Great-Grandpa Fred, aka "Pops"

The kids one and only living GREAT grandfather passed away yesterday. I consider them lucky that they were able to meet their Great-Grandfather, Pops, before he died. We all celebrated his 92nd Birthday last November at his nursing home and there were some photos taken with he and all of the grands and great grands. Those photos will be great memories for all of us. Although we're not sure if he really understood why we were there, he enjoyed being surrounded by his family and a few bites of birthday cake. The little kids probably won't remember him - but they have pictures to remind them who he was. He was so proud that he had 7 great grandchildren.

I knew I was lucky to still have a Grandparent living at my age. Pops led a fun life over his 92 years. He was lonely in his later years - but insisted on staying in Florida for as long as he possibly could. He entered a nursing home about two years ago in Florida and was perfectly content there for a while. He then started to become more and more dependent on others and eventually moved up to Maryland to be closer to our family. His only Son, my Uncle R, lived closeby and visited him most often.

I have fond memories of visiting my Grandparents down in Florida as a kid. Pops taught us all that we know about fishing. We loved going out on his boat "Thanks Mac". He loved having his grandchildren around. We took annual trips to Marco Island for visits and we loved being there. He paraded us around and showed us off like we were celebrities. Being a realtor on Marco Island for many years, he knew lots of people - and lots of people knew him! He truly was a piece of work, as some of you who knew him can attest to. He never did know how to spell my name correctly - it always had a "y" at the end - but it never really mattered. He thought the world of us kids.

He was always extremely fit and healthy - an avid tennis player, and tennis watcher. I remember always having to watch tennis on tv as a kid with him. No fun as a kid, but something I can appreciate now. And he ate slender with bran flakes and grapefruit for breakfast every morning. Occassionally, he would slip in one of those skinny pieces of toast - dry. He always ate lots of vitamins and fell for any investment gimick that came his way.

In his later years, it was hard to see him become more frail. The man we always knew as very in shape and active was not able to get around on his own as well any more. His false teeth didn't fit quite right any more because he had lost some weight and body fat. They chattered when he talked - and sometimes even flew out of his mouth (rest assured, I'm laughing out loud as I write this).

One of my funniest memories that I share with C. and our best friends is the day that he had his teeth in his pants pocket (yes, you read that right) and when he stood up to go upstairs, he did not realize that they had fallen out. There they were, just sitting right in the middle of the couch. I looked over and we all saw them at the same time - I've never seen a group of people laugh so hard in my life. He was totally oblivious and had no idea what he had left behind. Had it been anyone but him, it would have been embarrassing. But he never cared about that stuff - he just lived his life as if he was the only on in it.

Ah, there are so many more fun and funny memories. Those of you who knew Fred, you know what a character he was. He was a fun loving, carefree, happy guy. I hated to see him suffering in his later years so knowing he's out of pain and happy again is comforting. You can bet that he's in a much happier place. Rest in peace Pops.

Has it been 2 weeks?

I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since I've written - I really do miss blogging so much. I think about it all of the time and whenever I have the time to get to it, it's usually 10pm at night and I'm beat. That said, there's lots to catch up on.


We've just come through another sickness fog - this winter has been BRUTAL! JD so nicely threw up all over my car on Thursday on our way home from school and it went downhill from there. Needless to say, it was a LOOOONNNNGGGG weekend and we're happy that everyone seems to be healthy again. Today was our first normal day in a week. Phew.


That is, aside from the fact that JD is now calling me "HON" after every request. As in "I need some more milk HON" or "Please scoot me in on my chair HON". Is that a hoot or what? As if MOM wasn't bad enough a few weeks ago? For those of you who know what a HON is (Baltimore lingo), it's not a flattering term and the only thing I can think of is that he picked it up from one of his teachers at school? Either way, I laughed the first time he said it and promptly reminded him that I am "MOMMY", he said it again the very next sentence.


We're working through some serious teasing between the boys now days. JD is relentless with Cole - he's pushing all of his buttons, all of the time. Cole is slowly learning how to dish it back (with my help of course) and although he's the smaller of the two, not long from now he's going to haul off and club JD, which hopefully will let him know he isn't going to be pushed around.



We're starting to potty train a bit - I'll spare the details but suffice to say that there was a giant note on the kids cubby at school today announcing that "JD went #2 on the potty - hooray". So when I arrived, the kid was covered in stickers and dragged me into the bathroom to check out where he did his business. Toilets and the like have never been high on my discussion list so this is new territory for me. Living with 3 boys, something tells me my modest days are over.


We got the kids first "report cards" today. I must admit, I was a nervous wreck opening them up - having no idea what I would find. I had forgotten that they were coming out last week or I probably would have been nervous going to school today. They both got great reports, I'm proud to say. It seems that they are coming along very well - Cole is still coming out of his shell at school and they are working on that. JD is the life of the place and they find him very entertaining (as do we). I'm such a proud Mamma!


