Sunday

POSTED BY GRANDMA WALSH

I began the day with a nap! ha! While waiting for everyone to be ready for church, I konked out for about a half hour on Kien's nursery floor while Jeremy played with him. I was aware of Kien climbing on me from time to time, then Jeremy put a comforter over me and took a picture.

Jeremy caught this shot of Kien too.

What great family dogs!

Brandy taking her Sunday afternoon nap with Daisy!


Cathi had to take Brandy shopping. Meanwhile, Greg and I worked on restoring the house while Gabe slept and Kien played. He escaped from his family room "jail," and played the Wii drums. (Turn up your sound to hear him singing!)

I mentioned to Greg that Kien and Gabe are going to need a play table. He said he saw one recently that he liked, then tried to find it online. He found a Handy Manny one which intrigued him since Kien likes tools (to his Daddy's amazement and enjoyment!). But we had never heard of Handy Manny. Greg set my laptop on a bin and looked him up online. We discovered that Kein knows Handy Manny! LOL Greg played a couple of YouTube videos and then this Bob the Builder one.

Men! Greg set up Gabe with the remote.

Daddy LOVES his little boy! :)


I got to babysit him tonight! They went to their church small group meeting with kids except for Gabe and Jeremy who was playing with a neighbor. Gabe likes grandma! :)

BEDTIME

Mommy read their favorite story to Kien tonight -- "HICCUPotamus". Karin loved that story too. I never "got" it, but it IS cute when Cathi reads it (I never did hear Karin read it).


Then they wanted me to read another favorite of theirs -- An Elmo "Where's Waldo" type of book.

First Day of Recovery

POSTED BY GRANDMA WALSH

This morning, the grout was dry enough to be mopped. Jeremy occupied Kien while I worked. Kien was quite happy until I snapped this photo.


After the floors were clean, I was ready for other projects of the day. The first was to take Duke and Daisy to have their nails clipped. They were far too noisy on the new wood floors. Jeremy and Kien went too.
The dogs wanted to get into the front seat with Jeremy and me.


Kien had fun seeing the puppies and kitties that came to the vet's.

Jeremy giving Duke a treat for being a good boy.

Kien giving Duke another treat.

Here is Gabe enjoying sitting near the table while we had lunch.

This afternoon, I took the mini-van to Discount Tire for a rotation and two new tires. One was worn and one (my flat from Easter time) was causing the low pressure light to come on this week.
Brandy and Jeremy's Dad's mother came to visit this afternoon. The kids enjoyed seeing their "Nanny," and Kien knew she was a nice lady! They demonstrated their guitar skills and Brandy showed her some band videos.

Gabe thought she was OK too!

We managed to unpack some bins and move towards settling the place.

The Worst Day

POSTED BY GRANDMA WALSH


It was MY plan to NOT do their bedroom this week. Three rooms plus bathrooms having new floors was too much for me to handle. What do you DO with everything??? There is not room in the house for that much readjusting. Brandy was already kicked out of her bedroom this week, because much of Cathi's scrapbooking furniture and stuff went into Brandy's room. Brandy slept in the family room with me on the sectional sofa. All of the bins full of kitchen and family room stuff were stacked in Jeremy's room. All the toys were in Kien's room as it had to be his playroom for the week too. Now where was the stuff from the bedroom going??? Answer: in their closet, the kitchen, and the front hall. You can't even walk through the front hall without tripping over something!

When the men arrived this morning, I asked what their plan was for the day. They were going to finish the ensuite bath, then begin the master bedroom. I told them that was not a workable plan! We had to have the kitchen and living room completed so that they could be cleaned and resettling begun before beginning a new room. They got the message. I did mop the floors, but they will need multiple cleanings before they are "clean." We did not get far with settling. There were other things to do -- like care for babies (Kien is not feeling well and vomited this morning!), buy more paint to touch up the master bedroom, then paint while the furniture is away from the walls, and go to Discount Tire to have the tires rotated and one (maybe two?) replaced because a warning light is on.
Why is it a tire problem happens when I am here? They didn't have the brand Greg wants, so will have to go to another DT tomorrow.

When Cathi came in from her errand run, we were all on the sofa, so she grabbed my camera.


It is done (except for the resettling).

Full-blown Disaster Area

POSTED BY GRANDMA WALSH

Kien started the day with, "Watch men work" (spoken with a pause between each word). We watched them cut tiles and, later, wood pieces, outside his bedroom window. He ate breakfast in his high chair while watching them grout the kitchen floor.

Mommy, Gabe, and Kien watched Blues Clues in Mommy's bedroom. There is no TV in the family room now.

Kien was teaching Gabe to play with his toys. As of a couple of days ago, Gabe began trying to focus on them.

Cathi cleaning the sides of the range while it sits in the family room.

The family room carpet is gone and prep for the new floor begun.

