Today is Puppy's 3rd birthday! We adopted him from a lady in SC who was standing outside a Walmart with a box of puppies. He was only 5 weeks old! How could I put him back?? Now, he's outgrown puppyhood and is definitely a dog. He doesn't nip our ankles or chew up my flip flops or Hubby's belts. He doesn't whine and bark when he sees the dog food coming and doesn't pee or poop as he pleases in the house. It's nice- I like having a (most of the time) self-sufficient pet.
I still can't believe we've had him three years already. It seems like it went by fast. If he was a child, he'd be starting preschool soon... yikes. :)
In other news, I finally paid attention at my last manicure, so yesterday I went out and bought OPI's Strawberry Margarita to do it myself. I must say, it turned out damn good for an amateur.
I don't know if it's paranoia from being the only adult in the house, but I keep thinking I'm hearing something move, like a scratching sound. Puppy doesn't seem to notice, and he usually hears things before I do, so I guess I'm just going crazy.
I've been craving chocolate. Which isn't saying a lot, because I normally love chocolate anyway. But last night I was so tempted to leave LB sleeping in his crib while I drove to Coldstone for a chocolate shake. Bad mommy for thinking that!
Homecoming is coming together nicely (at least, personally it is). I've purchase the anniversary, birthday, and Father's Day presents. I can't say what these gifts are, because this is obviously a public blog! Don't wanna ruin it. But I can say that he is really going to appreciate them. I even had some input from LB in the Father's Day one... okay, I only gave him two choices, but he liked one more than the other. I think now the only things I will have to worry about is getting the house cleaned and making sure LB and I look good that day. And make sure I'm wearing waterproof mascara.
My new obsession is chocolate-covered graham crackers. I just polished off half a box while typing this post...
How is it that two boxes are mailed from the same address to be delivered to another same address, and they don't show up on the same day?
Thinking about bringing back Friday recipes...
5/31/09
The times, they are a'changing.
Ha, I knew once I was on my last straw with this eating thing, LB would come around. It started a few nights ago at my neighbor's house where LB ate chicken- yay! A meat! He took about five bites, but it's better than nothing. He also has eaten grilled cheese and breaded haddock. He likes french fries now, but still won't eat any veggies. I have that Deceptively Delicious book, so I suppose instead of wasting time on the internet, I should browse those recipes.
Another update with LB. I finally purchased black out blinds and hung them in his room yesterday. They aren't completely black out ones, but they sure darken the room a lot, especially since his room is the brightest in the house at dawn. This morning, he woke up at about 8am. YAY!! I was awake around 7am, so it was nice to have some time to myself instead of being woken up by the sounds of a kid whining (not the most pleasant way to start your day, right?).
Just in case any readers are behind in the latest LB tricks, here's a short list. He can:
Pry off outlet protectors.
Open doors, including the ones to the lanai.
Pull out textbooks, stack them, then stand on them to reach books on higher shelves.
Give hugs and kisses when asked.
Follow directions to open or close doors.
Find and point to his head, hair, nose, mouth, hands, belly, and feet.
Lay on his belly in his bath and kick his feet (with his head above water, but he will dip his face in).
Throw Puppy's racquetball for the dog to fetch.
Give Mommy a massage, which is just him standing on the couch behind me and smacking my shoulders, but it's a start.
Sign "more" and "all done", which helps during meal time.
And last, but not least at all, recognize Daddy's voice and face! I guess watching those videos of Daddy is paying off!
Another update with LB. I finally purchased black out blinds and hung them in his room yesterday. They aren't completely black out ones, but they sure darken the room a lot, especially since his room is the brightest in the house at dawn. This morning, he woke up at about 8am. YAY!! I was awake around 7am, so it was nice to have some time to myself instead of being woken up by the sounds of a kid whining (not the most pleasant way to start your day, right?).
Just in case any readers are behind in the latest LB tricks, here's a short list. He can:
Pry off outlet protectors.
Open doors, including the ones to the lanai.
Pull out textbooks, stack them, then stand on them to reach books on higher shelves.
Give hugs and kisses when asked.
