We had breakfast at Friendly's this morning - the whole gang. Even Michael was able to come. I couldn't have had a better birthday present than to have them all together in one place!!!
Part of facing your own mortality is living fully in the special moments. This morning I lived fully in the moment!
It was Kate's nap time, but Richard and Julie brought her anyway. The sacrifice was not lost on me. I SO appreciated all of them being there! Julie is so good to me, sometimes it makes me cry.
Kate is saying "uh oh" (kind of) and she just started pulling herself up. At this age, it seems like every day brings some new achievement.
Bryce was all decked out in Nike wrist bands (like P.J. and Anthony) - his hair moussed - darling! He really could be a model. He's adorable AND he loves the camera! He asked Crystal if "Mike" would be there. Crystal asked "Who is Mike?". Bryce answered, "You know - the Mike that comes with Grammie." Mike? How funny! Michael usually doesn't like to be called Mike, but being called Mike by Bryce was okay!! So now.... Mike, it is!
Gregory, Alex and Matthew always keep Greg and Amy busy - 3 kids is a full-time job in itself. They are getting SO big!
Matthew brought Michael and I a "treat" - a lollipop - from home - just for us. What a sweetie!!
Alex did a great job keeping an eye on Bryce. Alex is such a tender child. And he has an inquisitive mind that I love. So special!
Gregory is doing well - reading 300-400 pages a week. I was lucky enough to sit across the table from him at breakfast. Conversations with Gregory are always a delight!
Greg & Amy, Scott & Crystal, Richard & Julie - are my heart - my joy - my delight. I am so very blessed!
Happy birthday to me!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Quick stop on a busy day...
Greg and the kids went to B.J.'s this morning while Amy went to get her hair cut. They stopped on the way home to deliver the electric diswashing "stuff" I asked Greg to pick up while he was there.
They were in a hurry - had food in the back of the truck that needed to be put away, so they couldn't come in for a visit. Greg came to the door and when I found out they couldn't come in, I went out to the truck to see the kids. While Greg walked to the door, Alex turned the stereo in the truck WAY up! So funny! He loves A.C.D.C.!
I know Alex and Gregory play a mean air guitar, but I play the best "cane" guitar in Wilmington. I thought Matthew was going to fall out of his car seat, he laughed so hard! "Do it again, Grammie!" he screamed. "Do it again!" And as parents and grandparents, there's very little we wouldn't do to make them laugh! So, of course I did it again - and again - and again.
What joy 15 minutes can bring! I smiled off and on all day, thinking of Matthew's face.
They were in a hurry - had food in the back of the truck that needed to be put away, so they couldn't come in for a visit. Greg came to the door and when I found out they couldn't come in, I went out to the truck to see the kids. While Greg walked to the door, Alex turned the stereo in the truck WAY up! So funny! He loves A.C.D.C.!
I know Alex and Gregory play a mean air guitar, but I play the best "cane" guitar in Wilmington. I thought Matthew was going to fall out of his car seat, he laughed so hard! "Do it again, Grammie!" he screamed. "Do it again!" And as parents and grandparents, there's very little we wouldn't do to make them laugh! So, of course I did it again - and again - and again.
What joy 15 minutes can bring! I smiled off and on all day, thinking of Matthew's face.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Ride 'em cowboy!
Bryce's birthday party was on Sunday in Middletown. Two-year-olds don't always have a lot of fun at their birthday party - so much confusion - so many "traditions" - so many people. But Bryce had a BLAST at his own birthday party. I was amazed at how much he understood about the whole "birthday party" concept.
He could hardly wait to blow out the candles on his cake. And after he successfully completed that task, he just grinned - so pleased with himself.
The menu? Hot dogs rolled in crescents (TERRIFIC!), chicken, macaroni & cheese, applesauce (in little containers), a veggie tray, cheese and crackers, cupcakes, cookies, ice cream dixie cups - more than we could all eat in THREE days! Scott and Crystal are great at throwing parties! They work so hard - and it pays off. Everyone seemed to have a wonderful time - especially Bryce!
I got him a rocking horse which he promptly named Penny after a horse in one of his favorite movies. I don't usually know what to get the kids. They have so much - and I often feel old and out of touch. But this one was easy! Bryce is in L*O*V*E with horses at the moment. It was fun to buy something I knew he'd like.
All the kids and THEIR kids were there. What could be better? I always love seeing Gregory, Alex and Matthew. And Kate was sooooooo cute in her Eagle's cheerleading outfit. Unfortunately, it didn't help - they lost. But who cared about the Eagles when we had such a cute cheerleader to watch. :)
Speaking of cheerleaders, Bella was named captain of her cheerleading squad. Kudos to Bella. She did a couple cheers for Julie. It was easy to see why she's captain! She is really growing up! So pretty! So sweet! I LOVE making jewelry for Bella because she enjoys wearing it so much!
