I'm a finalist for another Chicken Soup Story. It's about my cousins and me having to wear clothing from chicken feed bags. I hope it sells--won't know until September.
If I can figure out how to attach this book trailer I juat received I'll post it. I've never done this before.
We have another grandson, Sterling Connor. He's the brother of Hurricane Emma and Noah and Holden.
We had the Hurricane for three days. She got ticked at her Pappaw because he told her she was spoiled. And she got ticked because she was told to apologize to Maggie, our dog, for doing something to make her yelp. Of course, she said she didn't do anything. I caught her taking Icarus's mouth and make it open and close like a puppet's, she got on the floor face to face and growled at Zeus and he snapped at her.
Noah got his first haircut here the other day. It's still longish. I'll try to post picks here.
Dee
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Saturday, January 02, 2010
My story in Chicken Soup for the Soul, All in the family
The local newspaper interviewed me about the story I wrote. Here's a link to read it.
Dee
http://www.beacononlinenews.com/news/daily/2236
Dee
http://www.beacononlinenews.com/news/daily/2236
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
I've survived another decade!
How is it that life goes by so fast? One day you're a kid playing with your toys. Then you're a miserable teenager who can't wait to turn 18.
Suddenly you are married with children and pets--and you can't afford to go to the hair dresser often--wear frightful ugly glasses with poofy hair. But alas. A new decade arrives and new fashions.
Bell bottom pants, fluffy pleated tops and large hair.
Whoa! Made it through that phase.
Suddenly, you are the mother of snarly teens and your house is filled with other teens, because you are the cool parents. How did that happen? Could it be the other parents opted to ship the kids off--to your house?
In a flash, you become grandparents. You know you can't possibly be old enough to have grandkids, for heaven's sake. But there it is, this little girl with the blond curls and big blue eyes looking up at you and calling you Gammy.
More grands come along. Serious ones, funny ones, and the Hurricane ones. Like Hurricane Emma. She helps herself to a pudding in the fridge and decides to take a beer with it. She's two-and-a-half years old. Of course he isn't allowed to have the beer but says, "Well, someone might want one."
And her more serious niece, Autumn, who actually picks up her toys and puts them back where they belong.
About the time Emma outgrows terrorizing our dogs, Maggie, Zeus and Icarus, along come Noah with the strong hands. We hear a blood curing yell from one of the dogs who Noah has grabbed by the head--ya know, like he picks up his stuffed toys? And they snap at him. He stares at his hand and open and closes it, like he's trying to figure out why the dog was upset with this strong hand that was only trying to pick the doggie up. By his ears.
I am happy to say that the three older boys who are 10 and 11 years old were actually good this year. No jumping on the furniture, no throwing things at each other in the yard. Why? Because they got those hand-held games and were engrossed in them. And they got marshmellow shooters which they took into the yard and shot.
So now, I must make resolutions for the coming decade. What will I do? Will I ever have that book published? Will I be the Grandma Moses of the writers? Will I continue to do temp work at the college so I'll have good excused not to babysit the wee ones?
And how will my book trailer turn out for the Obitch Queen?
Hope you have a great New Year.
dee
Suddenly you are married with children and pets--and you can't afford to go to the hair dresser often--wear frightful ugly glasses with poofy hair. But alas. A new decade arrives and new fashions.
Bell bottom pants, fluffy pleated tops and large hair.
Whoa! Made it through that phase.
Suddenly, you are the mother of snarly teens and your house is filled with other teens, because you are the cool parents. How did that happen? Could it be the other parents opted to ship the kids off--to your house?
In a flash, you become grandparents. You know you can't possibly be old enough to have grandkids, for heaven's sake. But there it is, this little girl with the blond curls and big blue eyes looking up at you and calling you Gammy.
More grands come along. Serious ones, funny ones, and the Hurricane ones. Like Hurricane Emma. She helps herself to a pudding in the fridge and decides to take a beer with it. She's two-and-a-half years old. Of course he isn't allowed to have the beer but says, "Well, someone might want one."
And her more serious niece, Autumn, who actually picks up her toys and puts them back where they belong.
About the time Emma outgrows terrorizing our dogs, Maggie, Zeus and Icarus, along come Noah with the strong hands. We hear a blood curing yell from one of the dogs who Noah has grabbed by the head--ya know, like he picks up his stuffed toys? And they snap at him. He stares at his hand and open and closes it, like he's trying to figure out why the dog was upset with this strong hand that was only trying to pick the doggie up. By his ears.
I am happy to say that the three older boys who are 10 and 11 years old were actually good this year. No jumping on the furniture, no throwing things at each other in the yard. Why? Because they got those hand-held games and were engrossed in them. And they got marshmellow shooters which they took into the yard and shot.
So now, I must make resolutions for the coming decade. What will I do? Will I ever have that book published? Will I be the Grandma Moses of the writers? Will I continue to do temp work at the college so I'll have good excused not to babysit the wee ones?
And how will my book trailer turn out for the Obitch Queen?
Hope you have a great New Year.
dee
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Chicken Soup for the Sole/All in the Family
I have a story in this edition of CS--under the pen name of Nori Thomas. It's called My Beloved Crazy Relatives.
I do hope you will buy a copy and let me know what you think of my short story.
Nori
Chicken Soup for the Soul: All in the Family
101 Stories about the Fine Line between Comedy and Tragedy in Our “Dysfunctional” Families
Almost everyone thinks their own family is “dysfunctional” or at least has a dysfunctional member or two. These stories of wacky yet lovable relatives, holiday meltdowns, and funny foibles, along with more serious stories about abuse, controlling family members, and flare-ups, show readers that they aren’t alone. All in the Family is a quirky and fun holiday book, and a great bridal shower or wedding gift! Norman Rockwell’s famous “Freedom from Want” Thanksgiving family painting appears on the back cover and is lovingly parodied on the front, driving home the point that all our families, no matter how much we love them, are just a little dysfunctional!
On Sale Date: 10/20/09
Pre-Order
I do hope you will buy a copy and let me know what you think of my short story.
