CATCHING UP

Sunday, April 08, 2012

It has been a few days since I have checked in.
Friday, I pick Bailey up from school and drove her to swim team at the LLAC via Burger King. While we were driving she announced that “today” was maturation day at school. She had a bewildered look on her face. She didn’t really enjoy it especially the part where they taught the girls how to use a Tampon.
I asked if they had doughnuts afterwards. She said they had cake and punch.
I have been on her about Good Better and Best, mainly we were talking about swimming. Her response is always Good Better and Who gives a crap. But at swimming this time she was the first instead of last to push away from the end and start towards the other end, and she pushed it pretty hard though not her best every time. There is one BIG kid that usually beats her to the other end but his technique is terrible, he’s just really big. There is another kid (who, Friday was in the next lane) who was pretty much stride by stride with Bailey. When Bailey was really “pushing it” she would zoom past him; when she settled into her easy pace he would pass her up. It went back and forth that way for the entire forty-five minutes.
Either Corey or Stacey said that the coaches would like to put her onto the white team except they feel she has missed too many practices. Stacey has been holding her out of Wednesdays so she can get some work done around the house; but it is nice that they think she is good enough to move up a notch. I was pleased that she has been giving some credence to what her parents and I have been telling her about trying harder; especially since we think she has potential to be a really good swimmer.
Last night at our pool, Corey asked her to see if she could swim all the way to the bottom of the deep end; ten feet down if I am not mistaken. A minute later Corey yelled to me to come watch. Albeit she was wearing her cut off flippers they use in team practice, but still she was going from floating on top of the water to touching the bottom with her hands in somewhere between one and two seconds. She raced her dad across the pool and beat him by about half a body length.
Jayden swam down to the bottom but came up with his ears killing him. It hurt for a while but it went away after awhile.
Stacey was laughing…or speaking in a bewildered tone of voice about taking Jayden to see the chiropractor. She had never been there before. It had always been me who has taken him. She said. “We walked in and I waited at the counter for someone to talk to us. To my surprise, Jayden walked in said, ‘Hi Tom” signed in on the sheet and walked back to the table. He laid down the way he is supposed to and ‘Tom’ worked on him. Dr. Allen said ‘you must be his mother, where is Fred?”
“He did his adjusting and Jayden got up. When he was finished, Jayden said, ‘Tom how many do I have left’. He looked at his records and said, ‘five’” I have been prepaying ten at a time. He has a deal that if you do that, it amounts to $15.00 a visit instead of $20.00.
Stacey was amazed at the way Jayden handled himself. I’ll bet it didn’t surprise Tom any after all the times he has adjusted him. He has even said that Jayden knows when to come in by the way his back feels. I suppose he has gotten over the surprise at how talkative Jayden and Bailey are.
Janette and her two youngest are/were in town staying at Mike and Nikki’s so we invited everyone to our house for dinner and a visit. Janette, Adam and Kate came as did Mike, Ryan and Matt. There were Corey and his family, Niki and gang though Greg showed up late. He had a golf match. Austin brought Molly and Sierra and Mark each drove separately. Mark was sporting a new hairdo it was short on the sides and went straight up and was flat on the top; rather high. He being half Fijian, his hair is kinky. I told him “If the floor gets dirty I will turn you upside down and use you for a mop.”
Molly finally has a boyfriend. She is quite embarrassed and won’t talk about it and I decided not to push the issue like I am want to. (I don’t even know what his name is or anything about him. After questioning her she as much as said he is in her school; she just got red when I asked her if he was.) She had a big silly grin on her face all night.
She and Sierra stayed overnight.
We had chicken half breasts stuffed with asparagus, green onion, mozzarella etc., funeral potatoes and of course chips and dip hors d'oeuvres etc.
Christina couldn’t come because Kyra is into gymnastics and they were going to a meet at the University of Utah.
Some time ago when I had Gavin at the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving point we got silly and started singing, Gavin/or Gavin and Grandpa/ or Grandpa up in a tree eating potato chips, then laugh. Last night Gavin came up to me and said “Do you know the song about monkey’s jumping on the bed?” I answered that I did. He then said he made up a new song and sang it to me. ‘Two little monkeys jumping on the bed, one fell off and landed in a tree.’” I thought that was quite an imagination for a three-year old.
Jayden made up a new song too a week or so ago…how did that go? Hmm. Oh yea. I don’t remember the exact words but it amounted to this: “
There’s a place in France where the naked women dance; but they were so fat I moved to Utah.
“There’s a place in Utah were the naked women dance: but they were so fat and ugly I’m going back to France.”
From a 12-year old.
Last night Gracie was really alert and active; looking at everyone and smiling. She is holding her head quite well on her own…it won’t be too long before she starts making up songs.