Follow directions to open or close doors.
Find and point to his head, hair, nose, mouth, hands, belly, and feet.
Lay on his belly in his bath and kick his feet (with his head above water, but he will dip his face in).
Throw Puppy's racquetball for the dog to fetch.
Give Mommy a massage, which is just him standing on the couch behind me and smacking my shoulders, but it's a start.
Sign "more" and "all done", which helps during meal time.
And last, but not least at all, recognize Daddy's voice and face! I guess watching those videos of Daddy is paying off!
5/28/09
Food? No thanks, Mom.
Don't get me wrong about the content of this post. Life is good. I live in a nice house, have a wonderful, healthy family, and am one of the lucky ones not struggling. But of course being the pessimist I can be, there's one thing that's driving me nuts and is threatening one of the things that is good about my life.
LB has decided that he doesn't want to eat dinner. Every night, I struggle to get him to eat ANYTHING, unless it's Cheerios or fruit. No veggies, no meat, not even mashed potatoes or mac & cheese. What kid doesn't like mac & cheese?? I've tried baby food, adult food, adult food disguised as baby food, etc. But he doesn't want to eat at night!
Breakfast is usually a cup of milk, Cheerios, and cut up fruit, with a Flinstone vitamin. Morning snacks are crackers or yogurt raisins with a cup of milk. After his nap, lunch is usually a yogurt (the full-fat Stonyfield Farm stuff... so good) and some kind of fruit. Sometime after lunch, he'll drink diluted fruit juice, like apple juice or white grape juice. An afternoon snack is usually crackers, like Goldfish or grahams. Then comes dinner time, which is usually me force-feeding veggies or chicken or something, while he screams and throws a fit and bites the spoon. Finally, before bedtime, he has another cup of milk.
Am I doing something wrong? I've been told by some people that I'm not feeding him enough, but I don't think that's the case, because kids will eat when they're hungry, right? His diet is mostly dairy, fruit, and certain carbs (he won't go near "dinner" carbs, like pasta or mashed potatoes). Anything I give him that he doesn't like, he won't even try it, he'll just fling it on the floor. Thank god for Puppy- he cleans up most of what LB drops.
*sigh* It's frustrating. I have to deal with the temper tantrums every single night for dinner, and there's no one here (aka, Hubby) to pass him off to, so I can get just one night's break from the drama. Usually, I force several spoonfuls of food down his throat, then either send him to bed with nothing else, or give in with a handful of Cheerios (just so he eats something). I'm worried that at his next appointment, the doctor is going to give me hell when she reviews his diet. But what can I do??? I read that the parents' job is to provide healthy food, while the toddler's job is to actually eat it. I don't know... any advice????
LB has decided that he doesn't want to eat dinner. Every night, I struggle to get him to eat ANYTHING, unless it's Cheerios or fruit. No veggies, no meat, not even mashed potatoes or mac & cheese. What kid doesn't like mac & cheese?? I've tried baby food, adult food, adult food disguised as baby food, etc. But he doesn't want to eat at night!
Breakfast is usually a cup of milk, Cheerios, and cut up fruit, with a Flinstone vitamin. Morning snacks are crackers or yogurt raisins with a cup of milk. After his nap, lunch is usually a yogurt (the full-fat Stonyfield Farm stuff... so good) and some kind of fruit. Sometime after lunch, he'll drink diluted fruit juice, like apple juice or white grape juice. An afternoon snack is usually crackers, like Goldfish or grahams. Then comes dinner time, which is usually me force-feeding veggies or chicken or something, while he screams and throws a fit and bites the spoon. Finally, before bedtime, he has another cup of milk.
Am I doing something wrong? I've been told by some people that I'm not feeding him enough, but I don't think that's the case, because kids will eat when they're hungry, right? His diet is mostly dairy, fruit, and certain carbs (he won't go near "dinner" carbs, like pasta or mashed potatoes). Anything I give him that he doesn't like, he won't even try it, he'll just fling it on the floor. Thank god for Puppy- he cleans up most of what LB drops.