Nori
Chicken Soup for the Soul: All in the Family
101 Stories about the Fine Line between Comedy and Tragedy in Our “Dysfunctional” Families
Almost everyone thinks their own family is “dysfunctional” or at least has a dysfunctional member or two. These stories of wacky yet lovable relatives, holiday meltdowns, and funny foibles, along with more serious stories about abuse, controlling family members, and flare-ups, show readers that they aren’t alone. All in the Family is a quirky and fun holiday book, and a great bridal shower or wedding gift! Norman Rockwell’s famous “Freedom from Want” Thanksgiving family painting appears on the back cover and is lovingly parodied on the front, driving home the point that all our families, no matter how much we love them, are just a little dysfunctional!
On Sale Date: 10/20/09
Pre-Order
Friday, April 03, 2009
Here's hoping I get published
I have my time travel at Wild Rose Press. The editor has asked to see the entire manuscrpt--she liked the first three chapters.
The Magical Amulet starts out in Galion, OH at the Galion Inquirer Newspaper. The reporter goes to the Big Four Depot and a train comes along and takes her back to 1898 and drops her on the new tracks in Globe, AZ.
My heroine is creative, but not neat at the office. My hero is a neat freak.
I think it'll be a fun read and hope people will enjoy reading it.
Dee
The Magical Amulet starts out in Galion, OH at the Galion Inquirer Newspaper. The reporter goes to the Big Four Depot and a train comes along and takes her back to 1898 and drops her on the new tracks in Globe, AZ.
My heroine is creative, but not neat at the office. My hero is a neat freak.
I think it'll be a fun read and hope people will enjoy reading it.
Dee
Monday, March 16, 2009
A Surprise Swim for Icarus
We have three dogs, Maggie, the shephard rescue dog, Zeus, the overweight white schnauzer and Icarus, the 18 lb schnauzer.
Icarus is the one who gets into trouble the most. He attacks the other dogs because he thinks it's fun.
Sometimes when he and Maggie are playing, they both take one end of the toy and Maggie starts to swing it around. Icarus won't let go and go flying in the air, sometimes hitting the tables.
Icarus has another hobby--spying on the neighbors. Our spa is on the back porch and he's discovered if he jumps on top of the cover, then he can spy on the neighbors.
We had to drain the spa to clean it, and I left half of it open until I could get the stuff together and Larry could drain it. So I'm in the bedroom and I hear splash! Paddle, paddle. I take a look and there's Icarus with a surprise look on his face waiting to be picked out of the tub! Can you imagine his surprise when he ended in the water? Thankfully, he knows how to swim.
What? You think all dogs swim? Not true. Maggie and Icarus can swim. Zeus cannot swim. Last year when I took him in for a swimming lesson he about beat me to death. I only want him to learn to swim to the steps in case he falls in. But every year it's the same the thing--FEAR! PANIC!
Hmm. Wonder if I can get one of those kid type suits and make him wear it when he's outside this summer.
Dee
Icarus is the one who gets into trouble the most. He attacks the other dogs because he thinks it's fun.
Sometimes when he and Maggie are playing, they both take one end of the toy and Maggie starts to swing it around. Icarus won't let go and go flying in the air, sometimes hitting the tables.
Icarus has another hobby--spying on the neighbors. Our spa is on the back porch and he's discovered if he jumps on top of the cover, then he can spy on the neighbors.
We had to drain the spa to clean it, and I left half of it open until I could get the stuff together and Larry could drain it. So I'm in the bedroom and I hear splash! Paddle, paddle. I take a look and there's Icarus with a surprise look on his face waiting to be picked out of the tub! Can you imagine his surprise when he ended in the water? Thankfully, he knows how to swim.
What? You think all dogs swim? Not true. Maggie and Icarus can swim. Zeus cannot swim. Last year when I took him in for a swimming lesson he about beat me to death. I only want him to learn to swim to the steps in case he falls in. But every year it's the same the thing--FEAR! PANIC!
Hmm. Wonder if I can get one of those kid type suits and make him wear it when he's outside this summer.
Dee
A letter to Aunt Mary Alice
Dear Aunt Mary Alice,
It’s us, Autumn and Emma. Remember you talked to us on the phone yesterday?
Well, it’s me, Chatty Autumn who will fill you in on the rest of our day. You are just gonna love having grandkids. We’re much fun.
To do a recap of what we talked about on the phone, well, some of it. Remember I told you how mad I was at Emma because she took my ball? I got it back. Ha!
While it’s true that I like to look into drawers and Gammy’s jewelry box, I don’t take things out of the drawers like Emma does. And hey, when I remove things from the jewelry box, I sweetly say, “Hi, Gammy. I clean up this mess.” And I do.
Of course, at home I don’t always clean up things. One day I got in big trouble when Daddy told me to pick up my toys and I didn’t want to. So I says to him, “Daddy, you are such an asshole.” And since I speak well, he understood what I said. Mommy has to quit saying things like that. I didn’t know it was a bad thing! I mean, oh man, I’m only 2 ½ years old.
Then I got in trouble another day. I was only trying to be helpful. Mommy wanted to dress me. I think I can dress myself! I’m old enough. So I says, “Mommy, leave me alone. I dress myself. You go to the kitchen and make my breakfast.” I made Mommy late for work that day. She wasn’t happy with me.
Back to Gammy’s house. My Pappaw Chris and Sandra, along with Holden and Noah (Noah is my 6 month old uncle), came to Gammy’s to pick me and Emma up to go to their house. Well, this was after Great-Pappaw, Pappaw and me and Emma went to the dump with them. The older folks are in the kitchen chatting away and Pappaw is fooling with Great-Pappaw’s computer. I kept yelling, “Pappaw, Pappaw, come here.” But they ignored me.
By this time Emma had a lot of dirt from Gammy’s one potted plant and she threw it everywhere, including on her brother Holden, who just sat there with his nose in his game boy. I, on the other hand, kept scooping up the dirt from the pile on the steps that go to the spa. My little hands can’t hold much, you know. But I tried to put it back into the pot, while Auntie Em made a big mess. Finally, Great-Pappaw walks out and catches Emma in the act. And if that weren’t bad enough, Emma threw the pillows from the rocking chairs onto the floor.
