GiGi's View of the World

Finally we meet!

2009-12-26T14:55:00.000-08:00

Back in 2007 I was talking about my friend Ali who lives in Nova Scotia. Well we finally
got the chance to hug in person when she came to Alabama to visit me. Dunno how she got away with it but in her backpack was an 8 pack of Canadian beer, and one extra large suitcase
filled with fresh lobster, haddock, and scallops. Man did we eat good that week. Stessy came with her and both families meshed so well. Of course there was lots of shopping, lots of eating
and lots of company. My son Chris was absolutely fascinated with Ali and Stessy and between him and his fascination there was sooo much laughter. When I had to take her back to the airport, I think I cried halfway home.
I made a promise that I would go there in the spring so in January reckon I will go apply for a passport. Hope I dont have Teresa's experience with flying, lol. Anyway Ali, you can count on it barring illness I will be there.

Been away long time!

2009-12-26T14:49:00.000-08:00

There have been so many changes in life these past two years and moves that time flew by with no postings. Gonna try to get back in the groove again. Hope all of you had a Merry Christmas,
not stranded by snow or bad weather

Visiting the "Low Country"

2007-10-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

I ventured out on my first trip since arriving back in Georgia, after loss of my hubby. Each day does seem to get a little better and of course, Mick and Mack were my biggest reasons for getting up each morning. The little critters are absolutely a joy to be around. But then we have our moments and feeling the need to get away, I took off for South Carolina's low country, mainly Hilton Head, to visit with my sis and my brother who also came from Kansas. First time I ever remember the 3 of us being together without the folks. They were missed but we enjoyed re bonding after so many years of raising families and being without kids was really great. My first night there I checked into my hotel and left the next morning due the seeing "the bugs" in my room. And I don't mean flies, roaches or whatever but THE BUG! (the one that begins with "S") So if you leave a comment, please dont type that word where I can see it, lol. My sis and her hubby and I relaxed on their deck, ate supper outside and talked, it seems, like forever. That area is so damn dark at nite, reckon they dont believe in night lighting, that my sis turned out to be my chauffeur every day. (specially since I dont have a sense of direction) The next morning as I was checking into the Days Inn, my sis came to get me and my brother and his wife also showed up. We headed to their place, and planned the days menu, and everyone freaked out of the ball games. My sis screaming for Bama and my brother screaming for Kansas State. Bama won but Kansas didnt. Tough day at the ball game for my brother. Bobi had made a huge pot of spaghetti sauce so we had "sketti", garlic bread and key lime pie. Oh yum. We all sat on the deck til long after dark and enjoyed not being pestered by bugs. Guess the ocean breeze keeps them away. Rehashing the ole growing up tales was lots of fun for all 3 of us. Jim and Ruth didnt feel left out cuz they pitched in with their old stories too. I was planning on coming home on Sunday, but we were having such a good time I decided to stay til Monday. Sunday am my brother Pat cooked us a sumptuous breakfast of fried taters, bacon, eggs, and biscuits. OMG he is such a good cook and we all pigged out. Pat and Jim went to play golf only getting back right before dark but I think its because the cart girl kept them "entertained" with the cart wares. In case you all dont know what that is, its called "booze" lol. Bobi, Ruth and I went shopping which isnt my favorite thing in the world to do, but wanted to get something for the boys. Ruth enjoyed seeing all the shops as I dont know if she had been to Hilton Head before. That blew the rest of the afternoon, so we headed back to the house. When the guys got back, we grilled steaks, had a few toddies and stayed much longer than we should have. I believe the trip was good for us 3 kids, for once getting together without sadness being the cause. They were both there for me in July when I needed them, and this time we came together just cuz we could. The trip home wasnt bad at all and my new Saturn Vue really gets good gas mileage. You can bet we won't wait for a long time til we do this again.

Grandparents and Grandchildren...

2007-09-13T03:36:00.001-07:00

She was in the bathroom, putting on her makeup, under the watchful eyes of her young granddaughter as she'd done many times before. After she applied her lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, "But Gramma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-bye!"

My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, "62." He was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, "Did you start at 1?"

After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As sh e left the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, "Who was THAT?"

A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like: "We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods." The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, "I sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!"

My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, "Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?" I mentally polished my halo while I asked, "No, how are we alike?" "You're both old," he replied.

A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather's word processor. She told him she was writing a story. "What's it about?" he asked. "I don't know," she replied. "I can't read."

I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last she headed for the door, saying sagely, "Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these yourself!"

When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them be fore I did, Billy whispered, "It's no use, Grandpa. The mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights."

When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, "I'm not sure." "Look in your underwear, Grandpa," he advised. "mine says I'm four to six."

A second grader came home from school and said to her grandmother, "Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today." Th e grandmother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. "That's interesting," she said, "how do you make babies?" "It's simple," replied the girl. "You just change 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'."

Children's Logic: "Give me a sentence about a public servant," said a teacher. The small boy wrote: "The fireman came down the ladder pregnant." The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. "Don't you know what pregnant means?" she asked. "Sure," said the young boy confidently. "It means carrying a child."

A nursery school teacher was delivering a station wagon full of kids home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog's duties. "They use him to keep crowds back," said one child."No," said another, "he's just for good luck."A third child brought the argument to a close. "They use the dogs,"she said firmly, "to find the fire hydrants...

I received all these in an email.....wonder if I will get lucky enough one day to say my grandchild said.........

Tykes in motion!

2007-08-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

One set of squirmy arms and legs is easy but two sets is a wrestling match! Geez, this is exhausting......two to the high chair, two to change, two to bathe, two to rock, and best of all: TWO TO LOVE!!! The daily routine be damned with these little critters. They wake up with giggles, play for a while, then scream for food unless I beat them to it, which I try to do. After that it's more diaper changing, bottle making and nap time (if I am lucky, lol). Then more giggles, more playtime and resuming schedule again. But when they look up at you, arms outstretched, or squealing with new found fun and treasures they come across all over the living room floor then the whole schedule can be damned cuz they are so much fun to play with. They have the ability to push the past few weeks to the back of my mind so I now look forward to each morning once again. They both are on the verge of really crawling and then we will be on the run constantly. Here is Mick on the run, cuz Mack is chasing him and Pixie is chasing both of them with the camera. These two critters can move fast even when rolling around on the floor.

We have a huge living room, but let me tell you its wall to wall BABY........thank goodness the Pix is gonna participate in a yard sale and soon some of this will be gone. They have outgrown a bunch of stuff so we gotta make room for more. Ut oh, I am being paged from the nursery, seems the critters just woke up again......Til later!!!!!

ROLL TIDE!!!!!

2007-08-25T05:05:00.000-07:00

Hubby would have loved this one!

Four football fans go rock climbing one afternoon. An Alabama fan, an Auburn fan, a Tennessee fan, and a Mississippi State fan. They had been arguing all the way up the mountain about who among them was the most die hard fan. Upon reaching the top of the mountain, the Tennessee fan proclaimed to the other three "This is for the Volunteers!" and promptly threw himself off the mountain as a form of sacrifice, screaming "Rocky top" as he fell to his death.

Not to be outdone by the Tennessee fan, the Mississippi State fan jumped up and shouted "This is for the DAWGS" and threw himself off the mountain barking Woof..woof, woof, woof! As he crashed on the rocks below.

Refusing to be out done by the Tennessee and Mississippi State fans, the Alabama fan rose to his feet and yelled at the top of his lungs "This is for THE CRIMSON TIDE!" and without hesitation, pushed the Auburn fan off the mountain shouting---Fly War Eagle! Fly

Beginning a new chapter.....