*sigh* It's frustrating. I have to deal with the temper tantrums every single night for dinner, and there's no one here (aka, Hubby) to pass him off to, so I can get just one night's break from the drama. Usually, I force several spoonfuls of food down his throat, then either send him to bed with nothing else, or give in with a handful of Cheerios (just so he eats something). I'm worried that at his next appointment, the doctor is going to give me hell when she reviews his diet. But what can I do??? I read that the parents' job is to provide healthy food, while the toddler's job is to actually eat it. I don't know... any advice????
5/26/09
Skype
I'm now a huge fan of Skype! This afternoon, after LB's nap, Hubby skyped me!! No, I'm not going to say where he is and for how long, but I'm just really thankful that I could hear him and see his face... even though it was not exactly the same face he left with. There was a big, burly, thick moustache on his upper lip, like a caterpillar taking over his mouth.
He claims themolestache moustache is a morale booster. He says his guys really think it's awesome and pretty impressive. I think it's gross, so I'm sure he'll shave it off before homecoming. It's not even like a groomed one- it's completely out-of-control. I half-expected the thing to sprout legs and walk off his face.
Anyway, so things are going well with them on this deployment. It's good to hear that- I'd hate to think that a hard situation would be harder if the missions sucked. The admirals call their work "groundbreaking"- I don't know what that means, but I can only imagine!
Hubby loved seeing LB this afternoon. As soon as LB heard Hubby's voice on the computer, he stopped playing, then looked at me, then stared at Hubby's image on the computer. LB wasn't in the best mood, but he did manage the charm the pants off his daddy. Hubby got to see him walk around and babble and wave hello.
And of course, I had to show Hubby my gigantic belly. He said I looked like LB's ninth month, haha! We talked about more boy names- I'm not too fond of his favorite one, but then again, I don't have any brilliant suggestions to add.... hmm, maybe I should be doing that than this.
Okay, off to research boy names. :) Hopefully I'll have more to post about my skyping hubby!
He claims the
Anyway, so things are going well with them on this deployment. It's good to hear that- I'd hate to think that a hard situation would be harder if the missions sucked. The admirals call their work "groundbreaking"- I don't know what that means, but I can only imagine!
Hubby loved seeing LB this afternoon. As soon as LB heard Hubby's voice on the computer, he stopped playing, then looked at me, then stared at Hubby's image on the computer. LB wasn't in the best mood, but he did manage the charm the pants off his daddy. Hubby got to see him walk around and babble and wave hello.
And of course, I had to show Hubby my gigantic belly. He said I looked like LB's ninth month, haha! We talked about more boy names- I'm not too fond of his favorite one, but then again, I don't have any brilliant suggestions to add.... hmm, maybe I should be doing that than this.
Okay, off to research boy names. :) Hopefully I'll have more to post about my skyping hubby!
5/22/09
Welcome back to the tropics, aka Cockroach Heaven
Tonight, I used about a quarter of a can of Raid to kill one cockroach. I saw it on my wall near the sliding glass door and had to take a second look. It was about the size of a friggin rat. As I sprayed the nasty thing, it ran down the wall and into the kitchen and made it across that room before it finally succumbed to death. And even then, I had to spray it some more, because it was fighting the Raid.
Ugh. The worst thing I had to deal with in NH were the black flies and maybe some ants. But I'm not in NH any more- I'm in HI, where the cockroaches are big enough to wrestle my dog. Another reason I can't wait to get out of this place. I can deal with the black flies and ants and even mice, but not cockroaches. It's making my skin crawl to think that thing was in my house. At least it was a big, mature one, and not a tiny, baby one, because that would mean I have a bigger problem than one cockroach.
Gross. I never want to live in a cockroach-infested place like HI again.
Ugh. The worst thing I had to deal with in NH were the black flies and maybe some ants. But I'm not in NH any more- I'm in HI, where the cockroaches are big enough to wrestle my dog. Another reason I can't wait to get out of this place. I can deal with the black flies and ants and even mice, but not cockroaches. It's making my skin crawl to think that thing was in my house. At least it was a big, mature one, and not a tiny, baby one, because that would mean I have a bigger problem than one cockroach.