1. St. Paul's Bay, Malta
2. Barcelona, Spain
3. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
4. Valletta, Malta
5. Honolulu, HI, USA
6. Flagstaff, AZ, USA
7. Albuquerque, NM, USA
8. Boulder, UT, USA
9. Helsinki, Finland
10. Cedar City, UT, USA
11. Island Park, ID, USA
12. West Yellowstone, MT, USA
13. Macks Inn, ID, USA
14. Polperro, UK
15. St Ives, UK
16. Newquay, UK
17. Copenhagen, Denmark
18. Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada

• Create your own travel map or travel blog.
• Vacation rentals at TripAdvisor

MORE FUN WITH GRANDKIDS

Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Yesterday on the way to swim via Beto’s, Jayden said “Grandpa, do you know the song, ‘There’s a place in France where the women don’t wear pants?’”
I answered Yes and sang the first verse; the only one I know.
He said, “I made up two new verses. Do you want to hear them?”
I answered Yes.
(I don’t remember the exact wording but it went something like this.)
“There’s a place in France where the naked women dance; but they were so fat I moved to Utah.
“There’s a place in Utah were the naked women dance: but they were so fat and ugly I’m going to move back to France.”
It was an extra early out day at school so even via Beto’s then the Chiropractor we still got Bailey to swim an hour early. She ended up helping the coach put in the lane dividers. The coach unreeled them while Bailey swam on her back pulling them to the other end of the pool and hooking them up. She really swam fast for the circumstances.
Before swim, Bailey and I watched Jayden get adjusted by Dr. (Tom) Allen. When he was done, Bailey said “I want to try that” and she jumped on the table or whatever you call it and Tom adjusted her. She was afraid to have him adjust her neck but he said, “Let just check your neck.” Then when it came to the neck part he told her to look up to the corner of the room and he “popped” her and she was just fine.

Changed my mind

I had entered a new entry today but decided maybe it wasn't a good idea. It's in my journal.

OH MY

Monday, March 19, 2012

I have had a headache for what seems like weeks or months much of the time not too bad; in the background; but too many times it has been severe and it seems like those times are getting to be more and more often. Yesterday Niki and her family and Corey and his were over for dinner and I spent most of the time on my bed. Between the headache itself and the “good” drugs I took I didn’t do much visiting with my grandkids. That scenario has happened too often lately.
Gracie has gotten so big, so cute and so alert.
(Judy’s probably right. If I take my prescription pain killers too often they will probably lose their effectiveness. I do mostly take over the counter stuff and they sometimes do the job or at least make the headaches more bearable but sometimes the pain is too intense. I am getter light sensitive more and more often too.)
For months I have been “struggling” with God and Jesus over what’s going on in my life and over a few blessings I would like to have. I’ve chosen to keep it between them and me albeit one of them is about my health. It is frustrating to me that I feel I have gotten no response from either of them. I told them that maybe I am not in tune but give me an answer I can recognize/understand; say no if that’s your answer; or yes on this but no on that, or later, or “You’ve got to be joking” or something.
I don’t know if I should just give up in frustration or doggedly keep plodding along with the same prayers over and over again, night after night or what. I am afraid I seldom think to say my morning prayers and end up adding them to my blessing on my breakfast.
The other night I found myself starting off my prayer with, “Father in Heaven what shall we talk about tonight”. Maybe it’s a good thing that I am feeling more personal and intimate with them. I even find myself making it a three way conversation between the Father and the Son and myself all at the same time; addressing Jesus personally as well as the Father.
This morning I woke up defeated; thinking I may as well just give up.
In other news, I had my annual eye doctor appointment this morning. My eyes are getting progressively worse but only by littles. Today my left eye “seemed” better. That is because my cataracts are getting worse. Explanation; though the one in my left eyes is significantly worse it has “relocated” to where it isn’t effecting my vision as much.
Dr. Gray said that I should get my cataracts removed in the next couple of years.
I should live so long!
I have felt nauseous all day (since last night) but not so bad that I thought I would actually throw up. I didn’t eat anything today until Bailey and I stopped at Burger King after school on the way to her swim practice. I had my usual Wopper Jr.; extra onions, extra pickles. I at a couple of Bailey’s fries and I drank a medium diet Coke. It made me feel better for half an hour or so.
Maybe I am just getting old.

Thank you for putting up with my rambling.

LLAC

Monday, March 12, 2012
Again it’s Monday and I took Bailey and Jayden to swimming at the Lehi Legacy center. Bailey of course headed for her team practice. I went with Jayden to the chiropractor next door. Jayden always knows when he needs an adjustment. Dr. Tom gets a kick out of Jayden and his nonstop chatter.
From there Jayden and I got in the pool and did our thing for about an hour and quarter. I worked hard as Jayden and his new friend tried to drown me.
Last time we were there he struck up a conversation with this kid. I don’t know his name. Today I asked “Where is your family from?” He said Brazil. He looks like he could be Indian…his color and features. His sister looks Indian or Mexican.
When Bailey was finished with her practice she joined us and I had three terrorists to deal with. They keep sneaking up on me from under water, grabbing my legs and yanking until they knocked me off balance and push me under water. Then off they would run to get away from me. I didn’t try very hard to catch up with them; then the cycle started over again, and again, and again.
The boy’s sister is quite shy and will not aggressively go after me but she likes the attention when I grab her and push her under water.
Funny thing today; we were doing our thing when a young girl, maybe age eight and quite short came up to Jayden and said, “We’re alike,” And started splashing him and tackling him. He was beside himself trying to decide how to deal with her. I thought it was hilarious and went over to where Stacey was sitting on the sideline and pointed it out to her.
She thought it was funny too.