July 10, 2011

  • I am a DOOFUS!

    I uploaded the photos and video for this post days ago – I just forgot to write the post. 

     

    The weekend of the 4th got very pleasant indeed when Joe called to say they planned to come up sometime over the weekend.  He’d planned to stay overnight, but Amy had other ideas – ideas that didn’t include packing and lugging and lugging and unpacking, etc., etc.  They have been back and forth and across the state and up and down the coast several times since the first of the year and she’s had enough for now.  :)   She told him, “We can go, but you’re packing.  And unpacking.” So they came up for the day on Sunday and we had a terrific time.

     

    At nearly four, Derek is very conversational and funny and loves to laugh and be with the menfolk.  Several times he’d gather up Pappy and Grandpa Faron and Joe and they’d head outside (with Jared, too, of course.) He’s very athletic and strong and he’s always climbing or doing some kind of fancy footwork.  It’s amazing to see the differences between him at 4 and Jared at just over 2. Jared’s footing is mostly sure now, but there’s a heaviness to his steps and jumps that Derek has left long behind.  And anything Derek does, Jared is sure to try, no matter how scary it might be, although not much seems to scare him.  Derek’s still about a head shorter than other boys his age, and Jared is only a couple of inches (at most) shorter so Amy’s taken to calling them “Hoss and the Boss.”  It fits.

     

    Faron gets the biggest kick out of the things they both say now.  The guys were all out in the barn, which has a dirt floor, and the boys were digging and getting as filthy as only hot little boys can get.  Derek pipes up, “I get all sweaty when I do my jobs!” Jared follows with, “Do job!”  And later I said to Derek, “Hey, Derek, I hear you have a birthday coming up!” 

     

    “I do,” he says.  “I’m gonna be FOUR!” 

     

    Amy chimed in with, “What day, Derek?” 

     

    “July!  I’m gonna be four in July.”

     

    Amy coaches, “Sixteenth, Derek.  July sixteenth.”

     

    Derek shouts, “NO!  I’m gonna be FOUR!”

     

    Grandpa chuckles every time he thinks of it.

     

    Now for a few photos:

     

     

    I just love those sweet little necks.  :)   The box is one in which Hazel received a set of cast iron cookware several years ago from one of her kids.  She kept it for a while thinking she’d use it for something but finally, I mentioned I needed to get a hassock or something for propping my legs up on the porch and she produced this.  So it lives on the porch until the boys come and then it makes a nice little bench for the boys to eat at the coffee table. (And it’s the perfect height for my legs when I’m sitting on the wicker settee.)

     Play ball!

    I took this shot (and several others that show more of my big feet than Derek’s ball prowess) to show how Derek would lunge forward to catch the ball, then step smoothly back and fling it at one of the grands.

    I’m not sure who enjoyed that ball game more, the boys or the grandfathers!  The ball was flying everywhere and I had to remind them more than once they were INDOORS.  I emphasized that if anything got broken, it’d be the big boys who got into trouble. 

    Jared was a bit under the weather, although he was a little trooper – no whining, just a bit quiet and seemed to need a bit more snuggling, which Grammy, Grandma & Mommy were more than happy to provide!  This gave center stage to Derek the Wonderboy who soon discovered that the “bench” on which they’d been sitting several times in their last few visits, is indeed a BOX!  He knew just how to put it to use, too.

     

    He loved being toted around while he was all tucked down inside with the lid closed, then he’d pop up to discover where his dad had placed him: on the coffee table, in the hall outside my room, in the kitchen by the basement door – you get the idea. Grandma got the idea that if the lunch remains were cleared off the dining room table, that’d make a fine spot for Derek to be plunked down. He was so funny! “Heeeeeeey, I’m on the kitchen table!”

     

    Jared’s sleeping on Mommy.  I’m sure Amy’s very very thankful at this point for central A/C!

     

    By this time, Jared had fallen asleep but he awoke in the midst of the ensuing hilarity and Derek invited him along for the fun.

     

     

    As you can see by the expression of pain on Jared’s face, two little boys don’t fit so very well.  After that they took turns alone and much fun was enjoyed by all.

     

     

    Of course, they spent some time on the front walk with Bob the Builder. The Bob toys “live” behind Grandma’s chair in the living room and it’s always fun to get re-acquainted each visit.  Jared’s got a peppermint patty in this hand. He’d been holding on to it by then for at least 10 minutes.  On July 3rd.  Finally, a good 10 minutes after this, Joe says, he made to eat this slimy mess, which by now had acquired a few leaves and much dirt.  Joe stopped him and that’s when we kind of caught on that Jared wasn’t feeling well – he fell apart over that, even when a new mint was offered.