To say Great-Pappaw wasn’t happy, well, you know how that goes. He tells Emma in that big booming voice, “Emma Victoria, pick up those pillows and put them back right now.” Emma is so stubborn. I knew she was in big trouble by the sound of Great-Pappaw’s voice. Then everyone else is staring at us and I was scared. While Emma was being yelled at to pick them up and she stood there throwing the world’s biggest temper tantrum, I picked up the pillows and put them on the chairs. She absolutely refused. So she wanted her daddy to pick her up and he wouldn’t because he had to clean up the dirt. And her mommy wouldn’t pick her up, so the next person she knew would take pity on her was Gammy. She picked her up and we sat on the coffee table together for a while, listening to Emma sobbing, then we went to comfort in a chair. I chatted away and Gammy asked Emma if she learned a lesson and wouldn’t do that anymore. She said no.
Anyhow, Emma wants to tell you about what happened, her version.
Hi, Aunt Mary Alice. Thank you for kissing my boo-boo over the telephone. I fell again after that and Pappaw had to put a bandage on my knee. Before you were on the phone, when Gammy was in the shower, I found Gammy’s flashlight in her bedroom. You know, that’s a pretty neat thing. When Pappaw told me to put it up, well, I found a reason for using it. Gammy told me to put it up and I told her, “I’m checking my boo-boos.” I mean, I needed that light to check on the marks I have from falling and walking into things. But when she threatened me with, “Emma, if you don’t put that back, I’ll find all your binkies and throw them away,” I quickly returned it to its spot.
I simply don’t understand all the fuss they made about the dirt. It isn’t like there isn’t a lot of dirt in all sorts of pots. And throwing it around was fun. Holden just sat there like a bump on the log. Autumn, the clean one, tried to clean up my mess, and me? I was having a lot of fun. There was dirt all over the place. Really cool.
It was until my Pappaw told me to pick up the cushions off the floor. What’s the big deal? Someone probably wanted to sit on the floor and it would be much softer than sitting on that river rock floor. But no, Pappaw had to use that big loud voice of his to tell me to pick them up. I refused. No way would I pick them up. And along comes my do-gooder niece and I knew she’s pick them up. She hates to see me get in trouble.
I really screamed. No one cared. They said what I did wasn’t nice. I finally got Gammy to pick me up and I cried and sobbed all over here. I knew she’d be the sucker to baby me. Well, she did some, but told me I had to learn to listen and not do things I shouldn’t. She simply doesn’t know how to have fun!
Oh, let me tell you about the day before. We’re eating dinner, ya know? And I see Uncle Doug putting something on his plate and I says, “I want some.” I picked up my plate and my food went flying onto the floor. The dogs love me when I visit. If food doesn’t accidently fly off my plate, then I manage to share it with the dogs. They love it when I drop pieces of mac and cheese on the floor for them. So why is it I get in trouble when I eat their food and snacks? I mean, if I share my food with them, why does everyone yell at me for taking their food? It’s rather tasty. Try it some time.
Then we went to get Autumn and suddenly I felt sick. Gammy says it was the dog food I ate. Pappaw says it was the chocolate chip cookies. Greg says there was green stuff in my vomit. That was the broccoli I ate, I guess. And I’d rather blame my ill tummy on that. Either way, I felt great after I threw up. My brother-in-law Greg held me over the toilet and my sister Ashley gave both me and Autumn bathes.
Anyhow, I thought I’d throw one more guilt trip on Gammy. We’re sitting on the porch after the clean up and my sobbing had subsided and I said to Gammy, “I don’t wanna go home. I wanna stay here.”
Just said it for shock effect. I knew she was ready for me to go home. And then Autumn adds, “I want to go with Emma.” Gammy smiled. “Yes, darlings, you are going to Emma’s house for a few days.”
Love to all,
Autumn and Emma
It’s us, Autumn and Emma. Remember you talked to us on the phone yesterday?
Well, it’s me, Chatty Autumn who will fill you in on the rest of our day. You are just gonna love having grandkids. We’re much fun.
To do a recap of what we talked about on the phone, well, some of it. Remember I told you how mad I was at Emma because she took my ball? I got it back. Ha!
While it’s true that I like to look into drawers and Gammy’s jewelry box, I don’t take things out of the drawers like Emma does. And hey, when I remove things from the jewelry box, I sweetly say, “Hi, Gammy. I clean up this mess.” And I do.
Of course, at home I don’t always clean up things. One day I got in big trouble when Daddy told me to pick up my toys and I didn’t want to. So I says to him, “Daddy, you are such an asshole.” And since I speak well, he understood what I said. Mommy has to quit saying things like that. I didn’t know it was a bad thing! I mean, oh man, I’m only 2 ½ years old.
Then I got in trouble another day. I was only trying to be helpful. Mommy wanted to dress me. I think I can dress myself! I’m old enough. So I says, “Mommy, leave me alone. I dress myself. You go to the kitchen and make my breakfast.” I made Mommy late for work that day. She wasn’t happy with me.
Back to Gammy’s house. My Pappaw Chris and Sandra, along with Holden and Noah (Noah is my 6 month old uncle), came to Gammy’s to pick me and Emma up to go to their house. Well, this was after Great-Pappaw, Pappaw and me and Emma went to the dump with them. The older folks are in the kitchen chatting away and Pappaw is fooling with Great-Pappaw’s computer. I kept yelling, “Pappaw, Pappaw, come here.” But they ignored me.
By this time Emma had a lot of dirt from Gammy’s one potted plant and she threw it everywhere, including on her brother Holden, who just sat there with his nose in his game boy. I, on the other hand, kept scooping up the dirt from the pile on the steps that go to the spa. My little hands can’t hold much, you know. But I tried to put it back into the pot, while Auntie Em made a big mess. Finally, Great-Pappaw walks out and catches Emma in the act. And if that weren’t bad enough, Emma threw the pillows from the rocking chairs onto the floor.
