Unique Traditions

Todays Holidailie is about unique traditions. I don't know if we really have anything that is unique. We do not put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving that is for sure. In fact, mine is up but still waiting to be decorated. Maybe by Monday. And I sure as heck don't go shopping the day after Thanksgiving. I think you have to be crazy to that.....and anyone who knows me, knows I'm not CRAZY! We do decorate the inside and the outside of our house. And we drink eggnog and listen to Christmas music while we decorate. I should say that is while I decorate. Cause no one else really likes to help. Maybe I can con Harley into doing it this year. When my boys were growing up it was tradition to wait until Christmas morning to open presents. We usually went to either of the grandparents for Christmas Eve and we always stayed home on Christmas. But now it is impossible to find a day that fits for everyone so we break up Christmas into a week of festivities. Ha! Ha! It really has more to do with no one likes anyone else so we have to keep them all apart. No really, with me in nursing and youngest son a cop, neither of us ever get holidays off so we do what works. I have always said....Christmas can be any day that you make it. The Saturday night before Christmas is our night to fill the thermos with hot chocolate, (something spiked for the Mrs.) load up the kids in the Suburban and go see Christmas lights. The kids love it and we always try to locate Santa somewhere.....

Holidailies Day Number one for me.....

Holidailies is a website that you can find here. It offers

prompts so that people can update their blogs daily starting on December 6 and

lasts until January 5th, 2011.

So I am going to try to follow along....

I am going to catch up today

December 6....My name is Paula and this is my blog :Paula's Place.

December 7.....Guilty pleasures

Oh my do I have some guilty pleasures.

1. Sour cream and potato chips

2. egg nog (and I might add something to it)

3. White chocolate with peppermints pieces.

December 8th

Childhood holiday traditions that you are happy not to follow as an adult

I am happy not to have to go to Grandma's house anymore.

I didn't like that mean old lady.

But alas she is no longer with us so I should not speak badly of the

deceased.

December 9

The strangest thing in the room

Hmmmmm does that mean this room.

The strangest thing in this room is him.

You know....him.

That boy that is sleeping behind me.

He is strange.

But he is ours.

And I love him.

So there.

December 10

Religion in the holiday season

Well, now.....

I believe in God.

I believe in Jesus.

I do believe he was born on Christmas Day

So I think that religion in the holiday season is okay!

It will come.....the empty Nest

The baby is teething, the children are fighting, and my husband just called and said to eat dinner without him.


Okay, one of these days you'll shout, "Why don't you grow up and act your age?" ….. and they will. Or, "You guys get outside and find yourself something to do and don't slam the door." ….. and they won't.

You'll straighten up their bedrooms all neat and tidy with bumper stickers discarded, bed-spread tucked and smoothed, toys all displayed on the shelves, hangers in the closets, animals caged, and you'll say out loud, "Now I want you to stay this way!" …. and they will.

Then you'll prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn't been picked to death, a cake with no finger traces through the frosting, and you'll say, "Now there's a meal for company." …. but you'll eat it alone. And you'll say, "I want complete privacy on the phone! No dancing around, no pantomimes, no demolition crews!

Silence! Do you hear me?" …. and you'll have it.

No more plastic tablecloths stained with spaghetti, no more anxious nights under a vaporizer tent, no more dandelion bouquets, no more iron-on patches, no more wet-knotted shoe strings, no more tight boots, or rubber bands on pony tails. Now, imagine your lipstick with a point. No baby sitter on New Year's Eve. Washing clothes only once a week. No PTA meetings, no car pools, no blaring radios, having your own roll of tape, no more Christmas presents made out of toothpicks and paste, no more wet-oatmeal kisses, no tooth fairy, no giggles in the dark, no knees to Band-aid.

Only a memory of a voice crying, "Why don't you grow up?" And in the silence will come the echo, "I did."

Halloween at our House

The End of the Season

7th Grade Football Team at Prairie Hills Middle School......Beat Derby 43-12! Ended their season with 2 losses.

Darian is on front row right of number 83

Making Tombstones

We spent last week helping Paige and Harley make these!

Happy birthday Angel Baby

36 years ago today I gave birth to one of God's own

Angel Babies.

Elaine

RIP sweet baby daughter

October 14, 1974

It has been a long summer.........

But Jethro returns tonight!

I hate to admit it but...

                                                                       September Song





Well, it's a long, long while

From May to December

But the days grow short

When we reach September

When the Autumn weather

Turns the leaves to flame

One hasn't got time

For the waiting game





Oh, the days dwindle down

To a precious few

September~

November~

And these few precious days

I'll spend with you

These golden days

I'll spend with you

K. Weill and M. Anderson

Happy Labor Day

Do you know what I am doing today?

Do you know how I celebrate Labor Day

If you guessed....WORKING...then you are right!

