Got up somewhat early this morning to pack our bags for the trip to Portland. I spent most of the ride in the backseat with Miss M, which is never dull. We watched the "Bee Movie" for the second time, I opted to watch without headphones. We knew as soon as we hit Portland we were heading to the hospital to check on Grams, but had to make one quick stop in Woodburn...the outlet stores. W had a Gap giftcard that HAD to be used and I wasn't stopping her. I took Miss M so W could shop on her own (Mikee headed to the hat shop), and we did plenty of damage on our own. With Miss M's birthday coming up I let her pick out a few things (she wanted everything pink, sparkled, and the jelly shoes with heels). We also picked out an outfit for Miss S - gotta buy clothes for baby in the family. Met up with W in the check-out line where I found a few sweaters for myself. (Since I am writing this after the fact, I can tell you that the sweaters were quite popular amongst us girls at training this past week.)
Made it to the hospital mid-afternoon to check on Grams. Met up with the Aunt, Uncle and Miss S in the hallway - what a fun surprise! Miss S was cute as ever. Made it to Grams' room to check on her. She was looking better than when I saw her in the ER but was still quite pale and was on oxygen. She was still fighting the pneumonia and was either too hot or too cold. We visited for a while and had fun with the latex gloves (the Uncle showed us how he could be a chicken). After our visit we were off to mom's house for family dinner and then to a hotel for the night.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Hiatus - Day 9
Time to pack up camp and head back to the city. Spent the day getting the camper cleaned, parked along the side of the house, and laundry. Our plans changed and we were no longer heading to Black Butte for the next few days, we were off to Portland. We ordered in pizza for dinner and I spent the evening with Miss M watching her favorite (so she says) movie "13 Going on 30".
Grams Update - Now the waiting game as to when she will be moved to a skilled nursing home for rehabilitation.
Grams Update - Now the waiting game as to when she will be moved to a skilled nursing home for rehabilitation.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Hiatus - Day 8
I am getting used to this camping thing...at least the way that W does it. We enjoyed the day at the farm/pond chatting, watching the kids fish (Miss M caught a few), and another BBQ for dinner. W and I opted for Gardenburgers over Elk burgers (I am not that adventurous). We opted to crash in the city this night as Mikee isn't feeling too well and the girls were heading to the Mill for a few hours of "girl time".
After dropping W's friends off at the Mill, Miss M quickly realized what was going on and did not like the fact that we (W and I) were going to be heading back to the Mill once we dropped her and Mikee off. In order to calm the upset little girl, W told her she could watch "Mean Girls" (a treat since the flick is rated PG-13). Miss M appeared satisfied with this for a short time but then piped up (from the back of the car) that instead she wanted to watch "Your Dogs ARE Gay". For real? I turned to W, with tears streaming down my face from laughing so hard, to ask what she was talking about...Legally Blonde 2. Tears are subsiding, stomach not hurting so much, and Miss M pipes up "Mom, do you know what gay means?". W and I look at eachother not knowing what will come out of this 5 year olds mouth next. W calmly replies "No, what does it mean?". Miss M is quick with her response of "It's when boy dogs wear pink". The tears start flowing again...where do kids come up with this stuff?
We head back to the Mill, listen to a few songs played by the band in the bar (not the greatest cover band I have ever seen) and then head out to play a few "games". Those games make me $200 richer and I am ready to head home, so is W so we take off.
Grams update - The family from the other "O" state has arrived and Grams remains stable.
After dropping W's friends off at the Mill, Miss M quickly realized what was going on and did not like the fact that we (W and I) were going to be heading back to the Mill once we dropped her and Mikee off. In order to calm the upset little girl, W told her she could watch "Mean Girls" (a treat since the flick is rated PG-13). Miss M appeared satisfied with this for a short time but then piped up (from the back of the car) that instead she wanted to watch "Your Dogs ARE Gay". For real? I turned to W, with tears streaming down my face from laughing so hard, to ask what she was talking about...Legally Blonde 2. Tears are subsiding, stomach not hurting so much, and Miss M pipes up "Mom, do you know what gay means?". W and I look at eachother not knowing what will come out of this 5 year olds mouth next. W calmly replies "No, what does it mean?". Miss M is quick with her response of "It's when boy dogs wear pink". The tears start flowing again...where do kids come up with this stuff?
