in for her bath, she made sure to say, “Thank you, Mr. Policeman!”
Turning on the lights!
The officer and I spoke for a few more minutes, introduced ourselves, we shook hands and he was off to keep the city safe. I was so very impressed with the entire 5 to 10 minute interaction, I had to make sure I let someone know.
I went to the city’s Facebook page and sent a message to give kudos to “Officer Dan.” I told them that we were so glad that he took the time to do this. He made Ella feel so special and he gained her trust immediately. We feel that it is so important to us that our children know that they can count on the police officers if they are ever in trouble.
I then made a joke about how they probably get sick of people waving to them, but I always do. I then said that I wanted them to know that I appreciate all that they do for our community. I went on to say, “In the 5 years I have lived here, I can honestly say that we feel safe. We know that you are out there every day working hard and doing a job that does not receive enough gratitude.” I then thanked them for a job well done.
I was very surprised to receive the following message back from the police chief:
I cannot thank you enough for your kind words, or for the support you offer. I’m truly proud of Officer Dan. He is the first officer I hired, and he has proven himself, time and again, to be a man of honor, and a professional in every sense of the word. It is all the more heartening that your baby girl was made to feel at ease by his presence.
Our goal is to always make you and your family feel as safe as possible, and with that in mind, I’m happy to tell you we are in the process of hiring our final three officers. Each one is a pro in their own right, and I expect the community will be truly pleased. If all goes according to plan, we should be having their swearing-in ceremony in just a few weeks.
Further, we never get tired of having good people like you waving at us. You might be surprised just how much of a boost that can give us on a rough day. I thank you again, and invite you to stop by one day if you have a few minutes, so that I might shake your hand.
Respectfully, Chief W. M.
You can rest assured that I will make it a point to stop by to say hello, sir.
Despite the few blogs I had scheduled to be published, I really only got to jump on here to blog a couple times over the past few weeks because of Covid. So I figured I would fill you in on what’s been happening …
Daddy Daughter Pirate Adventure
Prior to my Covid diagnosis, I was planning on taking Ella to a Daddy/Daughter Pirate adventure. I took the Tuesday off and worked Monday night instead. The Sunday before, I didn’t really feel great. I felt like I was getting a cold. Ella was diagnosed that Friday with a double ear infection. I was worried we wouldn’t be able to go because she was sick.
Monday I felt a bit worse and took a home Covid test. It was negative and I went to work. While at work, I just felt stuffed up. I was coughing a bit, and just achy. I went home and slept. When I woke up, I was still hoping to get to go to the Pirate adventure, however, I just felt like crap. My wife talked me into going to Urgent Care, where they swabbed me and gave me the Covid and Flu diagnosis.
It rained Monday and they called Tuesday to tell me that they had moved the pirate adventure to the next day. It didn’t matter, I wasn’t going to be able to go.
Mother’s Day
I’m glad that I planned ahead this year. So often, I wait until a couple days before to go out and get cards and presents. This year, I ordered Sam something online and had hoped to get her a few other things, but thanks to Covid, I was only able to give her the gift I ordered.
I saw this Facebook and thought it was perfect. It was a framed sign, printed on burlap that said, “My greatest blessings call me Mommy.” Under that I was able to put the kids names and birthdays. It came out better than I thought.
Because we both were in quarantine, we had to place our grocery order online and have it delivered. Because I couldn’t get her a cake, Sam ordered one and we had it after dinner. We were able to spend a little bit of time outside in the sun, hoping the extra vitamin D would help with the Covid.
Mother’s Day 2022
The Kids
Thank goodness the sun has been out a lot this week. The kids have been loving being outside on the swings, playing in the yard or taking brief walks around the neighborhood.
Nana stopped by with some clothes she got for the kids on day and found Ella some “Princess Dresses.” She puts one on and then takes it off so she can put the other one on. I’m not sure what she was doing when I snapped this picture, but I love it. I can’t wait to be able to dress up for a daddy daughter dance!
Earlier this week, Ella was outside with Sam and heard a bird. She told Sam it was a “Nutpecker!” Sam did a double take and asked her again what kind of bird it was. Again, the answer came back, “Nutpecker!” I’ll just add that to the list of wonderfully funny things my daughter says. Nutpecker = Woodpecker.
Andrew turned 7 months old this week. He’s been crawling all over the place and is doing everything he can to stand up. He will pull himself up with the help of couch cushions, toys, pillows, you name it. He is able to stand for 30 seconds at a time, but then usually falls. It drives us crazy. Case in point:
Ella got a Doc McStuffins doctor kit. It comes with the typical doctor toys – stethoscope, otoscope, fake shot, thermometer, bandage and bag. Take a look at the shot, which is the second from the right in the picture below.
See how it is flat? Ok, good. Andrew was standing up next to me on the floor. I was sitting and he had pulled himself up and was standing. He quickly turned and fell and faceplanted right on the corner of that shot. Almost immediately, under his eye (at the top of his cheek bone) began to bruise. Then it began to swell. There was a huge bump under it. At first I thought he broke his cheek.
With 30 minutes before the Urgent Care closed, Sam ran him up to get checked out. He had a hematoma under his eye. Basically, it was bleeding under the skin. So he got his first shiner.
We were told to call his doc and follow up. The doc stated that she didn’t need to see him, but we should have him looked at by an eye doctor to be sure nothing was wrong on the inside of the eye. So he also had his first visit to the eye doc this week.
The good news is that the eye looks great and he will be fine.
He followed up with the Orthotics folks today about his helmet and they said he is progressing so well that he probably will be able to get the helmet off in a couple weeks. This is fantastic news, since we were planning on him having it on through July.