To say Great-Pappaw wasn’t happy, well, you know how that goes. He tells Emma in that big booming voice, “Emma Victoria, pick up those pillows and put them back right now.” Emma is so stubborn. I knew she was in big trouble by the sound of Great-Pappaw’s voice. Then everyone else is staring at us and I was scared. While Emma was being yelled at to pick them up and she stood there throwing the world’s biggest temper tantrum, I picked up the pillows and put them on the chairs. She absolutely refused. So she wanted her daddy to pick her up and he wouldn’t because he had to clean up the dirt. And her mommy wouldn’t pick her up, so the next person she knew would take pity on her was Gammy. She picked her up and we sat on the coffee table together for a while, listening to Emma sobbing, then we went to comfort in a chair. I chatted away and Gammy asked Emma if she learned a lesson and wouldn’t do that anymore. She said no.
Anyhow, Emma wants to tell you about what happened, her version.
Hi, Aunt Mary Alice. Thank you for kissing my boo-boo over the telephone. I fell again after that and Pappaw had to put a bandage on my knee. Before you were on the phone, when Gammy was in the shower, I found Gammy’s flashlight in her bedroom. You know, that’s a pretty neat thing. When Pappaw told me to put it up, well, I found a reason for using it. Gammy told me to put it up and I told her, “I’m checking my boo-boos.” I mean, I needed that light to check on the marks I have from falling and walking into things. But when she threatened me with, “Emma, if you don’t put that back, I’ll find all your binkies and throw them away,” I quickly returned it to its spot.
I simply don’t understand all the fuss they made about the dirt. It isn’t like there isn’t a lot of dirt in all sorts of pots. And throwing it around was fun. Holden just sat there like a bump on the log. Autumn, the clean one, tried to clean up my mess, and me? I was having a lot of fun. There was dirt all over the place. Really cool.
It was until my Pappaw told me to pick up the cushions off the floor. What’s the big deal? Someone probably wanted to sit on the floor and it would be much softer than sitting on that river rock floor. But no, Pappaw had to use that big loud voice of his to tell me to pick them up. I refused. No way would I pick them up. And along comes my do-gooder niece and I knew she’s pick them up. She hates to see me get in trouble.
I really screamed. No one cared. They said what I did wasn’t nice. I finally got Gammy to pick me up and I cried and sobbed all over here. I knew she’d be the sucker to baby me. Well, she did some, but told me I had to learn to listen and not do things I shouldn’t. She simply doesn’t know how to have fun!
Oh, let me tell you about the day before. We’re eating dinner, ya know? And I see Uncle Doug putting something on his plate and I says, “I want some.” I picked up my plate and my food went flying onto the floor. The dogs love me when I visit. If food doesn’t accidently fly off my plate, then I manage to share it with the dogs. They love it when I drop pieces of mac and cheese on the floor for them. So why is it I get in trouble when I eat their food and snacks? I mean, if I share my food with them, why does everyone yell at me for taking their food? It’s rather tasty. Try it some time.
Then we went to get Autumn and suddenly I felt sick. Gammy says it was the dog food I ate. Pappaw says it was the chocolate chip cookies. Greg says there was green stuff in my vomit. That was the broccoli I ate, I guess. And I’d rather blame my ill tummy on that. Either way, I felt great after I threw up. My brother-in-law Greg held me over the toilet and my sister Ashley gave both me and Autumn bathes.
Anyhow, I thought I’d throw one more guilt trip on Gammy. We’re sitting on the porch after the clean up and my sobbing had subsided and I said to Gammy, “I don’t wanna go home. I wanna stay here.”
Just said it for shock effect. I knew she was ready for me to go home. And then Autumn adds, “I want to go with Emma.” Gammy smiled. “Yes, darlings, you are going to Emma’s house for a few days.”
Love to all,
Autumn and Emma
Autumn and Emma
24 Hours with Autumn and Emma
It started when we decided to help Autumn’s parents by taking her to the doctor’s office to finish with her 2-year-old shots. We picked her up and brought her home with us the night before.
On Friday morning, we readied for the 45 minute journey to Eustis. Dressed totally in pink, including her boots, Autumn charmed everyone. She’s friendly and says hi to people. Did I mention our little Gemini is a perfectionist? At the office, there’s a child-size table and chairs. She wanted the blue chair and wasn’t happy that one of the little boys took it first. But she waited patiently until he got up, then claimed it. When the boy went in for his shots, she made sure all the chairs were set around the table correctly, and she had to make sure the books were all straightened in the rack.
She had her Cabbage Patch doll that her uncle found (new) at a garage sale. She named him Boy. The workers asked her to see Boy since it had been so long since they had seen one.
Then it was time for us to go in to see the nurse and get 4 “ouchies.” They give the shots in their legs these days and I wanted to cry right with her. The tears turned off right away when the nurse brought the lollipops her way. “Thank you,” Autumn said. “I need one for Emma, too.” I explained to the nurse that Emma, 6 months younger than Autumn, is Autumn’s aunt. “I need one for my mommy, too.” So with three lollipops in her hand, we bid the nurse goodbye. On our way out I heard the nurse tell another worker, “I was afraid she was going to keep asking for more lollipops for every relative she had.”
We headed to Burger King for lunch. Chatting away, and having forgotten about her “ouchies,” Autumn ate, but still had her fries. Her Pappaw told her she could take them along with her and eat them in the car. That made her happy—until Pappaw had to stop quickly for a car in front of us.
“Great-Pappaw! You made me drop my fries!’ She also managed to drop her opened lollipop on the floor.
Then we went to pick up Emma—better known as Hurricane Emma to the family. Emma had completed her nap, for which we were very happy. She tends to be a total grouch if she doesn’t have a nap or get her sleep at night.
Once in the car, we gave Emma her lollipop and Autumn decided to eat her Mommy’s since her’s was dirty.
We arrived at our house half an hour later. The girls chatted away and of course, managed to get all the toys out. One of our bookshelves now serves as a toy storage center. So there’s large legos, which they managed to build me (Gammy) and Pappaw apartments—at least we think that’s what they were.
Soon, Autumn’s legs began to hurt from the shots. They had told us to give her Tylenol. I had no children’s, so I trekked to the store to get that and some ice cream for later. Autumn was okay when she sat, but when she stood up her legs got stiff and that’s how she walked and said they hurt.