Our Newest Edition

Our newest Edition

Meadow Hadleigh Schlatter

Born September 1, 2010

7 pounds 18 1/2 inches

It is NOT to be Believed

Guess who was selected to be one of the Students of the Week

This week at PHMS?

Could it possibly be this kid?

I think it was.

And we are so very proud of Him.

The things kids say

Just as Darian was drifting off to sleep he asks:
"Why can't people be born with tails?"

Getting on the Bus

Do you see him in the door of the bus?

He gets on every morning at 7:50 a.m. and goes 2/10th of a mile to school.

I miss him as soon as the door closes.

He lets me kiss him goodbye.

On the porch.

Long before the bus is in site.

He's a 7th grader now, you know.

Can't let your friends see a granny kissing you good-bye.

He's growing up.

He will leave us someday.

And I will miss him!

I'm trying.....I'm trying

The Best Place Ever to Buy School clothes

I am not made out of money.

And I certainly don't have one of those trees growing out back with money hanging on it.

When my grand daughter arrived here, she did not have anything to wear.

I went on the hunt and found that clothes for little girls are

cheaply made

expensive

not fit to wear (if bought used)

So what is a granny like me to do.

EBAY to the rescue.

The above pictures are some of the clothes that I purchased this year for Harley to start school.

And you know what she came home and said today?

"The girls at school want to know where I get my clothes cause I have the cutest things."

Way to go granny

What I am learning about ADHD

I am not a walking encyclopedia about ADHD, but I am learning....
Two of my beautiful grandchildren have this diagnosis and they are as different as day and night.
Paige is a 5th grader. She and Harley are only 3 months apart in age. They are almost like twins.
Paige was diagnosed with ADHD when she first started school. I was so opposed to her being on medication. And then she would come to stay with me........Paige on medication/Paige off medication.
I liked her best when she was on medication. She likes herself better on medication. And she can focus and do what she needs to do. And she is delightful.
Darian wasn't diagnosed until he came to live with us in December 2008. And he is not the hyperactive, bouncing off the walls, type of kid. He just can't focus. He can't keep his mind on math! He can't complete a game. Or read a book to the end. Darian is in the 7th grade now. He has been on Concerta since February 2010. And the difference it has made in his life is not to be believed. He is calm. And happy. And likes to do math. And loves to read. Of course, he loves video games too. And now he is really good at them. And he plays football and baseball. And has friends. And doesn't fight in school.
Darian sometimes has trouble sleeping at night because of the meds.
I found a web site (can't remember how I stumbled upon it) but he loves to meditate.
Try it out: marc.ucla.edu. Click on Mindful Meditations. I have downloaded them for his MP3 player.

Waiting for Life to settle down

The kids started back to school last week.

Whoever heard of going to school on August 17th?

It's still hot outside.

The swimming pool is still calling.

And Grandma is not ready to get up so early.

But never the less it is Back to school.

This is the first year that the kids will not be in the same school.

Harley is in the 5th grade.

She was pretty nervous about going without Darian.

But, with fancy new clothes and a backpack for a Princess

she climbed onto the bus at 7:13 a.m. and away she went to the 5th grade.

It was raining that morning.

She is having her classes this year in two classrooms.

She does reading, spelling, and math in one room.

And all the rest in another room.

Her rooms are in what they call 'the modulars'

Those are like trailer houses parked next to the school.

There are 320 4th, 5th, and 6th graders at her school.

She is starting into the band this year.

Playing the drums!

Have we lost our minds?

I'll let you know.

Darian is a 7th grader.

Wow, seems like only yesterday he was in pre-school.

Time flies!

He gets on the bus at 7:54 a.m.

Lot of time between Harley and him.

Time alone with Grandma.

Time to talk about 7th grade boy things.

We had to go to the school on Monday night for 'parent' night.

They gave us a copy of his schedule and we had to go from class to class when the bell rang.

Papa and I are old!

And some of his classes are far apart.

We have a new appreciation for what he does.

Doesn't he look all grown up?

He is playing football so there is practice everyday after school.

He comes home pretty stinky. And tired.

Hold on Papa and Grandma, the ride is beginning.