     

    Later, the guys were all outside again and Jared complained to Daddy that he was cold and needed a “B,” Derek’s word for a coverup, that has become standard usage in their house.  He looked so cute wrapped in the blanked Kim & Bill brought us from Mexico!

     

    For the record, the doc says Jared’s illness was probably a virus, despite his telling us that his ear hurt.  Amy thinks we suggested the ear thing and he ran with it.  He never had any stuff come out of his ears so this is probably true.  I haven’t spoken with them in a few days but I am sure he’s over his wobblies by now. 

     

    Monday was a picnic at Hazel’s with all the usual subjects and an embarrassment of riches in food.  Sometimes we show up and can barely fill our plates because we’ve all brought the same things or everyone brought desserts, but on July 4, the Meyer clan nailed it.  We had a fantastic array of food and everyone did it proud.  :)

     

    Here’s little Emily, Cathy’s granddaughter, being fed a yummy lemon cupcake by Great-Gram:  [I uploaded this photo three times and it's not showing up - gonna work on that one!]

     

    And this is little Emery, Hazel’s youngest granddaughter, in the water with her mom, Gretchen:

     

    And also, sitting on the bench, poolside, nibbling on some lunch, I think:

     

    Emery’s a very tall little girl – easily a head taller than other kids her age.  And Emily’s a wee, dainty little thing – quite a pair!  :)

     

    We had a good time but it was hot and buggy and I didn’t last terribly long. Faron had walked down with me as I rode my scooter, so when Jason & Tiana announced they were leaving I asked Jason to walk up with me. (We’re not sure the thing’s always going to make the hills – some hills cause it to stop dead and we’re a little leery of me being on my own if and when that happens.)  Tiana followed us and we headed out.  :)

     

    We’ve had a major/minor change to our routine the past few weeks.  Ron’s usual night-time companion, while Hazel works, was unavailable a couple of weeks ago so Ron slept on our sofa that week.  He liked it so much he’s still coming – this will be the 4th week and we’re all enjoying it.  He comes shortly before his bedtime, we all visit a bit. He and I argue about how to get to Alaska, (and he’s determined NEVER to fly!) which is where he has picked to go next, and then we have a snack and he shoos us out of the living room and that’s that.  Mornings are a bit less lively.  If we aren’t already awake, he wakes on or both of us around 5 or so and we all get up and visit while he plans his day/week/year.  He loves Halloween!  We go through all the months until October, “My faybrite haw-a-day.”  And scary movies.  I must get a photo of him telling us how much he likes scary movies!  :)

     

    Hazel picks him up around 6:15 and we all go on with our normal routine.  So while this is a change for us, it really doesn’t change anything about our daily routine.  And we’re really enjoying Ron in such a low-key atmosphere.  Because we most often see him when there’s a crowd, we forget how mellow he can be, when he’s not getting hyped up with all the noise and confusion of a huge, somewhat (!!) noisy family. He’s established himself quite well on the sofa, and has commandeered a drawer in the coffee table with things he likes to fiddle with, especially a flashlight, which gives him great peace of mind.  He hates the dark and our power shut off several times the other night.  Just knowing where a light is makes it ok with him.

     

    Tiana’s birthday was this past week and they came up for ice cream and cake and Haz and Ron came too.  Until he finished his cake and ice cream, Ron was fine with how things were (which is with J & T on the sofa, where they were when he arrived) but once the Big Event in his mind was over with, he sat on the edge of the wing chair’s seat, not QUITE glaring at Jason & Tiana. Tiana says to Jason, “Do you get the feeling we should be goin’ on home?” She was laughing, thankfully.  :)

     

    And, Faron has a job interview Wednesday morning – a first interview, as they called it when he got the call on Friday.  At Target, in their backroom.  So, please pray – he is SO ready to be working again he’s not terribly concerned about where.  But we’ve heard Target is a good employer and at least it’s not Tractor Supply or someplace he’d spend all his salary!

     

    me<><

    Comments (1)

    • You, a doofus?  Never!  On the other hand …

      Wonderful pics of beautiful children.  And I love that box!  I’m glad you had such a nice weekend with family.  I never knew you had a “somewhat noisy” family!  How could I have missed that???

      Praying for Faron’s job interview!  May they see him as the good reliable worker he is.

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