Gross. I never want to live in a cockroach-infested place like HI again.
My dog has psychological problems
Puppy is a gentle, sweet, friendly dog. He's great with LB and loves meeting people. He just has one fear that is driving me insane.
Whenever he hears jet noise (which is frequent, since we live right near an air force base), he shakes and pants heavily and drools. The shaking I don't have a problem with- it's the panting and drooling.
The drool gets into the carpet and stinks. Have you ever smelled dog breath? Not pleasant. And when it gets into carpet, it's even worse. Like wet dog breath... yuck. And the panting is psychologically irritating to me. It doesn't bother me physically, but to hear it really loudly and constantly around me (since he also follows me when he gets scared), it makes me want to just yell at him. And I know it's not his fault that he has a fear. But I find myself shouting, "What the f***, Puppy?????" because there really is nothing to be afraid of a loud noise.
I wish he'd just get over it. I've tried all the psycho-babble crap that people and dog therapists (yes, they exist) suggest, but it doesn't seem to help. This afternoon, I put him in the fenced in yard outside and closed the doors, just to escape the annoying noise for a few minutes. I felt bad, but hey, this is my sanity, and it's on the verge of breaking most of the time.
I chalk it up to post-traumatic stress disorder. The dog just wasn't the same for several days after his first flight experience. Maybe he associates the jet noise with being confined in a crate for hours (totally the fault of Delta, who lost him for several hours at JFK airport). I can't believe I'm psycho-analyzing my dog, but there is something seriously strange about his fear of jet noise. It's just noise, for crying out loud!!
Whenever he hears jet noise (which is frequent, since we live right near an air force base), he shakes and pants heavily and drools. The shaking I don't have a problem with- it's the panting and drooling.
The drool gets into the carpet and stinks. Have you ever smelled dog breath? Not pleasant. And when it gets into carpet, it's even worse. Like wet dog breath... yuck. And the panting is psychologically irritating to me. It doesn't bother me physically, but to hear it really loudly and constantly around me (since he also follows me when he gets scared), it makes me want to just yell at him. And I know it's not his fault that he has a fear. But I find myself shouting, "What the f***, Puppy?????" because there really is nothing to be afraid of a loud noise.
I wish he'd just get over it. I've tried all the psycho-babble crap that people and dog therapists (yes, they exist) suggest, but it doesn't seem to help. This afternoon, I put him in the fenced in yard outside and closed the doors, just to escape the annoying noise for a few minutes. I felt bad, but hey, this is my sanity, and it's on the verge of breaking most of the time.
I chalk it up to post-traumatic stress disorder. The dog just wasn't the same for several days after his first flight experience. Maybe he associates the jet noise with being confined in a crate for hours (totally the fault of Delta, who lost him for several hours at JFK airport). I can't believe I'm psycho-analyzing my dog, but there is something seriously strange about his fear of jet noise. It's just noise, for crying out loud!!
5/21/09
A few thoughts this evening
1. I can't wait for Adam Lambert's album. And Kris has a molestache.
2. LB won't eat anything healthy, but he likes Haagen Daaz's Caramelized Pear and Pecan ice cream. Go figure.
3. I thought Gilles was going to win DWTS... shocked that Shawn Johnson won.
4. Rod Stewart shouldn't perform ever again. He's terrible now. Not that he was pleasant to hear before.
5. Look to KISS to see how old does it right... although the platform shoes were a little too eccentric.
6. Glad that Adam lost. Maybe he won't have as much creative restrictions as he might have had if he won.
7. Despite having another boy, we're gonna need to spend some serious money again.
8. LB is soooooo cute when he wants to be!
9. While in line at the auto parts store, the man behind me asked if I was all done. I said, no, I haven't checked out. He said "oh", then skipped me and went right to the cashier in front of me. What possesses old people to be arrogant and rude? I felt like punching him in the face.
