Monday, February 27, 2006

Bob is divorced


He came in about 6:30 last night because he had a court date this morning. He thought it was just to settle division of property, but the judge went ahead and granted the divorce.

Sarah didn't bother to show up. She hasn't seen Brittany since October 5.

Friday, February 24, 2006

Family news


Jenny had her baby at 1:00 this morning; her name is Taryn Avery and she weighed over 7 pounds.

Aunt Faye, Daddy's twin sister, died in her sleep last night. She was the last of their generation still living, so they're all gone now.

Here's a picture of their parents -- my grandparents -- in 1909, when they were first starting their family (the baby is Aunt Pollie, Daddy's oldest sister -- Daddy and Faye weren't born until 1926):

Image hosting by Photobucket

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Baby update


Lesley's baby had breathing issues and jaundice, but was finally released from the hospital last Thursday, eight days after he was born. Stay tuned to Sherri's blog for updates.

Jenny will be having her baby on Thursday via induced labor, if it doesn't shake loose before then.

Britt's learning how to feed herself with a spoon and bowl. You can see how well that's going:

Image hosting by Photobucket

She's put together her first sentence, saying "I stuck!" every time her movement is even slightly impeded.

She can count to one, holding up one pudgy little forefinger.

I've been trying to get her wild forelock under control, trimming it four or five times already. Now I'm trying to keep it in a cute little topknot, but she always yanks it right out. This one lasted a few minutes longer than usual:

Image hosting by Photobucket

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Britt was playing


with her shape sorter today when she held up a round block and said, "Tircle!" Later, I held up the round block and asked, "What is this?" She said, "Tircle!"

It surprised me that she's able to make the connection between the shape of that block and the circles I've been drawing for her.

Smart girl!

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Bob called last night


and struck fear into my heart. He mentioned taking Brittany back, for the first time in a long time.

I'd almost convinced myself she was ours, for keeps.

This wasn't the plan, you know. We took custody of Britt because Sarah's parents were threatening to, because Bob no longer had a home or a steady job after all the chaos their daughter caused. The plan was that he'd get his own apartment near us and get settled in a good job and then he'd take her home with him, which would be perfectly fine because I'd still get to take care of her every day.

Then he had to go and move himself 150 miles away, which changed everything. If he moved her up there, she'd be yanked away from everything that is familiar to her, and how would she handle that? A different home, different people, no grammy and no grampa?

I'm not questioning Bob's parenting abilities; he was the one who took care of her when she wasn't with me (because her meth ho mama couldn't be bothered), and he did a fine job. But he can't be with her 24 hours a day like I can and she'd be left with strangers while he works, who couldn't possibly love her and care for her as tenderly as I do.

He can't take her out of the state until six months after his divorce is final and it isn't yet. There's a court date on that next month, so I have at least until September with her. We'll be able to celebrate her second birthday here, before he can take her away.

Oh, God.

Come home, Bob. Please, just come back home.

The plot thickens


I am now the proud owner of four burial plots at Hogan Cemetery. In the old section, not the new one across the road.

When I go, I want to go home. Where my roots are. Where my dad, both sets of grandparents and one set of great-grandparents are. And lots of aunts and uncles and a few cousins.

Mikey doesn't have a family cemetery. There's one grandpa buried in Chicago and one grandma buried in Alabama. I don't have a clue where he'd try to plant me if I kicked off any time soon, but I don't want it to be here. I followed Mikey in life; he can follow me in death, can't he? I mean, fair's fair. Right?

Of course, I haven't discussed any of this with him.

So Mom's been busy getting my plots for me and she called the other night to tell us the deed was done. Mikey answered the phone and chatted with her awhile, like he always does. Then I heard him say, "No, she hasn't said anything about it to me."

(***wince***)

Busted!

We still haven't discussed it. I'm kind of waiting for him to ask, and kind of hoping he doesn't. I feel so awkward about it now.

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Little Sis is 17 months old


She learned how to climb up on the couch a few weeks before she learned how to climb down. I'd walk into the room and find her standing on it, grinning from ear to ear. I was terrified she might take a header off it and break her little neck.

We draw together on her Doodle Pro -- she doodles, I draw shapes. She can say "tircle" and "trango."

When asked, she can correctly point to pictures of a ball, a horse, shoes, a bird.

When she sees food, even if it's a only a picture in a book or on TV, she goes "Nyum! Nyum! Nyum!"

She likes to play This Little Piggy, and to rub noses.

When she says "nyah" and shakes her head no, it means "yes." When she means "no," she says "nonononono" and waves her hands back and forth. We've been trying to teach her how to nod her head up and down when she means "yes," but she seems pretty satisfied doing it her own way.

She likes to hang out on the bench out back...

Image hosting by Photobucket

...watching the birds go by:

Image hosting by Photobucket

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Brandon Martin has arrived


Born at 4:42 this morning (Pacific Time), he weighed 5 pounds, 6 ounces. Mother and baby are doing fine, as far as I know.

I noticed Sherri's been calling him Beamer on her blog, but I didn't really give it much thought. It finally hit me as I climbed into bed last night -- his initials are BMW. Okay, duh, I get it. Perhaps this was discussed when Lesley was here visiting last month, but I was busy keeping Britt corralled in Sherri's non-baby-proofed house so I didn't get to hear much of anything. Except when Lesley introduced me to James as "the cool aunt."

BTW, Sher, I still don't have Lesley's address so's I can ship all this baby stuff to her. Holler at me when you get it.

Friday, February 03, 2006

What I learned today


A fresh episode of Jack's Big Music Show premieres Monday. You have no idea how happy this makes me.

Do not order the Zen Chicken Potstickers or the Shanghai Chicken Salad at TGI Friday's.

That is all.

Thursday, February 02, 2006

A throne of her own


I wanted to find Britt a pink princess potty chair, but I settled for this one. It's still a throne, sort of, and it plays a royal fanfare when she makes a "deposit." Not that she has yet, but she loves it. Plus, it was only 20 bucks.

Oh, great -- now I'm reading the reviews and they mostly say this potty chair sucks.

And now, a couple of potty-training stories to embarrass my children:

Bob had a wood-frame potty chair that he kept tumped over on its back; using the feet for handles, he pushed it all around the house for months. It was his "tractor," just like his Grampa's Gravely. He was horrified that we wanted him to potty in it, so we finally had to buy him a new one.

Bridgie potty-trained herself at eighteen months -- I didn't have to do a thing (yay, Bridgie!). She learned by watching her brother and me. Mostly her brother, I guess, because when she first started trying she would stand there and fumble around for her wee-wee, not quite understanding that she wasn't equipped like her brother and therefore she could not pee standing up.

The winter that wasn't?


Hard to believe it's still warm enough to play outside nearly every day. Sometimes even without a jacket:

Image hosting by Photobucket

It's still chilly in the morning, though:

Image hosting by Photobucket

Not that I'm bitchin' about nice weather, but there's already fresh growth on my roses and clematis vines and there are morning glories sprouting already, so if we get a hard freeze now it might really screw things up.

I haven't kept track of who or where, but I've noticed a lot of other bloggers commenting on higher than normal temps in their areas, too. It just makes me wonder what's up.