The Ectomies

Warning: Ewww factor ahead...

The tonsils and adenoids are finally gone! Littlest took the ride down the hallway in the red wagon this morning to have those obnoxious and overgrown glands removed. She was accompanied by her Nemo blanket, her stuffed puppy and a medal that said "I WAS BRAVE".

She was a tough little girl, even knowing that she would have a nasty sore throat after waking up. Very few tears were shed in the hours after surgery although I suspect that they will appear as the grogginess disappears and the anaesthesia wears off.

Ice cream, Popsicles, Slurpees and pudding are on the menu for the next week!

Love ya, Littlest! Get well soon!

$1.69 plus two large car wash piles of 52 pennies

Total: $2.21

Tubby Time

Well, well, well! Look what fell out of my photo album when I was doing the last post!

$2.21

Dichotomy

Warning!

Athena, Eris and KFin!!

Avert! Avert! Avert your eyes!!!

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(You were warned...)

This is my dad. This is my dad appropriately dressed in his lounge wear green jumpsuit, perfect for camping with his funny looking but totally lovable dog Angel.

This is rare photo of my dad sporting a beard and holding Poco, FN's family pet, this time stylishly dressed in a work-ready blue jumpsuit enjoying a family picnic.

This is my dad looking quite dapper in his casual-wear tan jumpsuit with his three brothers, only one of whom is still living. They all occasionally wore jumpsuits. The jumpsuits came in many colors and I think Dad had all of them. Brown, tan, gray, navy blue, green, light blue. He also had a light blue polyester jumpsuit for semi-formal occasions and a white poly for special religious occasions.

I am reminded of Dad nearly every day when I look out my window. The gentleman who lives directly across the street is always dressed fashionably in a blue or brown jumpsuit. I don't recall seeing a rainbow of colors like Dad had.

Jerks a little tear out of my eye each time I see him fire up his hot sports car, kick up the RPMs and roar down our senior-citizen-lined street at 15 mph.

I believe that is called a dichotomy.

$2.31

Out on the farm

I've been a grandmother for sixteen years and have been fortunate to spend oodles and gobs of time with all of my grandchildren. I'm also lucky to be young and healthy enough that I can participate in all kinds of activities with them. As Grandma Tuesdays have evolved over the years they have become my favorite day of the week, a day that is set aside for one purpose, that of enjoying the kids who are not yet in school.

This afternoon while singing Annie for the third time in three hours with Littlest and the Princess I realized that the preschool years are definitely my favorite time with the kids. At that age they are still eagerly discovering the world and soaking up each new experience that is presented to them. They run and play at top speed until they can hardly walk another step. Challenges are given and met, sometimes with trepidation but always with squeals of delight when accomplished. They get wiser each day but I can usually outsmart them. And for the most part, they still mind me.

Today Littlest and the Princess journeyed with me to the American West Heritage Center where the Fall Festival was in full swing. Corn has been harvested and the fields have been turned into giant mazes. Hay has been cut and baled for the winter feedings. There were few people there and we had the place almost to ourselves. The girls were able to pet baby goats, listen to the roosters crow and watch the peacocks strut their stuff. A train ride went around the duck-filled pond and there were lots of old buildings to wander around.

There was a corn maze that was just for little kids (actually just bales of hay that they could run through without getting lost) that they ran through for about 30 minutes. We also spent lots of time at the hay jump, my favorite. The girls climbed up large bales and then jumped into deep piles of soft, cushy straw. Over and over and over. By the time we were finished we were like scarecrows, pants and shirts filled with bits of straw requiring a trip to the restroom to remove.

There is no greater joy than cuddling a precious newborn baby. Attending awards presentations at school, cheering at sporting events and bragging about other accomplishments of the older kids is always a great pleasure. Seeing them grow, mature and experience the trials of life is harder, but necessary. As a grandmother I love every stage. But those 2-5 year-olds, definitely my favorite.

As usual, more images at the Shooting Blog.

$.98

It's there if you just look!

Had a little fun this morning. A couple of days ago Eris told me that she was going to run a fundraising 5k with her niece. Since I'm trying to increase my ralking time to more running than walking (a dismal failure this last week) it seemed like a perfect time to give it a go.

My time was awful (no numbers today, thanks) but the weather was wonderful and the company was great. Eris beat me, of course, even though she had to stop behind a trailer to fix a "wardrobe malfunction" that could have made her run quite uncomfortable.

A huge shout-out to Eris' niece and sister-in-law, two of my favorite people in the world. Also, a special award to SIL who walked the entire 5k in spite of recovering from a procedure done just a few days ago. What a woman!

And as a special treat, we all finished with coinage found on the race course! (The photo is fudged a little, but we really all picked up a few coins!)

$2.53

A little horse talk

The Fourth of July is a big celebration in America. We all get very patriotic and teary-eyed when the Star Spangled Banner is played. For most people it also means a paid vacation day or time-and-a-half.

In Utah there is a rival July holiday. It is the 24th of July, commemorating the pioneer entry in the state in 1847. (Don't get me started on who really settled the state.) In our area it is called Pioneer Days and is celebrated with a grand rodeo, parades and fireworks. For the last two years we have also been treated to the appearance of beautiful painted horses in the downtown area. They are created by local artists and stay on display in the historic district for four months.

This is one of my favorites this year.

He was just glad not to be on the back end.

$1.03 plus a brand new Craftsman screwdriver (love ya, Dad!)

Snap, Crackle and Pop

At the age of six I fractured my arm while roller skating. That stinky, heavy plaster cast adorned my forearm for most of the summer. I remember the pain when it happened and my parents doubting that it was broken because the only time it hurt was when pressure was applied in certain ways. In fact, it was three days before they finally took me to the pediatrician who diagnosed a green stick break. The only other memory I have of it is the sensation of my arm floating away when that weighs-a-ton cast was sawed off my arm.

At the age of 23 a ski lift chair violently collided with my tailbone when I didn't get out of the way fast enough. Oh, that one hurt. Hurt bad. The fourteen hour ride a few days later to California sitting with one cheek propped on a pillow was very unpleasant. To this day bicycle riding is out of the question due to the unfortunate angle of that broken bone.

My mother tells me that I'm the only one of her children that had a broken bone. My daughters and grandchildren, well, not so lucky. Athena hasn't ever sported a cast but Eris won't even try to count the number of braces, crutches and casts that she has worn over the years.

I am the proud grandmother of five plus all of my extras. In the past 10 months five of them have fractured a bone. I have watched and taken photos as the same amused physician has put arm casts on three of them. Bubba's broken collarbone required a bra-like contraption around his shoulders. Jubee is the only one who has managed to remain in one piece but she has been warned.

If you would like to see the latest click here.

$1.20 plus a golf ball and a wrench