Thursday, April 29, 2010

raindrops fallin on their heads

namaw & poppy came down for big b's tball game saturday (which was cancelled due to the rain).  we still had a fun time with them here though. 
it was raining quite hard & the kiddos wanted to "help" poppy & daddy grill out.  really they just wanted to get wet. 


miss grace was so soaked, she couldn't keep up her pants.



we soon came inside for some hot chocolate & smarshmallows (ok, they just ate the marshmallows) and warmed up.

the kiddos enjoyed sharing some of their favorite books with namaw & poppy.

walter the farting dog


& i spy
thanks for coming over namaw & poppy!  hopefully no rainout this saturday!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

another day, another hospital visit

we went to visit papaw in the hospital today.  we've been trying to be there everyday, even though it's over an hour one way.  he needs our company & asssurance everything's gonna be alll right.  his spirits have been high through all that has happened.  praise god for that! 
ben told daddy & me the other night he wanted to see pap every day so he could tell him "that i love him & that he's getting better everyday."  ben is always high on the praise for pap, saying "great job papaw!" & things like that to him.  gracie will always give him a kiss on the hand or somewhere.

the kiddos have fun in that little hospital room!

they are very good about sharing stories & making pap laugh.

tonight they both gave him hugs goodnight.


& i did too. 


we are trying to plan what we will do when he is released from the rehab portion of the hospital.  do we move in with him & care for him?  for how long?  the summer or years?  will he have the patience for our kiddos & our so sweet doggy?  do we sale our home & just really move in with him?  how will we handle school if we stay there for longer than the summer.  how do we handle the hospital er that was obivously negligent last tuesday night?  why did they send him home after his tia even though his blood pressure was 200 something over 100 something?  what were they thinking?? if he had been admitted for observation that night would this major stroke have been lessened? i sure do think so.   so many questions.  so much worry.  i am having a hard time giving my worries to god.   all these thoughts are running through my head.  he had told me time & again (even before this happened) he DID NOT want to go to a nursing home.  i want to be able to respect his wishes.  when the time comes, we'll see what he wants & what we can do.  i know it's in god's hands & it will be ok.  i'm just so ready for that being ok part to be here. 

Friday, April 23, 2010

a hand to hold on to

being a small town hoosier gal, i love me some john mellancamp.  one of my many favorite songs of his has always been "hand to hold on to"

some of the lyrics here from good ole johnny couger:
And then those hours when you're alone

And there's no body there except yourself
I know it, you wanna pick up the phone
And say, "Talk to me, talk to me
Somebody please talk to me"

Every one needs a hand to hold on to

Every one needs a hand to hold on to
Don't need to be no strong hand
Don't need to be no rich hand
Every one just needs a hand to hold on to



anyways, i've always been a hand holder.  with my hubby, my kiddos (who are always trying to wriggle free), my papaw (the entire night after mamaw passed away).  it just provides comfort to me & hopefully the other person too. 

today at the hospital, taking a break from coloring (yes, i know she's laying down on a germy hospital floor) she came up & asked me what i was doing sitting next to papaw while he was sleeping.  "just holding his hand," i replied.
"why you doing dat?"
"i just like to."

so, she wanted to. 

she touched it & then started to ask what every spot on that old hand was on there for, trying to pick them off.

those hands have years & years of hard work, my dear.

& then ben wanted to touch pap's hand.

so gentle.  just a light pat.



the kiddos have been so good at the hospital, helpful & cheerful.  i've tried to explain to the kiddos how papaw's strokes have made his body forget how to work some & he has to learn it all over again & we need to help him. 

they helped with some of his exercises, hitting a balloon back & forth.

when pap raised his left arm to show justin, ben cheered, "that's a great job papaw!"  & he meant it. 

last night, gracie helped me wash papaw's feet.  she did a fine job.

tonight when they left with daddy, pap asked for another pillow.  ben rushed to get him one & insisted on placing it behind pap's head. 

they both gave papaw hugs & kisses bye & ben told him, "you get better real fast papaw!  i love you!"

in my head, i've been worrying about a lot of things. figuring out how to not disrupt their lives too much & fill it with the hospital but yet teach them how important it is to be there & take care others.  wonderful friends & family have & are getting their share of ben & gracie time so they get some kid play time (thank you all for that!).   but as i write this i realize they are "getting it."  getting how important it is to take care of those we love so & appreciating the friends they get to play with while momma's doing her shift with pap. & getting it that in god's hands, it will be ok. 

& papaw seems determined to get better.  he's frustrated as hell that he can't pick up the utensils with his left hand (he's a leftie), but  he is working at it.  if he was awake, he was working out his arm, moving it to different positions with our help & stuff.  he's got to be ready to chop down more trees!

