A daily writing prompt that I often see says, “What was the most memorable part of your day?” or “What made you smile today?” The answer to both of those questions is what follows.
It was just me and the kids today, as Sam had a doctor appointment. We had breakfast together and the TV was on. At one point, the kids turned off the TV and asked to play a Tonie. (If you are not familiar with a Tonie, you can read about it here:
We placed the Elsa Tonie on the machine and it began to play the music from Frozen. Ella and Andrew were dancing around and asked me to dance, too. So there we were twirling around the living room to the music.
Our dog, Daisy, had no idea what we were doing and assumed it was play time. So she kept barking at us and jumping up on us while we were dancing. Ella grabbed a blanket and put it over her head like a hood and said she was Elsa. Andrew grabbed a blanket and I tied it on him like a cape. I did the same thing. We were dancing around like fools to the music.
We all grabbed hands and danced in a circle. I was lifting them up and spinning them around. We were flying in our capes. It was full blown craziness and laughter! We were so into it, we had no idea that Sam had walked through the door. I can only imagine what she thought watching us prance around the room!
I would say the entire dance party lasted about 10-15 minutes, but it was so much fun to watch them dancing and laughing. I was doing the same! What a joy to have such a special time with both of them!
We woke up this morning to the news that Sam’s grandma had passed away. It was not a surprise, as she’d been in hospice for a short time. She was 94 years old.
After Sam and I were married, I got to meet Gigi for the first time. She welcomed me into the family with open arms, literally. She told me, “In this family, we hug!” Sam and I visited her often and she always had stories to share with us. I loved listening to her. She was like my bonus grandma.
When the kids came along, she loved on them a lot! My kids loved seeing their Gigi. It is not often that a child gets to meet and interact with the great grandparents. Both of our kids were lucky enough to do that!
Gigi was all smiles holding Ella when she was only 6 days old.
She was just as happy to hold 13 day old Andrew.
Despite the noise they made when we went over to visit, she loved watching and listening to them. Every once in a while, Sam would visit and I wouldn’t be there because of work or something. She’d tell Sam to make sure I stop by with her the next time she went.
One of my favorite pictures of Gigi is with Sam at her baby shower.
When visits were over, I always made sure to give Gigi a hug and tell her that I loved her. She always told me she loved me too. Sam and I both had the chance to stop and see her before she passed. We went separately so one of us could keep the kids.
When I went to see her, it was difficult. It took me back to those final hours before my mother passed away. Gigi was more alert, though. She was talking, but much of it I couldn’t make out. I told her that the kids sent their love and wanted her to know how much they were going to miss her. I talked about Ella and she said clear as a bell, “She’s smart!” I agreed with her.
I thanked her for all she has done for us. She then said that Sam and I were “lucky to have each other.” I told her that I was the lucky one and how I couldn’t live with out Sam. She smiled. I asked her if I could pray with her. She took my hand without me asking and I prayed.
Afterward, she started to doze off. Sam’s Aunt Tana came in and sat next to me. We talked a bit and Gigi would occasionally start to say something to us. As I got ready to leave, I again told her that I loved her and told her to say hello to my mom and the rest of the family when she arrived in heaven. She clearly said, “Bye bye” and I kissed her on the forehead. I hugged Tana and chatted a bit with Sam’s Uncle before I left to go to work.
If you would be so kind as to keep my father-in-law, my wife, and her family in your prayers in the days and weeks ahead, I’d appreciate it.
Obviously, this is a pre-hug photo with Aunt Tana and me,
Gigi had a very strong faith and I know that we will be reunited in the future.
The kids got to go to a neat outing today. The county hosted a “Royal Ball.” They had a DJ, many games and activities, and many of the staff dressed as the various princesses. I had to work, but Sam and her mom took the kids and they had a blast!
There were plenty of photo opportunities.
Ella as Belle. I love that her face fits that perfectly. All too often those “head holes” are so big that your head looks weird in it.
Sam sent this one to me and it is perfect! I love that he wore his sister’s Elsa shirt!
For Ella, she was ALL about the princesses! When she called me to tell me about the ball, she said, “every one of my favorite princesses was there, Daddy!”
