What would you take?

This is going to be bizzare. I had a dream last night, might have been the Nyquil I took for this damn cold of mine, anyway the dream had to do with the world as we know it today with all the technology going away. And we all had to pack quickly (in 20 minutes) all the things we thought we would need to make it in this new world.

Can you guess what I took? I was really methodical. I saw Jerry run for Gun and Ammo. I saw other family members grab gold and jewels, family photos, food.

I got two big backpacks full of needles. . .Scissors. . . thread!! Why? Cause I knew I could make a living, trade the skills I possessed in my head and hands for the things I needed.

Ya think I read too much Science Fiction?

American Slang

Grandpa has an affinity for leading the conversation with little kids making them fess up to things most parents would be embarrassed to have them say. I saw this happen years ago when (then 4 year old) niece Keely had a lengthy conversation about toilets and toilet paper with “Uncle Jerry”.

It is almost like Art Linkletter, for those of us in the older generation, or Bill Cosby for those younger, relatively speaking of course.

Given the opportunity to take one 3 year old granddaughter to the birthday party of another granddaughter we said yes. While on the drive Grandpa asked Joy if she would like to see a Weiner get plugged into the wall and cooked. We had been talking about dinner food and this was a logical conversation.

Actually he used the word Weinie.

Joy did not respond immediately. She has learned that Grandpa is silly. He likes to call her Sarah, Susan, Korban, all sorts of names just to get her to say “Grandpa, I’m JOY”.
I could see her little brain trying to figure out this new name game he was playing.

The joke was on Grandpa this time. Over and Over he kept asking about cooking a Weinie. I told him to stop using that word, then he used the word HOT DOG. She understood then.

I asked her. . . .”Joy, what is a Weinie?” Knowing what was going to happen.

“That’s what a boy uses to go pee pee.”

It is rare to see Jerry crackup.

You can just imagine the pictures in Joy’s mind when he asked if she wanted to see a Weinie get plugged into the wall and cooked!!!

Dedicated to my daughters and other Mommies.

This Blog is dedicated to my daughters, be they step daughters or blood daughters or adopted daughters. You are all Mommies now, or will be soon, you know what this means.

ATTENTION CHILDREN: THE BATHROOM DOOR IS CLOSED.

Please do not stand here and talk, whine or ask questions. Wait untill I get out.

Yes it is locked. I want it that way. It is not broken, I am not trapped. I know I have left it unlocked, and even open at times, since you were born, because I was afraid some horrible tragedy might occur while I was in here, but it's been 7 years and I want some PRIVACY.

Do not ask me how long I will be. I will come out when I am done.

Do not bring the phone to the bathroom door.

Do not go running back to the phone yelling, "She's in the BATHROOM!"

Do not begin to fight as soon as I go in.

Do not stick your little fingers under the door and wiggle them. This was funny when you were two, but not now.

Do not slide pennies, Legos, or notes under the door. Even when you were two this got a little tiresome.

If you have followed me down the hall talking, and are still talking as you face this closed door, please turn around, walk away, and wait for me in another room. I will be glad to listen to you when I am done.

And yes, I still Love you.

(signed)
Mom

So the above Note I stumbled onto over 20 years ago. It was oh, so true that I had to cut it out and saved it. No, I don't know where it came from, nor what magazine or author to credit.

Yes, I am a grandmother now and should feel lucky I am past this phase with my children.
BUT!!!!!!
I have a worse problem now. . .



My Cats can't read the sign.
They just stand outside the door and Meow till I open it. And Jerry laughs hysterically when I take a shower and they stand outside the door talking to me.
They never do it to him. . . .Only me.
Mommies are special.

My favorite toy

Each age of childhood has it's favorite toy. I'm not talking about the most popular, but rather to each child there is a favorite toy.

7 year old Mary loved Sixfinger. The secret agent craze (cold war) was in full swing in 1965 and microfilm was just beginning to find it's way into the everyday conversations. Miniature cameras, codes, hidden phones in SHOES of all places.
I had to share my Sixfinger with my 5 year old brother, who promptly lost parts of it. Sigh




10 year old Mary didn't have a specific favorite toy and not even a manufactured toy, but rather the dress ups were the favorite. Go figure. . huh? Who would want to dress up a doll when you could dress yourself up. And ohhhhh, when we moved into the house that had a playhouse in the backyard!!! I was in 7th heaven. . .till the now 8 year old little brother decided to make the playhouse into a gulag and fight off the enemy (me).


14. . .awww 14. . .No toys. . .a transistor radio! and listening to KYES Roseburg Oregon. And Saturday afternoon at 2pm was the All request show! You had to fill out your request slip and put it into the box at the Red Wing shoe store in town by Friday morning to get your request in.





At 16 you would think toys were done with, but nooooo. Much like today when teenagers like to revert back to childhood and carry around Hello Kitty stuff. . .I carried around Holly Hobbie. . .yes. . .Holly hobbie when she first came out, 1974. And I bought a 8 inch doll. I still have her somewhere. . .what does that say about me?