2007-08-23T05:18:00.000-07:00

Today I am going to try to begin a new chapter to my life. I have been thru hard times but nothing will ever come close to this, I hope, regarding a terrible sense of loss. Fortunately both my parents are still alive even tho they are in their 80's. From this devastating loss have come some positives in my life. My son, whom I was separated from for several years (his choice, not mine) has come back home to Mama, not in the physical sense of living with me but in the realm of mother/son relationships. He is quite the man and really stood beside me and we found the wonderful friendship that we lost many years ago. Pixie came home to roost by herself and has turned into one special "mama" to her boys. My youngest son, has a new home and new found faith and friendship with his brother whom he has been missing terribly. I cannot bear to live in the home I had with my hubby, so my parents are moving south to be near our family, and moving into my house. Out of bad things, we learn there are good things to come. What the future holds, who knows, but I am taking it one day at a time and relishing every memory I can and hope to share those with my children. No one ever said life was easy but then again, no one ever told me it could be so bad. However, I am a survivor, and will continue to be the best mama I can and Gigi to my grandchildren so that they may have everlasting memories too.

One Window to My Life Has Closed Forever....

2007-07-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

I have been trying for days to understand how something like this can happen. It only happens to others, not to me, BUT it did! I lost my husband of 37 years on July 9, 2007. The details don't matter, only the terrible sense of loss I have experienced which has totally shocked me. He was 9 years older than me, but even that doesn't matter. What matters is how one gets past this, to form and shape a new future which is totally unknown. Security in life is so vital to everything we do, and now this security is gone so unexpectedly. He was a good man, a good father, and good husband. We had our moments just like all of you do. If there is one lesson that was driven home to me, it's dont take one moment with your spouse for granted. You may get angry, you may have a love/hate relationship but remember that you married them for some reason and you need to hug that reason close to your heart. I still have not gotten past the shock and fear of the unknown, but with my children's help, God willing I will get there. So to all my friends, even tho I haven't been online, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers, kind thoughts and best wishes you have extended. Pixie has gone home without me and it's been hard on her not to have my help with the babies but she will persevere. Hang in there honey, it will get better. I will be back after the fog on my window clears.

HMO's WHAT THE HELL....

2007-06-27T17:53:00.000-07:00

Without going into reasons, I would like to know how in the world HMO's became so prominent in deciding what is right, in our health care system, when the majority of them are nothing but overzealous money hungry dogs................

Yep.....I am talking about you Ali !

2007-06-27T17:13:00.000-07:00

If I had one wish to fulfill in my lifetime, it would be to fly to Nova Scotia to meet this gorgeous gal..... I met Ali 10 years ago and became almost instant friends. I would never have guessed I could meet someone on the internet that I could claim as family and as she says, I adopted her! That may be the case but if so, what a great addition to my family this wonderful lady has been. There are so many things she has done for me, and one of the best has been bringing my sense of humor back to the surface when I thought it had left me. They say laughter is good medicine, well this ole gal and Ali have shared many many moments of laughter. Coming out of a bad relationship, she helped me pull myself back up, gave me encouragement when I needed a job, and oh so much more that can't be put into words. Finding ways to talk without long distance seemed insurmountable, but on the internet we found a way. She knows my kids, my hubby, and likewise I have had the pleasure of watching her family grow up too. Her nutty hubby is a riot, and such fun to tease. She went thru the whole pregnancy being my sounding board about the Pixie, and never once said "I don't want to hear any more of this". She is one busy gal, what with the kids, her job and stuff she does, but always comes online no matter what to say hi, good morning, or goodnite going to bed. Other than being away on vacation when she can't get access to a PC, we have talked everyday for these past 10 yrs.

So with that said dear Ali, just know I love you and am damn glad I claimed you for my family!!

Oh ya! Are ya having lobster tonite you ole hussy, lmao.....

Return to Normal?

2007-06-25T03:46:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been very stressful for this household. We are lucky to get one good day and then one bad day, no rhyme or reason why! Tickled to have Mick and Mack here but who knew the amount of work, time, energy and sheer exhaustion involved. Today we have a new "normal" in that the Pixie has returned to work. I gave her pep talks, lots of love and left her a note last nite which I hope helped her smile this am. Told her to go get herself a Starbucks coffee, which she dearly loves, before work. After yesterday I do believe this am at work is gonna be a bonus for her. A little rest and peace and quiet away from the boys should do her wonders, "I hope"!!!!! A friend of mine was here last week so that gave me a break before Pixie returns to work. She took over alot of the care that I normally do and also did the late night feeding for the Pixie cuz she is truly a night owl. On top of that, she also took me out to eat at Longhorn Steakhouse, and oh my gosh, it was sooooo good and a real treat.

It's only 6:45 am and no human being should be up this early - UGH! - but reckon I will get used to it. Amazing what we grandparents do for our children, but then THAT is part of the joy of being grandparent, lol.

So Pixie, have a great day and hope your "bucks" started your day off well for ya!!! I love you.

Whew! No more Company

2007-06-10T10:10:00.001-07:00

It's been an endless 3 weeks of company. I loved seeing my boys, cuz haven't seen them since Oct. last year, due to helping the Pixie. The first weekend, my oldest son came down from Tenn. as he hadn't seen the boys yet but when he got here, he was ill. They didn't get to stay as long as they would have liked but it was a quality visit even under the circumstances. The next weekend, my youngest son and family came to see the boys. They stayed 3 days and we had great fun. I was thrilled to see my grandaughters too. When they went home, we got to keep the oldest girl for 2 weeks. Seal (her alias) is a doll but typical 12 yr old. She was a little goofy, but had a really good time, playing with the boys, going shopping and learning to make jewelry with her Aunt Pixie. Saturday, the Pixie, took Seal halfway home where she met her mother with double what she arrived with. We outfitted her with clothes, and all kinds of jewelry stuff to get her going back home. Ah, family is grand but when being used to the quiet, it wears on the nerves after a while. Hmmmm, but then why do I cry when they all leave, lol !!

Old Fashioned? Me? Yep!!!!

2007-05-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

Having been outta the baby business for many a year, progress has left me behind finally. Little did I know about all the new advances they have made for babies in products to lure parents in. Some good, some not so good. When they are fussy, great toys, gadgets and even something called "Gripe" water, lmao. I thought Pixie was nuts when she told me about it. But then what do I know, I am only Gigi ! However, kudos to whomever told her about it and bless them, they even sent us a bottle. Ok so score one for the new stuff. Then looking around for a plate that suctions onto the high chair tray that you put hot water in to keep dinner warm, cant be found in stores. Bless the internet for that. So score one for the web and the old fashioned. Then there is the "magic mat", score one for the new. Then you got your bouncy seats, playpens (smaller versions), cribs and old fashioned stuff and on the other hand you have high chairs (old and new) including the one we have thanks to friends that strap onto your regular dining chairs. So score one for the new there. However, I won't bore you with the rest of my comparisons as you probably already know most of them. This weekend the Pixie got some new ideas from her sister in law. I thought most were awesome but couple of them made me realize I AM old fashioned. One is a bottle you put their cereal or food in and leave them to suck it out instead of feeding and not seeing that ooey gooey mess all over them and everything in sight, lol. When you talk to them and they goo goo back at ya, with that big ooey gooey smile that just makes your heart expand with love. She asked me didn't I think they were neat and I told her guess I am just old fashioned but ya, guess they are. So I let her be the new generation and do her thing but I will continue to be old fashioned and feed with a spoon. Hell ya, I am old fashioned and DAMN PROUD OF IT, but I loves ya my pixie!!

