Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Week in review....

Well, I do not have my saved previous entry anymore!  So, I will try to recall some info.... It has been over a week :)  

Grace's recital (Sunday before last) went great!  She did try to run right off the front of the stage again, but luckily Mrs. Dance Teacher caught her first :)  She did things semi on cue, but hey~much better than I expected ;)  I was (am) a very proud Momma!  

We did have to leave before the grand finale, so she won't be on that part of the DVD.  She was so tired and wanting to expend some stored energy, which could not be done inside the school auditorium....  

Oh well, it'll be enough to see her on stage and the other performers also.  She seemed to enjoy it, as did the audience who Ooooo'd and Ahhhhh'd when the young ones were out doing their things.  

My neck was on the mend... until Wednesday morning while in the shower.  It started spasming when I went to wash my hair.  I had to call work and cancel myself for the day, which sucked because we were leaving the next day on vacation and I took today (Monday) off already~ so I've missed two days, again.  

Yeah, the 12 hour drive in freakin hot, humid weather with a sprung neck is fun, let me tell you!  Thankfully, I had muscle relaxers ;)  I can't sleep in a moving car (even with the assist), so I was exhausted by the time we arrived at 9:30 pm, e.t.  

Grace had also spiked a fever of 102 right before we left.  It hung around until Saturday evening.  I took her swimming, anyway, though. The pool room was sauna-like, but the water itself was not heated, so I took her in to help with the fever.  We were alone, so I didn't freak on spreading her germs around (any more than they already had been).  

She didn't eat until Saturday night, then she was starving!  She was drinking though and going to the bathroom, so I know she didn't get dehydrated.    She is fine now, just a lingering congestive cough.. but its loose, so she's on the mend :)  

Mom and Dad had an adjoining room to Grace and I, that was nice.  She and I took a tour of the hotel after we settled in and went to look at the indoor pool.  Grace has been in one public swimming pool when she was 1, so it was a whole new experience.   She loves water, just like her mommy :) 

With water wings and an inflatable ring, she was good to go!  I think she'll get the hang of swimming quickly.  I'll look into lessons from the local Y.  Although, even with lessons, I could not learn to swim above or on the water~ I swim under water, like a dolphin ;)  It took me two times to pass a life-saving class because of this....  

My brother appeared on Saturday around 2:30 am, I love having him around!  :)  I didn't even think to leave a key card for him at the desk, so he called up and left the door unlocked.  He drove right from work, so he was beat.  

We met up with relatives on Saturday.  It was 90 and 100% humidity!  I was boiling and to top that off, it was 'that' time....  Do I need to say how much of a bitch I was?!  I really tried to contain it, but let's just say other people weren't so careful around me...  

All 3 of my mom's sisters were there and my grandma~good for them to get together as you never know when it will be the last time.    My cousin, Debby, was there.  I hadn't seen her since I was in her wedding in 1982!  She had 3 of her 4 children there, as well as her 2 grandkids!   

It was funny (to us), being only 6 years apart, that she is a grandmother of an almost 2, and 1 year old and I am the mother of a 3 year old  :)  Her oldest boy was only 16 or 17 when his first was born.  Can't say anyone was happy about that.  Nor when #2 came along 18 months later...  but, over now  and they're here, so they'll deal :)  

Now, that being said, let me tell you about Saturday.  The above mentioned children were pretty much dropped off at the porch, the youngest being secured in a carrier.  The eldest running amuck, totally unattended by his parents~who were off playing a game of frisbee golf.  

This may be okay in a well contained area... may be, I said.  But my aunt's place is totally not child proof!  Especially the outside...  They live in the sticks, with animals and a big pond~a big OPEN pond!  No fence, nada, zip, zilch...  

Where do you think little Mr. loose and fancy free ended up?  Of course~by the pond!  My mother was attempting to keep her mother company.  I was chasing all over after Grace making sure she had no mishaps.  The 2 of us were watching and chasing this child, alternately, until I had enough!  

No one else was paying attention to this kid.  I got pissed and finally told them, after retrieving him 3 times from the bank of the damn pond, to keep him away from it.   

I was dripping with sweat just sitting outside.  Climbing up and down the hills of her property after the kids~ damn skippy~ I was not a happy camper!  Cramps to boot, no, I was beyond foul!!   

