May 10, 2008 Ship of Thieves! Stealing the Magic..AGAIN!!! Panama Canal FL to CA!!! Part 4

[EllaEnchanted]

John, How is your dad doing? Has he fully recovered?

 

[EllaEnchanted]

Just got a call from DSIL...he told me that next sat. night is dinner at our house and the sat. night after is dinner at their house coz DGS is turning 16...getting his permit and starting to drive. EEEKKKKK Get off the road!!!

DH and I looked out at the weather today and said we're forfieting all plans of going out and we're cacooning inside today. it's been quiet, peaceful and nice. Better enjoy it while we can...

 

[Jhalkias]

John, How is your dad doing? Has he fully recovered?

Thank you for asking Deb, he is doing fair. He has not really been the same since mom passed away, and I feel like I am watching him decline before my eyes. He is now using a walker to get around - up until last year he always used to pride himself on how much walking he did.

I am hoping he recovers more fully, but it is slow going.

 

[granmaz]

Thank you for asking Deb, he is doing fair. He has not really been the same since mom passed away, and I feel like I am watching him decline before my eyes. He is now using a walker to get around - up until last year he always used to pride himself on how much walking he did.

I am hoping he recovers more fully, but it is slow going.

It is so sad seeing our parents decline. My parents are both dead as is John's dad. There is just his mother now who is 91 this year. She does fairly well, but had numerous things wrong with her now and uses a wheeled walking aid to get around too.

 

[granmaz]

My house smells wonderful - fresh bread! Just taken a loaf out of the bread maker - half wholemeal, half white flour with seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, millet, linseed, pumpkin and sunflower. Oh I just want to get a knife into the loaf right now! Another reason why my diet hasn't gone too well!

 

[EllaEnchanted]

Thank you for asking Deb, he is doing fair. He has not really been the same since mom passed away, and I feel like I am watching him decline before my eyes. He is now using a walker to get around - up until last year he always used to pride himself on how much walking he did.

I am hoping he recovers more fully, but it is slow going.

EW, That hurts...I'm so sorry, I thought you would have better news. John, this is not good. I know what it's like to watch the decline...you know it's the beginning of the end, you just don't know how long you'll have with him still. That's how it is with me and mom. At least they're still with you and you know to cherish every moment you have.

 

[birkner]

Thank you for asking Deb, he is doing fair. He has not really been the same since mom passed away, and I feel like I am watching him decline before my eyes. He is now using a walker to get around - up until last year he always used to pride himself on how much walking he did.

I am hoping he recovers more fully, but it is slow going.

John, I do really understand what you mean. After my mother passed in 2003, my dad just never seemed the same. No matter how much time any of us spent with him, he just missed my mother.

 

[birkner]

My house smells wonderful - fresh bread! Just taken a loaf out of the bread maker - half wholemeal, half white flour with seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, millet, linseed, pumpkin and sunflower. Oh I just want to get a knife into the loaf right now! Another reason why my diet hasn't gone too well!

Baking bread smells take me back to my childhood. My grandmother used to bake all the loaves of bread on Sundays for the week. Those were the days when we NEVER ate store bought bread!!

I still love fresh baked brown bread with butter!!

 

[EllaEnchanted]

It is so sad seeing our parents decline. My parents are both dead as is John's dad. There is just his mother now who is 91 this year. She does fairly well, but had numerous things wrong with her now and uses a wheeled walking aid to get around too.

Hi Marilyn, At least you still have John's mom and God Bless Her for being 91 years old this year.

 

[granmaz]

Baking bread smells take me back to my childhood. My grandmother used to bake all the loaves of bread on Sundays for the week. Those were the days when we NEVER ate store bought bread!!

I still love fresh baked brown bread with butter!!

I had to give up on the butter, but you can't beat it! I like it thick!!!

Hi Marilyn, At least you still have John's mom and God Bless Her for being 91 years old this year.

Our friend's mother is over 101 and still lives on her own in a small old house with steep steps up to her bedroom and bathroom!! She still goes out shopping and walks to the church. Up to a few years ago she still did cross stitch.

 

[EllaEnchanted]

I had to give up on the butter, but you can't beat it! I like it thick!!!



Our friend's mother is over 101 and still lives on her own in a small old house with steep steps up to her bedroom and bathroom!! She still goes out shopping and walks to the church. Up to a few years ago she still did cross stitch.

You gotta say, she's been doing something right all her life. It's amazing!

 

[calmom]

As I told Marilyn, I have done this trip with kids. It is 12 hours and costs a fortune. Kids get bored very quickly. We had to bring tons of stuff for them to do and if we didn't have a sleeper, I don't know if we could have managed.

Good points. I did price it out - I think it was about $700 for the 6 of us (2 bedrooms). Would be cheaper and quicker to fly...it does sound romantic and fun but probably isn't much of either! Back to the limo bus to take us home idea!
Lisa

 

[calmom]

I did the Coast Starlight from LA to Portland in 1987 with a 15 yo DD and 9 yo DS. It is a beautiful ride from LA to SF. My DGF was a station master for the RR for years and so RR is dear to my heart. We could not get a sleeper as they were sold out, but we still had a great time. 27 hours. DD spent the night in the observation car playing cards with other kids, DS and I tried to sleep in the recliners. As Noel said though it is expensive.

Well that sounds fun! Maybe we should keep thinking about it...although it is really expensive. Lisa

 

[calmom]

thanks looks like we might do this too! It would give Paul a dreak from driving home. (& I hate to fly)
I got $406 with the family bedroom. about the same as airfare, but I figure it might be a fun way to have our last moments of vacation. Depending on the timing of school, I'll have to look into taking this long way home....

