Thursday, December 29, 2005
Since we were all up so late on the 22nd, we all slept late at Anne's on the 23rd. Adam was the only one that got up before 7. He went over and watched tv until 8 when, as usual, he woke me up. I do have them trained well on that. They are not to wake me up before 8 so that is what they do: wake me up precisely at 8.
Emma slept in the bed with me and the boys slept on the floor around the bed. This is what they usually do when I go up there. This time it left Emma's bed for Beth, and Adam's for Steve. Poor Steve! The Florida boy was so cold he went to bed with all his clothes on including his coat and hat.
The kids and I played a game that together we have made up. They make up lists of fun things to do, like read, feed the fish, play a game, etc. Then we four sit on the floor while one person sort of spins a plastic sword. When the sword points to a person, we do what is on that person's list.
One of the things I always choose is "walk on Wha Wha's back." That means they literally walk on my back while I am lying on the floor. Emma and George are okay but Adam is very heavy.
This particular morning we played the Incredible Hulk game. I don't remember who won but I don't think it was Adam. He has a bit of trouble with not winning.
When Ken got up, he fixed a fantastic breakfast. It was a wonderful meal. We put the center leaf in the dining room table and used the Spode Christmas Tree china that used to be mine but that I had given to Anne.
Ken cooked homemade biscuits, bacon, sausage, hash brown casserole, eggs, and I don't remember what else.
He carefully explained what brunch is to the kids. They think they need three meals a day, no matter what time they eat. He knew that without the explanation later on that night they would remember only two meals and demand another.
Anne and Beth were so excited over the gifts they had gotten me that we decided to open our gifts to each other on Friday.
I knew they had bought my gift from Anne at Office Depot on Black Friday. I could not imagine what they could have gotten me there. It turned out to be a camera set-up for my computer and theirs so that now I can talk to my grandchildren and see them at the same time. Neat.
Beth's were Mississippi State stuff, including a baseball autographed by the MSU baseball coach Ron Polk.
I couldn't imagine where she got it but she explained that she got it at a meeting of the Jacksonville alumni group. She was sitting next to a man from the class of '42. He won the ball and the tote bag in the raffle. He gave them to her. She protested but he told her to keep it. "I might be dead tomorrow." he told her. She really enjoyed him.
Adam, Emma, and George had to buy their gifts from their allowances this year. George told his other grandmother to expect a "cheap gift." Adam gave me a DVD with some Roy Rogers episodes, Emma gave me a CD of Christmas music, and George gave me some hair ornaments. They were hair pins with crystals on them. I think they picked out great gifts.
Then it was time to go over to Ken's mother's house so he could get his present from Anne. He knew we bought it on Black Friday but he could not figure out what it was.
We all trooped over there and down to Margie's basement. Anne was so sweet. Loving Ken so much and knowing how happy he was going to be, she started crying.
She opened the closet and showed him the 42" plasma TV. Ken was struck dumb.
There is an old joke about how if a dog chasing a car actually caught one he wouldn't know what to do with it.
That was Ken. He just kept walking around looking at it.
I understand that yesterday, Wednesday, they got digital cable with high definition. Previously they had only the most basic cable which was the networks, PBS, and some government channels like the Williamson County Schools one.
Anne is assured that it comes with parental controls. I wonder about spouse controls.
Beth, Steve, and I left from there to come to Henderson.
Steve is an artist and it is interesting to see things through his eyes. He could hardly drive for looking at the patterns the bare trees make on top the hills in middle Tennessee. It is a far cry from the flat Florida coast.
Emma slept in the bed with me and the boys slept on the floor around the bed. This is what they usually do when I go up there. This time it left Emma's bed for Beth, and Adam's for Steve. Poor Steve! The Florida boy was so cold he went to bed with all his clothes on including his coat and hat.
The kids and I played a game that together we have made up. They make up lists of fun things to do, like read, feed the fish, play a game, etc. Then we four sit on the floor while one person sort of spins a plastic sword. When the sword points to a person, we do what is on that person's list.
One of the things I always choose is "walk on Wha Wha's back." That means they literally walk on my back while I am lying on the floor. Emma and George are okay but Adam is very heavy.
This particular morning we played the Incredible Hulk game. I don't remember who won but I don't think it was Adam. He has a bit of trouble with not winning.
When Ken got up, he fixed a fantastic breakfast. It was a wonderful meal. We put the center leaf in the dining room table and used the Spode Christmas Tree china that used to be mine but that I had given to Anne.
Ken cooked homemade biscuits, bacon, sausage, hash brown casserole, eggs, and I don't remember what else.
He carefully explained what brunch is to the kids. They think they need three meals a day, no matter what time they eat. He knew that without the explanation later on that night they would remember only two meals and demand another.
Anne and Beth were so excited over the gifts they had gotten me that we decided to open our gifts to each other on Friday.
I knew they had bought my gift from Anne at Office Depot on Black Friday. I could not imagine what they could have gotten me there. It turned out to be a camera set-up for my computer and theirs so that now I can talk to my grandchildren and see them at the same time. Neat.
Beth's were Mississippi State stuff, including a baseball autographed by the MSU baseball coach Ron Polk.
I couldn't imagine where she got it but she explained that she got it at a meeting of the Jacksonville alumni group. She was sitting next to a man from the class of '42. He won the ball and the tote bag in the raffle. He gave them to her. She protested but he told her to keep it. "I might be dead tomorrow." he told her. She really enjoyed him.
Adam, Emma, and George had to buy their gifts from their allowances this year. George told his other grandmother to expect a "cheap gift." Adam gave me a DVD with some Roy Rogers episodes, Emma gave me a CD of Christmas music, and George gave me some hair ornaments. They were hair pins with crystals on them. I think they picked out great gifts.
Then it was time to go over to Ken's mother's house so he could get his present from Anne. He knew we bought it on Black Friday but he could not figure out what it was.
We all trooped over there and down to Margie's basement. Anne was so sweet. Loving Ken so much and knowing how happy he was going to be, she started crying.
She opened the closet and showed him the 42" plasma TV. Ken was struck dumb.
There is an old joke about how if a dog chasing a car actually caught one he wouldn't know what to do with it.
That was Ken. He just kept walking around looking at it.
I understand that yesterday, Wednesday, they got digital cable with high definition. Previously they had only the most basic cable which was the networks, PBS, and some government channels like the Williamson County Schools one.
Anne is assured that it comes with parental controls. I wonder about spouse controls.
Beth, Steve, and I left from there to come to Henderson.
Steve is an artist and it is interesting to see things through his eyes. He could hardly drive for looking at the patterns the bare trees make on top the hills in middle Tennessee. It is a far cry from the flat Florida coast.
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