2. LB won't eat anything healthy, but he likes Haagen Daaz's Caramelized Pear and Pecan ice cream. Go figure.
3. I thought Gilles was going to win DWTS... shocked that Shawn Johnson won.
4. Rod Stewart shouldn't perform ever again. He's terrible now. Not that he was pleasant to hear before.
5. Look to KISS to see how old does it right... although the platform shoes were a little too eccentric.
6. Glad that Adam lost. Maybe he won't have as much creative restrictions as he might have had if he won.
7. Despite having another boy, we're gonna need to spend some serious money again.
8. LB is soooooo cute when he wants to be!
9. While in line at the auto parts store, the man behind me asked if I was all done. I said, no, I haven't checked out. He said "oh", then skipped me and went right to the cashier in front of me. What possesses old people to be arrogant and rude? I felt like punching him in the face.
5/19/09
My car
I have a 2005 Chevy Malibu Maxx. I like the car. It's been good to me, especially after the Ford Focus atrocity. But I'm finding myself becoming very frustrated with it lately.
It's just one little thing, but it's evolving into a big deal. My inspection has gone unrenewed (yeah, totally my fault) since September. But here's the thing- I can't pass inspection with a blinker that doesn't work.
My driver side turn signal lights up, but it doesn't blink. The flasher on my dash flashes really fast, indicating I might have a dead bulb. I've replaced the bulb countless times, but still it lights and doesn't blink.
The fuses aren't bad, but that wouldn't really be the problem anyway, since the bulb clearly gets voltage. All the other turn signals work just fine. I thought it might be the relay, but since the rest of the blinkers are good, it can't be that. I'm just at a loss, and I don't think it's something I want to troubleshoot myself. I just can't imagine doing electrical work, especially since if I shock myself, I'd probably electrocute the crap out of the baby.
So whiskey tango foxtrot??
Any thoughts? Does anyone have something I could try that doesn't require potentially getting shocked by large amounts of electricity (and potentially giving birth to Uncle Fester)? If not, I'm going to have to have someone look at it... Grrrrr, I hate that. I'd rather just do things myself, but it's looking like I don't have a choice.
It's just one little thing, but it's evolving into a big deal. My inspection has gone unrenewed (yeah, totally my fault) since September. But here's the thing- I can't pass inspection with a blinker that doesn't work.
My driver side turn signal lights up, but it doesn't blink. The flasher on my dash flashes really fast, indicating I might have a dead bulb. I've replaced the bulb countless times, but still it lights and doesn't blink.
The fuses aren't bad, but that wouldn't really be the problem anyway, since the bulb clearly gets voltage. All the other turn signals work just fine. I thought it might be the relay, but since the rest of the blinkers are good, it can't be that. I'm just at a loss, and I don't think it's something I want to troubleshoot myself. I just can't imagine doing electrical work, especially since if I shock myself, I'd probably electrocute the crap out of the baby.
So whiskey tango foxtrot??
Any thoughts? Does anyone have something I could try that doesn't require potentially getting shocked by large amounts of electricity (and potentially giving birth to Uncle Fester)? If not, I'm going to have to have someone look at it... Grrrrr, I hate that. I'd rather just do things myself, but it's looking like I don't have a choice.
5/16/09
Finally back
After spending a long time in NH, LB and I are finally back in HI. We flew out this week, and I've been busy trying to get our life back here!
The trip was good in the beginning, and sucky around the end. LB didn't nap on the first flight, like I expected him to. We sat in the middle of three seats- on both sides were 20-something guys. I thought, great, these guys won't have any sympathy for a pregnant lady with a toddler, but they loved LB and played with him, and let me get up as many times as I needed. On the second leg, we sat in the middle again, but this time there were two huge guys sitting next to us. One was an older man who didn't want anything to do with us, and the other went into drug withdrawal for the last two hours of the flight. The flight attendants were bitches, except the guy one, who took LB to first class for a bit so I could relax. Fortunately, my neighbor picked me up, and LB went to sleep right away, but it was a LOOOOOONG trip. I'm not too sure I could do that again.