We head back to the Mill, listen to a few songs played by the band in the bar (not the greatest cover band I have ever seen) and then head out to play a few "games". Those games make me $200 richer and I am ready to head home, so is W so we take off.
Grams update - The family from the other "O" state has arrived and Grams remains stable.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Hiatus - Day 7
Happy 4th of July!
I survived the first night of camping at the pond/farm. It wasn't really that tough as there was a toilet that flushed, a sink with running water, and we headed back to town for showers in the morning (I love W's way of camping).
We spent most of the day lounging at the pond/farm. I was able to start my new book and watched Miss M frolick with the other kids while her mom and dad were off playing paintball. W loves this picture and was pretty proud of her bruises afterwards.
We enjoyed a nice BBQ for dinner and waited for it to get dark to start the fireworks. Greg did a great job of arranging the fireworks and claims that next year he will have music. I enjoyed the show from my spot near the firepit until an unruly spark hit my leg. I quickly moved far away from the action and went to bed when they were done. The spark did not damage my jeans but drew blood...go figure.
Grams update - stable but she still can't keep her eyes open. Cell phone reception wasn't the greatest so updates were few and far between.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Hiatus - Day 6
Busy day ahead of me...the task at hand...babysitting Miss M.
It really wasn't babysitting at all, W had to work and I had offered to hang with Miss M and we had some tasks that we needed to get done.
Task #1 - Cleaning of the closet. According to W, had she asked Miss M to clean her closet she would have asked for a toy to replace all of the toys that were being given away. Flashback - she did a similar activity with Super Nanny (aka my mom) when they moved and did not make such requests. We took all of the toys out from Miss M's closet and sat amongst them going through each item, filling a box and neatly organizing what remained.
Task #2 - Grocery store. We were going to be making dessert for the camping trip and had to pick up supplies. Mikee was home so he was our driver. Thanks Mikee!
Task #3 - Lunch with W. Grabbed some sandwiches from the store next door - delish.
Task #4 - Party boxes! My mom and I had decided that our dinner at BBR was going to be a Ratatouille party - only because we found a cute centerpiece and some cute gift boxes. Just going to celebrate our family vacation. Miss M was very excited to help with the boxes and was very good at keeping what was inside a secret.
Task #5 - Dessert! Miss M and I made some frozen desserts for camping which ended up tasting very good and Miss M was a great helper.
Task #6 - Clean up the "play house". This wasn't requested but it was done. The playhouse is the area under the stairs where Miss M will play for hours on end with her dolls. We got it cleaned out and set-up like a litte nursery for her dolls. Very cute.
Once the tasks were complete and we were waiting for W to get off work, I sat down to watch some TV and wait for the status update on Grams. It wasn't looking good as it was discovered that Grams had aspirated which lead to pneumonia on top of the heart attack. W and I talked and decided to stick with our original plan of camping at the pond/farm (land belonging to their friend's family). When W got home we headed to the pond/farm.
It really wasn't babysitting at all, W had to work and I had offered to hang with Miss M and we had some tasks that we needed to get done.
Task #1 - Cleaning of the closet. According to W, had she asked Miss M to clean her closet she would have asked for a toy to replace all of the toys that were being given away. Flashback - she did a similar activity with Super Nanny (aka my mom) when they moved and did not make such requests. We took all of the toys out from Miss M's closet and sat amongst them going through each item, filling a box and neatly organizing what remained.
Task #2 - Grocery store. We were going to be making dessert for the camping trip and had to pick up supplies. Mikee was home so he was our driver. Thanks Mikee!
Task #3 - Lunch with W. Grabbed some sandwiches from the store next door - delish.
Task #4 - Party boxes! My mom and I had decided that our dinner at BBR was going to be a Ratatouille party - only because we found a cute centerpiece and some cute gift boxes. Just going to celebrate our family vacation. Miss M was very excited to help with the boxes and was very good at keeping what was inside a secret.
