The Party's Over

Back to work for me already! Wow, I blogged on the last day of school for Pal, and now he is going back to school on Tuesday. 7th grade. Holy crap.

Summer has been good, at times I was a little bored staying home but cured myself of that quickly by making lots (and lots) of plans for us to get out of the house. Therefore, I never got any projects done at home before returning to work this past Monday! There's the rub.

With Summer dwindling down and Fall on the horizon, we will once again walk as a family in the Alzheimer's Walk in Boston. Our team seems to change every year, with last year's team being our largest. My cousins walked with us, because their Mom who is my Mom's sister, also has Alzheimer's. Aunt M is in the stage that my Mom was in when we started to realize she couldn't stay alone at all. We started looking at nursing homes and assisted living facilities, but my cousins and Uncle are not quite there yet.



The walk is on Sunday, September 25. Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers. I miss my Mom so much sometimes it hurts. Other times, I feel like I lost her a looooong time ago. That's what sucks about Alzheimer's - it robs you of your loved ones long before they're gone.

Update on my health and weight loss - I am down 47 pounds! Still going at it, slowly but surely. Summer was harder, but now that I am back at work and on a schedule, I hope to continue in that direction. It was nice to go "back-to-work" shopping for myself and realize what size jeans I can fit into again!!

We are going camping in the pop-up for Labor Day weekend with 3 other families. We've done this a few times now and it is always a good time. I can't wait. Pal turns 12 next week - I can't believe it. He is getting to that age where it's hard to buy gifts for him, because he doesn't want toys anymore, but what he wants for electronics cost a fortune! He ended up asking most people for money so he can buy what he wants. Happy Birthday to my precious little man. He'll be a big man before I blink.

Enjoy the rest of the Summer and bring on the Fall!
-G

Happy Birthday K2!

Today is the 15th birthday of my 4th niece, the third-born child of my sister P.
I have referred to her here as K2. My sister P decided to tell me that she was pregnant again while she was bleaching my new apartment bathroom! I was going to kill her. But then I was so excited for her and for the fact that I would now have 4 nieces (or my first nephew, because we didn't know at the time). When K2 was born, I was at the hospital waiting with my family and we were all convinced that she would be a boy. So when my brother-in-law came out yelling "It's a girl" we were all so shocked!! Another niece. At least we were used to little girls in our family, so K2 fit right in nicely!

Right after she was born, my brother-in-law had to go away to a conference and my sister was going to be home with the 3 girls by herself. After a 3rd C-Section she was going to need help, so I took a week's vacation and stayed with them. Because K2 was newborn, my main job for the week was to take care of her - feeding, burping, changing, rocking, etc. We bonded that week - I felt so strange the following week when I had to go back to work, it seemed like I was leaving MY child!

On my wedding day, K2 was only 19-months-old so her Aunt on her Father's side brought her to the reception hall for the family pictures. She was so adorable in her cream-colored dress, wobbling around unsteadily. My sister used to call her "Tweety Bird" because she had this little wisp of blonde hair and huge blue eyes. When they were trying to take a photo of my sister's family, she kept leaving the picture and walking over to hug my knees. It was so cute.

Now, K2 is turning 15. It seems like yesterday that she was the little 4-year-old to whom I gave the doll "Molly" from the show "The Big Comfy Couch", and she wanted to know "Where her friend????"! She meant the human clown lady named Loonette!! (Check out the You Tube video here:) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=515yvLdzws

K2 is incredibly artistic - she draws things the way she sees them, and some of her drawings would make an architect jealous. She is also hilariously funny, although her shyness would make you believe otherwise!

So, Happy 15th Birthday, K2. You are beautiful, funny and talented and I know you will go far in life. I love you, Tweety Bird.

Love, AG

Happy Birthday, Squirt!

Today is my eldest niece's 23rd birthday! I affectionately refer to her as Squirt, since I was only 15 when she was born and she was the closest thing to a little sister that I would ever get. Her mother is my 2nd oldest sister, C. Squirt is her miracle..Sis C was told at age 19 that she would probably never have children. Sis C had a lot of medical problems since the age of 2 and had had about 18 surgeries before the age of 26. So, when Sis C got married and went on her honeymoon, she came home to discover, in shock, that she was pregnant! We were all so excited.