Reason for my "funk"

2007-05-28T09:56:00.000-07:00

Our mornings, afternoons, evenings, and life is dominated by 2 baby boys and its exhausting. Then they smile at you and you forget how tired you are. But it goes beyond their smiles and the love and joy I have in my heart for them. There was never a moment to myself and it finally weighed on me to the point of almost total exhaustion. I could not show how I felt to the Pixie, cuz I knew she was as tired as I was, cept I am helluva lot older than she. Now I know why only the young should have babies. They are finally getting older, and with it comes a little more calm, and Mick is finally coming out of his constant crying and fussiness. Mack fortunately didnt get that bad, so it did give us a minute of respite. As thrilled as I have been to have them in my life, it finally got me down. Thank God, that parts over with.

I have several hobbies I have been wanting to pursue. I can sew while taking care of them but cant paint, and now that I can finally, I have to wait on my steady stick. I completely turned all care over to Pixie cuz she is going back to work in couple weeks, and then I will have them daytimes so no painting. Knowing that she is returning to work, she will miss them but will give her lots of one on one time with them beforehand.

My Weekend Surprise from Pixie!

2007-05-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

Been in a bit of a funk lately, but feeling back to normal once again so back to posting. Couple weeks ago, Pixie told me not to plan a thing cuz she had made plans for us. The day finally comes, still sitting here in my lounging gown cuz nothing going up and lightbulbs go off in my head cuz my friend from Fla. is not online.......BINGO....surprise solved. About 5 minutes later she runs to the door, after keeping me away from the window and in walks my friend Susie from Fla. Omg, I was excited and thrilled. She and I met about 9 yrs ago in a game room on the web and didnt talk to each other for about 2 yrs cuz I lost her somewhere in web outer space, lol. Went to another game room and one day saw the same name so asked her was she same one and she said yes. Well, we hooked up that day and havent lost touch since. Last March we finally got to meet in person after 8 yrs of chatting on the web. Pixie came home from Korea and I met her in Fla where she was attending some school thing, so we decided to see if Susie could meet us. Here we were having lunch on the bay.

When she came this year, knowing I love seafood, she brought a cooler full of fresh gulf shrimp that she picked up that morning on her way here. We had a great time, ate like fools, shared a few drinks, talked alot and laughed alot. Pixie took this when she arrived. She is a great friend and I dont plan to lose track of her again!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

2007-05-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

Could not resist posting this email I received today so for all you Moms out there, heres to all of us that survived, lol !!!! Oh ya....I am proud to be a "mean mom"!!

Mean Moms

Someday when my children are old enough to
understand the logic that motivates a parent, I will
tell them, as my Mean Mom told me: I loved you
enough . . . to ask where you were going, with whom,
and what time you would be home.

I loved you enough to be silent and let you
discover that your new best friend was a creep.

I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours
while you cleaned your room, a job that should have taken 15 minutes.

I loved you enough to let you see anger,
disappointment, and tears in my eyes. Children must
learn that their parents aren't perfect.

I loved you enough to let you assume the
responsibility for your actions even when the
penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart.

But most of all, I loved you enough . . . to say
NO when I knew you would hate me for it.

Those were the most difficult battles of all. I'm
glad I won them, because in the end, you won, too.
And someday when your children are old enough to
understand the logic that motivates parents, you will tell them.

Was your Mom mean? I know mine was. We had the
meanest mother in the whole world! While other kids
ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal, eggs, and toast.
When others had a Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches.
And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was
different from what other kids had, too.

Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all
times. You'd think we were convicts in a prison. She
had to know who our friends were, and what we were
doing with them. She insisted that if we said we
would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less.

We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve
to break the Child Labour Laws by making us work. We
had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to
cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, empty the trash
and all sorts of cruel jobs. I think she would lie
awake at night thinking of more things for us to do.

She always insisted on us telling the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth. By the time
we were teenagers, she could read our minds and had
eyes in the back of her head. Then, life was really tough!

Mother wouldn't let our friends just honk the horn
when they drove up. They had to come up to the door
so she could meet them. While everyone else could
date when they were 12 or 13, we had to wait until we were 16.

Because of our mother, we missed out on lots of
things other kids experienced. None of us have ever
been caught shoplifting, vandalizing others'
property or ever arrested for any crime. It was all her fault.

Now that we have left home, we are all educated,
honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean
parents just like Mom was.

I think that is what's wrong with the world today.
It just doesn't have enough Mean Moms!

Author Unknown

Rotavirus

2007-04-24T16:55:00.001-07:00

Until 4 weeks ago, I never even knew this existed. My children had all the normal vaccinations, and when Pixie and I took Mick and Mack, I didnt realize things had changed soooo much! The last one they got was for "rotavirus" and she had to sign a form of some kind saying she understood it. Duh, can she read??? Hell ya, she aint un educated! Strangely enough, the following week my daughter in law in Ala, called me to say that our youngest grandaughter was in ER with "rotavirus". They kept her there for 9 hours, she received 3 IV bags of fluids and finally sent her home when they got her temp to break. Two days later she was back in ER again.
Seems this is a very dangerous virus and is becoming commonplace in all the ER's. Strangley enough, I then read in our local news from home that the ER's are full of children who have contracted this. After being treated, all clothing, bedding, toys and such have to be sterilized for a full week so as not to contract it again. Sure hope you all don't have to worry about this! Fortunately for us, our girl is well again and was able to celebrate her 5th birthday a week late.

Pet Peeves

2007-04-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

Everyone has one!! What's yours. I received an interesting website about pet peeves so decided to check it out and see which ones rate the highest. Seems that cell phone talkers and lousy drivers top the list so far. There is nothing worse than some idiot talking on the phone, not paying attention to their driving, going from fast to slow and back to fast again, sitting at a red light when it's green, not using their signals and double trouble when they eat while talking. It used to be folks putting on their make up but that dropped way down the list now. I absolutely detest cell phones in cars whether hand held or mounted, cuz they represent the same amount of distraction, lack of concentration. While I know many of you may disagree with me, I am not condemning your using them, but I wont while I drive. I prefer to "ARRIVE ALIVE"!!! And yes, Pixie absolutely rolls her eyes when I say don't talk on your cell and drive when I am in the car!!

Grandma s Are:

2007-04-19T09:29:00.000-07:00

Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting. ~Author Unknown

What a bargain grandchildren are! I give them my loose change, and they give me a million dollars' worth of pleasure. ~Gene Perret

Grandmothers are just "antique" little girls. ~Author Unknown

Perfect love sometimes does not come until the first grandchild. ~Welsh Proverb

A grandmother is a babysitter who watches the kids instead of the television. ~Author Unknown

Never have children, only grandchildren. ~Gore Vidal

Becoming a grandmother is wonderful. One moment you're just a mother. The next you are all-wise and prehistoric. ~Pam Brown

Grandchildren don't stay young forever, which is good because Grandaddies have only so many horsey rides in them. ~Gene Perret

Grandmother always made you feel she had been waiting to see just you all day and now the day was complete. ~ Marcy DeMaree

Grandmas never run out of hugs or cookies. ~Author unknown

Grandmothers hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever. ~Author Unknown

If I had known how wonderful it would be to have grandchildren, I'd have had them first. ~Lois Wyse

My grandkids believe I'm the oldest thing in the world. And after two or three hours with them, I believe it, too. ~Gene Perret

If becoming a grandmother was only a matter of choice, I should advise every one of you straight away to become one. There is no fun for old people like it! ~Hannah Whithall Smith

It's such a grand thing to be a mother of a mother - that's why the world calls her grandmother. ~Author Unknown

Grandchildren are God's way of compensating us for growing old. ~Mary H. Waldrip

You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother. ~Proverb

An hour with your grandchildren can make you feel young again. Anything longer than that, and you start to age quickly. ~Gene Perret