Since we've been back, I've been going grocery shopping, cleaning, unpacking, signing back up for Triwest (health care), getting forms from the housing people so I can modify the house and they can cut my lawn, going to meetings, etc. I'm pretty sure by Monday, we'll be all set... except for making a vet appointment, OB appointment, and PCM appointment.
Right now, I'm eating a box of Samoas (from the freezer- yay for surprises!) and watching TV, but I'm pretty tired and have a bunch of things to do tomorrow, so bedtime may come a little early, relatively speaking.
The trip was good in the beginning, and sucky around the end. LB didn't nap on the first flight, like I expected him to. We sat in the middle of three seats- on both sides were 20-something guys. I thought, great, these guys won't have any sympathy for a pregnant lady with a toddler, but they loved LB and played with him, and let me get up as many times as I needed. On the second leg, we sat in the middle again, but this time there were two huge guys sitting next to us. One was an older man who didn't want anything to do with us, and the other went into drug withdrawal for the last two hours of the flight. The flight attendants were bitches, except the guy one, who took LB to first class for a bit so I could relax. Fortunately, my neighbor picked me up, and LB went to sleep right away, but it was a LOOOOOONG trip. I'm not too sure I could do that again.
Since we've been back, I've been going grocery shopping, cleaning, unpacking, signing back up for Triwest (health care), getting forms from the housing people so I can modify the house and they can cut my lawn, going to meetings, etc. I'm pretty sure by Monday, we'll be all set... except for making a vet appointment, OB appointment, and PCM appointment.
Right now, I'm eating a box of Samoas (from the freezer- yay for surprises!) and watching TV, but I'm pretty tired and have a bunch of things to do tomorrow, so bedtime may come a little early, relatively speaking.
5/12/09
Yup, seriously.
LB woke up at 4:45am this morning. Yes, that's am. And I was not happy.
Why don't kids realize how good sleep is? They have all the time in the world to get a good night's rest, and they wake up at the crack of dawn. Meanwhile, adults who have responsibilities and things to do always seem to be lacking in sleep. A little ironic, huh?
Why don't kids realize how good sleep is? They have all the time in the world to get a good night's rest, and they wake up at the crack of dawn. Meanwhile, adults who have responsibilities and things to do always seem to be lacking in sleep. A little ironic, huh?
5/9/09
5:20am... Seriously???
LB woke up around 5am this morning. I prayed that he would fall back asleep, and he did, but only until 5:20. I am totally a zombie right now. Everyone keeps asking me why I'm so tired, but nobody is awake with me at the crack of dawn. I'll bet if they had to get up this early, they'd be tired and cranky, too.
Has anyone used black-out blinds or something to that effect? I'm considering buying them, since LB wakes up at dawn no matter what time he goes to bed.
Has anyone used black-out blinds or something to that effect? I'm considering buying them, since LB wakes up at dawn no matter what time he goes to bed.
5/7/09
RIP G-pa... March 24, 1919 - May 1, 2009
Well, I was scheduled to fly back to HI yesterday. I am currently not en route. I had to change my plans due to something I had hoped would never happen. But, of course, these things eventually do...
My mom got a call in the morning from her sister. It's strange for my aunt to call so early, but I already felt deep down in my heart that I knew the reason she was calling as soon as the phone rang. My grandfather passed away that morning. Watching my mom take the news was one of the worst things I have ever witnessed.
Even worse was watching my grandmother when she saw him in the coffin. It brought everyone in the room to tears, and I don't mean a tiny trickle down the face. Everyone was sobbing listening to what she was saying and how she sounded. It was the sound of someone's heart being ripped from their chest. Truly awful.
Since my family is catholic, we had a very catholic wake, mass & funeral, and internment. Also, since my Gpa was in the Army during WWII, there were several Army guys on hand at the internment to play taps and fold the flag to present it to my Gma. LB and I missed the internment- he had to nap- but I heard it was touching. During the mass, my sister and I were asked to play "We Have Been Told". She sang and I played the piano. I didn't think I was going to be able to do it, but strangely sitting in front of the piano was the only time during the entire mass that I wasn't constantly crying (I blame the preggo hormones). It was the perfect gift that we could have given him.