Then, at only 7 months gestation, my 3 sisters were shopping at a local Mall when Sis C's water broke. Of course, they rushed her right into the hospital. She was then transfered to one of the big Boston hospitals because of the high risk of giving birth so early. I had been at my little cousin's soccer game and came home to find a note from my Mom that everyone (except me!) was at the hospital with Sis C and that she was having the baby. I was so scared, home alone, and pissed off because I wanted to be with everyone. My brother's friend happened to call the house and I answered the phone in tears, so he very kindly offered to drive me in to the hospital. Just as he was pulling up to the house, my other 2 sisters came home to get me. We picked up dinner for everyone and headed back to the hospital to wait for the news. When Sis C's husband came around the corner, he had his hands raised in the air, triumphantly, and said "It's a girl!". We all cheered like a team who just scored the winning run!

Squirt was the light of my life. Everything she did and said was so amazing to all of us - it was almost bordering on sickening!!! I babysat at every given opportunity, and when she was school age she used to come to work with me during school vacations. All of my co-workers loved having her there - she had (and still has) such a sarcastic, funny personality that it was like having your own personal comedian around! I was also lucky enough to have her come to work with me again, this time in a much different way. Because I work at a college and "our" students go home during winter break, we needed other help and so we hired "outside" college students. Squirt fit the bill, so she started working in my office and did so for 3 winter breaks in a row. My other niece, K, also worked in the office during breaks. It was so awesome to be able to hang out with them during my workday, and also watch them interact with my other co-workers and the other students.

Squirt has had her share of health issues through the years, and seeing her go through surgeries and other problems in her life have been difficult to watch, almost physically painful to me. But I feel like she is strong. And I mean strong INSIDE, and that her inner strength will get her through just about anything. After all, she IS her mother's daughter, and Sis C is pretty invincible! Honestly, I cannot wait to see what she does with her life and am excited to be a part of it!

So, Happy 23rd Birthday, Squirt - my little sister, my heart.
I love you all the way up to the moon. And back. Go get 'em!

Love, Aunnie G

Happy Birthday Uncle Billy

Today is my brother-in-law Billy's birthday. The only reason I am writing a post for his birthday is because he is an avid reader of my blog! (That was my disclaimer - don't expect a blog post on your birthday!!!)

Billy has been around for most of my life. I was only about 9 or 10 when he started dating my sister. They met at a bar, and not in the usual way. Trust me, if you knew my sister, you'd know that the only thing she would pick up in a bar would be lunch!! He was the manager of the bar, and she would come in for lunch during work. And that's how he noticed her. He called her place of work and asked her out. The rest, as they say, is history.

When they were dating, they would take me along on weekend trips to his parent's place in N.H. They also took me to a Georgetown University basketball game ("Let's go Hoyas!") and out for pizza (he remembers the name of the pizza place, I don't!). We went hiking up a mountain while we were in N.H. and he yelled at me for throwing cheese from my sandwich on the ground. (Isn't it stupid that THAT is what sticks in my mind after 25+ years???) His father taught me how to light a campfire. His sister gave me her marshmallow ambrosia recipe that I still make every Summer. At my wedding, he asked me to dance and then got all mushy and sentimental on me(something I didn't expect) and that is one of my favorite memories of that day.

Later in life he decided to become a police officer, and completed the academy with "kids" half his age. Now he is the Chief of Police in a small town. I admire his decision to tackle something most young people can't handle. Last May, Uncle Billy decided to ride his motorcycle to work and misjudged the side of the road which was dirt, and flipped his bike. He was thrown from the bike and luckily suffered only minor injuries. My sister was home, listening to the police scanner as she always does, and actually heard the call come in about his accident. She knew, before she was notified, that it was him. It was a scary time for both of them, but obviously his guardian angel was watching over him because it could have been a lot worse. It took him a good month or more to recover physically. My sister, on the other hand, has still not recovered emotionally!