The best baby-sitters, of course, are the baby's grandparents. You feel completely comfortable entrusting your baby to them for long periods, which is why most grandparents flee to Florida . ~Dave Barry

I wish I had the energy that my grandchildren have - if only for self-defense. ~Gene Perret

Grandmother-grandchild relationships are simple. Grandmas are short on criticism and long on love. ~Author Unknown

Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children. ~Alex Haley

Grandmother - a wonderful mother with lots of practice. ~Author Unknown

A grandparent is old on the outside but young on the inside. ~Author Unknown

One of the most powerful handclasps is that of a new grandbaby around the finger of a grandfather. ~Joy Hargrove

It's amazing how grandparents seem so young once you become one. ~Author Unknown

If your baby is "beautiful and perfect, never cries or fusses, sleeps on schedule and burps on demand, an angel all the time," you're the grandma. ~Teresa Bloomingdale

Grandparents are similar to a piece of string - handy to have
Around and easily wrapped around the fingers of their grandchildren. ~Author Unknown

What is it about grandparents that is so lovely? I'd like to say that grandparents are God's gifts to children. And if they can but see, hear and feel what these people have to give, they can mature at a faster rate. ~Bill Cosby

Grandchildren don't make a man feel old; it's the knowledge that he's married to a grandmother. ~G. Norman Collie

This was passed to me by a family member, and have to say I think it's all true!
"NUFF SAID"

No posting lately.....

2007-04-16T05:53:00.000-07:00

What the hey!!!!!!!!!! By the time I get a brilliant thought in my head, it is erased by long hours, irritated babies, cleaning, cooking, and playing on pc for relaxation. Now I have started making notes or drafts, so that hopefully I wont forget what I wanted to write about. I know, none of this is making sense to anyone but me so call me Gigi the blathering idiot til these precious critters calm down and life returns to normal. But then again what the hell is normal anymore. The world is screwed up, kids killing kids, family problems, topsy turvy weather, news so unpleasant we dont even watch anymore, crappy television and life so busy we cant even remember when we last turned around. I have even returned to reading once more cuz at least then I can lose myself in something I dont have to think about. This is a pleasure I thought I would never return to but sitting outside in the warm sunshine with a good book is complete relaxation (only since I cant fish here!). Reckon my window got a bit jaded lately but I see a sliver of sunshine slipping back in thru the cracks.

Sleeping babies!

2007-04-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

There is nothing sweeter than a baby after a bath or when they first wake up in the morning. It's 9am here, both boys sleeping here beside me in bouncy seats. They grin as angels wings brush their faces. So far I have been able to have 2 cups of joe, and they still sleeping. Pixie is also, guess she needed that extra dose of zzzz's. Makes me wonder why they turn into demons around 8pm every nite, lol. When I look at this photo, I wonder if they are plotting ways to get Mama and Gigi before bedtime!

An outing with twins is.................

2007-04-09T15:24:00.000-07:00

We have really gotten ambitious in venturing out with the boys. This "fun" takes an hour of preparation, 15 min to load each time going into van and out of van for every stop we make. I had forgotten what it was like to load everything but the kitchen sink when you have kids and go somewhere. Most important of all, be sure we have fed them before leaving and hope we make it home before the next feeding cuz let me tell you, these two critters are very vocal when it comes time to chow down. Mick has really grown by leaps and bounds and has voracious appetite, outweighing Mack by about 4-5 pounds. Mack loves to eat but is a piggy and gulps his down while Mack is slow and steady. I love feeding Mack cuz you have to have a sure hand cuz you gotta follow his mouth all over the place, lmao, feeding him is like feeding a moving target. We dress them up like little dolls and then cuss like a sailor cuz we gotta remove all thes "cute" clothes to get to necessary when they are wet.

They will be 2 mos old on Wednesday, and are just beginning to smile and coo. We have what I call the "magic mat" (Pixie could tell you what they really are) that plays music when they are laying on them. When they fall asleep, the music stops and when they start to sqall, and move, the music starts again lulling them back to sleep, hence my name the magic mat. God bless whoever invented these, cuz for a short period of time there was no shutting up by Mick and the mat did its magic.
I had them on the mats today, and they actually saw the little toys that hang down, and cooed at the toys, it was soooooo cute.

I got sidetracked from our trips out, OOPS! Everytime we go into a store, Pixie will be stopped by no less than a dozen people to "oh and ah" over the babies. I used to walk in front of her pushing the store buggy, but I lost her so many times cuz she was stopping to talk to everyone, that now I walk behind her pushing the buggy. Now if she isnt careful, the buggy slaps into her "tush" and I get "the look". Gotta figure out another way cuz the look is starting to burn holes in me.

My life is controlled by red dots of monitor!

2007-04-09T15:12:00.000-07:00

When I have an idea for a post, I make notes and stick them in my to do pile, on my desk. Cleaning the desk today I found my list and decided I better get on the stick again.

No doubt most of you are familiar with baby monitors, and now at age 60, I find that my daily routine is run by those dog-gone red dots, lol. I get up in the am to read my news and drink my coffee, and bleary eyed watch of the red dots to see if they go into overdrive meaning one of the babies has awakened. Some mornings with pure joy and anticipation and other mornings with pure dread......hey, I AM human after all. If I have had my first cup of joe and have one eye open, I pray for couple more minutes of quiet, however, if I have managed a couple cups and eyes fully open, I cant wait!!! Then most of the time, the babies are in here with me the rest of the day, so I can feed, burp, change diapers, change clothes, cajole into better moods, and most fun of all, just plain ole hug to death. I have also found out that at my age, that screaming cry for attention is just pure hell to my nerves. Sometimes I just wanna bang my head against the wall and cry, but then again, they say God made babies so cute that no matter how ill WE get, we still love em!!

Its been a little hectic the past week tho, cuz due to a ruptured disk in my neck, I was down for the count, and little ole Pixie had total care and control of the situation. Yesterday the imp told me she sure was glad I was well cuz she was a pooped pixie........

Thanks Pixie

2007-04-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

The Pixie reminded me that I had'nt posted in two weeks. So this will be short and sweet......Thanks honey for being my nurse for past few days.

"19 Minutes" excellent read

2007-03-26T15:28:00.000-07:00

Now that I have the patio set put together finally, we have been enjoying our morning coffee on the patio, listening to the birds. Its so peaceful and quiet here on the culdesac. We get the morning sun there so you can't stay out long but in the evenings, its a great place to kick back with a good book, and a glass of tea.

My Pixie ordered a book titled "19 Minutes". Oh my gosh, it is an excellent read.
I really don't understand all the hullabaloo about it, as unfortunately this is life as we know it today. From the moment I picked it up, I have been thoroughly engrossed. Now I am looking forward to more books by this particular author.

Not being from here, I check my local news from home about every 2-3 days. Today I read that a young man, 24 yrs old, hung himself on the side of the highway. Even worse is the fact that its a major Interstate filled with commuters and school buses. How awful for all those folks to witness this young man hanging by the interstate. Apparently Depression was the cause. My thoughts and prayers go to the boy's family.

We have really been bogged down by doc visits, and endless feedings, changings, crying and loss of sleep. Wednesday a friend of the Pixie is coming to give her and I a 2 hour outing by ourselves. Sheesh, I am soooooo ready for this. Hopefully going to find some fresh peaches, we are in peach country, so I can make a fresh peach cobbler. Also hope to find some Vidalia onions. Hell, I will look for anything for a change just to be out and free for 2 hours. Duh, but then again this is only March! Guess the fresh stuff will have to wait a bit, lol. Oh well, by the time the new grill arrives, I will have some fresh veggies to cook on it. I am an avid griller and really miss my grill from home so Pixie ordered one for us, guess she will enjoy the vittles coming off of it. Ain't nothing better than a good ole burger or hot dog from the grill.......now if I could get her to EAT the veggies, it would be a miracle.......