My Crazy Co-Workers
I was cleared to return to work today. The afternoon tech was off, so when I walked in I was the only one in the building. When I walked into the tech room, I was greeted with a masterpiece created by my co-workers.
They basically went through my Facebook page and found every ridiculous picture of me and created a “Covid Keith” board. It certainly made me laugh. I also realize that I make a lot of silly faces. There is a story behind the Alfalfa picture that I will share another time.
I suppose things are sort of getting back to normal-ish.
To say this weekend was not a hectic one would be a lie. In all honesty, the entire month has been busy for Sam and me. Sam has been running back and forth to various doc appointments and helmet appointments, plus helping her folks out with her sister. Both of us are running on little to no sleep. How we are making in through our nights at work and our days at home, I really have no idea.
Sam was up early on Saturday. I cam home and slept about 3 hours before having to get up and get my son. I picked him up at his mom’s house and then we drove to Sam’s parents’ house. She was there with Ella and Andrew helping out with her sister. I picked up Ella and came back home.
It was beautiful on Saturday! There was a lot of sunshine and it was close to 80 degrees. Ella wanted to play outside, so she ran around the yard playing with her toys as Dimitri and I worked on a couple projects. The biggest project was the swing set that Sam bought for the kids. It took about 3 hours to put together and I was pretty impressed with it.
Back in the day, I remember my dad having to dig or drill holes for the swing set poles to set into. Then he’d have to pour cement in them and it had to dry before we could use it. This set was neat. It had “shoes” that went on the bottom of each leg. There was a stake that you “screwed” into the ground and then you bolted the shoe to the stake. That thing is solid, let me tell you! I was pretty impressed.
Ella loves going to the park and swinging on the swings and Andrew had never been on one. We ordered a toddler swing to go put on it (it came with one) so both kids could swing at the same time. They absolutely loved it!!
The kids got to swing for a bit and then we went in and had dinner. We all went to bed early, because we were all wiped out.
Sam had to work Sunday, so she was up for a bit and then went back to try to get some sleep. So I decided to take the kids for a walk before it rained. Ella wanted to take her baby doll for a walk too. So I loaded up Andrew in the double stroller and she grabbed her baby doll and we walked the neighborhood.
What made me really smile was to see the people who were passing by in cars looking at Ella, waving at her and smiling. It was awesome. She really enjoyed being able to walk her baby. After we got home, we played outside for a while. Andrew was so interested in everything. He loved just playing around on the blanket out on the lawn.
I had planned on Dimitri staying until the evening, but I guess he had some dinner to go to. So Dante’ came to pick him up and take him to the dinner. Dante’ is working a lot and going to college, so it is rare for me to see them both together. Even though it was just for a few minutes, it was nice to have them both there. I had to fight them to get them to pose for a picture!
Dimitri helped me put the swing set together and also helped me take down the remainder of the Christmas lights. Yes, I know, it is almost May! That should tell you just how crazy life has been our way. On the days I wanted to get out and do it, it was either freezing, raining, and most recently – snowing! I’m glad they are finally down!
He also helped me move some furniture around. Andrew is having some separation issues. It has been a challenge to do anything without him attached to us. If we are not in the same room with him, he loses it. He’s never really slept well if it isn’t in our arms or in our bed. So we moved the crib to our bedroom, got him his own sound machine, and hoped that he’d start sleeping in it.
Yep. That’s his crib … at the end of our bed! I’m really hoping that he gets into that crib sooner than later. Sam and I would welcome a night of sleep without getting a helmet to the head or kicks in the stomach.
Finally, some big news that is NOT family related…
As a life long Detroit Tiger Fan, it was very cool to hear that Miguel Cabrera joined an elite club on Saturday. He got his 3000th hit! Miggy has certainly made baseball fun to watch here in Michigan. Now, we just need to get back to the World Series – and win it! Congrats, Miggy!!
Over the last couple weeks, Ella has experienced her share of bumps and bruises.
Those include:
Falling off the couch/chair
Pinching her finger in her folding step stool
Hitting herself with a toy
Running fast and falling on the floor
Stubbing her toe
Dropping books on her feet
Shutting the refrigerator door on her fingers
The list goes on and on. Some of the more serious “boo boo’s” bring tears. Most of them don’t make her cry at all. This week alone, she has had “boo boo elbows,” “boo boo fingers,” “boo boo feet,” and “boo boo hair!” The miracle cure for all of these – a simple kiss.
I am sure I did it with my older boys, and it was probably second nature to say, “Let me kiss it and make it better.” I’ve kissed a lot of “boo boo elbows” in my time as a dad, and I am sure there are more boo boos to come. I am always amazed at how kissing a boo boo can stop the tears.
“All better!” Ella will say that after I have kissed the “boo boo of the hour” and run off to continue playing. The boo boos seem to be coming more and more frequently, and that is ok. It is one of those very special moments that I love sharing with her – and I kinda feel like her hero afterwards.
I am sure my dad and mom kissed my boo boos, too, but I don’t recall many of those instances. What I do remember is how my grandma would “fix” them. My grandma was Catholic. I remember one time I fell and conked my head pretty good. I had a huge bump on my forehead. Grandma’s remedy was a butter knife!
My grandma took that butter knife and pressed on the bump with it horizontally and then vertically, making a cross. To her, she was making the “sign of the cross,” on it, which in turn healed it. All I really remember it doing was making it hurt more until she removed the knife. There may have been a time where my grandpa did this, too.
As silly as it sounds, I love the fact that kissing a boo boo makes everything right! A “Boo Boo Kiss” is truly a miracle cure! Wouldn’t it be amazing if all it took to make the chaos of the world better was a simple boo boo kiss?
I’m glad you got to meet my kids and teach Emily music. We love you”
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 