Task #5 - Dessert! Miss M and I made some frozen desserts for camping which ended up tasting very good and Miss M was a great helper.
Task #6 - Clean up the "play house". This wasn't requested but it was done. The playhouse is the area under the stairs where Miss M will play for hours on end with her dolls. We got it cleaned out and set-up like a litte nursery for her dolls. Very cute.
Once the tasks were complete and we were waiting for W to get off work, I sat down to watch some TV and wait for the status update on Grams. It wasn't looking good as it was discovered that Grams had aspirated which lead to pneumonia on top of the heart attack. W and I talked and decided to stick with our original plan of camping at the pond/farm (land belonging to their friend's family). When W got home we headed to the pond/farm.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Hiatus - Day 5
Three parts to this day.
Part 1 - Woke up this morning, excited to meet the two newest members of L's family.
Background information - Mom, L & D meet for coffee at a select Starbuck's, on a select day of the week, for every week during the school year. Occasionally a daughter or two or another educator join them.
Back to the meeting. We had made plans to meet for lunch at Red Robin all 8 adults and 7 children. Luckily we (mom and I) got there early and were able to secure a nice row of tables. We enjoyed our lunch and the new moms enjoyed their babies being tended to by others so they could enjoy a meal. Lunch with 7 children, the oldest two getting ready to enter the 1st grade is quite entertaining. I thanked the daughters of L & D for allowing my mom to play grandma for the time being. Such a fun group, hope we get to do it again the next time I am there.
Part 2 - After we left RR mom checked her phone to see if the uncle had called to inform us of their flight plans for the weekend, instead of a message from him, there was a message from another Michael informing us that Grams had fallen and been transported to St. Vincents. So our excitement from lunch quickly turned to worry as we did not know what to expect when we got to the hospital. We made it there rather quickly - mom was a GREAT driver in that situation. We were directed to Grams room where she was propped up in bed, hooked up to a bunch of machines, unable to keep her eyes open. I don't like hospitals and did not like seeing her like this. While I stayed in the room so mom could use the bathroom, she told me she forgot to brush her hair and her hair felt like a rat's nest - a little ER humor though she doesn't remember. I headed for the waiting area hoping Dad was around to pick me up - I did afterall have a hair appointment that I HAD to make. No dice, he was taking a walk (aka golfing). Thought to myself, this won't be too bad I can turn on my iPod and stare out the window...no dice, iPod was still in my carry-on bag. Went outside and grabbed a free newspaper and was delighted that there were crossword and sudoku puzzles. My aunt arrived a little while later to check-in on things and also drove me to my hair appointment. Made it to the appointment in time and informed Karene to cut four inches off. Mom would have been so proud, instead she had to settle for the shot of the new do from Pete's phone and the shot of the chopped off hair from my camera when we met up a few days later.
Part 1 - Woke up this morning, excited to meet the two newest members of L's family.
Background information - Mom, L & D meet for coffee at a select Starbuck's, on a select day of the week, for every week during the school year. Occasionally a daughter or two or another educator join them.
Back to the meeting. We had made plans to meet for lunch at Red Robin all 8 adults and 7 children. Luckily we (mom and I) got there early and were able to secure a nice row of tables. We enjoyed our lunch and the new moms enjoyed their babies being tended to by others so they could enjoy a meal. Lunch with 7 children, the oldest two getting ready to enter the 1st grade is quite entertaining. I thanked the daughters of L & D for allowing my mom to play grandma for the time being. Such a fun group, hope we get to do it again the next time I am there.