Time for Bigger Vehicle!

2007-03-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

Before I begin this, just to let you know, neither the Pixie nor I are BLONDES!!

We ventured out to Big Lots, looking for a table chairs to put out on the small patio yesterday, riding in her Ford Escape. 2 convertible car seats in back seat for the babies, and the stroller in remaining storage area. We saunter around in the store, picking up this and that, she with the stroller and I with the cart. By the time we got thru and decided we spent enough, we headed to the cashier to pay.
Now mind you, we just bought a boxed set, knowing it will fit in the back of the Escape, and a lightstand for the dining room along with other smaller items. We ask for help in loading the SUV and got a really nice young man to help us. When we get back to the SUV, we both looked at each STUNNED!!!! (We are both redheads!) lol There is NO room for what we bought cuz we forgot we had to load the double stroller back in!!! WE FORGOT WE HAD TO PUT BABIES STROLLER IN THE CAR, lol........BLONDE MOMENT....
Thankfully we got this really nice young man who agreed to help us figure out how the hell to get that crap in the SUV. He struggled and strained to no avail and we finally decided to take everything out of the boxes and PRAY. I bet we tried about 10 different ways to fit it in before success was achieved. Only thing is, now I gotta figure out how to get it all out when we get home. At this point the babies were screaming and fussy, probably in that never ending quest for food, and no doubt wet diapers. She's grouchy, I am grouchy, cuz we both trying to figure out best way and butting heads.

But like all good trying moments in life, it comes to a happy ending. We finally get home, and she unloads babies, while I struggle to get all the contraptions out, and put on garage floor cuz at this moment,the last thing I wanna do is the put the damn thing together cuz I too am hot and thirsty. Dont want no damn formula tho, lol, give me an ice cold beer which I promptly rewarded myself with.

Oh ya, by the way, the patio set is STILL in the garage, lmao!!!!!!

POSTSCRIPT: Pixie bought a minivan today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enough is Enough!!!!

2007-03-14T16:09:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is short but not so sweet, lol....
I been peed on, pooped on and today they BOTH gushed their whole bottle of formula on me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "Nuff SAID!

Southeastern Tornadoes

2007-03-06T15:16:00.000-08:00

No doubt you all have read or seen on tv the disaster that hit Ala, Ga, and Mo.
Watching the storms progress across Ala, my home, I was very glad I wasnt there til it started hitting here in Ga. Since my weather radio was also back in Ala, we had to rely on tv praying we didnt lose it. Well, sure enough, here come the damn storms and sirens......driving us to the closet, the only safe place in this house surrounded by damned old pine trees. Now picture if you can, Pixie recovering with open wound, and I dragging two precious babies out of sound sleep to this little closet in my bedroom. Previously I had lined it with pillows, a radio, battery operated lamps, and a diaper bag filled with formula and other baby necessities JUST IN CASE. I help her in first then hand her the babies and pull pillows all around them, then scamper in myself. All this after sticking my head out of the window to see if i can hear the stupid storm sirens that are way toooo far away. We sit there and sweat a few minutes then curiousity hits me and I climb out to come into the kitchen to see what tv weather is saying. Guess I stayed too long, cuz I hear beating on the wall! Yep, Miss Pixie is calling so I scurry back and get the babies out, then I pull the Pix out, and we all troop back to the kitchen tv. Babies needless to say go back to lullaby land. Around 11pm as she is getting ready to call it a nite, the damn sirens go off again. Geez, repeat performance but all in all, we all survived. My heart goes out to the folks who lost loved ones, and homes. Geez, we got 2 tornado seasons coming but thankfully I now have my wonderful weather radio so I wont be quite as afraid. Gotta be a better way than that tiny closet tho........I will ponder this in the meantime.

Proud Gigi and babies!

2007-02-28T12:01:00.000-08:00

Forgot on earlier post to put my favorite pic of the babies and I right after delivery. This was taken right after birth as I was carrying them to the nursery. The sign behind on me the wall is the Lullaby wall, so new parents or grand parents can ring the lullaby bell for each baby as entering the nursery. We got to ring it twice!!!!!

Update!

2007-02-28T11:50:00.000-08:00

I know its been 12 days since my last post but Oh my gosh, what a busy 12 days. Our precious little ones are here and keeping Mama and Gigi very very busy. With little sleep on both our parts, just trying to post was last thing on my mind. However, I have few minutes of quiet as I now have Pixie and babies sleeping.

These little gremlins have been keeping us on our toes, just when we think we have them on a schedule, they do a 360 and here we go again, lol!!!! They are adorable, one I call Birdman cuz when he wakes, its like a little birdie, with mouth wide open and hollering loudly. My other one I call Conman, cuz he wants you to think he is hungry, hollering until you put the bottle in his mouth and he promptly goes to sleep. The little stinkers!!!!!!!

Its been a bumpy road cuz Pixie is having some problems but nothing serious thank god, just getting over birthing and her body not co-operating. But we shall persevere, and with strong minds and body will overcome. So send her a prayer please. Can't wait for my girl to get back her vitality and laughter. She is a wonderful person and even with all the crap thrown at her, she is a real trooper and reveling in the joy she feels with her babies. I am very proud of my daughter.
Til next time and can share some happy moments with you all, I bid you adieu!!!!

All is Well That Ends Well

2007-02-16T12:40:00.000-08:00

Today I brought the Pixie and babies home!! Been very interesting day overall but too lengthy to go into right now, as I have a little guy on my lap. More later......

YEP!!! GOOD NEWS!!

2007-02-15T17:28:00.000-08:00

We now have 2 beautiful baby boys, Mack weighing in at 6lbs 8 oz and Mick weighing in at 7 lbs. 8 oz. Too tired to post more but give me day or two and will fill ya in. They were born on Valentines Day. (not real names)

Pre-Delivery Frenzy

2007-02-13T12:56:00.000-08:00

Seems to be a common thread amongst my friends and family, that just prior to delivery, we all tend to go on a cleaning frenzy. And for for most, that's written in sand. Well, darling daughter started on her cleaning frenzy yesterday, getting organized, with a little shopping on the walmart motorized cart. I try to walk in front of her so she doesn't run over everyone in the store. However, she was sorely tempted by one rude woman and was wondering if because the lady wore "red shoes" would she be awarded 10 extra points if she ran over her!!! Duh, where does she get all this?? Finishing the errands, she decides to get pampered with a manicure and pedicure for her humongous little piggies, lol. Man her feet are swollen. And she has LITTLE feet, only a size 6. Back to the frenzy, the Pixie gets up this am and decides it's time to clean all the closets out! I am sitting here groaning cuz I want to watch The Price is Right which is my morning wake up ritual, ya ya, I know.......boring! But by the time it's over, my eyeballs are open and I am ready to go. I turn the tv on in her room so I can help cuz she doesn't need to be lifting, or lugging, or dragging. We got a couple loads ready to to go consignment shop for maternity wear, and for her yard sale, which I wonder if she will ever have as the garage is piled sky high with "yard sale stuff". She might just be a millionaire if she ever has it, lol. Oops, I digress again. Now mind you, she is 36 weeks, 3 days into this journey and can topple over at the slightest awkward movement. Makes one wonder how the human body can expand to such proportions. It's just mind-boggling! So with all this activity from the preggo girl, I rush to get her bags by the front door, making sure I am ready to run out the door at the first sign of "this is the moment". Only thing left to do is to make my call list as I have a zillion names she wants me to call right after delivery. Thank God for the puter so I can email and save my poor ear. But yes, for the chosen ones, I have your numbers and I promise to call. And now all the guessing of date, time, weight and length begins. Will be fun to see who wins, but hate to tell ya - there ain't no prize for winning, lol. Maybe next time I post, I can make a big announcement. Anyone got a nerve pill !!!!!!!!!!