The girls stayed with their Pappaw. While I was gone, Emma told Pappaw that she pooped. He told her to get up on the couch so that he could change her diaper. He got her diaper off and cleaned her up, but told her to stay put until he took the dirty diaper to the trash so the poop didn’t fall out onto the floor. But just as he turned to go to the garage, the Hurricane, who doesn’t always listen, stood up and pooped again—on the floor, which splashed onto the coffee table and onto the leather couch. Her papaw managed to get a clean diaper on her and took the dirty one to the trash can outside the garage. Then he cleaned up the mess on the floor, on the couch, and on the end table.
But then Hurricane Emma said, “My tummy feels sick.” And promptly threw up on him. He moved her to the couch (we keep it covered with a blanket for these occasions—easier to clean) and she threw up again. He then sat her in my leather chair while he went to get stuff to clean it up—and she threw up in that chair!
When I arrived home, he was standing by the kitchen sink with Emma trying to wash the vomit out of her hair. I took the pillow and throw off the couch and threw it into the washer, along with Emma’s clothes and her Pappaw’s shirt.
Once she got all that out of her, she was hungry. And so was Autumn. I told them we had to bathe them first—they didn’t smell too good. I discovered that Autumn had forgotten to ask to use the potty and had a diaper full. I got her cleaned up and out to the trashcan with that diaper. Got the bathtub ready for them. Started stripping down Emma. Guess what? She had a diaper full, too! Once more to the trashcan. Poor trash men—they’ll love that batch of trash!
Once they were cleaned up, I fixed them more food—chicken nuggets and applesauce, hoping that would work for them. It managed to fill their tummies. So they played for a while longer. Then I was told by Chris (Emma’s dad and Autumn’s Pappaw and our son) that if Emma wasn’t in bed by 8:30 she’d give us fits. She was rubbing her eyes by eight and picked up her security blanket. I told the girls we’d go to my room and watch TV—they were sleeping with me. Yes, I have a King-sized bed, so the three of us and my 2 dogs crawled in. I was surprised how quickly they went to sleep that night.
Then at 6:30 a.m. they and the dogs were ready to rise and shine. I flipped on the TV to a kid’s show and they watched it while I put the dogs out to do their business. After diaper changes it was time to eat breakfast. Do you know how often 2 year olds want to eat? They are little eating and pooping machines!
The girls generally play well together, but sometimes they have tiffs. Like when Larry saw Autumn push Emma. He told her to tell Emma she was sorry. She sweetly said, “I’m sorry I pushed you Emma. I didn’t mean to do that.” Right!
And the two of them would get their faces really close and argue. I couldn’t understand what they were saying, but you could tell it probably wasn’t nice baby talk.
As if pooping and vomiting wasn’t enough for grandparents to endure, I had Emma come up to me and say, “Gammy, here’s a booger.” My response was, “Get a tissue and wipe you nose and your finger!”
By the time Chris and family arrived, it was lunch time and time to feed the little ones again. I had given them a snack shortly before—chocolate chip cookies. They took their little fingernails and chipped away at the chocolate chips with before eating them. And then they wanted applesauce, too. Good combo, right?
Chris and Sandra wanted to go see the Manatees. We live close by Blue Springs and I’ve never been there, so I tagged along. Larry can’t walk that far. For a while I kept Autumn’s hand, but soon discovered a little one pulling on you makes your hips feel like they want to explode. I opted to push Noah’s stroller, which was much better. Emma liked to jog along, while Autumn was okay with taking either Sandra or Chris’s hand. Chris carried Emma, then Autumn on his shoulders. We did see the manatees, but they refused to come to our side so I could get close up shots.
Anyhow, for those of you wanting grands or kids, this is what you can expect from your day. But hey, it’s a great way to lose weight—you simply can’t sit very long—and you can’t eat much because after two bites, they need juice, or milk or another whatever!
Dee
It started when we decided to help Autumn’s parents by taking her to the doctor’s office to finish with her 2-year-old shots. We picked her up and brought her home with us the night before.
On Friday morning, we readied for the 45 minute journey to Eustis. Dressed totally in pink, including her boots, Autumn charmed everyone. She’s friendly and says hi to people. Did I mention our little Gemini is a perfectionist? At the office, there’s a child-size table and chairs. She wanted the blue chair and wasn’t happy that one of the little boys took it first. But she waited patiently until he got up, then claimed it. When the boy went in for his shots, she made sure all the chairs were set around the table correctly, and she had to make sure the books were all straightened in the rack.
She had her Cabbage Patch doll that her uncle found (new) at a garage sale. She named him Boy. The workers asked her to see Boy since it had been so long since they had seen one.
Then it was time for us to go in to see the nurse and get 4 “ouchies.” They give the shots in their legs these days and I wanted to cry right with her. The tears turned off right away when the nurse brought the lollipops her way. “Thank you,” Autumn said. “I need one for Emma, too.” I explained to the nurse that Emma, 6 months younger than Autumn, is Autumn’s aunt. “I need one for my mommy, too.” So with three lollipops in her hand, we bid the nurse goodbye. On our way out I heard the nurse tell another worker, “I was afraid she was going to keep asking for more lollipops for every relative she had.”
We headed to Burger King for lunch. Chatting away, and having forgotten about her “ouchies,” Autumn ate, but still had her fries. Her Pappaw told her she could take them along with her and eat them in the car. That made her happy—until Pappaw had to stop quickly for a car in front of us.
“Great-Pappaw! You made me drop my fries!’ She also managed to drop her opened lollipop on the floor.
Then we went to pick up Emma—better known as Hurricane Emma to the family. Emma had completed her nap, for which we were very happy. She tends to be a total grouch if she doesn’t have a nap or get her sleep at night.
Once in the car, we gave Emma her lollipop and Autumn decided to eat her Mommy’s since her’s was dirty.
We arrived at our house half an hour later. The girls chatted away and of course, managed to get all the toys out. One of our bookshelves now serves as a toy storage center. So there’s large legos, which they managed to build me (Gammy) and Pappaw apartments—at least we think that’s what they were.
