Lucy and Charlie II

The Farm "Rug"

LLGA gross motor update:

She can get herself into a seated position and remain there without toppling for several minutes.

She can get up on hands/knees and rock, even managing not to face-plant on occasion.

An Interview with Charlie.

Carpet Ornamentation

Little readers.

GMK's feet are so enchanting.

LLGA is on a constant mission to chew GMK's sandals and/or play with GMK's toes.
Naturally, I shriek that there are "germs...dirt...and a potential playground of fungi!"
GMK giggles and then I do the cost-benefit analysis: a few moments of peace vs. the adverse health effects of up-close feet inspections.

Official birth announcement ... in the NU Alumni Mag

Submitted via e-mail so ALL they had to do was cut and paste, but no!, they had to go and rename Little Baby M-ELA.
Because she doesn't have quite enough nicknames already, let's add "Ellis" to the mix!

candids

Yes, Charlie-boy is popping Lucy's bubbles.

Smiling for the camera is soooo exhausting.

The omnipresent red socks!



Messing with her topcurl.
Not very keen on the grass.
Lucy stares, unflinching, at Charlie's brandished light sabre.
Begrudgingly,
Charlie offers up the light sabre.

Top 10 Myths in Essay Below

1. The Dad in question is responsibile.
2. The rank of Commander is middle-management at best.
3. In Iraq, he is responsible for exactly one person (himself)...not sure where the number "30" originated.
4. I only wish the average deployment was 5 months. This one is almost 14 months, the previous was one week shy of 8 months, and otherwise the average is 6. Nice creative writing AND creative mathematics!
5. When he's done Wii-ing, he will go to the East Coast.
6. Obviously, my powers of compartmentalism ROCK as "those bombs" have come within 1 km.
7. In 2030, Dad will be 60 years old and well into his intended second career of "ski patrol guy".
8. I am unaware of a rank that includes "master" other than "master chief", which is not a rank Dad is eligible to achieve.
9. Dad is no longer on the Antietam.
10. The Antietam does not have a "bar" and did not serve alcohol.

Mention a prize of $100 for a "Character Matters" essay and Jamie cranks a rough draft out while I fetch GMK from the airport!

Jamie took considerable and frequent prosaic license, which will be corrected in subsequent drafts. Pretty cute perspective, however inclined to world domination he may seem. Any spelling and grammatical errors have been reproduced faithfully below; these will be corrected in the final draft, too.


2009 Essay Contest: Why Character Matters
Subject: My Dad
RESPONSIBILITY

My Dad is a responsibile person. He helps his country by being in the U.S. Navy. Right now he is stationed in Iraq at a base. My Dad puts all his effort to help the United States.

Many things happen in Iraq including high temperatures, weather, destruction, and terrorists. So that means He is a caring person to help his troops in Iraq. My Dad is a commander. That's a high rank!

My Dad is almost top dog of the Navy so he is responsible for over 30 troops. If he gets to the highest rank in the Navy he'll be in charge and responsible for the Navy!

My Dad miss' my family very much. He goes on deployment for an average of 5 months! So he has a lot of work before he gets to San Diego and sits down and plays Wii (R). When he's done with his one month or two month break he goes back to The Middle East.

He's a good man. He can be a nice person to everybody including his people. People count on he and his buddies to save the world and make peace in Iraq. I'm a lucky guy that my Dad is not near all of those bombs that hit the Middle East. I still don't worry about my Dad. I know that he's safe.

My Dad plays a good part in peoples lives and has good leadership abilities. He is a great man in the US Navey. He's spending a lot of years in the Navy, so he's an expert. I'm sure he enjoys his job. He doesn't spend his career just to be famous. He really represents the USA. It's a good job, and I bet he is going to be a very famous Navy person and he's going to be highly respected.

His future is going to be great! He will be a heroic, hard working, and responsible man. He will be head of the Navy by 2030. I will be very happy when my Dad is cool and is a master of Navy.

