Falling off the band wagon

Sophia with her Nanny's Toothbrush

Did I say that right? Do people really fall off the band wagon? Am I pronouncing/spelling that right?

Well anyway, I have completely fallen off the blog road. It's a combo of a few things... Works still is crazy, adjusting to being a single parent again, loss of power and a couple crazy weekends planned.

I went out to California to visit some dear friends Paula and Jim Wheelock. As usual, they showed me a great time. They are such a passionate couple and I love being around their energy. My heart ached for Sophia for ummmmmm lets say 2 minutes but then I walked around free as a bird remembering my singleton days and cherished every moment that I was free from parenting. Thanks Cindy & Jennifer for watching Sophia.

My dear friend Trisha & her 8 month old daughter Kiera came to visit from Ames, Iowa. It was so good to see Trisha and catch up. I would like to say that our daughters behaviors were something to be desired. Kiera was out of sorts and Sophia was whiny! We did have a couple laughs and shared a bottle of wine each night after our daughters screamed bloody murder for 30 minutes before drifting onto la la land. Ha Ha! Trisha gave me the best gift.... She watched Sophia while I ran ALONE. You don't know how much I miss running and exercising alone. So much that I think I will once again hire another babysitter so I can go running. What's another $20.00 a week.

Can you tell the anger is creeping back?

Sophia is doing great! She is sooooo funny! She takes everything she can (telephone, sippy cup, TV control) and puts it to her shoulder and pretends she is talking into the phone. Sometimes, she has very passionate conversations where her voice raises. She is running everywhere and quite happy to pounce on the cats. Sophia is very curious and loves to sit on the front step. Pulling out the tooth brush makes her smile and glee.

Jerry is also doing good. They are getting ready for their replacements. It's still very hot. He is counting down the days, as I am sure all of them are.

I know who I am going to vote for.... Do you?????

End of August Already???

How is it possibly the end of August? Every once in a while, I dream of the benefits of being a teacher and having the summers free. Then, the "back to school blues" seed is planted in my stomach on July 4th that grows into full bloom by the middle of August and I can't wait to rid my belly of this sadness. I do have severe "Back To School" issues. Even though my corporate job can be mundane and long, I can't deal with the low of going back to school.

So to tie into my back to life reality blues, Jerry returned today. I HONESTLY, can't complain one single itty bitty bit. We got 1 month together. Most families have 2 weeks. Even though the first 2 weeks were CRAZY, we still got some normal bits. Below are a few photos of our time together.

I will write soon, there is a lot to catch up on.

Sophia shortly became a Daddy's Girl. We are together on a boat at Lake Lure, NC (a.k.a Dirty Dancing movie was filmed here).

Harold L. (Whimpy) Mourn

Harold L. Whimpy Mourn has passed away. He died Friday night with family members including Jerry by his side.

Funeral Arrangements are a follows.

Cardaras Funeral Home in Nelsonville, Ohio

46 Faytte Street

Nelsonville, Ohio 45764

http://obit.cardaras.com/

Viewing is Tuesday from 2-4pm & 6-8pm

Funeral is Wednesday at 1pm

The obituary will be in the Columbus Dispatch & the Athens Messenger on Monday. Once Harold's information is added to the Cardaras Funeral Home website, you can log on and sign the guest book. Wife Janet & family are doing fine.

Update

At this moment there are just a few things to report.

-Hospice has brought in a bed, which we hope will make his father more comfortable. The Hospice nurses are very caring and helpful.

-Harold is grouchy and hard on his care givers. Thankfully, his caregivers have a lot of patience and there are a lot of family & friends rotating through the home.

-Their continues to be a lot of visitors and at this moment they are welcomed.

-Jerry is spending the days in Athens with his family. Sophia is with her Nanny's & I am working. Jerry spent the night on Monday, but last night he came home to spend with us.

-The Mourn Family Reunion on Sunday is cancelled.

-Sophia is winning the triple gold star for making her mom crazy! She is going to Nationals next. In fact, I think she will skip over the Nationals and go straight to the Olympics.
I can't put a finger on her tantrums and endless screaming. Here are my thoughts.
-She does not like Jerry and I together.
-She is testing Jerry to see if she will get any attention from him.
-Her eczema is itching and she is miserable.
*Today, I looked up a class at the Elizabeth Blackwell Center to see a Toddler/Parent class to dissect her behavior. Too bad they are not until September.