So, Happy Birthday Uncle Billy. Thanks for being one of the few followers of this blog. I am glad you had the guts to ask my sister out all those years ago. Love ya!

-G

Happy 10th Birthday, "A"

You'll have to forgive all these birthday posts - my family is busy at this time of year!

So, today is my niece A's 10th Birthday. She is my Godchild and the second born of my brother and his wife. Everyone tells me how much she looks like I did at her age. It's kind of cool for me, because it's like being able to look into your past. Just this past Sunday my brother said that he thinks A's personality might be bigger than mine was (and that is a serious undertaking!!!). A is not afraid to get up in front of everyone and sing, dance or talk. Last Summer she attended a drama camp and was given the longest speaking part - and she nailed it! She definitely likes to be in control and when she was really little (probably about 3) she spent half of her dance recital telling the other kids where they were supposed to be on the stage!!! It's good to know that she will probably never take crap from anyone - you go girl!

My son was born 7 months after A, and sometimes I feel that I didn't get to spend as much one-on-one time with A as I did with the other kids. It's good that her and Pal get along, and because they are similar ages they are always together at family parties. She likes to come to our camper for a weekend in the Summer and I'm glad to have that time to spend with her. That means a lot to me.

One of the funniest and cutest memory of A is from the day we brought Pal home from the hospital. She was sitting on my mother's lap and my niece, K2 (you haven't met her yet because her birthday isn't until May!!!) was sitting on the floor in front of my mother. K2 leaned up to A for a "kiss" and A grabbed K2's head with both hands and laid a wet one on her cheek!! It didn't stop there - K2 kept leaning in for more and A was more than happy to oblige! It was so cute, and we have it on video.

My hope for A is that she will blow this world away with her multiple talents and follow those dreams as far as they will take her. But my biggest hope is that we will always be close.

Happy 10th Birthday, A. I love you. You big ham.

Love,
AG

On Turning 38

Today is my 38th birthday. I like my birthday. It is all.about.me. No, not really, but it sounded good. In fact, this morning could not have proven more differently. I did get to sleep in, until almost 9:00, and stayed in bed until 9:20. That's about the highlight of the first part of my day, because it all went downhill after that.

Pal has been struggling with math at school, so the teacher assigned him some math homework for the weekend. Before I knew about this math homework on Friday, I agreed to let Pal have his best buddy over for a sleep-over. And then last night we went to a college hockey game and didn't get home until 11. Those 2 late nights combined didn't do Pal any justice and it was his math homework that would pay for it! And Hubby and I. I wanted him to finish the homework so that we could all go out and do something fun for my birthday, but after 2.5 hours and many crying/screaming jags, my level of expectation for the day had fizzled to almost nothing. I just wanted the damn math homework to be done, and done right. Is that too much to ask? We finally finished correcting the homework around 1:00.

After that, my birthday got better. We decided to use a gift certificate we had for the Texas Roadhouse, and it was delicious! Pal even tried some of Hubby's steak and liked it. When we got home, Hubby had bought me a chocolate cream pie from our old neighborhood bakery, and that was pretty delicious too! No singing, but that's okay too.

And then I went grocery shopping. Hey, it had to be done!

But as I think about turning 38, I realize how lucky I am. I have my health, a great husband, a healthy beautiful son, terrific friends, a wonderfully close family, a great in-law family, a warm home to come home to, a job that I love, my bills are paid, I have food in the fridge, and I can afford to vacation.

More importantly, I am comfortable with who I am. I know who I am, and am not afraid to be who I am. And that is the best gift of all.

Have a great week!

G

Happy 19th Birthday, "C"

This is my niece, C, who is 19 today! I can't get the picture to appear bigger, but you can tell from the little postage stamp that she is a beautiful girl.

C is #3 in line of the nieces, and is the second child of my sister, P. I chose her birth-day. When P had to schedule a C-Section (no pun intended...a "C" section? get it?), she called me and said that she could have it on the 24th or on my birthday, the 25th. I thought that this child deserved her (or his, we didn't know at that point) own birthday. So, P went in for the C-section on the 24th. And ever since then, even though they are on separate days, I've shared my birthday with C. Because when you are 17, like I was when she was born, you are pretty much done with birthday parties anyway. So every year when P threw C a party, I felt like it was for me, too. I always enjoyed watching C open her presents because her whole face lit up when she saw what was inside. She didn't care if it was clothes or a new toy, she just loved opening presents.