My Dad also works on a ship called The Antidam. It is named after the battle of the Antidam. He has a cool ship. It has a mini bar/restaurant. It has control rooms and lots of other idems. My favorite part of the ship is the restaurant for 2 reasons. One is so I don't get seasick. The other reason why I like it is because they serve the best food.

My dad has his own room. It is his responsibility to keep it clean. That's because you don't get maids to clean up your room every Wednesday.

My Dad is a great man. He a nice, caring, honest, confident, and responsible. He has a great personality and is important. What's most important about my Dad is that my Dad is a good example of "what you can do for your country." [From JFK's quote "Don't ask what the country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.")

Hail to the GMK...she has returned.

Can't say the same for the Queen's dad. Last we heard, he was still sitting at PHX (his point of origin) and, even more dramatically, his plane started down the runway and aborted take-off. He called to say they were waiting for a mechanic. APC is on-call to drive to ORD to fetch him. This makes FOUR in a row flights that have not been timely.

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After about 8 hours of no running water, the Castle is back in business. The laundry, cooking, toileting, showering, and dare I to dream Hand Washing business.

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Per the scale at the doctor's office, LLGA is 21 pounds, 9 ounces. Suspicious that she's gained 3 pounds in a little over a week.

GMK's R & R, cont.

At the Morning Glory Cafe (in their their traveling outfits). Sniff!

And, yes, use of the phrase R & R was intended to suggest that duty in the Castle is its own kind of Hostile Fire Zone.

Our New Respite Worker...

The stats-quoting, smack-talking J-crabs will be all about this gentleman.
Somehow I think Tim will not be very intimidating.

Finally, an official umpire to referee the Castle!

GMK's R & R.

Don't they look rested, relaxed, recuperated, and recreated??


Photo courtesy Bob King and his iPhone.

T-minus 21-hours to the Castle moat.

Introducing the Gray Mistress...

...in counter-distinction to the Graying Battle-Axe. :-)




As Combat Crab notes on his web-based journal, USS Gridley (DDG 101) is slated to be his next sea duty.

Two Castle Curses...

1. The oven is on life support. When Combat Crab's kiln malfunctioned upon his cinnamon rolls, we wrote it off. When my meals burn, I assume its the fault of the not-very-able cook. However, when GMK burnt Ghiardelli (TM) cake brownies as a parting gift to the crablets, it became the oven's fault.

I dutifully telephoned maintenance and one of my guys showed up. He looked up the instructions (always a confidence-inspiring repair step) and recalibrated the heating by 50-degrees and said, "Let's try this until we get a shipment of ovens."

2. Alas, the Crab Queen is also Human Resources for the Castle. And the HR director is d-o-n-e (much like the aforementioned Ghiardelli brownies) with one respite worker.

He has been late.
His shoulders sag when he enters the house.
He comments about the diet I feed the crablets (too much trans-fat -- except the products in question read "ZERO grams").
Tim has been emerging from shower with full-on shampoo still in his hair.
He needs prompting for every single routine activity.
He asks Jack to help Tim rather than doing it himself.
He is afraid of Tim, even though he is at least 7 inches taller than Tim and has Tim by a good 50 pounds.
Despite being uniquely positioned on his ASS to keep an eye on Charlie (sitting in the hall), could not possibly be responsible for anyone but Tim. (And his responsibility for Tim -- see above -- is lacking).