Tiana, Elsa and Sleeping Beauty were happy to see her, too!
I love that our community does things like this for our kids. I hope they will always remember these magical moments.
Another magical moment that Sam observed happened last night. Earlier in the day, the kids got one of those Kiwi Crates. Aunt Margaret got them one every month and it has something to read and projects to make. This month the theme was camping.
They got all the materials to make a Bear backpack and a campfire.
They had worked on the projects during the afternoon. They had turned out the lights when it got dark and were “toasting marshmallows” over the campfire. Sam had taken the dog out to go to the bathroom. As she looked through the big window, she could see them “by the fire.” It was really heartwarming to see them together.
I’m looking forward to spending the weekend with them.
It is Groundhog Day. The above critter is not a groundhog, I realize. Perhaps, I should have posted an appropriate groundhog picture? Hold on a sec ….
…. Ok, I’m back. I have one.
You’re welcome.
The kids each got to enjoy a special day today. Andrew got to spend the day at Nana’s house and Ella got to go shopping with mommy. They both had lots to tell me about their day when they called me tonight. Both Sam and her mom said that each kid is very different when they are alone. They obviously missed each other. Tonight at bedtime, Sam sent me this:
I don’t know what is funnier – the sunglasses, the fact that Ella is reading my Columbo book, or that Andrew is staring at a blank page! LOL
Our pup is growing so much. She is like a Moose! I turned on the TV the other day and was laying on the couch. She was laying on the floor next to me. I was scrolling my phone when all of a sudden she jumped up on the couch and on me. She obviously needed attention.
I am not a tattoo guy. I’ve never really felt the need to get one. I have heard that once you get one, you tend to get more. There are plenty of tattoo horror stories. People get one with a name of a lover and then they break up and stuff like that. I saw something online the other day that just made me shake my head.
I have posted about the excitement I had over the Detroit Lions season this year. I had hoped that they would win the Championship game and go on to the Super Bowl. Some people chose them to win it all. I really can’t imagine being so confident that I would go and get the following tattoo:
One can only hope that they can change that year to 2025!
Coming Soon:
I’m excited for the next round of Turntable Talk, which is going to be about great movie soundtracks. Which movie soundtrack would you pick as your favorite?
I’m also taking part in the 10th Annual Favorite TV Show Episode in March. It is hosted again by Terry of A Shroud of Thoughts. I’m going with one from a show I have written about before, but worth being featured again.
When people ask me if I watch certain shows on television, I have to remind them that I have toddlers at home. The shows I watch are the ones the kids watch: Bluey, Miss Rachel, Work It Out Wombats, Fireman Sam, and my daughter’s favorite, Gabby’s Dollhouse.
On the show, the main character is played by a gal named Laila Lockhart Kraner. She wears some magic ears on her head that allows her to shrink down and interact with the various cats in her dollhouse.
My wife sent me a thing last week that said that Laila is coming to some furniture store near us. You could sign up to win VIP meet and greets, which I did. I also reserved a spot to go to the event this Sunday. I know there will be games, snacks, face painting and “Gabby” herself. When I told Ella about it, she was SO excited! She keeps asking how many more “sleeps” till we meet her.
My co-worker asked me tonight if I had plans for the weekend. I wish I could describe the look on his face when I told him I was going to meet Gabby from Gabby’s Dollhouse! LOL! All I know is that I hope my daughter has a great time!
“He is into everything!”
My youngest son, Andrew, is someone that you need to watch every second of the day. He is just so fast. The other day, I was loading the dishwasher. He walked up to me and wanted to help. When I looked at him, I asked him what was in his hair. It looked like maybe he poured water on it. Nope. In the 5 minutes I turned my back, he got into my wife’s shampoo and kept putting it in his hair. He had enough shampoo in his hair to wash his, Ella’s, the dog, and you!
Tonight, while Sam was loading the dishwasher, he went into the laundry room and opened up the washer. It had completed its cycle and our sheets were waiting in there to be put in the dryer. What did Andrew do? He saw our container of Oxiclean.