C was a funny little kid too. She was terrified of dogs...mostly due to my sister's fear of dogs. One time when I was babysitting there, we watched the dog movie "Beethoven". That night, when it was time for bed, C came back downstairs crying and said "I can see Beethoven in my eyes"!!! We had to check the locks on the doors to make sure that no dogs could get in the house.

Hubby's favorite memory of C is when she was about 18 months old. We were having a cookout at their house and C was eating some chips. As she was toddling away, she tripped and as she was falling, she stuffed the chips in her mouth! Hubby was laughing so hard, and no one else had seen what she did. It was so funny.

Today she is turning 19 and is a freshman in college. I can't believe it. She has turned into a funny adult, too. She loves clothes, makeup and music like every other girl her age. She has a long-time boyfriend and he is a nice kid. My hope for her is that she finds her niche in life and is happy and successful.

So, Happy 19th Birthday, C. I love you.

Love, AG

Happy Birthday, T2

Today is my nephew, who I will call T2, 5th Birthday!

He is the first born of Hubby's sister, and our longtime mutual friend-turned-brother-in-law, T. I call him "King of Diversion" because whenever he's in trouble, he tries to divert your attention to something else. For example, when he was yelling in the house while his brother was sleeping, I went in to say "T2, you have to be quiet or you will wake up J3". (J3 is T2's little brother.) While I am saying this to him, he is smiling up at me and saying at the same time "Auntie G, did you see my new toy?". He cracks us up, and uses words like "cross" instead of "mad", and refers to anytime before he was born as "the olden days".

The funniest thing he did recently was tell his brother that there was just not enough room in the house for both of them to live there, and that J3 will just have to go and live with Nana. And then another time, J3 called 911 when he was playing with the phone, and as you know - they still have to send an officer to the house even though it was an "accident". As soon as the policeman walked in the door, T2 pointed at J3 and said "HE DID IT!". There was no way he was taking the wrap for his little brother!!!

I tell him that I am going to "kiss him all day" and he tells me, "No, today is not the day." I just love this kid. I love all of my nieces and nephews equally of course, but he has a little corner of my heart reserved just for him.

Just look at him. Wouldn't you?


Happy 5th, T2. Be forwarned, there will be a day that I will kiss you all day.

Love, Auntie G

Happy Birthday, Hubby!

Today is Hubby's 38th birthday. I tease him because he is 3 months older than me, and I won't be 38 until it is already 2009. I love to rub that in.

Hubby and I have known each other since approximately 1983/84. Our mutual friend, T, (who is also the son of Mrs. D who I have been writing about) went to school with Hubby, but lived near me. Hubby would come over to T's house after school and we would all hang out together. Of course when you are 13 you have NO clue that you just met the man you will someday marry, but one thing I did know for sure back then was that I really, really liked who Hubby was (and still is). If it weren't for Hubby's knack for keeping in touch with people, we probably would have lost touch during those years that we weren't hanging out. But every so often I would get a phone call from him, just to say hi, or a visit to where I worked. But it was a terrible accident that brought us together once and for all, and that was when our mutual friend, T, who is now our brother-in-law because he married Hubby's sister, D, (I know, it's get really confusing and almost seems incestuous!), got hurt in a floor hockey scuffle. T was pushed to the floor of the hockey rink and the bones in his forehead were broken. He was hospitalized and needed surgery to repair the broken bones. It was during our visits to T that Hubby and I reconnected. At first we were just friends and enjoyed hanging out together again. But then it bloomed into love and there was nothing better than marrying your best friend. We will be married 13 years this coming December.

But more about Hubby - I meant what I said above about liking who he is. We can still laugh and have a good time. He makes me laugh with his goofy nature even though I tell him he's a dork/freak/fruitcake. He's a great Dad to Pal, even though I'm not sure Pal appreciates him just yet. But what kid does, right?