The Thing About Grandchildren

If I hear the comment once more that the good thing about grandchildren is that you can spoil them and send them home.....I might scream.
You see that is not always so!
I am raising two of my grandchildren.
I am not raising them because this is what I want to do!
Believe me, I had other ideas about how I was going to spend these years leading up to the GOLDEN ones.
And it was not about shopping for kids, with kids. It was not about helping with homework. And it was not
about disciplining them. It was not about tucking them into their beds at night. It was not about worrying if they are okay. I was going to travel and garden and enjoy my life with Papa. Anyway, that is what I thought I was going to do.
Until one cold December day in 2008 when the big sister of my two grand kids called up, crying, and saying that Darian and Harley were not being taken care of. Mom had checked herself into rehab and left these two with Dad who was living wherever he could find a place to sleep and cook up his meth.
And that is the day they came to live with us.
And changed our lives forever.
We don't sit in our recliners and eat supper anymore. (Well sometimes we do) We now have meals at the table so that we can teach them some manners and give them some stability.
We don't watch whatever we want on TV. Cause, have you noticed how little on TV is good for any child under the age of, oh say, 21. My goodness the things that are on prime time. I don't want to have explain that to kids yet.
We have to have a bedtime, cause it is way to hard to get up really early in the morning and send them off to school if you don't go to bed really early in the evening. I am still working on this one, cause I am a night owl so I am always tired. never enough sleep.
So I have decided that this little blog of mine is going to change. I am going to start talking about what it is like for an old woman (age 59) and an old man (age 77)  who have found themselves parenting again.

Happy 4th of July

“All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom; justice; honor; duty; mercy; hope.”

― Winston Churchill

A Favorite of Mine

:

""If there's ever a tomorrow when we're not together, there's something you should remember

You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart, I'll always be with you.""

Author: Christopher Robin - Pooh's Grand Adventure

Oh how Well I Remember those days

Quick Smiles


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Tech Support: "I need you to right-click on the Open Desktop."

Customer: "Ok."

Tech Support: "Did you get a pop-up menu?"

Customer: "No."

Tech Support: "Ok. Right click again. Do you see a pop-up menu?"

Customer: "No."

Tech Support: "Ok, sir. Can you tell me what you have done up until this

point?"

Customer: "Sure, you told me to write 'click' and I wrote click'."

Yes, it is

Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Memorial Day 2010

Enjoy the Ride

Boy isn't this the truth?

We have sure been on an old-time rail journey here at my house.

We took in two of our grand kids in December, 2009, and life hasn't been the same.

We have had some sidetracks for sure.

And there has been a lot of dust.

All over the place.

Cause Granny doesn't have the time to clean like she used to.

Nor the desire.

And I have learned that a dust free home really isn't all that important.

We have had our share of cinders.

But we overcome them.

Sometimes we use them to light the candles so we can find our way.

And there have been several jolts for sure.

One of the biggest jolts was the best thing to happen at our house.

It caused us to change school systems and brought about a big, beautiful

change in one young man's life.

We have also been able to enjoy the beautiful vistas.

Papa likes the company when Granny is away at work.

And it is true that Kids can say the Darndest things.

We have had some good laughs.

And some good crys.

But in the end I hope that we have changed their lives.

For they have sure changed ours.

Waaaa!

Be sure to honor those who Protect and Serve us

Each May during National Police Week the nation pauses to recognize the service and sacrifice of U.S. law enforcement.



Established in 1962 by President John F. Kennedy and a joint resolution of Congress, National Police Week pays special tribute to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others. Ceremonies are held in Washington, DC, and in communities across the country.

For more information about this week and the things happening around DC and the rest of the country, here are some websites that will most likely keep you informed:





National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

Concerns of Police Survivors

National Police Wives Association

God Bless and Proctect Trina and Justin......my LEO's

Come on Bret Michaels

Come on Bret you got to pull through.

You are my favorite aging rock star.

Well, you and Gene Simmons!

I am getting this chance......

If I Had My Child to Raise Over Again

by Diane Loomans

If I had my child to raise all over again,

I'd build self esteem first, and the house later.

I'd fingerpaint more, and point the finger less.

I would do less correcting and more connecting.

I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.

I would care to know less and know to care more.

I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.

I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.

I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

I'd do more hugging and less tugging.

I'd see the oak tree in the acorn more often.

I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.

I'd model less about the love of power,

And more about the power of love.

It has occured to me that I am getting the chance to "raise my children again" through
my grandkids. So I need to read this more often and make it my mantra.
I need to pick my battles and chose what is important.
I need to look for the oak tree!

The If Meme

I found this meme at Dawn's blog called 4:53. I visit her blog everyday and really enjoy what I find there.

The If Meme

If I were a gemstone, I would be a diamond.

Well, that is my birthstone anyway. Maybe I am a diamond in the rough.

If I were a scent, I would fresh baked bread.

Can't you smell me now? LOL

If I were a pair of shoes, I would be Crocs.

Cause I think they are the most comfortable shoe ever.

If I were the weather, I would be a sunny, hot summer day.

No clouds, no rain, no wind. Just hot and sunny.

If I were a facial expression, I would be a smile.

Because what is more fun than a smile.

If I were a car, I would be a 1957 Chevy.

Bright yellow....just like my brother used to have.

Then I would be a 'classic'.

If I were a time of day, I would be midnight.