Kien and I sat on the sofa watching the new wood being laid. Now, instead of saying, "Watch men work," he piped up with, "Help them," with pause between words. He is trying to insert a scrap piece.

The driveway is rather full with their vehicles. Kien loves the trucks!

All of the toys from the family room have moved to Kien's bedroom. We played toss-the-ball for nearly 10 minutes as we did a couple of days ago too. I am amazed that he has that much interest in playing with a ball!!! Maybe we have one red-blooded American baseball player in the family!

Totally Off Schedule!

POSTED BY GRANDMA WALSH

Brandy has to leave for band practice at 6:15 AM, when Greg leaves for work. Everyone's early rising has Kien awakening early too.

Greg, Cathi, and Gabe spent part of the morning at the dentist's.

Due to the floor project, Kien's highchair is in the living room, which has him totally out of whack for normal eating. He had "interesting" meals today.

Kien tried out the "baby chair" as he called it.

By mid-afternoon, the tiles were laid in the kitchen and the hall bath. Tomorrow will be grouting day and beginning the living room.

Kien wanted to hold baby Gabe, but he cried!

Kien asked, "What wrong?"

Kien helped hold the baby bottle too!

While waiting for Daddy to arrive with Arby's, we played outside.

After dinner, we went out to play again.


Doing a wheelie already???

More horseplay ... ummmm ... or should I say dogplay!

Brandy and the Babe.

The hall bath floor cannot be walked on tonight, so, instead of a bath in Mommy & Daddy's big tub, Kien bathed in the shower stall!


The end result of this crazy day was that Kien refused to go to sleep. He cried and cried and cried until he was gasping. Poor baby... Poor Mommy!

First Dirty Day

POSTED BY GRANDMA WALSH

Today was the first day of work on the floor project: removing the builder's flooring and installing new. I understood the job would be dirty, but I didn't realize that we wouldn't be able to breathe! We stayed holed up in the bedrooms much of the day.

We covered as much as possible with sheets.

Once the dining set was dusted off, we had take out dinner at the table, now in the living room. Eating in the living room goes against a basic family rule!

The workmen left with the kitchen floor stripped and half of the room laid with ceramic tile, but we can't walk on it. Thus Brandy cannot get to her bedroom. I sleep on the pull-out bed part of the sectional. She is sleeping on another section. Daisy will be her teddy bear while Duke is mine.


Kien's Talents:
I have neglected to blog that he sings songs to himself. In the past couple of days, I have heard him sing "Skinamarinky Dinky Dink" (It comes out more like "skinadinky dinky dink doo") and "Jesus Loves Me" to himself. He even read a book to himself.

First Day of School!

POSTED BY GRANDMA WALSH

Today, Brandy started 10th grade, Jeremy began 7th grade, and Kevin (in NC) became a Kindergartener! While Cathi drove the kids to school, I stayed with Kien and Gabe. I decided to try to take pictures of his ears. LOL He has the cutest, unique ears! His right one is flat and straight. The left one is curly! :) Soooo cute! It probably won't remain that way, but, for now, he is our curly eared baby!


Meanwhile, Kien built towers with his Fruit Loops. I can't believe my grandchildren eat Fruit Loops!!! I never let my children eat sugar coated cereal, and now their cabinets (even before they were parents!!) sport several types of sugar cereal. (sigh)

While I was getting dinner on the table, Daddy fell asleep with Gabe. Aha! I caught a spy picture of Father and Son!!!

I spent the day preparing the kitchen to have the floor pulled up tomorrow in preparation for the new ceramic tile. See the bins waiting to be filled in the background? When talking to Steve tonight about Kevin's first day, we learned that Steve is packing up his house to have new flooring (carpeting for him) laid this week too!!!

Three generations! Isn't this the sweetest?

Sunday

POSTED BY GRANDMA WALSH
We were a bit late getting out the door for church the morning. Thus is the way it works when you have a 2 year old and an infant! We were late enough that the sermon had already started, so there was only seating left in the hallway with a small large screen monitor. Cathi, the kids, and I sat down, but there was no chair for Greg. A few moments later, we saw Greg and a friend moving a side table, then Greg set a chair beside Cathi where the table had been. It was too funny, so I snapped a shot.

Being late, Greg had to park a distance from the church. After church, we caught a shuttle to drive us to our car. Cool church; huh! Greg didn't fit in the cart, so he ran to the car and pulled it out before we arrived. A bit hot for such fast running, plus he stumbled on the curb but did not fall.

We went to Cheddars for lunch. It was a long wait, but the kids occupied Kien by showing him the fish in their large aquarium.


As we waited for a table, Grant TEXTED me!!! He has NEVER done text messaging before.

This evening, we worked on some garage clean up and I did more weeding. Cathi was too sick with this pregnancy to do any gardening this year, so much needs to be done. While we worked, Brandy helped to entertain Kien in his car. He is gaining more independence and tells us to "go away."