Hubby is a terrific husband, friend, brother, son, son-in-law, co-worker, boss, teacher, Scout, electrician, Christian, citizen, American. All around he is just a nice guy. He likes to think that he's tough and sometimes comes off as shy or cold. The man I love is nothing but a mushy teddy bear inside.

Happy Birthday, Hubby, I love you with all my heart. Love, GM

Happy Birthday, Pal.

When you're 9, it's all about the cold, hard cash!!!!


Wow, how time flies. Nine years ago today I was a new Mom. Here I was, holding this little perfect boy, and he was mine. I remember specifically looking at his elbows and saying to my hubby "Look, he has elbows!". (This went on for hours, I was so totally fascinated!).

I won't bore you with the details of his birth or how many hours (19) I was in induced-labor-hell (19). I won't freak you out telling you about the size of my C-section scar, or how I had an imbedded staple in it. Did I NOT mention the (19) hours of labor?

Pal has been a whirlwind of activity since day 1. He screamed all the way home from the hospital, probably because he received his "bris" (except we're not Jewish, if you catch my drift) right before we left the hospital. He hated the car from that moment on, too. I used to dread long rides with him.

Pal has brought us so many fun times as a family and we are so proud of him. Most people who know him well know that he is a sweet, kind, caring little boy who enjoys playing with his cousins, playing with our dog, Rusty, swimming, stuffed animals, Bionicles, lego's and watching his favorite TV shows. I can only hope that he will always know how much his Dad and I love him, and that he will grow up to be a warm, caring, responsible young man.

We love you Pal. Happy 9th. Love, Mama and your Da

Happy Birthday, "R"

Today is my nephew's 12th birthday. He is the only son of my only brother.
He was the fifth grandchild for my parents and the first nephew on my side of the family. "R" is a sweet kid, not that any 12-year-old boy wants to be called sweet, but he just IS. He always has a smile and kiss for you when you come in. He's got a devious older-brother side, too, and loves to tease his little sister....much like his Dad did to me for all those years (and is still at it, I might add!).

It was at our wedding that it dawned on my sister-in-law that she might be pregnant, and sure enough, 8 months later little R came into the world. I wasn't at the hospital or in jeopardy of losing my job at the time, but it was awesome to get the news that I finally had a nephew! (I had 4 nieces at the time). He was a happy, chubby cheeked, adorable baby. And sweet. Ooops, there's that word again.

So, Happy Birthday, "R". We love you. Stay sweet. And sorry for calling you sweet.

Auntie G

Happy Birthday, "K"

My niece, to be known here as "K", turned 20 today. She is my second niece, my 3rd sister's oldest daughter. I am her Godmother. She is a great kid. Seriously, though my sister and brother-in-law might disagree sometimes! Hubby, Pal and I genuinely enjoy her company. She is kind, thoughtful and sometimes downright gullible. I love it. I love her.

I almost got fired for her, 20 years ago today. My sister had a scheduled C-section, but since I had to work, I went in and then around the time she would be going into the O/R, I "pretended" that my sister went into labor and needed me to take her to the hospital. My boss at the time, who was a royal b*tch, didn't buy a word of it (was I so totally transparent?) and told me that if I felt I "had to go" then she couldn't guarantee that I would have a job when I got back. I cried and told her I had to go. Of course, I was only 17 and could have given a rat's patootie about the job. Looking back on that day, I am glad to say that I was in that waiting room when my brother-in-law came out of the O/R and yelled "It's A Girl!". I happen to think that's a better memory than processing some car dealership paperwork!

On a more serious note about K, she has been suffering from ulcerative colitis since she was about 13, and it has come to the point that her colon has to be removed. It is a daunting operation for a 20-year-old college student to undergo. She's trying to be brave but I know deep down she's scared. It'll be a miracle if my sister survives this ordeal with HER nerves intact, too. Please, if you are someone who prays, keep K and our family in your prayers. They are needed, badly!

So, on this July 20th, 2008, Happy 20th Birthday, K. I love you like you were my own child. I like you as my friend, and I wish you all the happiness you deserve.

Love, AG (Aunnie G)