Soon, Autumn’s legs began to hurt from the shots. They had told us to give her Tylenol. I had no children’s, so I trekked to the store to get that and some ice cream for later. Autumn was okay when she sat, but when she stood up her legs got stiff and that’s how she walked and said they hurt.
The girls stayed with their Pappaw. While I was gone, Emma told Pappaw that she pooped. He told her to get up on the couch so that he could change her diaper. He got her diaper off and cleaned her up, but told her to stay put until he took the dirty diaper to the trash so the poop didn’t fall out onto the floor. But just as he turned to go to the garage, the Hurricane, who doesn’t always listen, stood up and pooped again—on the floor, which splashed onto the coffee table and onto the leather couch. Her papaw managed to get a clean diaper on her and took the dirty one to the trash can outside the garage. Then he cleaned up the mess on the floor, on the couch, and on the end table.
But then Hurricane Emma said, “My tummy feels sick.” And promptly threw up on him. He moved her to the couch (we keep it covered with a blanket for these occasions—easier to clean) and she threw up again. He then sat her in my leather chair while he went to get stuff to clean it up—and she threw up in that chair!
When I arrived home, he was standing by the kitchen sink with Emma trying to wash the vomit out of her hair. I took the pillow and throw off the couch and threw it into the washer, along with Emma’s clothes and her Pappaw’s shirt.
Once she got all that out of her, she was hungry. And so was Autumn. I told them we had to bathe them first—they didn’t smell too good. I discovered that Autumn had forgotten to ask to use the potty and had a diaper full. I got her cleaned up and out to the trashcan with that diaper. Got the bathtub ready for them. Started stripping down Emma. Guess what? She had a diaper full, too! Once more to the trashcan. Poor trash men—they’ll love that batch of trash!
Once they were cleaned up, I fixed them more food—chicken nuggets and applesauce, hoping that would work for them. It managed to fill their tummies. So they played for a while longer. Then I was told by Chris (Emma’s dad and Autumn’s Pappaw and our son) that if Emma wasn’t in bed by 8:30 she’d give us fits. She was rubbing her eyes by eight and picked up her security blanket. I told the girls we’d go to my room and watch TV—they were sleeping with me. Yes, I have a King-sized bed, so the three of us and my 2 dogs crawled in. I was surprised how quickly they went to sleep that night.
Then at 6:30 a.m. they and the dogs were ready to rise and shine. I flipped on the TV to a kid’s show and they watched it while I put the dogs out to do their business. After diaper changes it was time to eat breakfast. Do you know how often 2 year olds want to eat? They are little eating and pooping machines!
The girls generally play well together, but sometimes they have tiffs. Like when Larry saw Autumn push Emma. He told her to tell Emma she was sorry. She sweetly said, “I’m sorry I pushed you Emma. I didn’t mean to do that.” Right!
And the two of them would get their faces really close and argue. I couldn’t understand what they were saying, but you could tell it probably wasn’t nice baby talk.
As if pooping and vomiting wasn’t enough for grandparents to endure, I had Emma come up to me and say, “Gammy, here’s a booger.” My response was, “Get a tissue and wipe you nose and your finger!”
By the time Chris and family arrived, it was lunch time and time to feed the little ones again. I had given them a snack shortly before—chocolate chip cookies. They took their little fingernails and chipped away at the chocolate chips with before eating them. And then they wanted applesauce, too. Good combo, right?
Chris and Sandra wanted to go see the Manatees. We live close by Blue Springs and I’ve never been there, so I tagged along. Larry can’t walk that far. For a while I kept Autumn’s hand, but soon discovered a little one pulling on you makes your hips feel like they want to explode. I opted to push Noah’s stroller, which was much better. Emma liked to jog along, while Autumn was okay with taking either Sandra or Chris’s hand. Chris carried Emma, then Autumn on his shoulders. We did see the manatees, but they refused to come to our side so I could get close up shots.
Anyhow, for those of you wanting grands or kids, this is what you can expect from your day. But hey, it’s a great way to lose weight—you simply can’t sit very long—and you can’t eat much because after two bites, they need juice, or milk or another whatever!
Dee
Friday, September 19, 2008
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Noah, Floods and Dee's Kid's Clothing
Noah has arrived--and so has the floods
Noah arrived on August 27. He's our 9th grandchild. And where did I shop for him? At Dee's Kids Clothing, of course!
The tropical storm, Fay, sat over us until a day or two before Noah made his way into the world. I told my son, "It's your fault we had all this rain, since you decided to name the baby Noah!" Did I mention we had 20 inches of rain in our yard?
Luckily, we sit high enough and our ground was so parched from years of draught, that it sucked all the rain water up.
However, not eveyone around here was so lucky. We went to the Post Office in Orange City--about 5 miles from us--and couldn't get to it. The streets around it had deep water and was blocked off. Everywhere we went in Orange City there was flooding. Shopping strip malls were ruined. And in Deltona and Debary, Sanford and Oveido, there are many housing developments with flooded streets and water in their homes. The folks on the river have water creeping up further every day. Some say they've lived there for twenty and more years and never had this.
We once lived in Winter Springs. Let me tell you, in Florida, they let builders build in the swamps. Our yard used to have water an inch deep whenever we had any heavy rains--and these weren't from tropical storms or hurricanes--just regular rain storms.
We learned to check out places before buying. Low land--don't buy--don't build.
Anyhow, back to Baby Noah. There was a cartoon in the newspaper where they asked for captions. This one had a small pickup truck pulling Noah's Ark. I had to send my caption: "I told you we shouldn't have named the baby Noah!" I'll let you know if it's picked as the winner or not--but it was so perfect!
Baby Noah is looking better each time we see him. Let's face it, they come out red and puffy and their heads look cone-ish! He has a lot of dark hair with a receding hairline--just like his daddy!
His sister, Hurricane Emma, was none to happy when she first met him. Her mama couldn't lift her, but could hold that baby and she didn't like that. She's settled down and accepting Noah, sort of like he's another puppy around the house. Big brother, Holden, is doing okay with the two little ones. Emma climbed into the basinette the other day when her mom was changing little Noah. Her mom saw her head pop up. She had to go to time out!
She stayed with us for a day. There's nothing she hasn't discovered in the house--from Q-tips to baseballs in her Pappaw's one drawer. She knows where all the toys are and finds all of them!