Monday, April 19, 2010

game day

saturday was the first t-ball game for the purple team!  & what a game it was!  warning -there are tons of pictures on this post.  thank you dave for the pictures- your shots make me want to learn how to use my camera!
big ben practicing his baseball card pose at home.


getting ready for his first at bat.  he was the first batter of the game & he hit it! way to go, buddy!



the fans were all out to see the future major leaguers in action.  damaw and davenkate (as ben calls them) were also there to cheer him on.

the next inning, big b was last to bat.
   he scored a home run! (the last batter always hits a homer).   he was in a hurry to make it to home plate & passed up one of his teammates.  (i think that is ben hopping on home plate)


check out that fielding! 





& that form - perfection!  i love how everyone else on the field is so uninterested in what is going on!  cracks me up.

another great catch by big ben.


checking out the fans.

the purple team and red team were both winners of the game.  i love that it's all about having fun right now.  & what fun it was!  this momma had a great time watching those kiddos out there having a ball & learning some basics.  i loved the kid that batted, fielded his own ball & then walked to first base.  too cute!


1,2,3 go purple!!!


check out their sponser!  ha!
gracie & her buddy kate.


on the way home, enjoying the treats of a true major leaguer.  (oh, how i loved that big league chew as a kid.  at my cousins' little league games we would pretend we were like papaw with a big ole chew in our mouths & spit.  ah, memories.)



Wednesday, April 14, 2010

t-ball & cookies

big ben is loving t-ball!  2 practices down & first game on saturday.  go purple team!  (real original name, huh?) 

he listens to coach sullivan.

sometimes, he'll even take advice from coach daddio.

daddy & i couldn't be more proud of him.  he gives it his all out there & is a great sport, cheering for all his teammates & trying is best (which i must say, is getting pretty good!).  the boys got their shirts & hats at practice (big b is #1).  he looks like a real baller with his hat on!

at the movie church, we were given an "assignment" to give cookies to someone just to show them you care.  i told the kiddos they should to do it too.  ben wanted to make some for his team.  so we did.  i had this brilliant idea the kiddos & i could place red sprinkles on the cookies to look like the ball seams.


 a biit too hard for my guys. 



but they had the best time making it & i think people got the idea what the cookies were supposed to be. 


at practice he couldn't wait to hand them out.  he was so excited to share.  i just love that about him. 

miss gracie wanted to get in on the action too, but all of the purple team had left.  2 boys from the red team were walking to the field & she ran over to them with a cookie in hand.  they just looked at her & walked away.  she followed, holding out the cookie.  they started running.  she started chasing & crying, "take my cookie!"  they wouldn't.  i felt so bad for her but was also cracking up at the same time.  those boys didn't know what to think of this girl!   i ended up being the recipient of the cookie given with much 2 year old love.  & then everything was all right.



had to add a picture of ben's biggest fan.  in his shorts (worn as a dress) & in his purple team baseball hat.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

get wet!

the kiddos wanted the kiddie pool & sprinkler out yesterday.  i wasn't ready for it just yet, so we "comprimised" with the water table (i thinking they wouldn't get soaked). 

gracie's first move:



it might have been a better idea just to fill up the pool.



boy, did they have fun!

Friday, April 9, 2010

pizza!

yesterday i woke up feeling yuck.  migraine for sure & didn't want to get out of bed.  felt like i couldn't.  but i did & we trudged through the day.  at preschool, a mom friend offered to watch my kiddos so i could rest.  by the time preschool was over i was feeling somewhat better so we had some buddies over for a playdate.   it was a nice distraction from my headache. 

after everyone left, a while later the doorbell rang.  it was my dear friend amy with supper for the night!

can't beat it!  thanks amy. 

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

dinos & lories & kangaroos, oh my!

yesterday, we headed down to kentucky to hang out with a special birthday gal on spring break.

we had a fun filled day at cave city!

we went to dinosaur world...

dinos everywhere!

going for a ride wooly mammoth.

gracie & one of her many meltdowns of the day. 

the other 2 enjoyed climbing the t-rex's tail.

lunch at a&w was a special treat.  ben & gracie got to have rootbeer!


then we headed to kentucky down under.

miss grace loved the lorakeets.  she was thrilled when it climbed onto her arm.  one loved brad so much, it went potty.


the kids got to pet a kangaroo. 
then we went on a cave tour. a lady had a panic attack inside.  not fun. 


heading home, the gals passed out.  but not ben, he was ready for more!  he's been asking all morning to"puleeze go back today & dig for some dino bones!"  soon, my son.