As an adult I think my favorite toy would be my Ipod and has been for 6-7 years now. But of course Jerry wouldn't call it a toy, he calls it a nuisance. Yet recently a new toy has entered my life, thanks to my German friends, Birgit & Reimer.


We saw this in Tolz Germany on our trip last year and became entranced by it. Looks simple doesn't it. Take a marble and drop it on the top "branch" of this rainbow tree and it tumbles down making a wonderful Marimba (wood zylophone) sound.


What was your favorite toy?

Ground Hog Day. . .sorta

Last Year, in preperation for our trip to Germany, spcifically visiting Karlsruhe, I wanted to get a better idea of what the landscape looked like in that region. It is the SW corner of Germany. Thanks to current Technology I can do that. With a quick SEARCH on webcams in the area I can start seeing weather, traffic, even local pubs/shops and residences. I can also see local attractions and the animal kingdom.

One of these cameras became a favorite of mine very quickly.
A stork Cam.
When I first clicked on it there were two teen age storks in it and a set of parents.
I watched them through the summer. And by September they disappeared.

In December I started to check every morning as I sign on my computer for work. I can't wait for the mated pair to come back and start making a new family for this year. I want to see the babies hatch from eggs this time.

This is a very small picture, the only one I could find. I can't capture off the webcam anything. It is best to go visit the link and see for yourself.
The cool thing is you can see the town and the Gasthaus (resturant on the right side) has installed solar panels on the roof. During their bad snow storm in december everything was covered with about 10 inches of snow, but not the solar panels.

It is sorta like waiting for the ground hog, when I see the storks I know that spring has arrived.

Wind it up

There are two buckets full of wind up toys in the Nana room. The grandkids actually ask me to bring them out and they play with all of them. Yes there are favorites among the hopping, spinning, flapping & walking creatures. Some of them are new creations and some are vintage like the Woodstock of Peanuts fame.
There is one windup vintage toy character that none of the kids knew. They had asked me previously who it was and it took me a while to decide how to explain him. Last night he was brought out again and the renewed interest began. This time with Mommy around we tried to explain E.T.


I happen to have the movie on DVD and suggested we all watch it together. Mommy was not so sure they were ready for it. These grandchildren are 3-5-7 years old and can be sensitive to sad stories. After dinner we put the movie in. Unfortunately Mommy said when she was a little girl she was afraid at the beginning so that put it in their minds that it was a spooky story. They all wanted to sit next to Mommy with the blanket.

I know I should have taken pictures. But let’s just say it was soooooooo darn cute watching everyone experience E.T. for the first time. Joy thinks he is scary but loves Gertie (Drew Barrymore). Korban was really immersed in how Elliot was trying to take care of E.T., And Kentucky was able to predict the “Feelings” E.T. was having about wanting to go home. He also loved (jumped all over the living room) the bike race at the end and helping E.T. escape.

Over all it was wonderful. As Mommy and I watched we also noticed all the bloopers, clothing/costume choices, toys in the closet and Product Placement (Reeses Pieces, Coors Beer, etc.). This made it even interesting to us. Even Grandpa said it was the first time he had seen all three kids engrossed in the same movie. They never left the room.

Now my little wind up toy has a special meaning to 3 more kids.
Phone Home. . . . . . . .

Long Winter's Nap

December was so full of events it is hard to decide which ones to write about and share with the rest of my far away families. But Here are some.

What really counts?
Family. . .all 19 of us in one room. Talking all at once, unwrapping at once and generally smiling all at once.

Tim & Jerry

David S. & Jerry & Luelle


Monday is garbage day in our neighborhood. I know the sanitation guys are going to be happy they have mechanical arms to pic up our bins on Monday. That was a lot of paper and plastic to remove.


And trying to get the grandkids in one spot smiling. IMPOSSIBLE!! AT least most of them wore some part of the matching PJ’s I got them.





Holiday events. . . Walked Peacock Lane and time with Herbie. (a 3 block area where every house has lights on it, this is located just 5 blocks from my stepfather's house so we park there and walk it)




Dressing friend's tree with oodles of Balloon Ornaments.




Zoolights, walking through the Oregon zoo on a Very cold and windy night. How many kids can you cram into a stroller?






Breakfast with Santa is never complete without crafts and a picture with Santa AND the RODEO QUEEN!!





Kentucky getting his Yellow Belt in TaeKwando. His goal was to complete it before he was 7 and he did it with 2 weeks to spare. GREAT JOB!!


And Kentucky got published in the Town newspaper for his picture & quote.


Birthdays count, sometimes more of them than others. Like Sarah’s 30th!
The surprised look on her face as she reached into the back seat and Jerry grabbed her arm was priceless. Especially as I saw it through the rear view mirror.
Hope she doesn’t for get this birthday.


The quiet moment AFTER everyone leaves the house counts high too! I know the cats think so.
Monster & Shadow got beds from Great Grandma & Great Grandpa this year. And they are already using them.


Now I look forward to putting away Christmas and settling in for a LONG WINTER’S NAP. Hmmmmmm’nitey ‘nite. . z.z.z.z.z.z.z.z.