Mom's Day is over : o (

Sunday night and Mom's Day weekend is over. A good weekend, but short. Thanks to Tanner, Annie, and Miles for hosting a lovely brunch on Saturday. Fun to have 3 out of the 4 little cousins together--Ethan and Owen were sociable fellers at the brunch table-- but we missed Hannah. Fortunately, a Skype session was in the cards and we had conversation with Hannah, Elisabeth, and Evan. Hannah revealed that the new baby will be a little sister, and we saw ultrasound photos of our teeny, tiny new granddaughter. Can't tell yet if she'll resemble Hannah at birth, but baby sister doesn't look so much different than Hannah did at this stage! Miles doesn't know yet if he's having a sister or a brother, but it looks like we'll all get to wait until October to find out.

Today was a decent day until Dad/Paco/Grandpappy decided to do some yard work. He was trimming the snowball bush on Mary, Darrel, and my other brother Darrel's side of the house and did what people often refer to as "threw out his back".  He's in a lot of pain, and as is to be expected, is sharing the drama.

After getting over the initial shock and pain of getting into the house after he hurt himself, he rested a while, then moved to the bedroom. He is still in significant pain, but he's managed to lie on his back and do several Mr. Miyagi poses, pretend to be a June Taylor Dancer (think Rockettes), and talk nonstop for about an hour. This is without medication. Can't wait until he takes a pain killer before bedtime.

More on this tomorrow. I have to go take the garbage cans to the curb.

Birthday weekend

While we patiently wait for birthday party pictures to appear on either Charlie or Angie's blog (or both, if we are in luck!), here's a little bit of information about the rest of the weekend.

Miles and his mommy and daddy showed up on Saturday morning to spend the day. Windy as it was, Tanner managed to enjoy golfing in LeSueur. He and Annie went out on a date for dinner, and although Miles wanted to go on a date, too, Grandpappy and I persuaded him to stay with us for the evening. A good time was had by all reading books, playing with toys, singing, and telling Gpappy to stop snoring when he took a nap after supper. It was hard to wait for the big party on Sunday, but Miles managed to be patient and sweet. I'll let Miles tell you more...

Grandpappy checked me for color blindness with 
a Pediatric Color Vision Test. 

I showed him circles and squares that he couldn't see!

Making a Happy Birthday card for my little cousins'

first birthday is serious business. 

 

I do a great job of brushing my teeth!

Hannah, look at the fancy toast my daddy made for my breakfast!

Ethan and Owen, YOU'RE BOTH #1!

A Little Bit of What I Remember

April 29, 2009: Baby Day for Angie and Charlie's twins.

Nerves. I feel nervous and sick to my stomach. 

I can't even imagine what A and C are feeling!
Excitement. Ditto for that.
Charlie said to wait until he calls us to come to the hospital.
We can't stand waiting.
Driving up to Minneapolis, chattering nervously.
Premonition: The babies are girls. 

I am sure of it. 

Charlie and Angie are having baby girls!
What will the baby girls be named? I can't think of one name, much less two.
Drinking latte at Starbucks. Dry mouth. Worry.
We might as well wait in the lobby at Abbott.
Too much time passes. No phone signal in the lobby.
Finally...Charlie calls.
Babies are here! Boys or girls? He'll come down and tell us.
It takes an eternity.
Daddy Charlie is all smiles. Ethan and Owen.
Ethan Lawrence, the older baby.
Owen Charles, the little brother.

What? They've known they were having baby boys for months? 

Deception of the happiest sort!
Mommy Angie, tired, happy, grinning.
Two little baby boys, already loved, their first day on Earth.

Happy Birthday Grandma Bene

Grandma Bene was born on April 25, 1925--85 years ago. I wrote a blog entry on her birthday last year, should you want to read it again. She would be absolutely crazy about her grandchildren's significant others and about her great-granchildren, just like GGpa Charlie is!

Some Saturdays...

Some Saturdays are better than others, and this was one of the better ones. 

Charlie and Angie ran in the Earth Day Half Marathon in St. Cloud today (Congratulations to you both!). Ethan and Owen decided to stay home and play rather than sit in strollers on the streets of a sketchy college town where they'd have to keep an eye out for SCSU students nursing hangovers. Not a safe environment for 11.5 month-olds, so the boys made a good choice.

I had the pleasure of spending the day with the babies so they wouldn't have to fend for themselves. Because I stayed overnight last night in the Oliver Avenue Guest Room, I was treated to hearing Ethan and Owen's little voices babbling to each other from their cribs very early today. They have a lot to say to each other on a Saturday morning! Angie and Charlie kissed the boys good-bye shortly after 6:00 a.m. We had lots of fun playing together on the new alphabet mat. Grandpappy showed up about 9:30, and then at 11:00 or so, in walked Miles J. Grimmius (in his froggy boots) accompanied by Auntie Annie. Ethan and Owen had a good snooze before their toddler cousin arrived, so they were all ready to play with him after a quick diaper change. Later on  Angie and Charlie returned to a house full of relatives playing with the babies. Next time I'll ask permission before inviting a crowd!

Lunchtime at Cafe Potts

 Self-Portraits of Auntie/Mommy Annie with 
Ethan, Owen, and Miles

The cousins' playtime included a raucous session with 
the noisiest toy on the market. Everyone under the age 
of 2-1/2 loved it. No comment from the adults.

Ethan and Miles paused for a photo together...