Ending one day and beginning another.

If were a month, I would be July.

Just because.

If I were a place, I would be a beach.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to be a beach?

If I were a liquid, I would be an icy, cold beer.

Why not?

If I were a taste, I would be spicy.

Cause I am!

If I were a sea animal, I would be a star fish.

Me too!

If I were a food, I would be steak, baked potato with butter and sour cream.

And I would be medium well done!

If I were a color, I would be red.

And spicy.

If I were a musical instrument, I would be a guitar.

And cuddled in someone's arms.

Oh my!

If I were a flower, I would be a poppy, or a deep red rose.

If I were a song, I would be My Way!

I would be sung by Elvis.

And I have done it My Way

If I were a planet, I would be the sun.

If I were an object, I would be a necklace.

Diamonds.

If I were a fruit, I would be a peach.

If I were a sound, I would be the waves of the sea.

Couldn't have said it better.

If I were a day of the week, I would be Saturday.

Cause everyone loves a Saturday!

If I were a pattern, I would be stripes.

*

Care to join in?

I will continue to persevere

“Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages.”


― George Washington

My Daybook

For today...


♥

Outside my window...the day is overcast and the tempeture hovers near freezing. We have some snow flurries.
♥

I am thinking...how I should not be sitting here at my computer with so much cleaning to be done.

♥

I am hearing...Disney Channel...my granddaughter Paige is here today.

♥

I am thankful for...my grandkids

♥

I am wearing...jeans, tee, hoodie, socks


♥

I am remembering...things that went on at work last eveing.....not good!
♥

I am going...to pick up my paycheck pretty soon. Along with the kiddos from school

♥

I am creating...some valentines.

♥

On my mind...changing the bedding later

♥

Noticing that...I am ready for spring!

♥

Pondering these words...

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides."
How true that is

♥

From the kitchen...a pot roast with carrots in the crock pot
I do have coffee! Always the coffee.

♥

Around the house...there is always so much to do....I must make a list
♥

One of my fave things...cookies with milk.

They are the best!



YUM!!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

A picture to share

It says love

Happy Birthday Darian

Today my ‘favorite’ grandson turned
12. I cannot believe that sweet little blonde baby
is now a 12 year old young man. Happy Birthday!

Thinking of my mom today

Today my mom would have been 87 years old.
I miss you mom!
Happy Birthday

Sunday Stealing

Today we ripped this meme off blogger named Flea from the blog Flea's World. She states that she stole it at Warty Mammal. But, it was probably stolen there as well. So, of course, that will be as far as we go. Tracing back our theft's thieves might take some time. Link back to us at Sunday Stealing!
Join us here

Cheers to all of us thieves!

Sunday Stealing: The Negativity Meme

Foods which disgust the crap out of me:

The only one that I can think of are Breaded Tomatoes...why would anyone want to put something that looks like that into their mouth is beyond me.



TV show I loathe:
Oprah Winfrey......that woman is so stuck on herself and how good she is that I cannot stand to watch her. And I USED to be a fan.



Movie I loathe:
I don't watch movies so there are not any that I loathe. One of the things about movies that I DO loathe however are movies that are filled with the word fu**. Not necessary!



Music genres I loathe:
Rap music



Magazine which annoys me:
'O'



Makes me cranky at restaurant:
Kids that are crying or running around the restaurant....and parents who let them



Makes me cranky in public:
Kids who are not minding and parents who aren't making them (I think there is a theme here)



Makes me cranky in general:
Kids! And believe me, I love the ones that I have. But they can make me cranky



Pisses me off at home:
Fights over video games. The counter piled with dirty dishes (and I have spent the evening at work) the toilet seat left up



Pisses me off at work:
People who call in on a regular basis and nothing is done about it. Staff that don't care for the elders. Why work in a nursing home if you don't like cranky old people????



Pisses me off in general:
The attitude of the young people of today



Makes me impatient at home:
People not doing what I ask, as soon as I ask.



Makes me impatient at work:
Same as above



Makes me impatient in public:
People talking on their cell phones



Celebrity I hate:
Oprah



Music artist I hate:
Don't think there are any that I hate



I could care less about:
Tiger Woods sex life....he is famous because he is a golfer....his sex life has nothing to do with that!



Annoys the crap out of me weekdays:
Having to go to work...can't wait to retire!



Annoys the crap out of me weekends:
Having to work every other weekend



Blogger's habit that annoys you:
Anonymous  comments



Feature on your blog you hate:
My lack of ideas on what to blog about...

Movie star you despise:

Can't think of one

Politician that you hate:

I don't know that I hate him but I am over Obama and all the promises he made and his lack of being able to admit that he isn't going to be able to make all those changes (an No, I am not a Republican....but a Democrat who did not vote for him)