That would be fun if we both did it! I wonder if we could get by with just one bedroom for 6 people. Do you get seats in addition to the bedroom or is it just the bedroom? Lisa

 

[calmom]

Ok, just talking to myself now. I'm taking a break from cleaning the house after getting back from Tahoe. We got back around midnight last night. We had left right after Easter so there is still chocolate hiding in corners. Trying to debate when to wean the little one off the bottle (he is 16 months). It came up this morning because we couldn't find a bottle in the house so for his first nap we didn't give me one. But by the time the second nap came around, we found it so...no will power for any of us. He went to sleep like an angel. When do you all think is a good time? Our oldest two didn't have an issue - it was gone by 18 months. Our third just hung on to it like it was his lifeline. He was 2 1/2 years. He also didn't become potty-trained until 4. Just likes to take his time. Not sure what this fourth one will be like. The surprise of it all!
Lisa

 

[birkner]

Ok, just talking to myself now. I'm taking a break from cleaning the house after getting back from Tahoe. We got back around midnight last night. We had left right after Easter so there is still chocolate hiding in corners. Trying to debate when to wean the little one off the bottle (he is 16 months). It came up this morning because we couldn't find a bottle in the house so for his first nap we didn't give me one. But by the time the second nap came around, we found it so...no will power for any of us. He went to sleep like an angel. When do you all think is a good time? Our oldest two didn't have an issue - it was gone by 18 months. Our third just hung on to it like it was his lifeline. He was 2 1/2 years. He also didn't become potty-trained until 4. Just likes to take his time. Not sure what this fourth one will be like. The surprise of it all!
Lisa

Don't you hate house cleaning? The best thing about being an empty nester is that the house only needs deep cleaning every two weeks as two people don't make a mess!!

My kids were all different. Since they were breasfed, it was easier to get them to go straight to a cup. Youngest DD was the only one who would take a bottle and that only for a very short time.

At least it is not raining today but it is chilly!!

 

[calmom]

Don't you hate house cleaning? The best thing about being an empty nester is that the house only needs deep cleaning every two weeks as two people don't make a mess!!

My kids were all different. Since they were breasfed, it was easier to get them to go straight to a cup. Youngest DD was the only one who would take a bottle and that only for a very short time.

At least it is not raining today but it is chilly!!

Very chilly! Since I went back to work between 3-6 months after they were born, they all got bottles pretty early. I usually stopped BF around 10 months, and then they were strictly bottle. There is something quite cute about a baby and bottle...but nothing cute about a toddler and a bottle (in my opinion). I think we will give it one more month and then they will "disappear." I guess the month is really for me. I am the same way with the first hair cut. I have the HARDEST time doing it. He has these cute curls now...and as soon as I cut his hair, he will never look the same again!

Boy, I think I will be a mess when it comes time to drop them off at college. It better be in CA!
Lisa

 

[birkner]

Very chilly! Since I went back to work between 3-6 months after they were born, they all got bottles pretty early. I usually stopped BF around 10 months, and then they were strictly bottle. There is something quite cute about a baby and bottle...but nothing cute about a toddler and a bottle (in my opinion). I think we will give it one more month and then they will "disappear." I guess the month is really for me. I am the same way with the first hair cut. I have the HARDEST time doing it. He has these cute curls now...and as soon as I cut his hair, he will never look the same again!

Boy, I think I will be a mess when it comes time to drop them off at college. It better be in CA!
Lisa

I hated cutting my kids hair too. Must be a Mom thing. The plus with having kids in a University in California is that it is easier for them to come home during holidays!! The minus for having kids in University is the "extra" costs!!

 

[disneylover5]

My Freaky Night....

Why is it that strange things always happen when DH is away? and they always happen in the middle of the night?

Last night about 1230, I noticed my dogs were walking all over me...like they were trying to wake me up. Then I realized I was hearing my garage door open OK, I was pretty sure DH didn't from Savannah and I know I didn't open it. I was scared, but not awake enough to really think it was happening. Went downstairs and checked and sure enough the garage door was open and the light was on (which meant that it had just opened within the past 10 minutes or so)! Shut it quickly....looked at my pathetic excuses for guard dogs...did a door and window check and then sat on the couch for a while trying to figure it out. Never did figure it out Finally fell asleep around 3 after I was certain there was no one else in the house!!!!!

You must be very brave. This would totally freak me out.

We had our garage door opening for no reason when we first moved in our house in 1993. We live so close to Dulles airport you can "throw a rock and hit the runway". It turns out it was something to do with the aircraft flying over. We changed the frequency and it never happened again.

Ok, just talking to myself now. I'm taking a break from cleaning the house after getting back from Tahoe. We got back around midnight last night. We had left right after Easter so there is still chocolate hiding in corners. Trying to debate when to wean the little one off the bottle (he is 16 months). It came up this morning because we couldn't find a bottle in the house so for his first nap we didn't give me one. But by the time the second nap came around, we found it so...no will power for any of us. He went to sleep like an angel. When do you all think is a good time? Our oldest two didn't have an issue - it was gone by 18 months. Our third just hung on to it like it was his lifeline. He was 2 1/2 years. He also didn't become potty-trained until 4. Just likes to take his time. Not sure what this fourth one will be like. The surprise of it all!
Lisa

This is the best time of your life...enjoy every minute and don't worry about bottles and pacifers and diapers. My doctor used to say "They won't take XXXXXXX (fill in the blank) to college with them."

Boy, I think I will be a mess when it comes time to drop them off at college. It better be in CA!
Lisa

At Tech this weekend I think I started crying about 100 times. I kept trying to keep it together.....those 18 years just flew by.....I just do not know where they went!

 

[birkner]

At Tech this weekend I think I started crying about 100 times. I kept trying to keep it together.....those 18 years just flew by.....I just do not know where they went!

I made DH husband do the first East Coast College Tour with youngest DD for that very reason!!