Napping

Brody and his Grampy are best buds and they started playing as soon as their family arrived at our house for the weekend.  When mid-afternoon came, our daughter asked her father if he'd put her son down for a nap. Brody was clearly tired and we thought he'd fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. 

Obediently both guys went to the bedroom and lay down.  Fortunately, they left the door open just a crack so I was able to observe them.  A short time later I heard a thumping noise.  I looked in.  The guys were lying side-by-side and Brody just kind of rhythmically kicking Jerry's shoulder.  

A few minutes later, I heard the sweet sound of a two-year old singing.  I couldn't resist taking another quick peek.  Brody was sitting up but Jerry hadn't moved a muscle since the last time I'd seen him. 

The third time I checked on the guys, Brody was riding his Grandfather like a horse.  

Somebody had fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.  It just wasn't Brody. 


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As long as I live, I will never understand how men think.  As Jerry and Brody were going in to bed, I told Jerry to remember to take the shams off the pillows.  As you can see, he did.

Finally, they're BOTH napping!

  

The Second Time Around

Love IS lovelier the second time around!

We welcome Baby Grayson Edward Sheena to our family!  Born on July 1st and weighing in at 6 pounds, 8 ounces he is 21 inches long and made his debut at 5:09 a.m.  Trooper that she is, his mother waited until his big brother was fast asleep before she left for the hospital, even though it took her three tries (thanks to fireworks, a squeaky garage door opener and a noisy Grammy.) 

After witnessing the birth, the tired Daddy was able to make it home before his toddler awoke, thus averting the dreaded "Where's my Mommy?" drama.  After a quick breakfast he (and I) were whisked off to the hospital to meet the baby brother. 

Brody kissing Grayson

Times have changed since my children were born and some things are for the better.  Hospital cafeteria food is now edible and, at times, even delicious.  Visiting hours are now from 10am - 10pm and no age restrictions are enforced.  There is no limit to the number of visitors allowed at one time either. 

Remember the postage-stamp sized hospital pictures we were given of our babies?  They were a straight-on face shot of an infant with a puckery face wearing an over sized undershirt, with hair flying every which way.  Those pictures are long-gone! 

They have been replaced by photo shoots which even include wardrobe changes, props and whole-family shots.  The three pictures I've included in this post were my favorites among those included in an entire CD which  was available for purchase before the happy family even left the hospital grounds.  What new parent could resist buying these?

Yes, times have changed, but the feeling that you get when you hold one of your own for the very first time, well, that remains one of the joys of a lifetime.

  

Help! I've Lost my Attention Span

Banking is big business in Charlotte which is where most people who live in our little town work, so it's no surprise when you go to a party here that you will be surrounded by folks employed at banks in one capacity or another.  Last night was just such an occasion and I put my big, fat foot into my mouth when I mentioned to one bright and witty woman I'd just met that, for me, her job as an auditor sounded dry and boring.  She spent the remainder of our conversation trying to convince me that her job was anything but.  She jet sets around America, eats out almost every meal, has a maid to clean her (hotel) room, and sees something interesting and different every single day at work.  For her, auditing is clearly a good career choice, but for me...

Who am I trying to kid here anyway?  I could never land a job as an auditor because no one in their right mind would hire me to be one!  One of my friends once did her Master's thesis on ADD and later when I was musing upon whether or not I was afflicted with that particular brand of malady, she said, "Are you kidding me?  You are the POSTER CHILD for ADD!!"  She said it with conviction so I knew she meant it.  Then she looked at me and started to laugh.  She laughed a lot harder and a lot longer than I felt was appropriate.  For a hot second, I hoped she peed her pants a little but my feelings of irritation passed quickly.  Probably because I got distracted....

I know that my attention span isn't all that long but that's normal for me - it's always been that way - and I make adjustments for it.  It does interfere with my life somewhat, but not necessarily in a bad way. I like to think of my little interruptions like commercials on TV programs. Sometimes funny things happen during the breaks but eventually I get back to the main event.  

For example, getting the house in order this week is top priority because our kids are coming to visit and I want it to look extra nice.  It took me two days to clean the guest bedroom and the closet, but on the up side, I did go through my entire wardrobe, try on and evaluate every single piece and take a huge pile of clothes to Goodwill. 

Today I am tackling the kitchen.  Midway through cleaning out the fridge, I found some dipping chocolate and I knew I had some pecan halves in the freezer.  Two + two = chocolate covered pecans!  (See, I can do math.)  When they are totally set, I will put them away and get back to my cleaning.  As time ticks by it will seem more and more like cramming for an exam, but I am accustomed to working well under pressure.  I have had a lot of practice at it.

My cleaning style drives Jerry crazy because one day's work often bleeds into the next and in the interim the whole place is a mess.  Clearly, he does not have ADD.  HE would be a wonderful auditor.  The first company where he interviewed would snap him up immediately.  Fortunately, he already has a job that he thoroughly enjoys.  I'm the one who is not .... how do they say it...[ahem] gainfully employed.   It's not that I'm not looking, it's that I have pretty specific job criteria [part-time, wildly creative, with fun, flexible co-workers and bosses who recognize the value in my varied life-experiences and therefore pay me more than I could ever imagine in my wildest dreams] and nothing has come up yet.  When it does though, I'm all over it.  If you know of such a job opportunity, please call me immediately. 

While I'm waiting for the phone to ring, I guess I'll go back and finish cleaning the kitchen.....or sweep off the deck....or do the laundry....or maybe play the piano...My new friend the auditor is also an accomplished knitter...maybe she can help me figure out a pattern for socks....I wonder what time she gets home from work....there's a little time before I have to start supper....what should I fix....maybe I should call my friend the ADD expert....I haven't talked to her in ages...

That's what the commercial break sounds like in my mind.  Now back to [cleaning] my regularly scheduled broadcast.  Maybe.