Michael had to work and wasn't able to go to the party. He was missed.
My father drove to my house from Levittown and then rode to Scott and Crystal's house with me. It was a nice day. We had a good trip - pleasant conversation. I was glad he was able to come.
All in all - a terrific day!
He could hardly wait to blow out the candles on his cake. And after he successfully completed that task, he just grinned - so pleased with himself.
The menu? Hot dogs rolled in crescents (TERRIFIC!), chicken, macaroni & cheese, applesauce (in little containers), a veggie tray, cheese and crackers, cupcakes, cookies, ice cream dixie cups - more than we could all eat in THREE days! Scott and Crystal are great at throwing parties! They work so hard - and it pays off. Everyone seemed to have a wonderful time - especially Bryce!
I got him a rocking horse which he promptly named Penny after a horse in one of his favorite movies. I don't usually know what to get the kids. They have so much - and I often feel old and out of touch. But this one was easy! Bryce is in L*O*V*E with horses at the moment. It was fun to buy something I knew he'd like.
All the kids and THEIR kids were there. What could be better? I always love seeing Gregory, Alex and Matthew. And Kate was sooooooo cute in her Eagle's cheerleading outfit. Unfortunately, it didn't help - they lost. But who cared about the Eagles when we had such a cute cheerleader to watch. :)
Speaking of cheerleaders, Bella was named captain of her cheerleading squad. Kudos to Bella. She did a couple cheers for Julie. It was easy to see why she's captain! She is really growing up! So pretty! So sweet! I LOVE making jewelry for Bella because she enjoys wearing it so much!
Michael had to work and wasn't able to go to the party. He was missed.
My father drove to my house from Levittown and then rode to Scott and Crystal's house with me. It was a nice day. We had a good trip - pleasant conversation. I was glad he was able to come.
All in all - a terrific day!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
... and the weekend comes to an end
Sunday - Matthew's third birthday party - a cookout and Greg and Amy's house - burgers, dogs, barbequed chicken! WONDERFUL!
Matthew, of course, got tons of presents! The thing that surprised me the most was how well he shared his new things. It seemed as if there were almost as many kids there as there were adults at the party. And the little ones all wanted to play with Matthew's new toys (Josh and Tyler weren't all that interested in the bubble-blowing lawnmower). And Matthew shared! No tears - no "MINE!!!" - he just shared. There were some things he wanted first, but he really did share all his new stuff. He is such a sweeeeeet child! I'm especially fond of his squeezy-neck hugs! Luckily for me, he's more than generous with those! :)
The food was terrific! I'm always amazed at how easily Greg can cook for 20 - 30 people. I guess all those afternoons watching Yan Can Cook when Greg was small, really helped. It's interesting to me that he always found cooking fascinating. Julia Child was a favorite too, but she came later and Greg wasn't as dedicated to Julia as he was to Yan. He rarely missed an episode of Yan Can Cook. This past Sunday we were all the beneficiaries of Greg's interest in cooking!
Again, the whole gang was there. Kate was soooooo good. What a happy baby! And Bryce? Bryce seems to love being "the show". When it was cake-and-ice-cream time, all the kids were an icing mess, but Bryce was actually icing art work. He painted his face with icing (and his hair - and his ears - and... and... and... )! It's his turn for a birthday next week. It'll be interesting to see if he remembers Sunday's paint-with-icing sesssion and repeats it. :)
Gregory and Alex visited me on the deck for a hug and some quick conversation. On the first day of school, I gave them each a coupon for dinner at Cheeburger Cheeburger with me. I asked Gregory on Sunday if he and Alex were going to go together, or if they'd prefer to go to dinner separately. Gregory told me he thought they needed some separation time. That works for me. In fact, I'd prefer it. I'd love to spend more time with them - one at a time - to get to know them better.
AND... the new puppy (Bubba - although the puppy's name seemed to still be in the negotiation phase) was really good at the party. He's such a calm puppy - doesn't rattle easily - not one bit nervous with all the people. This is their fourth try at having a dog. I'm hoping that this one is the charm. This definitely seems to be the best puppy they've had. Plus the kids are older AND Josh and Tyler are around to help. Good vibes!
Monday looked like it was going to be a slow, lazy day - nothing going on. BUT Richard and Julie called to say they were going to Jimmy's for lunch and to invite Michael and me to meet them there. We were ready to go in 5 minutes and hurried over for an unexpected Monday treat! Kate, as usual was wonderful. She's just darling! Julie fed her baby peaches (as fast as Kate could swallow the previous spoonful). If Julie hesitated, Kate let her know she needed to get back to it! Fun! The three of them are SO happy.