We're in temper tantrum hell with Cole at the moment. Holy cow - I always heard about these jekyl and hyde moments but never imagined what it would really be like. YIKES. All I can say is I hope this is a short phase!


I'm in desperate need of spring - this cold, wet weather is not doing much for my spirit. Once Feb hits - those doldrums kick in full force. We're headed South in April but that just isn't soon enough. Old man winter needs to take a hiatus and let some fresh spring air in - we need these germs out of the house!


On a sad note, I just connected with a friend of a friend tonight who lost a triplet - at the same gestation as Calvin was when I lost him. She lost baby Lindsey Kate - my heart goes out to S. and her family - keep them in your thoughts as they get through this loss and continue the hope for their surviving preemie babies.


Also wanted to share the latest singing skills - apparently they get that ability (or lack there of)from their mother.

Is it him?

Kinda cool story - a couple of days ago, as I was putting away the kids laundry, JD found the yellow memory box in his closet. It's the memory box with all of Calvin's memoirs in it - hospital bracelets, photos, cards, poems, etc. He came running over and said "what's this Mommy" and at first I said, "oh, it's just a yellow box of Mommy's". Then I thought, well, what better time than now to look inside with them. So we did.

Inside the box is a mini beanie baby that was in Calvin's bassinet when he was brought to us after delivery. It's a little grey and white bear type of thing - and just a few inches long. At our hospital, all preemie babies are given a beanie baby which stays with them for their whole hospital stay - both JD and Cole had them too. But Calvin's was a mini one.

When we opened the box, Cole immediately grabbed the little beanie baby and called it "Baby Calvin". For the rest of the morning, Cole would not put this little guy down. He talked to it, carried it and hugged it. My first thought was that it had to go back into the box because I needed to preserve it. But when Cole would not give it up as I pleaded for him to do, I reconsidered and figured, why not let him have it and let it be loved; right? He really liked the little guy and just seemed right to let him run with it.

We left on a roadtrip later that day and he had to bring it with us. He slept with it that night and clenched it all the way home the next day. This morning he had it with him all the way to school. And when he got back in the car after school, it was in his car seat waiting for him. He couldn't wait to get to the car. He tried to bring him into the tub with him too - and we had a hard time explaining that he couldn't get wet.

I dunno - it's probably more of the novelty of a new little stuffed thing for him to carry around. But I would like to think of it as some sort of symbolism of his love for his identical twin brother. I'll never know. But it sure warms my heart to believe that somehow Calvin is smiling down and giving us a reminder that he's always with us. And Cole feels it too.

Isn't 2 1/2 a little early to start calling me "MOM"? What happened to momMY? JD now calls me MOM...ugh, it's all going WAY too fast! I don't like it...

First Snow of the year!

Well, I wished for snow, and that's what we got! The kids were fascinated watching the snow come down and couldn't wait to get outside. So, we started the routine of getting all bundled up and about 2 hours later, we made it outside.


Low and behold, they stayed out there for FIVE minutes...seriously....



It was actually their very first time in the snow - last year we got trace amounts and they were not walking so we didn't go out and play in it. Apparently snow is not high on their "fun" list (yet). So back inside we went. I did snap a few photos just to document the occasion. Most of the photos show Cole frowning - he really did not enjoy the experience. Maybe if it was better "snowman" snow, it would have been more fun.


There's always next year.

Blessing in disguise

Why would I be upset about the surprise purchase of a new 46" flat screen tv? I guess there really is a benefit to it that I failed to see when I was notified that the delivery truck would arrive momentarily....

The large box makes a great pretend bus (or train, or airplane, or car, or...)! It's amazing what one can do with a little utility knife. This ought to keep them busy for a few hours while we're cooped up on this snowy/icy day!

P.S. - Thank GOD we have a new tv for the super bowl, right?

Ode to preemies

A friend sent this to me. It's a lighter version of a preemie parents experience. As serious and hard as preemie parenting is, it's nice to find a lighter side sometimes.

Jefferey's Poem
By Garrison Keillor

When I first saw you, kid, you were tiny and thin,
And slimy and red and your head was mushed in,
I say to your mother, "He looks kind of sloppy,
And two pounds four ounces ain't big for a crappie."

But something about you, the look in your eyes,
Said you fully intended to grow to full size,
They slapped your backside and you let out a cry,
And I said, "We will keep him, at least we shall try."

Some babies are born in nine months, by the clock,
Some babies are born, and they sit up and talk,
Some babies are born, and no doctor is there.
Some babies are born, on a wing and a prayer.

Poor little fetus, as big as your hand,
Poor little fish thrown up on dry land,
Who came in April, though he had til July,
Too small to live and too precious to die.

They shipped you downstairs to the big Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit's computerized cradle
And attached you to wires and stuck you with tubes
Monitored closely by digital cubes.

And thanks to the latest neonatal therapeusis
And regular basting with greases from gooses
And hot chicken soup intravenously fed
You did not fade away, you grew up instead.

