Things I've been meaning to write about

A little more than a week ago I was sitting at the hospital. Dad was telling C and I about this recumbent bike that he had purchased for Mom. Mom had gotten one at a garage sale this summer and was using it, but Dad (after doing research) learned that an upright exercise bike would be really bad for her back and she should use a recumbent one. It was a surprise.

Fast forward to Thursday morning. Dad had died two days earlier, I had gotten there the day before, and Mom, brother J and sister K and I were all at the house. K had just laid down to take a nap and Mom and J were in the basement. There was a knock on the door. I went to answer it. The UPS guy was there, truck backed up to the driveway and he didn't say a word - he just looked at me expectantly... I had NO idea what was going on. He finally said, "I have a big box. It's really big. And it weighs a ton." As soon as he started saying all of this, I realized what he had and my eyes immediately filled with tears. Here was Dad's last present to Mom. First I ran to the truck to help this guy, blubbering the whole time and then J came out, Mom following, both asking questions and I knew I couldn't do this alone. I ran to wake my sister K and told her what was in the driveway and we both ran out to explain to a very confused Mom what was going on. It was a very bittersweet time.
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when Dad was in the hospital with his pneumonia, he had a respiratory therapist (RT from now on) come in every four hours to do nebulizers with Dad. They were wonderful - they really opened his airway and made him breathe a lot easier.

So at the hospital on Tuesday night, Dad had passed away an hour earlier and Karen and Jodi were out of the room and Cindy and Mom were sitting in there still with Dad. The door opens, the curtain moves aside and in walks the RT. He looks from Dad to Mom and Cindy to Dad to Mom & Cindy and says, "Is he ready for his treatment?"

Cindy and Mom look at each other in shock and then back at the RT.
Mom: You can try, but I don't think it will do much good.
RT: *shrugs his shoulders* Well, I have to ask.
RT leaves.
Cindy and Mom look at each other, still stunned.
Mom: Well, I don't want him as *my* respiratory therapist if I ever need one!
Cindy: I do! He never gives up!!

We're all convinced that was Dad's way of making the mood in the room lighter. He always did love a good laugh and they sure had one after that!

Meganism - gravity

I'm putting the shades up in Megan's room this morning and as usual, one of them falls down. I'm rolling it back up again and the slat that's in the pull part of the shade had slid half out. Megan's watching all this as it happens...

Megan: Momma, why did that thing come out of there {slat out of blind}
Momma: Gravity
Megan: Who let gravity in here???

Party, my room, eight o'clock...

Nick vs. Megan

We have a very kind friend whose sons grew out of this buck and loaned it to us. Since it's a new toy that makes sense, it's been a huge hit the past 24 hours. This morning both kids were playing with it, taking turns who pushed whom around the house.

Megan: Nick, it's my turn.
Nick: Mine!
Megan: No, Mine!
Nick: Mine!
Megan: No, Mine!
Nick: Time out!
at which point Megan started walking to her time out spot and then realized that she didn't have to listen to him and then just cried.

balloon confusion

For Nick's birthday this year (2 weeks ago), we purchased four yellow and green helium balloons. One popped the second it came through the door and two quickly followed suit. #4 was quickly tied to his chair at the table in hopes that we could keep it 'alive' until after the party. Not only did we succeed but the balloon (which was quickly moved downstairs after partying) hung out for over a week afterwards (it was filled with Hi-Float so it really was floating that whole time. After that the balloon slowly sank and was forgotten - by all so it wasn't even tossed by Mom or Dad.

Yesterday Nick went to the basement to play and came upstairs with this balloon. Once he had our attention, first he tried to throw it up into the "sky" (Nick's word) to no avail. Then he asked for help doing it. I told him the balloon was broken and that it didn't float anymore. The balloon was dropped and we quickly forgot about it again.

A short time later, Nick's rooting around in the battery drawer. He pulls out a AA battery and starts saying "Balloon, balloon". Adam tells him that isn't a balloon and Nick starts crying. The intensity of the crying had me figuring out what was going on pretty quickly. Nick isn't stupid - he didn't think the battery was a balloon. He just knew that batteries fix things and that battery HAD to fix the balloon so that it would float again.

What a heart breaker! WOW he wanted a floaty balloon. You know, Megan had an intense fear of balloons when she was that age. It's surprising to see how much Nick loves them.

It's potty time!

OK not really - Nick is nowhere near potty training, but at bathtime tonight, I took off his diaper and realized it was dry so I sat him on the toilet and after a minute or so, he peed! How exciting!!!

too many projects, too little time...

I don't like to have too many pots on the fire. I like closure, I like being at least somewhat organized, and none of that is happening for me this fall. I have so many projects that I would have liked to have finished already and some haven't even been started yet! It's one of those instances where I have too much to do and don't know where to start. Well, I'm hoping by writing it all down that it will get done sooner... Is that possible? Probably not but it all does need doing and hopefully this will help...

Here's what I've got to do...

1. finish Megan's scarf that I'm knitting (want to finish this before it snows the first time)
   
2. knit scarf for Nick (will he even wear it? I hope so but I think it's last on my priority list)
   
3. make baby gift for J's baby (I have 3 weeks)
   
4. make big brother gifts for J's other kids (again, only 3 weeks)
   
5. finish Nick's scrapbook (I'm two weeks behind on this!!!)

OK. If you see me on Facebook or instant messenger, tell me to get back to work!