Baby Shower Insanity

2007-02-05T15:04:00.000-08:00

I had forgotten how much planning, time, and money goes into a baby shower. Last Saturday we gave the Pixie a shower for the babies and it was worth every minute of my time. There were mountains of gifts and gift certificates, enough to outfit an army of gremlins. There is no way I could remember it all without looking at the list so won't even try except to say she was overwhelmed and cried buckets of tears. But let's get to the best part where a bunch of grown women fall back into childhood playing silly games that will make ya run for the nearest bathroom!!!

To begin with, we had to place a paper plate on top of our heads, (groan! I know) and with crayons draw a baby. Then the Pixie got to judge the winner. She didn't know who drew what and with that said, I WON!!! She said she liked mine cuz it looked Charlie Brown (ya, from outer space lol). Next, a diaper was passed around filled with mini tootsie rolls, ya ya ya it looked poopie........ and we had to guess how many were in there. Actually had a 3 way tie on that one. It got really gross after that with 10 preemie diapers being passed around filled with assortment of foods in each one that looked like the real thing. You had to smell, taste, or just guess. You shoulda heard the "oh yuck"s going around. Being totally grossed out, we broke for real food, none of that baby crappiola, and knowing I had plenty was shocked to discover everyone had a hefty appetite after that last game. At that point, a couple of the ladies left and man did they get lucky, cuz they didn't have to participate in the last game.

Now we all know that grown women are smart, and don't fall for foolishness most of the time but I haven't yet figured out what happened to our brains. Maybe the overdose from the poopie diapers turned our brains to mush. Last game was a doozy!!!! There is no way in hell I would post a picture of Pixie or myself in this horrible compromising position on any website. A HUGE glob of vaseline was placed on our nose and we had to bob for cotton balls in a big ole bowl, and BLOW it off our noses. We could not use our hands.......and at this point I will let you all use your imagination. Needless to say there was a run on the bathrooms for tinkle time, lmao!!! Lesson from the shower we learned is: Run for the hills at your next baby shower.....

If you want to see photos go to Pixies website

2007-02-05T14:58:00.000-08:00

Past few days I have received some interesting sites to visit and would like to share them with you. How many times has someone told you, "Oh you look just like so and so"? This site won't tell you who you look like but it will tell you how many have the same name as you. So far only 7 people have MY name. My next favorite choice was this site. Took me a minute to figure out what it was, lol. But then I am sorely math "disinclined", lmao!!! The many different websites out there continute to amaze me.

Outsourcing Idiocy!

2007-01-24T07:44:00.000-08:00

What the hell is wrong with all these companies outsourcing? Especially when these jobs are handled by "furriners" and No I dont apologize for my terms. However, I mean no disrespect to all my friends of foreign origin. Having received a new laptop for Christmas, there were several issues that needed to be fixed. Upon calling HP tech service, of course I got folks from India, whom I could not understand and in turn they could not understand me. I researched the HP website on "chirping" of the notebook, got an explanation which being a lay person did not understand. Now these idiots over there handling my call said, "Oh yes, I can fix that", NOT NOT NOT....... I finally hung up on the 3rd one and tried one more time, and at least this one was a bit more understandable. So following his directions, I LOST EVERYTHING on my laptop. Total idiocy......... So now I reckon I will seek help elsewhere, no more foreign idiots that cannot speak English. I will also re think my pc purchase if I can find a PC that has tech service in the USA, most likely none will. Outsourcing be DAMNED!!!!!!!!!!

Wacky weather!

2007-01-18T16:23:00.000-08:00

This has been a very strange year overall with all the goofy weather patterns that have changed. The deep south is notorious for tornadoes, as we have 2 tornado seasons. However, all the tornadoes are now up north in states I don't remember ever having tornadoes. Malibu, Ca. had snow, San Antonio and Dallas covered in ice. Nova Scotia actually somewhat warmer than we are here in the deep south. What is it they say about Hell freezing over? Hmmm, maybe Hell did freeze over! My folks in Missouri have 3 inches of ice on the ground and snow tomorrow. The poor folks in Oklahoma, lordy how do they stand being without power so long. The year of hurricanes didn't happen, and the heat has been unbearable. Like I said, "wacky weather"!!!!

"SIGHHHH"!!!!

2007-01-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

FINALLY! We have reached the 32 week mark for the Pixie's pregnancy. It was a magical date to her and I as now we know she won't have to go the "el jerko" doc in Macon. Last nite before I went to sleep, I kept thinking Lordy let her make it thru the night.....so this am when she got up, I was sitting here with my hand in air waiting for a "high 5". Goofy critter that she is decided we should celebrate so I asked her if she wanted to go for a ride, lmao, cuz she is on bedrest til babies come. But that would be a celebration of sorts, cuz we both know it isn't a ride to Macon. She has just realized that she will be able to celebrate Mother's Day this year and shed some croc tears. Yep, now my "baby girl" IS gonna be a Mama too. Ain't life grand!!!

Visiting Blog World

2007-01-06T16:00:00.000-08:00

After reading the hints on Bad Example about entry into the blog world, I decided to follow some of his tips. Spent the afternoon visiting many of the other blogs. I did not know that these doors were open to me and had alot of good laughs, a little sorrow, and very interesting topics. One that I encountered, being the mother of a military daughter, really tugged at my heart strings. Because of Bad Example's tips, I ran into a world I didnt know existed. Parents of military children can go and interact with others. Thanks for all the good tips Bad Example!!
One in particular caught my eyes, which unfortunately I closed in error but thank goodness still had the Official So Brave Song Site open. If you have a couple minutes, go to this website, be sure to have kleenex handy and give a listen to a Moms song. Let's hope that soon all of our families will be re-united and back home again.

Life is Never Boring!!!

2007-01-03T15:13:00.000-08:00

A day in the life of this household is never ever boring. First there is "Idiot Dog" who never shuts up whining, man this guy is psycho......no matter what you do, how you do it, he never stops whining and now "I" have to take him to the vet to see if he can be calmed down. Now mind you this is not my dog, but I will do as the Pixie bids. Then we have the 0ther two critters, my little one, the dominant one til Sasha bares her teeth at him, and our resident watchdog, Sasha. She's a great mutt, easy going but goes totally whacko over squirrels, chipmunks and bees. Then we have two human residents, lol. I am the accident prone one, and the Pixie who isn't far behind me. The Pix is a great learner as exhibited last nite. Getting the ice maker hooked up last week, it hasn't had time to recover and fill the bin yet. Last nite I tell darling daughter there's no ice. So what does she do??? Bless her heart, she sticks her pinky in the ice tray, standing on tiptoes in jammies and housecoat, and lo and behold - her finger gets STUCK!!!!!! OMG, what do i do, I am on phone long distance with folks, hollering gotta go, call ya back later and rushing to the fridge. I have visions of calling 911 and trying to explain how this very preggo woman in jammies on tip toe got her pinky stuck in the ice maker, lmao!!!! However there is one thing the Pixie has done well. She is incubating the babies making another week in the journey, and for this I am so thankful. Been a rough road, but we are traveling well.

Christmas-love it but glad its over!

