Little Men, Limbo, and My Favorite Time of Year

I'm back. H.O.M.E. and here, too. For those of you who actually take the time to read this blog, sorry I've been gone so long. Much has happened. . .

I've been working like mad. Away from home for weeks and weeks. Apparently, the stock market had different ideas than we did when it came to the "when" of retirement. And there's more of that business travel to come. It's all good---except the time away from Al.

Thank goodness for SKYPE -- it's how Al and I can remember what we each looks like while I'm on the road. I won't stay at a hotel that doesn't have wi-fi; most do now. Although I recently learned that the basement rooms (yikes!) at the Four Points Sheraton in Revere don't really get wi-fi. But the hotel redeemed itself when the desk clerk came down to my room an hour after I checked in to tell me that my car's interior lights were on AND that I should probably (!) hide my GPS unless I wanted to find a big hole in my windshield in the morning. Nice hospitable touch, eh?

However, I was VERY clever and arranged a WEEK-LONG visit with our son, Mike, daughter-in-law, Laurelyn, and the two little tykes in my life, Graham (nearly 4!) and Dean (18 months) right after an extended work schedule. After several weeks of hotel living and driving, driving, driving, more hotel living and more driving...not to mention all those dinner meals by myself, a week in Corning was JUST what I needed! More about that in a bit . . .

So, it's my favorite time of year --- I absolutely CRAVE the cool, crisp air of fall --- yeah, I know it isn't technically fall yet, but tell that to the rusting grasses in the Bass Harbor Marsh and to the early red-orange maples that dare to turn early. The crickets have been chirping for a couple of weeks now --- that sound always takes me back to the early September that we moved to Merrimack (from Connecticut) -- we camped in the living room in sleeping bags and there was one single house-warming cricket who sang to us all night.

At the same time that I revel in fall, we're in a state of limbo here --- kinda. Our GP started the wheels rolling three weeks ago now for a second opinion consult at Dana Farber. There were just too many unanswered questions after so many tests and several findings of concern. In the meantime, we've moved on with our busy fall schedule (work, work, and more work!) but are eager to get that phone call from Boston with an appointment or maybe just a second opinion after they've reviewed all of my test results from here. It'll be great to have the real experts weigh in.

I've just realized, however, that I didn't really think much about my health at all while in Corning with Graham and Dean, Inc. No time to worry; we were having WAY too much fun!

Dean has become quite a little comedian --- he's a riot! He knows when he's being a rascal---complete with the twinkle in his eye and the wide-open smile...and OH, those dimples! He rides a variety of wheeled toys now---and the worn toes of his shoes are proof enough. His little feet go a million miles an hour--a 21st Century Fred Flintstone on a country driveway in New York.

This was the visit where all-things-books really *clicked* for Dean --- Grandma is a reading machine! He brought me book after book and crawled up into my lap even if Graham got to me first. Dean loves to point to each thing on the page --- "Where's the truck, Dean?" *points to truck* --- "Where's the horse, Dean?" *points to horse and makes a SUPER horse noise!* "Where's the cow, Dean?" *points to cow and makes a SUPER horse noise* "Where's the goose?" *points to goose and makes a SUPER horse noise* --- OK, you get the idea. By the end of the week though, he was pretty good with the "Mooooooooooo!" (for the cow).

Dean continues to nod enthusiastically (to indicate yes) and shake his head emphatically (usually accompanied by waving of hands) to indicate no! His favorite word is Mama! And if you don't respond he'll just say it louder---MAMA! and louder still MAMA until someone responds. With that one all-purpose word, he can express just about anything including:
1. Where IS Mama and why in the world are YOU here?
2. Where IS Mama and when will she be back?
3. Look at this!
4. I want something to eat!
5. Look at this and where IS Mama?
6. I want something to eat and where IS Mama?
After a week, I could nearly translate each utterance accurately. But my real (and favorite) accomplishment was successfully rocking Dean to sleep twice. It was simply blissful!


Big Brother Graham is now a pre-schooler. He couldn't have been more excited on Wednesday morning, all duded up for his first day of school. I mean really...have you ever SEEN such a big smile on a 3-year old? And he couldn't get to Mom's car quick enough when it was time to go to school. True to form, we played 20-questions when he got home; he only answered a couple: he played with trucks and the blocks were all different colors.

Graham and I played a couple games of Candyland during the week. But my favorite was teaching him to play Go Fish! He has the same version of it (fish-shaped cards, colors only, no suits) that his papa had as a kid. He didn't quite get the hang of don't-show-your-opponent-your-cards, but surely loved saying "Go Fish, Grandma!" every time he didn't have what I asked for. It was precious.

One of G's favorite activities is to "ride bikes" in the newly-paved driveway. He has quite a fleet -- a two-wheeler with training wheels (his favorite -- it's fast!), a John Deere tractor (he loves to collect the grass that Mama's cut with the big riding mower), a couple of nearly-retired tricycles, and a scooter.

G continues his fascination with books, books, books much to my delight. He won't go anywhere in the car without a big fat pile of books on his lap. He diligently "reads" page by page and now subvocalizes as he examines each and every page. He won't read aloud in the car but now loves making connections to other books and real-life experiences when being read to. And predictions come readily now too---such fun!

Oh, there's so much more to tell --- Play-Doh, open-air train ride, Animaland (yikes!), the swingset, our campfire, etc., etc., but suffice it to say, for now, these little men light up my life!