...while Owen walked away with the ottoman.

It was a terrific day, topped off by a Skype conversation with Hannah and her mommy when we got home from Richfield. Hannah sang some songs to us, ate huevos, un panqueque, y unas fresas, and hugged her mommy's tummy to show her affection for her new baby brother or sister.  : o )

Cranky stuff

As Dad/Paco/Larry/Grandpappy can verify, I’ve been in an ongoing snit over the name of the football stadium at the University of Minnesota, and that snit was enflamed once again on Friday when we drove through the campus. TCF Stadium? Are you kidding? Can we please change the team nickname from the "Gophers" to the "U of MN Bank Guards" then?

I attended college at the U as an undergraduate and, despite being poor and relying on loans and an array of hourly-wage jobs to pay tuition, fees, and living expenses, I managed to graduate in just over four years. Grandpappy earned a PhD from the U, and recently did Post Doc work there. Elisabeth attended med school at the U, and Charlie and Annie went there for their Master’s Degrees. I don't recall TCF calling any of us to help with education expenses. or to thank us for our donations. I’ve stopped giving alumni contributions to the University when the phone-a-thon people call, because it’s become too corporate (and the head coaches are paid so much more than faculty that it's a crime, but that’s another gripe).

Maybe my memory is poor, but isn’t the University of Minnesota a STATE UNIVERSITY? Aren’t income taxes from Minnesota folks used to finance it? Okay, taxes and lots of endowment and gift money, too, so what’s wrong with continuing to name structures on the campus after generous individuals or families? Or famous graduates? Or someone who contributed to Minnesota history, education, or culture in some other way? There are already lots of names of people who fit these descriptors associated with U of MN buildings, but by the time I finish typing them, Target, Wells Fargo, WalMart, Porta-Potty and the like will have usurped Mariucci, Phillips and Wangensteen, Nolte, Pattee, Peik, Mayo, Kolthoff, and Humphrey.

Isn’t it enough that businesses advertise blatantly on the gym floors and football scoreboards of high schools? And that more and more football bowl games are identified by the name of a corporation? I’m waiting for the Zyrtec Rose Bowl  or the American Chiropractic Association Hula Bowl (think about it, they’ll make sense).

I’m sorry. I’m a purist. I want the Gophers to play in Gopher Stadium or a stadium named after a football great. I’ll not suggest Carl Eller, but how about Bruce Smith (I went to college with his daughter) or Gino Cappelletti Stadium, and let TCF claim the luxury seats, or better yet, the locker rooms or maybe even the band uniform storage area.

Friday outing

Good Friday was a good Friday. Dad/Larry/Paco/Grandpappy and I left town around 11:00 and drove in the sprinkles and drizzle toward St. Paul.

* Lunch at Bruegger's on 169 near Jerry's Foods. Nothing like a sun dried tomato bagel with sun dried tomato spread and a piece of muenster cheese for good measure!

* The rain picked up as we made our way to the Como Park Conservatory and Zoo in St. Paul. The wet weather didn't hold back the crowds--a day off from school and work brought kids and parents and grandparents in droves.  The Conservatory "jungle" room and fern room were especially enjoyable and GREEN. Larry/Grandpappy was disappointed in  the flower display in the sunken garden room. Typically it is a knock-out around various holidays, but he didn't think the colors or types of flowers were of the usual quality. I loved the deep yellow-golds and purples, touched with white (I'm not an Easter lily fan, and this year the Conservatory gardeners were in tune with me (ha!) as the lilies were appropriately understated.). I agree with Grandpappy/Paco that the plants were rather puny and therefore didn't create the usual visual impact one expects when walking into that particular room.

  After a break for coffee in the newish visitor center, we wandered over to visit relatives in the Primate House. On the way in, we said hello to Miles' gorilla. He's much smaller looking in person than in pictures with Miles. Miles, you're still a little guy!
 

* Next stop was to drop Larry/Grandpappy off at the U of MN so he could take in a seminar (of sorts) given by Chung, one of Pete's post docs. I hurried to Richfield to spend an hour with the Oliver Avenue Quartet, stopping on the way at a Target and then a Walgreen's to search for a bag of Cadbury Mini-Eggs to take along as a treat. No luck on the candy; apparently I'm not the only one who loves those delicious little eggs. I had to substitute Cookies 'n Cream eggs, which are a distant second to Cadbury, unfortunately.

  Ethan and Owen were happy and busy and talkative. Angie revealed that the boys have been saying mysterious things lately, including a phrase that sounds like "Uncle Carl" (Is that the right uncle, Angie?). I've been thinking about this, wondering if the little guys are speaking in tongues, or if they are working on a language of their own. Or maybe they're just pulling a fast one on their parents.

* The visit was too short, but I had to pick up Dad/Grandpappy around 5:00, at which time we were going to decide if going out to dinner would be an option. First we gave Pete a ride home, then contemplated dinner. Charlie had mentioned Fat Lorenzo's, and Angie had made a remark about delicious pizza and beer sounded (she usually talks about whiskey and chicken wings...ha ha!), and when I shared those comments with Larry, our minds were made up.

  It was our first trip to Fat Lorenzo's, and if you haven't been there, make it a destination soon! It's a little place, funky and fun, and the pizza is out of this world. Thanks for mentioning it, CP and AP!

 Now it's Saturday and that means grocery shopping and getting ready for Easter. Another sunny day, so that will bring out the good cheer in everyone... right? : o)