Hope you all will visit my internet business at deeskidsclothing.com.
I'd love it if you could add some kid stories to the blog at Dee's Kids Clothing. We'd love to hear them!
Dee
Noah arrived on August 27. He's our 9th grandchild. And where did I shop for him? At Dee's Kids Clothing, of course!
The tropical storm, Fay, sat over us until a day or two before Noah made his way into the world. I told my son, "It's your fault we had all this rain, since you decided to name the baby Noah!" Did I mention we had 20 inches of rain in our yard?
Luckily, we sit high enough and our ground was so parched from years of draught, that it sucked all the rain water up.
However, not eveyone around here was so lucky. We went to the Post Office in Orange City--about 5 miles from us--and couldn't get to it. The streets around it had deep water and was blocked off. Everywhere we went in Orange City there was flooding. Shopping strip malls were ruined. And in Deltona and Debary, Sanford and Oveido, there are many housing developments with flooded streets and water in their homes. The folks on the river have water creeping up further every day. Some say they've lived there for twenty and more years and never had this.
We once lived in Winter Springs. Let me tell you, in Florida, they let builders build in the swamps. Our yard used to have water an inch deep whenever we had any heavy rains--and these weren't from tropical storms or hurricanes--just regular rain storms.
We learned to check out places before buying. Low land--don't buy--don't build.
Anyhow, back to Baby Noah. There was a cartoon in the newspaper where they asked for captions. This one had a small pickup truck pulling Noah's Ark. I had to send my caption: "I told you we shouldn't have named the baby Noah!" I'll let you know if it's picked as the winner or not--but it was so perfect!
Baby Noah is looking better each time we see him. Let's face it, they come out red and puffy and their heads look cone-ish! He has a lot of dark hair with a receding hairline--just like his daddy!
His sister, Hurricane Emma, was none to happy when she first met him. Her mama couldn't lift her, but could hold that baby and she didn't like that. She's settled down and accepting Noah, sort of like he's another puppy around the house. Big brother, Holden, is doing okay with the two little ones. Emma climbed into the basinette the other day when her mom was changing little Noah. Her mom saw her head pop up. She had to go to time out!
She stayed with us for a day. There's nothing she hasn't discovered in the house--from Q-tips to baseballs in her Pappaw's one drawer. She knows where all the toys are and finds all of them!
Hope you all will visit my internet business at deeskidsclothing.com.
I'd love it if you could add some kid stories to the blog at Dee's Kids Clothing. We'd love to hear them!
Dee
Monday, September 01, 2008
Baby Noah arrives
First it was Fay--and she delivered 20 inches of rain at our house. Luckily, the ground was dry and we didn't flood like a lot of folks around here did.
Then came Noah a few days later. I told my son that it was his fault that we had so much rain--he had decided to name the baby Noah before Fay was on the horizen!
Baby Noah weighed in at 7 lb 4 0z. Emma wasn't happy with her parents having a new baby. We took her to the hospital and she was ticked because Mommy couldn't pick her up. How dare she hold a new baby and not her? It didn't matter that Daddy lifted her up on the bed.
She was really ticked when her dad placed her into our car and walked away. She screamed Daddy! Daddy! for at least five minutes. Then the next five minutes were spent yelling Mommy! Mommy! But then it got worse--I WANT MY BINKIE! Well, honey, Gammy forgot your binkie. It's at our house and we'll be there soon. But not soon enough!
Once we got her home and fed, she was fine. Food does wonder for a woman--er girl.
We refer to Emma as Hurricane Emma. She is fast moving, into everything--really nosy. Let's see--Q-tips? Yep, she found them--over and over again. Baseballs in Pappaw's drawer? Humm. Wonder how far I can throw them. Water laying on top of the tub with chemicals in it behind the spa--water left over from Fay. Splash! Splash! Oh, I can blow bubbles in them too. Well, I could until Gammy came to grab me! She was on the phone--thought I could get away with it.
Today: Emma climbed into the basinette. Good thing Noah wasn't in it. Emma is spending a lot of time in "time out" these days. She knows she's not supposed to do things and then gets this cute little grin on her face!
But scold her and you'd think you beat her. I tapped her on her bare bottom because she wouldn't stay out of th Q-tips and I was trying to both of us out of our bathing suits. She ran through the house and onto the back porch yelling "Pappaw! Pappaw!" Guess she wanted to report me for child abuse! He yelled at her later for trying to dump the dog's food. She cried and this time she wanted me.
And this is the tale of Hurricane Emma.
We should be so lucky if Hurricane Hanna and Ike are as kind to us!
Dee
Then came Noah a few days later. I told my son that it was his fault that we had so much rain--he had decided to name the baby Noah before Fay was on the horizen!
Baby Noah weighed in at 7 lb 4 0z. Emma wasn't happy with her parents having a new baby. We took her to the hospital and she was ticked because Mommy couldn't pick her up. How dare she hold a new baby and not her? It didn't matter that Daddy lifted her up on the bed.
She was really ticked when her dad placed her into our car and walked away. She screamed Daddy! Daddy! for at least five minutes. Then the next five minutes were spent yelling Mommy! Mommy! But then it got worse--I WANT MY BINKIE! Well, honey, Gammy forgot your binkie. It's at our house and we'll be there soon. But not soon enough!
Once we got her home and fed, she was fine. Food does wonder for a woman--er girl.
We refer to Emma as Hurricane Emma. She is fast moving, into everything--really nosy. Let's see--Q-tips? Yep, she found them--over and over again. Baseballs in Pappaw's drawer? Humm. Wonder how far I can throw them. Water laying on top of the tub with chemicals in it behind the spa--water left over from Fay. Splash! Splash! Oh, I can blow bubbles in them too. Well, I could until Gammy came to grab me! She was on the phone--thought I could get away with it.
Today: Emma climbed into the basinette. Good thing Noah wasn't in it. Emma is spending a lot of time in "time out" these days. She knows she's not supposed to do things and then gets this cute little grin on her face!