2006-12-28T08:25:00.000-08:00

Another Christmas has past and memories made. It's always such fun planning but when it's over, it's over. Took the tree down on Tuesday, but ornaments still sitting on the chaise. Hmmm, lazy?? Hubby has been here since last Sat. and will be leaving Sat. am to avoid the New Years traffic, which is ok, since we leave the celebrating to the young. I always stay up and have to wake him before midnite so he can have his toddy and then he goes back to bed. Not this year tho as I will be watching the Pixie sleep, lol. Come Saturday, she hits the 30 week mark, thank god.
Yesterday my son was in the Eye Foundation ER due to debris in his eye. He is damn lucky he didnt go blind as he was grinding steel and a piece of rust flew up and embedded in his cornea. The docs couldnt get it all out, but hopefully the last small piece will work its way out in the near future. Sure hope that Doc reamed his butt out about not wearing safety glasses. Methinks he forgot he isnt a kid anymore and that "invincibility factor" is long gone and he has a wife and 3 girls. Time to get with the program Son!!!
To all of you going out to celebrate the New Year, have a great time but remember: Don't drink and drive. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL........

Pecular Aristocratic Titles

2006-12-22T16:09:00.000-08:00

Got another good website in email today and its kinda cute:

http://www.masquerademaskarts.com/memes/peculiartitle.php

Here are my results:

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:
Entirely Miss Reverend Lady Lonnie the Strange of Featherstonehaugh St Fanshaw
Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Go try your hand at it and see what outlandish title you receive!!!

Virtual Windows

2006-12-21T13:04:00.000-08:00

Whew!!! I am back at my virtual window. The old PC finally crashed into oblivion so have been sharing the Pixie's puter. While it was mucho appreciated, there is nothing like being on your own turf, downloading what you want, when you want but most of all, drinking that morning cup of joe while piddling on the pc. In this instance, it was hurry up and get thru cuz she might get up in a few minutes. lol....
Then had a really bad dose of the blahs, wanting the babies here, wanting her well and normal again, wanting my own pc again.....I could go on and on but won't bore you with the details. Suffice it to say, that the world is looking pretty damn good again.
My Mom is on road to recovery, the babies are healthy and I have my window back!!!!! All the Christmas presents are wrapped and under the tree and only Christmas dinner to do in next few days.
Now I can go back to visiting some of the websites I am discovering from my blog. So thanks all for visiting and posting.
More to come, later..........

Military Family Members

2006-12-11T08:27:00.000-08:00

This past month we have relied heavily on prayer for my nephew Monty, who is in the Army currently serving in Iraq. Yesterday was pretty scary for him, encountering I believe his first IED. I did not know that he has a website until today. If you have a spare moment, go and give him a hello at: http://www.xanga.com/showme99 I will be following some of his links to his buddies and give them a big hello also. God bless all our soldiers giving their time in this horrible place.

New Beta Blogger

2006-12-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

Sheesh!!!! I sure am having trouble with this. For some reason can't log in yet I can come in thru this window. I made new PW but when I try to sign in, says not valid. Anyone else having this problem? I wrote it down, so I know it's correct!!

Almost Lost my Window to the World PC

2006-12-09T09:44:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, I was praising the wonders of the internet. Two days ago, the laptop almost crashed so had to run the setup disk to try to get some normalcy. It's not perfect, but at least its working most of the time! Fortunately had backed up all I wanted to save with exception of the favorites file. UGH! What a job to try to find them all, as I am a prolific note taker I had to search thru a pile of notes. Don't know why it crashed except I kept getting the following warning and then POOF it would shut down. KERNEL_STACK_INPUT_ERROR. Wrote to a couple tech websites that I visit, but so far no help. Luckily hubby knows how important my PC is to me so when he called yesterday, he had the Pixie order me a new one. Crossing fingers it gets here before Christmas!!!!

From Hate to Love - The Computer

2006-12-05T10:07:00.000-08:00

Years back when I would call my daughter, I would be so frustrated and downright angry when I would dial her phone number for hours, only to find out that she was on the computer. She would always tell me, "Mama, you should buy one, you would love it". Of course I said NOT loud and clear. She walks in the house one day and told me she had a surprise for me, goes to the car and brings in, of all things, a freaking computer!! I couldnt even turn the darn thing on much less figure out what to do with anything. To my chagrin, after a few days of messing around with it, I absolutely loved it. Using it only to play games until about 4 years ago, I decided I needed to find out more about this wondrous thing called the Internet. Since then I have taught myself Excel, but no doubt there is more I need to learn. I learned to surf and enjoy the capabilities it gave me to meet people. But there is one huge drawback to using the computer - THE HUBBY! Why is it that some people feel threatened by a computer. Especially when learning Excel helps him with his job? So now I must temper my PC time with Hubby time, lol!!!!

I must say that having a computer has opened new windows to my view of the world!!

Are You A World Traveler?

2006-12-04T12:20:00.000-08:00

Being raised as an Air Force brat, travel was a way of life for all of us. I think one of my favorite places ever was Misawa, Japan. We loved the food, the atmosphere and learned to speak Japanese. After leaving Japan, we moved to Darmstadt, Germany, where I graduated from high school in Frankfurt, Germany. When my friend sent me this site, I decided to see what it looked like after I entered all the places I have been. If you are a world traveler, give it look see......

Outside Looking In

2006-11-29T15:27:00.000-08:00

It's a miracle of life, giving birth. Being on the outside looking in, watching Pixie experience something I have no knowledge of - twins - has given me new insight and fascination with the differences in one or two children. But the miracle sometimes can go sour on us when we least expect it. So far, this miracle of twins has been a wondrous journey. Fear was instilled in all of us on Monday, when the Pixie was rushed to the hospital with placenta previa. She is still there, and the babies are doing well. This really brings us all down to earth on the reality of life and how fragile it can be. Every day that she stays there in the hospital on bed rest is one more day towards delivering these precious baby boys. Many prayers have been sent her way, by family, friends and strangers. God willing - our boys will come out just fine, healthy and loved!!!!!!!!

The Memory Book

2006-11-26T08:48:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone with another page added to the memory book. Taking a moment to reflect on the past 3 days, a smile etched on my face, I sit back to reflect on what has just passed. Took my Pixie home in hopes that my other two children would come to see her in all her "preggo" beauty. Thankfully they did! As I was putting the doggie beds together downstairs, I looked up when I heard voices and there were my parents snickering over the shocked look on my face. No warning, and hoping to surprise us all, they really pulled it off driving in from Missouri. My 3 grandaughters came running in with open arms to see their Gigi,
which really brought the proverbial tears to these blue eyes. After Thanksgiving dinner, the Pixie held court in the living room with her ultrasound pictures on her lap. To everyones surprise she revealed the secret of the year, BOYS on the way. Having 3 grandaughters, needless to say all were excited. With hugs and kisses, we left heading back to Pixies home praying it wouldn't be another 7 1/2 drive that normally takes only 4 hours. Choosing a different route, we found light traffic, easy driving and time to stop so she could stretch her legs. Needless to say I have a pooped Pixie and a very tired Gigi. On that note I leave you all with a good nite and hope you all had a safe journey home.

2006-11-20T11:40:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is a time for families, young and old, near and far to join together and celebrate life with each other. Thank God this is one holiday that marketing hasn't found a way to ruin. Sometimes these family traditions are hard to celebrate when families live so far apart, such as mine. So we make do with tons of phone calls, quick, fast and action packed visits crammed with way too many activities. But always in coming home, I feel the love that I missed on a daily basis in regards to hugs, kisses and physical familial contact.

Recently when I called home, my "Mommie" told me she was writing a poem so I asked her to read it to me. Between giggles and tears I asked if I could have a copy to share with my friends. It looks lengthy but give it a read and see if there is something there that you also feel at this special time of year.

Thanksgiving Memories

I miss those years of long ago when our children were still at home.
There was no loud MTV nor constant ringing of a phone.
Name-brand clothing didn't matter, our kids' shoes were made mostly of leather.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner were great because we prayed and ate together.