We'll always remember those months that you spent
With tubes in your head in the oxygen tent
And the mask on your face with the wires attached,
Sweet little boy who was only half-hatched.

I'm sure you'll grow up to mature and extend,
To six feet six inches and become a tight end,
But I'll always remember each doctor and nurse in
The NICU who helped make you a person,
The kid who crash landed, who was carried away,
Who survived it, this bundle we bring home today.

History in the making...

Dear JD & Cole (my sweet, naive, young American boys),

Today is an incredibly historic day for our country. Today is the Inauguration day of our 44th President of the United States, whom happens to be the first African American president ever to serve in the white house. Someday when you're older, you'll be reading about this in your history books - and thinking back that you were only 2 years old when this happened. Hopefully by that time, racial tensions of every kind will be long gone. You may not understand by that time why it was such an important time in history - since you will be so far removed from the days when equality was far from acceptable. It is my wish that our world continues to be more accepting of people, more tolerant of people's choices and less materialistic.

This milestone is huge for our country. Your "Mimi" is from a generation that remembers the hatred & violence that was legally inflicted on the black people of America - and this behavior was accepted, and expected, by that generation. We've come such a long way since then - and today is such a historic day in our country's life and our lives, for this reason.

Although you guys are too young now to understand any of this, our nation and world are forever changed by the election of our newest president. Although Obama wasn't my first choice for president, he IS my president now, and I vow to support him and our nation as we squander through a very rough time of economic downturn and worldly turmoil. He's got a tough road ahead to bring us back to where we need to be. This world is full of hatred, particularly for our country. Since September 11, 2001, that horrific day, we have been fighting the war on terror, which will continue.

I hope with all of my heart that our country can pull together and blur the bi-partisan lines to bring our nation back to it's core values. We are a divided nation now - worse than it has ever been in my lifetime. I am hopeful that our new president can help us all measure up to the challenge he delivered today:

"For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the fire fighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. "

I am not alone in saying that I vow to be hopeful for our nation and do my part, to better our world for the sake of you and your children, and grandchildren. Politics are not my forte - and I don't profess to know much of anything about politics. But I do know which values I profess, and those that I will try to instill in you as you grow older. This historic day is a great place to start. As I watched parts of the festivities today, I wished that you were a bit older and could appreciate what has happened.

Love,
Mommy

Breakfast with Penguins

...or "Pengy" as we call him around here. The kids are learning about hibernation at school and the teachers asked that on Friday we send the boys in with a bear or penguin to share with the class. So, we got Pengy #1 & Pengy #2 ready for school, and fed them a nutritious breakfast...who knew penguins liked waffles and fruit?

I am fascinated by their exploding imaginations! I love seeing and hearing the role play; sometimes it makes me laugh (most of the time) and sometimes it makes me cry because they are growing up so quickly. The things they are retaining and imitating now are just amazing.

On another note, I have had an infant swing sitting in my living room for a couple of weeks that was making it's way up to the hospital to be donated to an expectant friend. In the meantime, the boys were absolutely fascinated with it and wanted to play with it any chance they could. Obviously, one would think that they are a bit large for an infant swing - and logically, why would they be interested in playing with it anyway? (Probably because I told them they could NOT play with it). Anyway, one morning I came down the stairs to see Cole lounging out in it, swinging back and forth, singing winkow, winkow witto sta (twinkle, twinkle little star). Funny thing is, he sort of fit in it, the little peanut that he is!

I've gotta add these photos too - we are a sports family, if you haven't figured that out. And we endorse several different sports teams around here. JD & Cole have quite the sports attire - including Terps, Redskins, Navy, Orioles, Syracuse & Colorado U. For the sake of our Colorado Family, you'll enjoy these! Go Buffs!

And lastly, for those of you who still might be intrigued by my new adventure with Shop To Earn, here's a great article that came out today...it's the new buzz. Are you sure you don't want to know more???

My work is cut out for me....

I'm trying to start out the year on the right foot and be healthy again - working out and eating right. Isn't that just about everyone's new years resolution? So far so good - been to the gym consistently for a week now - that's better than I can say for the last 12 months!

My motivation is of course, to be healthy. But more importantly, some girls, that I call friends, convinced me that it was a good idea to sign up for the Iron Girl mini-triathalon (Columbia, MD) this year. In a dazed (or crazed?) moment, I agreed and already paid my 100 bucks. I'm in now. Even though it's in August, that will surely be here before we know it....it's a .62mi Swim, 17.5mi Bike & 3.4mi Run. The running I will do fine with, except for the fact that it's the last event and I'm sure I'll be exhausted by then. But I can honestly say, the last time I swam with any purpose was about 20 years ago on the swim team in our neighborhood. And it's probably been about that long since I biked with any purpose - and at that time, it was simply to get myself to swim team practice.

Sooooooo, I've got my work cut out for me. There's nothing like a lofty goal like this to keep me motivated. With the Annapolis Women's Zooma 10K race at the end of May, I'll know by then if I'm up for the task. Time will tell...in the meantime, I need all of the help I can get!