When I was 10 (this isn't a side-note... I have a point), my other grandfather (my dad's dad) died of a heart attack. I remember going to the funeral and being truly sad about it, but after the funeral, I remember thinking that if my other grandfather (my mom's dad) died, it would be very traumatic to the family. Gpa was the head of the family- he was the foundation that brought us all together, even after he died. And it was even worse than what I imagined at 10.
It was a rare week. My family decided to drive to SC from NH, taking two days. The roadtrip was stressful, but fun. LB cut another molar, and I was just plain old exhausted and cranky and stiff from sitting for hours. It took awhile, stopping to change LB and to get food. But it was a fun time, probably one of the few times we'll all take a roadtrip together. Also, this was the first time in many years that the entire family was brought together. Someone was always missing for a wedding or reunion or party, but this time every cousin and every uncle and every aunt were there.
My oldest cousin gave the eulogy at the funeral, and she took the words out of my mouth. Since I don't remember word for word, here's the gist. Gpa wasn't just a pharmacist or a soldier- he was a grandpa, a father, and a husband. He always made sure he had a special bond with everyone in the family. We had a lot of good memories together with Gpa- the butterscotch candies he always had for the grandkids, the good italian food (especially the homemade sauce), the way your glass was always cleaned and dried and put away before you've even finished your drink, walking on his back as kids, calling everyone "Charlie!" and calling Gma "Butch!", and always saying before every meal "Thank you, God, for bringing us all together."
I love you, Gpa, and I will miss you terribly.
My mom got a call in the morning from her sister. It's strange for my aunt to call so early, but I already felt deep down in my heart that I knew the reason she was calling as soon as the phone rang. My grandfather passed away that morning. Watching my mom take the news was one of the worst things I have ever witnessed.
Even worse was watching my grandmother when she saw him in the coffin. It brought everyone in the room to tears, and I don't mean a tiny trickle down the face. Everyone was sobbing listening to what she was saying and how she sounded. It was the sound of someone's heart being ripped from their chest. Truly awful.
Since my family is catholic, we had a very catholic wake, mass & funeral, and internment. Also, since my Gpa was in the Army during WWII, there were several Army guys on hand at the internment to play taps and fold the flag to present it to my Gma. LB and I missed the internment- he had to nap- but I heard it was touching. During the mass, my sister and I were asked to play "We Have Been Told". She sang and I played the piano. I didn't think I was going to be able to do it, but strangely sitting in front of the piano was the only time during the entire mass that I wasn't constantly crying (I blame the preggo hormones). It was the perfect gift that we could have given him.
When I was 10 (this isn't a side-note... I have a point), my other grandfather (my dad's dad) died of a heart attack. I remember going to the funeral and being truly sad about it, but after the funeral, I remember thinking that if my other grandfather (my mom's dad) died, it would be very traumatic to the family. Gpa was the head of the family- he was the foundation that brought us all together, even after he died. And it was even worse than what I imagined at 10.
It was a rare week. My family decided to drive to SC from NH, taking two days. The roadtrip was stressful, but fun. LB cut another molar, and I was just plain old exhausted and cranky and stiff from sitting for hours. It took awhile, stopping to change LB and to get food. But it was a fun time, probably one of the few times we'll all take a roadtrip together. Also, this was the first time in many years that the entire family was brought together. Someone was always missing for a wedding or reunion or party, but this time every cousin and every uncle and every aunt were there.
My oldest cousin gave the eulogy at the funeral, and she took the words out of my mouth. Since I don't remember word for word, here's the gist. Gpa wasn't just a pharmacist or a soldier- he was a grandpa, a father, and a husband. He always made sure he had a special bond with everyone in the family. We had a lot of good memories together with Gpa- the butterscotch candies he always had for the grandkids, the good italian food (especially the homemade sauce), the way your glass was always cleaned and dried and put away before you've even finished your drink, walking on his back as kids, calling everyone "Charlie!" and calling Gma "Butch!", and always saying before every meal "Thank you, God, for bringing us all together."
I love you, Gpa, and I will miss you terribly.
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