Most joyous of all were holiday meals, planned several days ahead and studying recipes,
grocery shoppping to make sure everyone would be well fed.
Ah, Thanksgiving Day, that happy day which family holds so dear,
when beloved parents, grandparents and all travel far and near.

To join our home in festivities, nieces and nephews playing with our kids.
The men conversing in the livingroom while we women rattled pans and lids.
Old Tom Turkey was baked, veggies were steaming in my big iron pot and as I carried a pumpkin pie to the dessert table, my lil one asked "Mommie, whatcha got"?

Within an hour we were seated, holding hands in a thankful prayer,
then reverence was respectfully broken when Daddy yelled, "I'm hungry as a bear"!
Needless to say there was vast commotion when to each hand was passed a bowl,
youngsters gobbled mashed potatoes, yams and corn as one pleaded "Please pass another roll".

Tummies were filled with the gourmet meal topped with homemade pie,
dishes were done, we ladies laughed as the men rubbed their bellies with a sigh.
But all good things come to an end, with tearful eyes we bid them farewell
hoping to share another Thanksgiving that only Time could tell.

As I sit here reminiscing of those days gone by-children grown-those wondrous years,
my hand clasps a kleenex, I dab my eyes, but I'm shedding happy tears
For around the corner lurks another Thanksgiving to share with one another,
only THIS time the children will welcome US as precious grandfather and grandmother!

So for all of you so far from your loved ones, Here’s to You!!!!

And to my parents, I LOVE YOU!!

Promised pics!

2006-11-17T12:42:00.000-08:00

Been very busy couple months but fun. Here is one of my favorite projects, replacing an "ugly"
green floor, which thankfully my sister was here to help with. Shes the pretty blond with the
preggo pixie! After it, is the new floor, hallelujah! No more dark cave in the mornings. More to come in new post.

Nesting????

2006-11-15T17:13:00.000-08:00

Pixie says with all the improvements and sewing projects that I am nesting....
Hate to tell her ...... BUT I am feathering her nest cuz she cant!!!!!!

Tie your shoes????

2006-11-06T09:57:00.000-08:00

As I said before, having been pregnant with one child, this experience of watching Pixie go thru pregnancy carrying 2 has really opened my eyes to how easy we have it with just one child. Yesterday we went shopping for, of all things, a pair of velcro tennis shoes that she could wear to work. Now mind you, she is used to wearing "combat boots" everyday to work. I asked her why the hell she wanted to buy velcro hook tennie pumps and she tells me its getting hard to bend over to tie her boots. Then she looks at me, grins and says "well Mama, its either velcro or you get up at 6am everyday to tie my damn boots" quote and unquote, lol. I responded with

"OMG I havent tied your shoes since you were 5 yrs old"!!!!!!!!!!!

She is now laying down and I am sitting here watching Discovery Health Channel airing a program about pregnant models, and the jobs they are hired for. Today's show mentioned one woman going on a job to show that pregnant women have a hard time tying shoes. Who woulda thunk!!!!!!!!

Fall foliage

2006-11-06T08:50:00.000-08:00

Experiencing a drought this summer in the southeast, no one expected to see a colorful fall. Last week when I went home to Bama, things looked dry and ugly, but returning back here this week, it was a gorgeous drive. We live near the end of the Appalachian Mountains, and it was an absolutely breathtaking trip. Vibrant hues of reds, yellows and oranges shining in the sunlight made it hard to concentrate on driving. However, when I hit approximately 38 miles from my destination, traffic overtook my view! It took me 45 min to go 6 miles due to construction. Being sandwiched between miles of 18 wheelers took away the joy of my last few miles. Interstate driving is great til encountering good ole traffic jams.

Halloween

2006-10-30T12:47:00.000-08:00

The only thing in the world exciting about Halloween is the children. It has never been a favorite holiday for me. Now that I have grandchildren, I can see the fun and excitement in their eyes. So Pixie and I ventured into the world of pumpkin carving which my 3 grandaughters had never done before. Watching them, their little tongues sticking out while concentrating on the carving of their pumpkins, gave me tons of enjoyment. Squeals of laughter, an occasional tear when a slip up occurred finally gave way to big smiles on their faces. Hard to believe a shared moment made a lifetime of memories for Pixie and I. And with that I am proud to share their accomplishment with the world. Not bad for a 2 yr old (which had help), a 5 yr old and a 10 year old!!!!

About Moi!

2006-10-30T08:06:00.001-08:00

Having been advised to tell about myself, which I dont do very well, I decided to give it a shot.

I am a mother of 3, grandmother of 3 so far. I always said I would NEVER keep grandchildren cuz I raised mine and now they need to do same, but no one ever told me about the joys of being a Grandmother. Living in Germany for a while, I often heard women being called GiGi which I found meant grandmother and loved it, therefore I am GiGi! During my years of working in and owning a hair salon, I heard all the tales, some not so exciting (oh grandson pooped first time). I promise not to bore you with these little details. In my day and believe me, I am not THAT old (grin!) we never had ultra sounds made available to us. So this wondrous journey is reason for my entry into the blog world. Hope you will join me in this journey. Cooking is one of my passions and being an amateur artist is my other passion.

Enough about me, lets see where this journey takes us, will be interesting!!!

Blog family

2006-10-24T15:39:00.001-07:00

Now lets see if I can figure all this out, Pixie is my blog Mom, duh, I am her mother, lol. Then I have a blog grandmother Teresa, with a math genius as my blog aunt. Now can someone figure this out??? Both are younger than me (scratching head here), is there something wrong with this picture. They belong to a group of ladies that have adopted me into their Critter Family which makes me very proud. Such a special group that shared warmth, caring and many packages to Korea to my darling daughter when she was there. Besides all my friends that I have here in cyberland helping with my morale during that lonely time, I cant ask for anything more. THANKS YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Long Day at the docs!

2006-10-24T15:39:00.000-07:00

Pixie had an appointment with the "hi-risk" doc, for some of you who dont know, she is considered a hi risk patient due to age and type of conception. There are doctors and then are "doctors", the kind you know you never want to see again. Well, this guy is one of them, YUCK!
He needs to be on the receiving end of treatment in order to learn how to treat a pregnant female, lmao, wouldnt that be a hoot!!!! If this guy were my doc, he would kissing the back end of a donkey, cuz he sure wouldnt get payment from me. However, on the other hand, I am sure the mom he went to see when our visit was cancelled, was very appreciative. Other than that, we got some beautiful shots of the babies, Baby A weighs 13 oz and Baby B weighs 12 oz and both were sucking their thumbs. Guess they following in mama's footsteps cuz she did same thing. We know what she is having but we arent telling the world yet. Back when I was having kids, we didnt have the luxury of seeing our babies before they were born or find out the sex. What a wonderful and unique experience. Pixie just laid there and giggled at me cuz I was sitting there in AWE!!!!!!

Older parents CAN learn NEW lessons!

2006-10-22T07:15:00.000-07:00

Today a whole new revelation has hit me. Its not one that I like, but one that I think all parents, young and old will learn in time. No matter the age of our children, we will always think we know best. BUT sometimes what we think is not what matters. I am not sure I like this new way of thinking but I know its something I must adopt for my own piece of mind, and also to not run my children away from me. So from now on, when I give advice, whether its asked for or just given out of stupidity, please just take what you want from it and throw the rest out of the window. I know I told you that a long time ago, but now I know I will have to back it up with kindness, and not get angry or hurt. When it hurts, its only because I was stupid not to realize that it was because I didnt learn this early enough. And now its time for me to step back and let you lead the way when it comes to your home and family (thank God I never let it interfere before but almost did yesterday). And yes, Mothers of pregnant daughters have hormones too, lol!!!!!!!! I love you dearly.