Young kids should not be parents~ there should be automatic adoption laws for such cases.  A relative can still adopt it, but it makes a person of legal age responsible! 

This boy would have been in the pond, and most likely drowned by the time they noticed.  It sucked.  

We left there, because dad and I were bitchy, which pissed mom off.  Understandable, it is her family and all.  And I apologized repeatedly and felt guilty... but then they all met up at the OIP (Original Italian Pizza), and all was well, again :)  

We left the hotel for home around 8:30 am, Sunday. It was hot the entire trip there, the whole time there, and the whole way home.  But as soon as we the Indiana/Ohio state line~it dropped 20 degrees in the snap of a finger :) 

Then the rain began, and I finally cooled off.    I didn't resist leaving my air-conditioned hotel room while Grace was sick, either :)  I soaked it all in, wish I could have stored it ;)  

Glad to be here, again, with all my J~land pals....  

Cat

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Glad you enjoyed yourself, and it's great to have you back :o)
Sara   x

Anonymous said...

What's wrong with people????  I must hear atleast 4 stories a year in my area alone, where a child drowned in a pond near their home.  It's sad.

Well glad yo made it back in one piece...I wouldhave commited a horrible crime if left in a car with my Mother that long...imagine two Nae's...scary!

Anonymous said...

12 hours in a car is horrible...

But add heat and humidity??? Oh no way!!

Glad you are back in one piece Cat...

Hope you have a great week!!

HUGS,
Jennifer

Anonymous said...

I hope you and Gracie are feeling better...
I am so glad she did so well at her recital!!  Awww!!!  Proud Mommy!!!  :)
That is such a shame that on your vaction...you were watching for the safety of others children!  I hate when that happens...eveyone takes off and leave someone responsible for all those kids...
At least you are safe and sound at home where it's cooler!!!  ;)
Welcome back!!
*hugs*

Anonymous said...

I am continually amazed at how some people treat their kids...neglect is worse than abuse in many cases, because at least abused kids are getting attention paid to them. When I was a social worker the most pitiful kids were the neglected ones. They were apathetic and sad.

The recital sounds so cute. Shelby would not be ready for it at that age!

Anonymous said...

Glad Grace had a good recital :)  I hope she's feeling better and you're neck is okay.  That sucks!  I couldn't imagine being in a car for that long with a sore neck....I can't sleep in cars either, have never been able to...at least you had some pain killers!
Glad your back in the cool air!  The heat is killing me!  I don't think I like summer anymore, I just want my AC!  :)
Take it easy Kitty~
xoxo~Bernie

Anonymous said...

doesn't it kill you too see young kids raised by people who have no freaking clue??

Anonymous said...

I TOTALLY agree about kids having kids!  My husband and I always make a joke that you have to take a test to drive a car but not have a child... sad thing is it's not a joke!  But God forbide we actually say something to them because everyone says, "Well, at least they didn't have an abortion... like that's somehow better or a redeeming quality they should be proud of!  What they should do is give the child to someone capable to raise it and leave them alone!!!!  Or if you can't do that, I say yes, abort it!  I am against abortion but it is better than the lives these children suffer through when they aren't loved and cared for, or raised!  These kids are going to grow up; then we're really going to have a problem!

Sorry, mine's this week too!  :-)  We can be foul at one another!  :-)
~Miss O

Anonymous said...

Glad to see you back again and writing Cat, have missed ya. Gracie is so cute and glad things went well with her recital, they are always so cute at that young age! Sorry to hear about your long drive and the neck pains. I hate long car rides, I sleep through them as much as I can!
Kids being neglected is horrible and they way some people treat them is horrible. I get so mad at mine sometimes but I could never hurt them. Such a shame. I always said I wish I had Miliions cause I would take all those kids in.. with 20 people helping me that is!!

~Luv~
~Theresa~

Anonymous said...

  Gotta love the east coast humidity.  I moved away from here 3 years ago and it wasn't until I got back here on Tuesday I remembered just how awful it was.  Now there should be laws but also exceptions to the no minors being parents.  I was a mom at 16 and my dad only watched the baby one time.  He made sure I had to take care of my own child!!  That was 1 lesson I learned quickly.  There are also some 40 year old parents I have seen that are just as bad if not worse than the teen parents.   Hope Grace feels better soon!!!!
Colleen