Part 2 - After we left RR mom checked her phone to see if the uncle had called to inform us of their flight plans for the weekend, instead of a message from him, there was a message from another Michael informing us that Grams had fallen and been transported to St. Vincents. So our excitement from lunch quickly turned to worry as we did not know what to expect when we got to the hospital. We made it there rather quickly - mom was a GREAT driver in that situation. We were directed to Grams room where she was propped up in bed, hooked up to a bunch of machines, unable to keep her eyes open. I don't like hospitals and did not like seeing her like this. While I stayed in the room so mom could use the bathroom, she told me she forgot to brush her hair and her hair felt like a rat's nest - a little ER humor though she doesn't remember. I headed for the waiting area hoping Dad was around to pick me up - I did afterall have a hair appointment that I HAD to make. No dice, he was taking a walk (aka golfing). Thought to myself, this won't be too bad I can turn on my iPod and stare out the window...no dice, iPod was still in my carry-on bag. Went outside and grabbed a free newspaper and was delighted that there were crossword and sudoku puzzles. My aunt arrived a little while later to check-in on things and also drove me to my hair appointment. Made it to the appointment in time and informed Karene to cut four inches off. Mom would have been so proud, instead she had to settle for the shot of the new do from Pete's phone and the shot of the chopped off hair from my camera when we met up a few days later.
Part 3 - After my haircut and Pete got off work, we headed to Eugene for the "kid exchange". I was heading to the coast to spend a few days with my cousin and Boo was heading to Portland to spend a few days with her dad. Eugene is the halfway mark. We met at the old standby - Applebee's to enjoy dessert, swapped luggage, and headed to our respective destinations. At this point all we knew was that Grams had actually had a heart attack at some point in the previous 48 hours. She was admitted to the hospital.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Hiatus - Day 4
Big City Dining - that was on the agenda for today.
Mom and I ventured downtown to have lunch with Pete in the Big City today. Pete now works for an advertising firm in the very trendy Pearl District of Portland. Let me just tell you that this was not a place to hang out when I was growing up, in fact I believe I would lock the doors while driving through this part of town back in the day. Once we found a place to park, which ended up being a lot easier than anticipated, we found our way to his office. He met us in the lobby, that was as far as we could go, and pointed out a few interesting things about the building that are visible from the lobby. We then ventured down the street to the Deschutes Brewery for lunch. Although I didn't order them I highly recommend the sweet potato fries - very good, and a serving of vegetables in my book.
After our lunch adventure we headed back to our side of town to get ready for our dinner guests. Once again, I was cooking dinner (yes, you read that correctly). Our guests arrived and we enjoyed hearing about their recent trip, dinner, and learning a new (for me) game called zilch (also called 10,000).
Chicken Alfredo Pasta
5 1/2 oz rotini, uncooked (2 cups)
1 10 oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables
1 9 oz pkg frozen cooked diced chicken breast
1 15 oz can low-fat chicken alfredo-style soup
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Cook pasta and vegetables together in boiling water in a Dutch oven 10 minutes or until pasta is done and vegetables are tender.
Drain pasta and vegetables; return to Dutch oven. Add chicken and next three ingredients to pasta mixture, stirring well. Cook over low heat 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper.
Yield - 6 servings
Mom and I ventured downtown to have lunch with Pete in the Big City today. Pete now works for an advertising firm in the very trendy Pearl District of Portland. Let me just tell you that this was not a place to hang out when I was growing up, in fact I believe I would lock the doors while driving through this part of town back in the day. Once we found a place to park, which ended up being a lot easier than anticipated, we found our way to his office. He met us in the lobby, that was as far as we could go, and pointed out a few interesting things about the building that are visible from the lobby. We then ventured down the street to the Deschutes Brewery for lunch. Although I didn't order them I highly recommend the sweet potato fries - very good, and a serving of vegetables in my book.
After our lunch adventure we headed back to our side of town to get ready for our dinner guests. Once again, I was cooking dinner (yes, you read that correctly). Our guests arrived and we enjoyed hearing about their recent trip, dinner, and learning a new (for me) game called zilch (also called 10,000).
Chicken Alfredo Pasta
5 1/2 oz rotini, uncooked (2 cups)
1 10 oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables
1 9 oz pkg frozen cooked diced chicken breast
1 15 oz can low-fat chicken alfredo-style soup
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Cook pasta and vegetables together in boiling water in a Dutch oven 10 minutes or until pasta is done and vegetables are tender.
Drain pasta and vegetables; return to Dutch oven. Add chicken and next three ingredients to pasta mixture, stirring well. Cook over low heat 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper.
Yield - 6 servings
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