He sees us add this to certain loads of laundry BEFORE we wash them. So, he felt that it was totally ok to add some (i.e. A LOT) to the sheets that were in there. Sam had to rewash the sheets and hope that too much Oxiclean was not going to be a problem.
Recently, my father-in-law was over and he needed a saw to cut something. I went and got mine out of the garage. Because it was raining, I set it up on the shelf by the washer and dryer. I figured it would be out of the way and I would put it back when I got a second. Well, guess who found it and tried it on his finger? Yep. Andrew!
But wait! There’s more!
Sam took the dog outside to go to the bathroom. In the 3-4 minutes that she was outside, Andrew was at it again. When she walked in, she saw him on a kitchen chair pushed up to the counter. On the counter, he had taken the piece that holds a coffee filter out and put a filter in it. He then scooped a tremendous amount of coffee into the filter. He had actually turned the pot on to brew. Thankfully, there was no water in it, so he didn’t brew any. Of course, we will be sweeping up coffee grounds from the counter, the floor, and a few other places for the next week!
(That’s NOT Andrew, but you get the idea!)
Highlight of the Week
Despite the snow we got this week, the temperatures have been on the mild side. It was nice for all of us to get out and walk the neighborhood. We still bundled up as it was breezy, but it was great to get out and show Daisy the neighborhood.
I posted earlier that this blog celebrates it’s 6th year today. Technically, I guess that blog was the first of year #6, however, this is the first blog with more … content.
He’s a comedian
This morning, Andrew was moving all the chairs in the living room around. He kept pushing them away from the wall. So I looked at him and said, “Hey, Two Men and a Truck! What are you doing over there?” He looked at me and then started making the sound of a truck horn beeping! It really cracked me up.
Whoops!Ouch!
Ok, so my slip and fall was not as bad as that guy, but it hurt. Monday, I was getting stuff out to the car and as I was shutting the trunk and turning to go back in the house I lost my footing. I slipped on the ice and came down flat on my back. The wind was knocked out of me, but luckily I didn’t crack my head on the driveway.
I was finally able to get up and get back in the house. I was a bit sore but moving ok until I went to get in the shower. I took my T-shirt off and as I raised my arms there was a breathtaking sharp pain that shot up from my lower back. It had me in tears. I sat on the couch for much longer than I wanted to hoping that the pain would go away.
When I finally attempted to get up, I was able to but I could still feel that pain. I thought maybe standing in the hot shower would help. It did a bit. I wound up going to work and had the heated seats on all the way. It was similar to a heating pad and helped a lot. It was a very slow go at work, however.
Tuesday when I woke up, I knew I needed to see the doctor. I could hardly walk. The pain was awful. Thanks to some muscle relaxers and a whole lot of ibuprofen, I was able to work today. It still hurts and I am still being very careful.
GM Gets It
The above logo was what General Motors has done in support of the Detroit Lions. I thought this was pretty cool. Then today I saw something even cooler. Now if you are wondering how big the Lions getting this far is – check out this text message that was sent out to folks at the Flint Assembly Plant:
They altered the start time for the shifts on Sunday night!!! That is HUGE!!!
According to all the stuff I am seeing, the Lions are the underdogs in the upcoming contest against the San Francisco 49ers. I think that just makes us want it more! One of the best things I’ve seen on the internet this week was this photo with our head coach Dan Campbell:
This is the farthest I have ever seen the team go in my lifetime. I would love to see them advance (and win) the Super Bowl. I truly hope that this is their year. It has been a great one to watch. On to San Fran …
Michigan got hit with it’s first real winter storm this weekend. It was no joke. It started Friday afternoon after I got to work. In the short couple hours I was there, the snow accumulated quickly. It didn’t take long for patients to start cancelling their appointments for that evening.
Believe it or not, despite the 6-8 inches of snow that had already fallen, there were still a couple patients who were going to drive in. The problem was that our techs were having trouble getting in. We ended up having to cancel everyone for that night. This was probably a good thing, because I got to go home early.
My wife didn’t want me driving in the storm, but I certainly didn’t want to sleep at work. So I ventured out and my normal hour and ten minute drive wound up being about 3 hours. The drive was treacherous. There were cars flipped in ditches, semi-trucks jackknifed, flares surrounding cars that had stalled, and many freeway closures. It was a white knuckle drive and I was glad to finally be home.
