My niece is getting married this weekend.  Or ‘hitched’ as the invitations state.  The wedding is here in Texas, but Mom and Dad don’t travel much anymore.  I’ll be heading to Louisiana for a few days and then drive my parents to the wedding here in Texas.  After returning them home (they don’t want to stay overnight) I plan to visit a few days longer.

The kids can’t get me out the door fast enough.  I’m leaving them in the hands of their father which is like leaving another teen in charge.   With Mom gone they can eat all the junk food they want, never hear the words “turn it down”, forget all chores, stay up all night and sleep all day.  There are many other things that happen I’m sure, but as my oldest son says, “Mom, you really don’t want to know.”  And he’s right.  I don’t.

My parents don’t have Internet so I’ll be out of the loop for awhile.  Take care and I’ll see you in about a week or so.  Maybe.  Have I mentioned how peaceful and quiet it is at my parents?

1.  Grandson bursts into the bathroom:

g-son:  MiMi!!!  MiMi!!! 

me:  What is it Josiah?

g-son:  MiMi!  My tooth is wiggling and I DIDN”T EVEN BRUSH MY TEETH!

2.  A 7 a.m. call from 22 yr old son who lives on his own:

son:  I need you to call me around noon to make sure I’m up and can you give me the numbers to the auto parts stores?

At noon I call his cell and give him all the numbers he requested.

son:  So, did you call them?

3. Out of the blue hubby says:

hubby:  I’m proud of you.

me:  For what?

hubby:  I don’t know.  I’ll think of something.

me:  Then why did you even bother saying it?

hubby:  Cause you’re a good Mother.

me:  You think so?

hubby:  I don’t know.  I didn’t have one.  You’re the only real Mother I’ve got. 

He pauses and then adds:  That didn’t come out right did it?

4.  Making College plans with an 18 yr old:

me:  We need to go by the college and complete you registration:

son:  Can you just go do it for me?

It has been one of those weeks.  Actually two weeks and counting.  I’ve come to realize computers are NOT my friend.

I recently learned how to download all my photos to my laptop (without the help of my teens).  My parents enjoy printed photos so I have a special file especially for them.  It contains photos sent by other family members and many I’ve taken myself.  After I accumulate  a few dozen I send them via Internet to my local pharmacy for printing. I then send the photos from the special file to several different picture albums I’ve created  on the computer and then I empty the file for a new collection.  Somehow in all the kayos of having a 5 and 6 year old along with 2 teens at home,  I DELETED MY PICTURE FILES.  And no, I didn’t have them backed up.

The very next day hubby had given me some important work to finish up.  He even gave me a little drive to transfer it to so he could take it with him.  I did everything exactly like he showed me.   Well, he got to his meeting without his data.  It didn’t transfer.  He WAS NOT happy.  Thankfully I had successfully saved the documents and was able to fax them to him. 

Late last night I decided to clean up my mailbox.  I kept getting messages from my computer  something about being ‘near capacity’.  I also had a lot of addresses in my book that I didn’t recognize.  After sorting and deleting messages I went to work on the address book.  Or so I thought.  Did you know it’s not safe to hit ‘delete’ repetitiously without completely reading the message  that flashes across the screen?  I realized too late the unwanted addresses were staying, but my mail folders disappeared.  My son was able to get my mailbox up and running again, but my stored mail is lost out there in cyber space.

Once again I’m getting the  “Mom! We keep tellin’ ya to back up your good stuff” lecture from both teens.

My Mom with a handful of her 19 (and 5 more due by Christmas) “great” grandchildren.  

We need a car fairy.  Like stick the old one in the garage and open the door the next morning and find a nice new, shiny, running car.

#3 son’s car died in May.  He and hubby have spent many hours fixing various things without any luck.  That car has every mechanic we know scratching their heads.

SIL’s car blew in June.  He and daughter are expecting baby #3 in September and another car note is out of the question.  He’s driving hubby’s “fixer upper” and praying it doesn’t die too.

In the meantime hubby is driving his old truck to work and my car everywhere else.  Besides #3 son I also share my car with an 18 year old son and my “student driver” daughter.

I get the car all day tomorrow until 4 p.m.  I have carefully planned my routes and made lists of everything I need to get done.  The kids have thrown in a few extras, but I can handle it. I’ve waited for my turn to get the car all week.

So tomorrow, if you see a 50 year old grandma in a hurry and singing a Steppenwolf tune, move over, let her pass, it’s just me.

(Singing loud and out of tune as my lists blow out the window)….looking for adventure and whatever comes my way….. Born to be wiiiiiild….

Princess is home.  She has been on vacation with my sister’s family in Orlando. 

This is her at Seaworld riding the KRAKEN.

Cousin Randi is a pro at riding roller coasters.  This was my Princess’s first.

I am sitting in a quiet house.  Right now I can hear the hum of the outside a/c unit, but I have actually heard the sounds of passing cars, dogs barking and children riding their bikes.

Why am I so amazed?  Because I am NEVER alone and I have a very noisy home.  Movies are never watched without the surround sound cranked up.  Instruments are played with amps turned high enough to raise the dead.  Sometimes the bass and drums cause me to run around securing items on the walls or sitting on shelves.  Upstairs Rock Band or DDR goes late into the night.  With all the teens and young adults gathered overhead I lay in fear of a cave in.

During the weekdays I have 2 grandchildren ages 5 and 6.  Both have took it upon themselves to make sure MiMi is entertained the full 10 hours each day they are here.

Today the grandkids are in their own homes.  Hubby is in class until 5.  The boys are doing who knows what (and I probably don’t want to know).  Princess is still on vacation with my sister and niece. 

And I HAVE THE WHOLE HOUSE TO MYSELF!  I’m not gonna bother to reread and make sure this post makes any sense.  I’m off to listen to the quiet.

This is what happened on Uncle Boo’s shift.

And this is what Uncle Boo was probably doing.

To my father who sacrificed much.  I never once heard him complain of having 7 children of his own  to feed, clothe or raise.  He always opened his doors to many many other children and teens that needed a safe place to stay or rest their head.  

I can remember my father taking in a neighbor’s  infant because the mom was severely depressed.  I remember him walking the floors at night trying to soothe that colicky baby.  Another time a relative was going through a nasty divorce.  Her husband was abusive and Dad opened our home to the troubled teen son.  Another was my older sister’s friend that had been kicked out of his own home.  Dad told him he was welcome as long as he’d abide by the same rules he set down before us.  This particular teen ( a drop out) finished high school and went on to college thanks to my father’s support. I could go on and on, but there are so many.

Dad was not always perfect, but he has a big heart full of love.  I never felt neglected or over looked. He has made me feel safe and secure my whole life.  He was a man that had a rough childhood (abuse) of his own, but never spoke ill of his wrong doers.

On February 29, 2008 Dad celebrated his 76th birthday.  My hubby’s father was also a Leap Year baby born 4 years prior to mine and died young in 1978.  Pete single handedly raised my hubby, Allen.  Pete was also an equally wonderful man. Thank you Pete for giving me my Allen.

To both I wish a Happy Father’s Day.  I love you Dad and Pete I miss you dearly. 

 My father March 1, 2008

My grandson Josiah’s hair was looking a little shaggy.  His mom, Tiff, asked if I could give him a summer cut.  

I don’t think this is what she had in mind.