And last night, a trifecta occurred:
* I mentioned to the worker that I was going to need-need him to stay until 8:15ish (he is scheduled and routinely records 9 p.m. on his time sheets). He made a face and said, "I had plans to meet a friend at 8:30 p.m. I guess I could call and push that back." STRIKE ONE.
* I was fluttering about, preparing dinner and meds, etc. in anticipation of Tim's arrival and my need to take the J-crabs to CCD, sat down at the computer to send a quick e-mail. He entered the livingroom, flopped into the leather recliner and started yapping at me. Like it's my job to ENTERTAIN him on my RESPITE time. STRIKE TWO.
* Tim came home in a great mood and inhaled dinner and then turned Grumpzilla. I entered the bathroom as Tim was finishing up his shower to administer his charming Sinus Rinse (because I am uniquely qualified to do so). I see that one-third of Tim's hair ISN'T EVEN WET, LET ALONE SHAMPOOED. I make this observation aloud in as even a tone as possible. The "worker" sighes and says he reads the list over and over to Tim, but Tim just doesn't do it right. STRIKE THREE.

I ended up driving Charlie and Lucy and the J-crabs for the CCD run. Upon returning home, I reflected that I'd been busting my butt during my "break". So today, the agency will learn that while I cannot order up an immediate oven replacement, I can reduce that heated feeling that comes over me when my "help" is more work for me.

While the Queen Mum is on R & R...

I'm treated to THIS:




Jamie made a "virtual Jamie" at school -- on a stick (super-long paint-stirrer), because that doesn't create the opportunity for behind-the-moat schwhackings!

We toyed with calling it "GMK's stunt-double/stand-in" but, well, it just doesn't talk enough. And it's not much at laundry or shopping either.

Clearly, Jamie created his virtual self prior to the CQ's super-duper one-cut-fits-most clipper application.

(Charlie couldn't take his eyes off of a new construction book).

The Queen Mum on Hiatus from Castle Duty

Saguaro Lake, AZ


Strangely, the local paparazzi did not capture photos of the Fat Tuesday revelry involving an Irish Pub with free-flowing Guinness. I can report that pre-departure, there was much snickering about which AARP members would not have to fast/abstain the following day. My friend (whose parents GMK and Queen's Dad were visiting) confirmed
So far, no "we're in jail- please help" phone calls have been received on my end.



No sojourn would be complete without a Bling Acquisition Project.

Here's the Very Special "trinket" ordered from Spain to be delivered in six (6!) weeks. Regrettably, GMK failed to order the CQ's proper size.



Guess the fat finger in the picture is not only modeling the trinket but sending CQ a gestural message!

This week's photo winner.

Photo of my brother and my tremendously-cute nephew courtesy of APC.

Happy Half-Birthday to Lucy & News for the Sand Crab

As a special 6-months-old present, I fed her rice gruel wearing the High-Dollar Sorceror's Apprentice hat.





Today's trick:
Lucy is log-rolling along the floor and then does air-splits and ends up sitting upright without using her hands. I'm not sure who was more surprised...Lucy or me. And I have no confidence that she could perform the stunt a second time.


==============

Combat Crab received word that he is slated for a 2-y-o DDG homeported in San Diego. No orders yet and be it known that these things can change without warning or consultation. Nevertheless, his time as a Power-Point-making, Flame-spray-absorbing, Strategy-sombrero-trademark-hawking GI Crab living in a trailer by a sewage field appears to have been rewarded.

LLGA pix

How can you resist fairies & cupcakes?!


Oh, dear!


"Poof! I turn YOU into a Cupcake!"


Ready for some exercise!


Smiling at GMK. She can, somewhat inconsistently, shift her gaze upon demand between "Charlie" and "Grandma". ("Mommy" elicits an entirely-blank stare).


Her wrists are stuffed full of many important things. (So are her knees-- not pictured).


Gummiest grin bestowed upon her loyal subjects, the J-crabs.


Princess Roundinia.


Baby Driver. Good grief. I'm pretty sure some J-crab gave her the idea.


Another Wii fan. Groan.

Pulling a Larry King...because I cannot compete with the Sombrero Sagas.

...When Sand Crab called home this morning, I found myself revealing that LLGA prefers to be fed her rice gruel by a cap-wearing mommy. So, we're starting young to groom our next Cubs fan since the "C for Cubbies" offers infant-craving contrast of red and blue as well as the all-important factor of being within arm's reach. With my jammies on, it's quite a look.