What a great way to end a fantastic weekend!
Matthew, of course, got tons of presents! The thing that surprised me the most was how well he shared his new things. It seemed as if there were almost as many kids there as there were adults at the party. And the little ones all wanted to play with Matthew's new toys (Josh and Tyler weren't all that interested in the bubble-blowing lawnmower). And Matthew shared! No tears - no "MINE!!!" - he just shared. There were some things he wanted first, but he really did share all his new stuff. He is such a sweeeeeet child! I'm especially fond of his squeezy-neck hugs! Luckily for me, he's more than generous with those! :)
The food was terrific! I'm always amazed at how easily Greg can cook for 20 - 30 people. I guess all those afternoons watching Yan Can Cook when Greg was small, really helped. It's interesting to me that he always found cooking fascinating. Julia Child was a favorite too, but she came later and Greg wasn't as dedicated to Julia as he was to Yan. He rarely missed an episode of Yan Can Cook. This past Sunday we were all the beneficiaries of Greg's interest in cooking!
Again, the whole gang was there. Kate was soooooo good. What a happy baby! And Bryce? Bryce seems to love being "the show". When it was cake-and-ice-cream time, all the kids were an icing mess, but Bryce was actually icing art work. He painted his face with icing (and his hair - and his ears - and... and... and... )! It's his turn for a birthday next week. It'll be interesting to see if he remembers Sunday's paint-with-icing sesssion and repeats it. :)
Gregory and Alex visited me on the deck for a hug and some quick conversation. On the first day of school, I gave them each a coupon for dinner at Cheeburger Cheeburger with me. I asked Gregory on Sunday if he and Alex were going to go together, or if they'd prefer to go to dinner separately. Gregory told me he thought they needed some separation time. That works for me. In fact, I'd prefer it. I'd love to spend more time with them - one at a time - to get to know them better.
AND... the new puppy (Bubba - although the puppy's name seemed to still be in the negotiation phase) was really good at the party. He's such a calm puppy - doesn't rattle easily - not one bit nervous with all the people. This is their fourth try at having a dog. I'm hoping that this one is the charm. This definitely seems to be the best puppy they've had. Plus the kids are older AND Josh and Tyler are around to help. Good vibes!
Monday looked like it was going to be a slow, lazy day - nothing going on. BUT Richard and Julie called to say they were going to Jimmy's for lunch and to invite Michael and me to meet them there. We were ready to go in 5 minutes and hurried over for an unexpected Monday treat! Kate, as usual was wonderful. She's just darling! Julie fed her baby peaches (as fast as Kate could swallow the previous spoonful). If Julie hesitated, Kate let her know she needed to get back to it! Fun! The three of them are SO happy.
What a great way to end a fantastic weekend!
Monday, September 3, 2007
And so the weekend begins...
Labor Day weekend! Busy and fun!
Friday night was quiet - Michael was supposed to be off on Friday, but he was told that if he would work on Friday, he could have Saturday, Sunday and Monday off. I think that's what's known as a "no brainer".
Saturday, Michael and I went to Levittown to meet my father at the Dallas for breakfast. It was a beautiful day - low 80's - low humidity - super day for a ride - good music - good company - nice start to the day.
Dad was glad to see us. We had a delicious breakfast, pleasant conversation. I learned when and how our family ended up in Levittown - interesting.
And so this is how the story goes....
We were living in Baltimore - Dad was a civil engineer. He was working a job and noticed someone watching them for several days. Finally, the man approached my father and asked him if he would be interested in tripling his salary. Dad replied that he would - if it was legal. The man told him that he needed my father in Morrisville, PA to do the same job he was doing in Baltimore. Dad asked when he would start. "Tomorrow" he was told.
Baltimore to Morrisville was quite a commute in those days. Dad left before sunrise and got home after dark. He said the first span of the Delaware Memorial Bridge had just been built. He was one of the first to use it.
Dad was glad to be working in Pennsylvania because that's where his Optometric license was valid. His goal was to end up in Pennsylvania and practice Optometry, so the job in Morrisville moved him one step closer.
Levitt was in the process of building Levittown at the time. As Dad commuted to Morrisville, he rode by the sample homes every day. He stopped and asked the salesman if they had a corner lot available anywhere. The answer was "No".
Dad continued to commute and to stop regularly at the sample homes. Finally, the salesman told Dad that he had a cancellation on the corner at #1 Lakeside Drive. My father signed the papers and we moved to Levittown.
I don't know how that fits into the timeline of my life - whether that was before or after my parents were separated for a year. I'm guessing it was after they reconciled, or maybe it was part of their reconciliation - maybe 1952? I'll have to ask him. I'd like to talk to him about that time in his life.