Saturday, the kids and I took advantage of the snow and tried out their new sled.
I pulled them all over the yard and up and down the street. It didn’t take long before my copy cat (Andrew) wanted to pull his sister in the sled. I really didn’t think he’d be able to, but he did!
Daisy was having a blast in the snow and kept trying to bite the cord we were pulling the sled with. Naturally, Ella had to pull Andrew as well.
It was very cold out, so I had to really beg them to come inside. They didn’t want to, but I promised hot cocoa, so they came in.
Sam was supposed to work Saturday, but all the patients had cancelled. So we enjoyed an evening at home. Ella decided that she would give us a spa day.
Sam got her nails done first. As I chuckled about how hard it was going to be to get that polish off, Ella informed me that I was next!
I still have nail polish in my cuticles!
Before bed, we made an obstacle course in the living room for them to burn off all their extra energy.
Sam was teaching Ella how to tuck and roll. She stood on the foam nugget (above), touched her toes, tucked her head, and they rolled over. She wanted me to try it. Three times I did it and failed miserably each time. My wonderful and loving wife took video and posted on Facebook for all to see. It is not my proudest moment and I look like hell! I will NOT be sharing here.
All the running out in the snow did tucker Daisy out. I had to laugh as I sat on the couch next to her and I looked over and saw this:
My brother and his friend had tickets to see the Madonna show in Detroit last night. He drove up on Saturday night and stayed at a hotel. He stopped by Sunday and hung out with the kids. They were so excited to see their Uncles. At one point, Andrew kept bringing books to my brother to read. He’d read it right the first time and then (when asked to read it again) would alter the story with humorous comments.
Any time I get to see my brother is treasured. We need to take a trip down to see him in Ohio this summer.
Sunday Night, the Detroit Lions beat the LA Rams in their first playoff win sin 32 years. I wrote about this in the previous blog, but had to share this. Coincidentally, the Detroit Free Press posted a picture of the temperature in the little town of Hell, MI on Sunday night.
The other night my wife was singing to Andrew at bedtime. Like me, she has her own repertoire of songs to choose from. This particular night, she chose to sing Amazing Grace.
It is truly one of the most recognized hymns of all time, and the story of how it was written is fascinating. Anyway, for those unfamiliar with the first verse:
“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound. That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost and now am found. Was blind but now I see.”
Sam started singing the first line and Andrew says, “Dis is Pa’s song! Dis is Pa’s song!”. She figures that it is completely possible that her dad or mom may have sung this song to him too.
So she says, “Oh yeah?”
He replies, “Pa’s wrench was lost in the garage, but now it is found! Pa found it!!”
Why do I have a feeling a wretch will forever now be a wrench from now on?!
We woke up today to about an inch and a half of snow. There is more on the way before the week is done. It’s been fun to see how Daisy reacts to the snow.
She is not quite sure what to do with it. She sniffs it. She rolls in it. She eats it. It’s quite a scene.
When she is out by herself it was fun to watch. When the kids came outside, it was even more fun. The kids could not wait to get outside.
They were making snow angels, throwing snow up in the air, and running around like crazy. The puppy was loving every minute of it.
The puppy was hilarious. I would grab a bunch of snow and make a snowball. The pup would see it and get excited. I would throw it and it would explode as soon as it hit the ground. The pup would run to where it landed and would look around for it. If a snowball remained a snowball after it hit the ground, she’d go to pick it up with her mouth. Naturally, it would crumble immediately.
The more I threw snowballs for her, the funnier I found it. Sam came outside and I said, “Hey, watch this dumb dog!” I threw a snowball and she’d run after it it and go crazy when she couldn’t find it. She’s be digging around the snow. I was cracking up.
I did this for quite a while and karma came back to get me. I reached down to grab some snow for a snowball only to see that I had also scooped up with it a semi-fresh bit of dog poop! It was all over my gloves. No more snowballs for me.
Ok, Karma, I won’t make fun of the puppy anymore. I got your crappy message – literally!
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 