Round and around

Round and around the little boy goes, where he stops nobody knows.  This VTech "Touch and Learn Activity Desk" lives in the family room.  Both children play with it, though in different ways.  es uses it as intended, playing the alphabet games, identifying parts of the body and colors, dancing to some of the music.  Her brother loves to push the desk and pull the legs out of the stool.  Sometimes he manages to turn it on, but I imagine it's a total accident.  Today he pulled up by it and cruised around it three or maybe four times.  The fun part came as the desk moved.  It sat against the cupboard, so to get on the back side ec had to push it out a bit, but as he progressed to the front side he pushed it back against the cupboard.  I had to laugh.  And so did he!

Twinkle, twinkle little bug

Sunday I gave es a new book which has two stories about Sesame Street characters.  In the second one Big Bird captures a lightning bug and puts it in a jar with holes punched in the lid, much as I did as a child.  Since fireflies have not crossed the Rockies es has not seen one but she seemed to understand the concept.  The bug twinkled for a couple of Big Bird's friends, then stopped.  So Big Bird tried giving it a cookie, a pillow, various things, but it would not twinkle any more.  Finally Grover asked, "Would you twinkle if you were caught in a jar?"  Big Bird released it and it twinkled brightly once more.

We had fun acting out the story, taking turns being the bug, captured, sad, then set free.  She amazes me with how often she can repeat, with minor variations, the same game.

Future lawyer?

This afternoon a little past 4:00 es asked if I would take her to the park.  I said I didn't have time because I would be going home soon.  She replied that she would ask her dad, which she did when K came in at 4:30 to relieve me.  (E and ec were in the city to visit an old friend.). He said yes, then backtracked because E had left pot roast cooking in the crockpot and he didn't want to go too far from the house.  He suggested they just take a short walk, and she agreed, but said the whole family could go another day.  I wish I had made note of the exact sequence of her dialogue.  It really did sound like  she was organizing her arguments before a judge!

We spent quite a bit of time today acting out stories.  For instance, she had me be the BBW knocking on the serious piggy's door, then when I couldn't blow down his door I climbed up on the roof to go down the chimney.  Lots of details from the story but some additions; after the wolf ran off, she became his mother, comforting him after he fell in the pot of hot water.  Then she was Little Red Riding Hood bringing a basket of treats to her grandma.  She placed little blocks and things in a box with a handle and identified each item--a teether became a slice of raisin bread toast, a cube was a cookie, this was a bowl of soup, this was ice cream.  It was great!  Then she was "sick" and I had to bring treats to her.

Never a dull moment!  And she narrates everything she does.  I enjoyed the time with just her.

Goodbye

Last night Linda's daughters followed her very clear wishes and turned off life support, and this morning she died.  Hers is the fourth death in the last two months of friends or family; she's the person I will miss the most.  I feel wrung out.

Some sad news

I received a call yesterday from the pastor at Trinity passing on some news which led her to change a hymn for today's service.  My friend Linda, whose husband died two years ago and who moved to Chicago last fall to be near a daughter's family, fell on Friday while out walking in her neighborhood.   Someone passing by called 911, but in falling her airway was constricted and she was without oxygen for a while.  Linda is now in critical condition in the ICU and shows little or no brain activity.  She is not expected to live very long.

I am just speechless.  She came out here last month to visit friends for a few days.  She sat in EK's living room, and we talked as ec played.  She was full of enthusiasm at her granddaughter's growth and the new life she was making in Chicago.  She even had started dating, saying she just wanted someone to do things with.  Then she left, walking back to her host's home.

After she moved, I missed having her here in town; it's difficult to accept I may never see her again.

Thanksgiving

We had five guests join us for turkey on Thursday, all of whom were present the last time we hosted Thanksgiving dinner in 2014.  I couldn't help but think of two men who were with us on that day but are now gone, Dave and Barry.  I'm thankful I knew each of them.  And although we no longer share the day with Grohs and Campbells, I think of Jim and miss him.  Joni, Sandy and Yvonne came with their parents for Jim's celebration a couple of weeks ago.

Yesterday I dried sheets at E's and kept James company.  He misses his people when they are away.  When I'm there watching the children, he more or less ignores me.  But this time he wrapped himself around my legs, presented his tummy for rubs, and followed me upstairs when I went to refill his food bowl.  His family returns tonight, I think.

Tonight we are having more supper guests, this time for a simple meal of turkey soup.  The carcass is still simmering in the crock pot, filling the house with a delicious aroma.  I will make a date cake as I do every year for Randy's birthday.  Yes, it's a couple of days late, but this way we can share with EKee tomorrow.

Baby vac

A couple of years ago I went to one of e's doctor's appointments.  The pediatrician mentioned a device called Baby Vac, a plastic tube and reservoir affair that you connect to your vacuum cleaner in order to suction your baby's nasal passages.  E and I laughed, even while grimacing at the thought, but he assured us it worked.  So E bought one and used it on e.  Now it's ec's turn.  The poor guy has had a runny nose for quite a while, so E pulls out the vacuum daily for a treatment, sometimes more than one.  It's a two-person job because ec doesn't just lie still saying," It's OK, Mom, I know this will help me breathe better."  But it is effective.  Someday he will learn to blow his nose by himself and the Baby Vac will not be needed.  Until then he will get relief with this device.