It seems every time I go to Levittown, I learn more about my past, about my father's life - more memories - a lot of them happy ones. How strange that 6 or 7 years ago, I had virtually NO memories of my childhood - hadn't had any for as long as I can remember.
Michael and I took a ride around Levittown - past the old library that's now a Ukranian, Evangelical Baptist Church (What a mouthful! ) - past the Lutheran church in Lakeside (now for sale) where Avis played the organ for years - past the tiny Dutch Reformed Church, where I was so accepted as a teenager - past the Lakeside pool where I spent so many days, swimming my 50 miles per summer as part of President Kennedy's physical fitness campaign; performing in the end-of-season water ballet every year (my mother made my bathing suits for the big production) - past my old elementary school (Walt Disney), where I remembered having a huge jet (a real one - see page 4 of the linked document) on the playground (I also remember hundreds of tiny spiders inside the jet).
We also drove through the parking lot at the high school where I graduated (Formerly the home of the Woodrow Wilson Golden Rams - now Harry S. Truman Tigers. Why the name and mascot change? Who knows!) - past the part of the building that used to house a gorgeous swimming pool where I was a diver and swam backstroke on the swim team - down to the football field where I could see myself in 1965, dressed in my cheerleading skirt and sweater, cheering the Rams to victory on a Friday night, the stands full to overflowing with fans.
It was a day FULL of memories - both good and bad - I'm grateful for all of them!
Friday night was quiet - Michael was supposed to be off on Friday, but he was told that if he would work on Friday, he could have Saturday, Sunday and Monday off. I think that's what's known as a "no brainer".
Saturday, Michael and I went to Levittown to meet my father at the Dallas for breakfast. It was a beautiful day - low 80's - low humidity - super day for a ride - good music - good company - nice start to the day.
Dad was glad to see us. We had a delicious breakfast, pleasant conversation. I learned when and how our family ended up in Levittown - interesting.
And so this is how the story goes....
We were living in Baltimore - Dad was a civil engineer. He was working a job and noticed someone watching them for several days. Finally, the man approached my father and asked him if he would be interested in tripling his salary. Dad replied that he would - if it was legal. The man told him that he needed my father in Morrisville, PA to do the same job he was doing in Baltimore. Dad asked when he would start. "Tomorrow" he was told.
Baltimore to Morrisville was quite a commute in those days. Dad left before sunrise and got home after dark. He said the first span of the Delaware Memorial Bridge had just been built. He was one of the first to use it.
Dad was glad to be working in Pennsylvania because that's where his Optometric license was valid. His goal was to end up in Pennsylvania and practice Optometry, so the job in Morrisville moved him one step closer.
Levitt was in the process of building Levittown at the time. As Dad commuted to Morrisville, he rode by the sample homes every day. He stopped and asked the salesman if they had a corner lot available anywhere. The answer was "No".
Dad continued to commute and to stop regularly at the sample homes. Finally, the salesman told Dad that he had a cancellation on the corner at #1 Lakeside Drive. My father signed the papers and we moved to Levittown.
I don't know how that fits into the timeline of my life - whether that was before or after my parents were separated for a year. I'm guessing it was after they reconciled, or maybe it was part of their reconciliation - maybe 1952? I'll have to ask him. I'd like to talk to him about that time in his life.
It seems every time I go to Levittown, I learn more about my past, about my father's life - more memories - a lot of them happy ones. How strange that 6 or 7 years ago, I had virtually NO memories of my childhood - hadn't had any for as long as I can remember.
Michael and I took a ride around Levittown - past the old library that's now a Ukranian, Evangelical Baptist Church (What a mouthful! ) - past the Lutheran church in Lakeside (now for sale) where Avis played the organ for years - past the tiny Dutch Reformed Church, where I was so accepted as a teenager - past the Lakeside pool where I spent so many days, swimming my 50 miles per summer as part of President Kennedy's physical fitness campaign; performing in the end-of-season water ballet every year (my mother made my bathing suits for the big production) - past my old elementary school (Walt Disney), where I remembered having a huge jet (a real one - see page 4 of the linked document) on the playground (I also remember hundreds of tiny spiders inside the jet).
We also drove through the parking lot at the high school where I graduated (Formerly the home of the Woodrow Wilson Golden Rams - now Harry S. Truman Tigers. Why the name and mascot change? Who knows!) - past the part of the building that used to house a gorgeous swimming pool where I was a diver and swam backstroke on the swim team - down to the football field where I could see myself in 1965, dressed in my cheerleading skirt and sweater, cheering the Rams to victory on a Friday night, the stands full to overflowing with fans.
It was a day FULL of memories - both good and bad - I'm grateful for all of them!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)