...In an effort to win MOTY points, I was playing Q & A with Jack en route home Thursday evening (from his Honor Band practice). Topic: Middle school gender relationships. Apparently, Jack believes he is too young for a girlfriend. (Ed. note: he is!) Most of his friends aren't into "that stuff". (Ed. note: Whew!) That's really a problem in high school. (Ed. note: Chuckling at "problem").

However, thanks in part to my recent foray into Facebook, I recall that my generation had cheesy dances. Then again, we called it "junior high" not "middle school". That and a former classmate of Tim's attended a dance last week -- looking Awesome, if I might add. That and Tim is all about "on Valentine's you meet somebody new." So I broached the topic of Standley ASB dances.

Jack instantly regurgitates a host of budgetary statistics in an effort to explain it to me (who "must not be paying attention to the school budget crisis" according to his political-suaveness). Apparently, all funds are frozen and all dances are cancelled. Even the 8th grade dance. I asked, "Surely some parents are willing to fund it?" Jack shook his head, evidencing one of the finest in-the-dark communicating-with-the-driver gestural cues ever utilized. Leading me to repeat the query. "Before the budget got whacked, the dances were $13, Mom. Thirteen bucks. Like you would spend that much money for me to go to a dance."

So much for MOTY nominations from my second-eldest, whose orthodontia and private lessons and scouts and baseball are obviously gratis?

...Said son did report that he, the third Fr. horn in Honor Band, snagged the solo. Not the first or second chair -- he the THIRD chair.

How?
"I went for it. They both paused and looked at each other and I blew. I guess I did good enough 'cause now it's mine. Um, it's just one measure."

Not hampered by facts or social pressure to conform, Jack blows ahead.

...Speaking of things musical, Jamie tremendously enjoyed his class field trip to the San Diego Symphony last week. So much so that he's studying all musical tomes in the castle and announced in a loud voice that his first-choice instrument would be the contra-bassoon.

GMK, ever ready to articulate a random bit o' trivia, stated that the reeds for a contra-bassoon are $60 (or more).

Well, that perked the CQ's ears. "How about a second choice of instrument?"

Jamie was ready: "Cello. I don't have to worry about my asthma and doesn't APC have one I can borrow?"

Brilliant! Not the taking APC's cello part, but we're all about Violin-in-hands-of-novice-player Avoidance. Guess that puts us in the market for a cello instructor.

...LLGA turns 6-months of age on Tuesday. Just realizing that she's not yet had a portrait. (I know, I know...she's hardly under-photographed).

...Shout-out to my sons' Little League coaches, who are holding practice on Sunday. Jamie's was 10-noon and Jack's noon-2 -- at the Very Same Location. Convenience and maximum J-crab separation during a potentially Eternal Sunday without GMK.

...Also, kudos to our IHSS worker, who returned from her vacation in time for today's 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (why, sure I could extend to 2:30 for your convenience) shift.

...For a brief moment today, the Laundry Room (and I use the term "room" in its most generous form) was bare. And then LLGA fixed that problem!

...I understand that the Crab Queen has been appointed "special ed committee chair" for the Board mentioned in prior posts.

...At one point during the last five days spent in close proximity to Charlie, he flew at me, dragging his magna-doodle (TM) board by its "writer" and bellowing "spebuck it! spebuck it!"

Several moments later, he tried again (apparently, slowing down for the not-very-swift mom): "Spuh Buck It!"

Ah! Spell "bucket". I looked at his board and he'd scrawled "B U" already.
So I provided the "C-K-E-T" verbally and he quickly wrote "C - K - T" and then went back (without my telling him) to place an "A" between the "K" and the "T" and then...cue the cherubim and seraphim...fixed the "A" to an "E" independently (and without my mentioning the error).

Go, Charlie-boy!