-At this time, I don't have vacation planned. We will see how things progress.

I will post more soon.

Emergency Leave

Jerry made the decision after talking with his family it was time to come home to be with his father. I called the Red Cross and Emergency leave was granted. Jerry was on the 1st flight home. He arrived at 10am Saturday and we drove to The Plains.

We did not share the news with his family in fear that their would be a flight delay, etc. So the house was filled with excitement to see him. Sophia for once was Chop Liver!

Q: How long will Jerry be home?
A: He has a 10 day leave and if needed can be extended to 20 days.

Q: What did Sophia think of Dad?
A: At 1st, she smiled and said he could come along but as the weekend pressed on, she WON the Blue Ribbon for making her parents miserable. Needless to say, she will be staying at home for the week with her normal caregivers.

Q: Why was Sophia so cranky?
A: I don't know, I am assuming that she does not like her mom showing affection to anyone but her.

Q: How is Jerry's Dad?
A: How do I say this.... He is in pain, uncomfortable, and in/out of consciousness. Mostly out. This weekend Hospice came into the home and Thankfully, the act of swallowing medicine is no longer a requirement. They have given Harold medicine that can be injected into the side of his mouth and adsorbed through the cheek. We are hoping the new medicine can hopefully help with the pain.

Q: Is Harold up for visitors?
A: There are a lot of people in/out of the home. At this time, the family is okay with visitors and they will let you know if the time is not right. Harold enjoys the conversation around him, likes for his back to be scratched and his hand held. He is not communicating.

Q: How do you get a hold of Jerry?
A: His old cell phone is turned on.

I will report more later.

Sophia's Weekend

Sophia & I had a busy weekend.....

I got away for one day to New Hampshire for our friend Nate Jacobs wedding, but I will write about that craziness another time, but I felt very Bridget Jones.

It was Kale's 1 year old B-day. He is the son to Angel & Jeremy who are fellow military officers of Jerry's. The other couple, I can't remember their name, so I will call them Carolyn's parents. The father is also in the military and the mother is my new BFF. (I guess not really if I can't remember their names, but I had a great connection with the family). Their daughter Carolyn is turning 1 this week and she was running all over the place, pushing everyone down, stealing other children's toys. I felt that Sophia had finally met her match.
Vroommmmmm.... You know, if I brought this toy to our home, she would not take to it or play with it. So, I am glad this huge toy is sitting in Jeremy & Angels living room.

This chair kept her occupied for maybe 2 minutes.

Play the video. You will see Sophia has the Mourn trucker in her.

Sophia and I went down to visit the Mourn Family on Sunday. Jerry's sister had arrived from Texas and they were having a neighborhood picnic. It seemed everyone on Harper Street came to enjoy fellowship. I would like just to give you a quick update on Harold's health. As I mentioned earlier he has been moved home to be cared by for family & friends. Swallowing is very difficult, so he is having trouble eating and taking medication. He also struggles to talk, so he is quiet and just likes to listen and take in other's conversation. Harold has many many visitors and sometimes it seems like there are too many, but it has always been this way at the Mourn home. Harold does not know a stranger. I think this is a Mourn trait, as his children are all the same, and so are the relatives. Below is a photo of Jerry's brother Michael with Sophia. It was hot on Sunday!!!

Report

Dear Friends and Family,

I have just two things to report & say.....

1. So, I wrote an interesting blog entry and letter to the editor. I hope you know that the entry was not a cry for help or complaint about the support I have received.

I wish I would of articulated more on was........ My talk with the military wives was a compiled list of all the kindness we received and a few hints on how we could use some additional help. The feelings/thoughts in the entry were not just mine. We all talked and praised our neighbors, church members, family and friends for their support. Every one of us had a story to tell about someones kindness. Please understand that we do appreciate your support to our soldiers and keep sending the cookies & notes to them.

So, I am hoping that I did not hurt any one's feelings. Sophia and I have been supported and loved by so many. I have ran out of thank you notes due to everyones kindness.


2. I feel it is necessary to touch on the health of Jerry's dad. Last week Harold was taken to Athens Hospital. He received wonderful care, and made the decision to be transferred to Lancaster hospital where he could be close to his cancer doctor. His cancer has spread and at this time Harold made the decision with his family and doctor to return home where he will receive care by his loved ones. This Saturday his daughter Janalee will be coming into town to spend the week with the family. Jerry is still planning his break for late August.

I am hoping my next entry can be on a more positive note.......