But scold her and you'd think you beat her. I tapped her on her bare bottom because she wouldn't stay out of th Q-tips and I was trying to both of us out of our bathing suits. She ran through the house and onto the back porch yelling "Pappaw! Pappaw!" Guess she wanted to report me for child abuse! He yelled at her later for trying to dump the dog's food. She cried and this time she wanted me.
And this is the tale of Hurricane Emma.
We should be so lucky if Hurricane Hanna and Ike are as kind to us!
Dee
A day at Gammy and Pappaw's
20 month old Emma getting out of pool
Noah, 6 days old
Imp Emma
Holden and Emma
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Kids and dogs
Christmas is almost here--already!
And the babies aren't new any longer. Emma turns a year old on Dec 18 and Autumn is now a year and a half.
Autumn can be so serious at times. Last month, with a serious face, she walked up to my brother and said, "Are you crazy?" Mind you, she had spent the rest of the time jabbering in Croatian or something--and then out of nowhere came that!
Yesterday she said to her great-pappaw (Larry) "Pappaw, are you a communist?" Now I tell you, no one talks about things like that, so where is it coming from? It just cracks us up!
There's something about celebrations that bring on sickness with the kids. Autumn wasn't feeling well on the day of her birthday celebration and was sick the day of her parent's wedding.
Emma had to go to the doctor's yesterday before we had her party. But in spite of it, she was her impish self. She wouldn't let Shelby or Dorinda hold her, wanted her Gammy instead. Her other grandparents were here and I took some pics of her with her other grandfather. And of course we had to have the messy cake eating pictures!
Shelby always takes over her goddaughter, Autumn, when she's around. Autumn loves her. Dorinda wants one of the babies to like her. We're working on that.
Holden and Carson played outdoors and then checkers on the back porch. The weather was hot--yes, it was December 15!
Diana said that Carson's teacher generally writes a note on his paper at the end of the week saying how he did. But in his hand writing at the bottom of the page it said, "Had a very bad week." He's eight years old and very affectionate to us.
We got Emma a large stuffed dog that comes with a blanket. You squeeze it and it growls. You squeeze it's hand and it barks.
Oh, you say Meow to Autumn and she says it back--or moooo and she's right with you.
The dogs like to hang around the babies to see what food they drop so they can grab it quickly! Both Zeus and Icarus got haircuts last week. Larry told them they look handsome and almost human again. Maggie loves the babies--we have to stop her from licking them. I think she thinks of them as puppies! The boys know when to duck and hide from the babies.
OK, time to do some writing--and go pick up sticks from the storm we had this morning. We have lots of trees!
Y'all have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy new year!
dee
And the babies aren't new any longer. Emma turns a year old on Dec 18 and Autumn is now a year and a half.
Autumn can be so serious at times. Last month, with a serious face, she walked up to my brother and said, "Are you crazy?" Mind you, she had spent the rest of the time jabbering in Croatian or something--and then out of nowhere came that!
Yesterday she said to her great-pappaw (Larry) "Pappaw, are you a communist?" Now I tell you, no one talks about things like that, so where is it coming from? It just cracks us up!
There's something about celebrations that bring on sickness with the kids. Autumn wasn't feeling well on the day of her birthday celebration and was sick the day of her parent's wedding.
Emma had to go to the doctor's yesterday before we had her party. But in spite of it, she was her impish self. She wouldn't let Shelby or Dorinda hold her, wanted her Gammy instead. Her other grandparents were here and I took some pics of her with her other grandfather. And of course we had to have the messy cake eating pictures!
Shelby always takes over her goddaughter, Autumn, when she's around. Autumn loves her. Dorinda wants one of the babies to like her. We're working on that.
Holden and Carson played outdoors and then checkers on the back porch. The weather was hot--yes, it was December 15!
Diana said that Carson's teacher generally writes a note on his paper at the end of the week saying how he did. But in his hand writing at the bottom of the page it said, "Had a very bad week." He's eight years old and very affectionate to us.
We got Emma a large stuffed dog that comes with a blanket. You squeeze it and it growls. You squeeze it's hand and it barks.
Oh, you say Meow to Autumn and she says it back--or moooo and she's right with you.
The dogs like to hang around the babies to see what food they drop so they can grab it quickly! Both Zeus and Icarus got haircuts last week. Larry told them they look handsome and almost human again. Maggie loves the babies--we have to stop her from licking them. I think she thinks of them as puppies! The boys know when to duck and hide from the babies.
OK, time to do some writing--and go pick up sticks from the storm we had this morning. We have lots of trees!
Y'all have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy new year!
dee
Emma turns one
Happy First Birthday, Emma
Baby Emma is walking and being ornery now that she's a year old. Below she's with her maternal grandfather, Stan.
Baby Emma is walking and being ornery now that she's a year old. Below she's with her maternal grandfather, Stan.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Gammy's girls
Here are the girls--Ashley, Autumn and Emma. They are growing up too fast! But cute to watch.
Dee
Dee
Monday, July 16, 2007
Hair Dye
Have anyone else ever noticed that your hair never turns out the same color as they show on the hair dye box? You follow directions. You leave it on X amount of time. You rinse it out. But yet when the color is supposed to be light ash brown--it turns out--get this--BLACK!
Yes, I now have black hair. Far cry from the shade on the box.
Yet, when I get it dyed professionally, it turns out pretty close to the swatch they show me. But sometimes you have to economize and do your own hair, which was the case this past weekend. I mean, why spend that money at the beauty shop when you see those ads on TV that shows how easy it is to acheive the color you want.
Now I know why!
Perhaps I should've used the dye on my white schnauzers who are a dirty gray most of the time from the dirt in the yard as they run a race around and around, stirring up the leaves and sand.
Dee
Yes, I now have black hair. Far cry from the shade on the box.
Yet, when I get it dyed professionally, it turns out pretty close to the swatch they show me. But sometimes you have to economize and do your own hair, which was the case this past weekend. I mean, why spend that money at the beauty shop when you see those ads on TV that shows how easy it is to acheive the color you want.
Now I know why!
Perhaps I should've used the dye on my white schnauzers who are a dirty gray most of the time from the dirt in the yard as they run a race around and around, stirring up the leaves and sand.
Dee
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