Radio (er blog) silence since 6 FEB well worth the wait

Combat Crab in RARE form with 2 postings...

www.baghdadsandcrab.bravejournal.com

"Eagle GMK" en route to Mesa, AZ

GMK is at the airport. She and Grandpa Mike are spending a bit-shy-of-a-week traipsing around a warmer climate that involves their friends and does not involve crablets. Of any sort.

As I type this post, there is active negotiations, pleadings, and bribes underway by the J-crabs to elicit Wii Time (as "GMK isn't watching Fox News or QVC"). Groan.

Highlight of the Week

Tim's Virtual Bowling Team, made up of "bowlers" from New York, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, and California surpassed our family's goal ... and then some, contributing $601 (so far) to Community Coaching Center (CCC Kids).

Blog followers will recognize CCC Kids as the entity that provides "Where's Waldo" photos of Tim throughout San Diego, enjoying activities that his mother did not have to plan, staff, and execute (and photograph).

Thank you for supporting a GREAT cause!




And if you're reading this and want more info, the link is on the left margin with the grinning Tim photo.

Suckmeter stuck on "high" .... not for the faint of heart and by "heart" I really mean stomach.

The bottle is all-the-way empty.
(Last bottle of Goose Island Root Beer).
Note that even LLGA looks morose.


The humble Crab Queen knows that just when the household appears poised for revolution, the microbes will unionize and attack.

LLGA has been battling, most valiantly, a very lady-like cough/wheeze for going on a week. She was breathing too rapidly for my peace-of-mind and so I took the only available slot (a 4:15 p.m.) one.

GMK and I whiled away much of Tuesday morning and then, whammo, the phone rang...
It was Charlie's 1-1 aide to report that Charlie seemed to have a "real" tummy ache -- vice his usual and customary avoidant/protest behavior. Naturally, we had made his lunch already and his in-home tutor was already in the house. He seemed quite upbeat but then began a litany of stomach-related complaints. He also invoked "sleepy" which for novelty alone (I like to reinforce original thought), I decided to give him the day off.

In true on-the-eve-of-the-Apocolypse fashion, GMK ran out briefly to fill the gas tank of the CR-V and to fetch some vital supplies from Staples (in order to guarantee printing capacity for her Southwest boarding pass -- all roads lead to her vacation). She returned and we revisited the afternoon plan:

Me to Hospital.
Jack home.
Jamie to stay with Charlie so GMK could run Jack to LL practice.
Respite arrival at 5.
Tim home at 5:45.
Me to fetch Jack en route home.

I had not driven THREE BLOCKS (in fact, stuck at the light at Garnet, for those familiar with the Castle's 'hood) when the Castle phone rang (and subsequently, the Queen-cell rang):

Foul-up with Tim's bus. It failed to deliver him in time for him to go forth into the community with CCC Kids. So he's being delivered back to M----n Middle School.

See plan above. Nowhere in the plan does it allow GMK to be at MMS. I was borderline timely for LLGA's appointment. So I called Bus Transportation -- a number that I, alas, know by heart.

14 painful, agonizing, adrenaline-coursing minutes (and FOUR people -- 2 supervisors among them) later, the bus people agreed to transport Tim (think Sam Kenison's sarcastic holler about ) TO WHERE HIS PEOPLE ARE! This comprised my ENTIRE drive to the hospital.

When I called to tell GMK the "great news", that they'd deliver Tim, she informed me that Charlie had, in fact, as his mother's maternal instinct had detected would occur: "hurled".

By the time we emerged from the pediatrician with a diagnosis of RSV (aka bronchiolitis) that confirmed the wheeze and rapid respiration but is a virus so we wait it out AS WELL AS the discouraging news that LLGA is down to 18 pounds 4 ounces, I called the Castle only to find out that Tim was STILL not home and that C-boy had indeed "hurled again." I delivered lots of praise that GMK had not left the castle to take Jack as planned. Good call, GMK!

Tim ended up riding the bus from 2:35 to 4:40 and was, as his mother's maternal instinct would predict, in a foul-type mood upon arriving home.

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And there's no GOOSE ISLAND root beer purveyor in San Diego. I researched online options and it would cost ridiculous sums of money to ship bottled root beer. So I am in mourning. And hoping that the good folks at Goose Island Brewery reply to my e-mail in which I beseech them to identify a San Diego distributor.

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And, of course, Charlie's trendline continued overnight ... GMK could not hear him SIX FEET FROM HER EAR because she snores. I, however, on a couch across the room -- because of my mother's intuition, caught not one, not two, but three extrapolated occurrences in the 3-quart stockpot. (I like a handle and confirm that you really don't want my cooking).

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Today has been a day of small, frequent Gatorade drinking and so far, so good. Took Jack to a re-assessment for Vision Therapy; (it seems he's made tons of progress). Went to Sears for vac bags and ended up buying a pair of much-coveted Land's End Z-strap mary-janes that I couldn't pull the trigger on for $40 at the 1/2-off clearance price of $12.49. This fabulous fortune (amid so much microbial persecution) sent me to The Children's Place where I paid not-quite-full-price-but-close-enough for 2 pairs of Yoga Pants and 2 cute t-shirts for the girl with the full-figure.

Blogger foiled, must divert audience to link.

Correction: No longer foiled...paid my money & now I can save copy.

Audio is worth it.

I didn't have the camera angle or enough light, but Combat Crab will appreciate the giggle.

(Jamie is the other voice...the "shush" is me).

Another fiasco in the kitchen

Today's fiasco would fall under "No Attempt at Festivity Goes Unpunished". Thought, "Aw, shucks, it is dratted Valentine's Day" and "the kids and I could toast (and get rid of a Christmas leftover in FEB)" so tucked a bottle of Martinelli's sparkling apple cider into the freezer.

+


In typical CQ fashion, I was distracted by other things (unlike a crow, nothing shiny or sparkly) and forgot.

Moral: "Contents under pressure" applies to me AND bubbly fluids.

=




To maintain my Pollyanna skills, I can admit some good fortune:
* I (vice a J-crab) discovered the shattered bottle;
* The glass was green so relatively easy to differentiate from ice; and
* Our freezer was due for some deep-cleaning.

*sigh*

So, in answer to GMK's question "What will you do while we go to Mass?"
Certainly, not rest, relaxation or recreation.




Folks may rethink having an icy-cold drink in my house!


If you look carefully, there are little green shards of bottle frozen to the top interior of the freezer. About the time that GMK, Tim, and the J-Crabs were reciting the Responsorial Psalm, I, too, was chanting "God, Save Your People".


Nothing is as spiritual as tackling a glass-shard-ridden mess. Don't forget, I had Charlie-boy and LLGA underfoot. Patty Kiki's Phillipians' verse rang in my head: "Complete every task with joy." Hmmm...




There was a layer of sticky, slushy apple cider coating nearly every package. Hence, rinse in the sink and pile in the hopes of maintaining cold temperature.




"After" (and it does look MARKEDLY improved from the booby trap it was "Before").

There is little that doesn't provide fodder for the Sand Castle blog.

Awwww....Big Girl's Valentine to Daddy

Part 5 in Series.


Video:




Ben called to say, "Happy sweet holiday, dear" and then LLGA clambered into action. Wearing her "Daddy's Girl" t-shirt no less. So, in this entry into Profiles in Multi-Tasking, I am holding the phone to my ear with one hand and running the camera with the other. Oh, and running my mouth the whole time.


Still shot:


Doesn't the Mr. Potato Head look to be playing LLGA Traffic Cop?

Happy Dad's Gone During Another Super-Extended Holiday Weekend

Part 4 of Series.


Tim strums (at 22%) the Guitar Hero, with his in-home helper, Zach.