Is It Naptime Yet

Both:

I was trying to take a nap on the couch and asked you both to stay outside for 10 minutes, since you’d been in and out while I was trying to rest. I lay down, hear the ice cream man, and then hear it stop outside our house. I decided to look out the door, since I wasn’t getting any rest, and you both were waiting patiently, with the ice cream in the basket of the scooter, since it was Daddy’s birthday and you knew you wouldn’t be allowed to eat it that day.( I have to admit, I half expected you two to be eating them and trying to keep it a secret from me, but was happy to see you waiting.) Lilah even told Eden that they had to wait ten minutes before they could go in and put it away.

Eden:
You wore some shorts backwards all day, then put your nightgown on backwards, but you seemed to not know why you kept putting everything on backwards. I asked you to turn it around and you said. “I am not.” so basically you didn’t want to listen to me.

You came over and asked to see my neck, and put a string around it. Then you asked for beads. Then as you sat in the living room stringing the beads you said, “I was just asking to see your neck.” You gave me a pretty necklace for mother’s day.

Swinging with your eyes closed at the park, for like the whole time.

Giving me lots of cards on Mother’s Day. I also loved how you were trying to keep everything secret. “I just want to see how this necklace looks.” “Oh, I wasn’t making you anything.”

Wearing your nightgown fashioned with your new tennis shoes that we bought for hiking.

Every night you and Daddy have a contest about who gets to your bed first. It’s so dang cute to see you and him chase each other down the hall. I like getting to your bed before you too.

As you sat eating your cookie,”But this is no treats week!” Funny you didn’t remember when we were sharing a Frosty the day before.

Making a new sandwich. Bread with butter and then pecans on top. I suppose it’s not a sandwich, but you came up with it, and love it.

You’re a very touchy person. You love to be close and touch people. You’re favorite thing to do is play with my ponytail, even though I tell you no every.single.time.

Offering to tickle my back all day long for my birthday, too bad I wasn’t able to remind you of your promise and we were gone all day.

Cuddling with your Daddy during church in Ely. It felt like you were making up for the 4 hours you had to spend in the backseat not cuddling or touching anyone.

Lilah:

Helping to clean up on Daddy’s birthday. Even after you cleaned up your mess, you asked if there was anything else, so I told you the groceries, and you put those away for me too.

Asking me to help you with the monkey bars at the park, then telling me you were working hard before and getting strong so you could do the monkey bars.

Reading my your “I had to go pee soooo bad” story over the phone. Drinking root beer really makes you have to go pee.

You worked really hard to make Mother’s Day special. Including making me a vase and cutting some of our marigolds to put in it. I’m amazed that you worked on some of your gifts weeks in advance and remembered to give me all of them.

You were taking a little too long to get to bed because you were wrapping a McDonald’s toy for Eden and then later I found you in my room writing “Get Well Soon.” in a card for Eden since she had a fever and wasn’t feeling well. I was going to chastise you, but how could I?

Being sad with Rawlin’s sudden move to Utah.

Trying to teach you that lying is not acceptable and shouldn’t be your first line of defense. “I don’t know,” or “I didn’t do it,” comes out of your mouth way too much. There will always be consequences, but lying just makes it worse. Then, ironically, you found stories about lying and stealing that you had “written” when you were around 5 in a notebook that we had done for a little bit.

Cleaning the house for my birthday. You offered to sneak out in the middle of the night and vacuum, but I just had you do it then.

Making and wrapping me presents for my birthday.

Playing in the snow. “I was having so much fun I didn’t notice how cold my hands and feet were!”

Jon:
Making me breakfast for Mother’s Day and then washing clothes all day long. Then at dinnertime you realized that the dishes would have been a better focus, since you used the last fork to eat your cereal that night.

I was talking about all the books we have, since Rawlin wanted to give you some of his.
Eden, “Yeah, we have like so many books everywhere.”
Jon, “I know, isn’t it great!”

Me: “Honey I think I’m addicted to chapstick.”
Jon: “Think, haven’t we had this conversation like our whole marriage, you are addicted.”

Just this past weekend my brother-in-law Rawlin moved up to Logan, Utah. It was a whirl-wind decision, but one that I think will be for the better. He’ll be in a group home where young, cute, nurses can take care of him, Rawlin and Jon’s description not mine, close to his daughter and only grandchildren, and it now allows my mother-in-law to focus on my father-in-law and her two down syndrome children, who she hasn’t been able to see as regularly due to helping Rawlin.

In a short time his house went up for sale, he had an angioplasty, pack up some of his belongings, but left many behind, and left Las Vegas, which has been his home for much of his life, to live in an assisted living home due to the affect Parkinson’s has had on his health.

Amazingly his realtor is Tim McKenna, whom my sister Carolyn works for. Rawlin’s lawyer works with Tim and recommended him. Rawlin said he recognized Carolyn and her name immediately. She told me she asked Rawlin if he had a brother named Jonathan, because how many Rawlin Blake’s can their be? I was really happy to hear Rawlin had chosen Tim, of course I found it funny that I saw Carolyn the same day as her appointment with Rawlin, but she hadn’t told me, because she wasn’t sure if she was allowed to. Rawlin’s decision to sell the house is sad, he first bought it with his brother Kumen 32 years ago, only to buy it from him later, and has called it home for over 20 years now.

Over Mother’s Day weekend Rawlin was hospitalized for heart problems. The Monday after Mother’s day they cleared his blocked artery and discharged him on Tuesday. Since everything went well his doctor gave him the OK to move, and so the plans continued on his move. Kumen stayed with Rawlin till the Monday after his surgery and I picked Shauntae up at the airport that evening. Packing and organizing ensued once she arrived because before that it was, “Shauntae will take care of it.” The week was full of figuring out what to take and what to leave. I wasn’t there to help much, but I gave my assistance on Thursday and then drove them to the airport on Friday.

Friday was the day Rawlin left. I arrived at noon with a cranky Lilah. I thought she was just tired, but I soon discovered she was running a low fever. She didn’t have much choice to but to take a nap and tag a long for the ride. We got the last of the things loaded into the truck and Rawlin said his goodbyes to his good friend Kristi and his son Glenn. We then headed over to his parents house to drop of the U-haul, to see Dad Blake, and say the final goodbyes to his parents. It could very well be the last time Rawlin and his Dad see one another, due to neither of them being able to travel well.

It was odd driving Rawlin and Shauntae to the airport, but I’m so happy I could give that service. (I’d become the designated airport shuttle service for Shauntae, which I highly enjoyed.) Once we pulled up to the passenger drop-off the airline attendants helped Rawlin into a wheel chair and nearly whisked him off before I could say goodbye. I gave Shauntae a quick hug then found Rawlin for my final hug and goodbye.

Jon drove the U-haul up to Logan on Saturday, visited briefly with his brother and came back Sunday afternoon.

Over the past 7 or so years I’ve watched as Parkinson’s has deteriorated Rawlin’s health. I’ve helped when asked over the years, though it seems like it was never enough. It’s hard having a young family and it seems like there is never enough time. I’ve been over and have seen Rawlin more in the last year and especially the last few months, and I’m sad to see him move. I am happy because I think this means we should, and will hopefully, take more trips to Logan, even if only once a year, so I’ll be able to Shauntae and her family more, though I’ve seen her regularly over the past couple years when she’s come to visit Rawlin.

I hope he’s well cared for and enjoys being the spring chicken at the group home. He’s by far the youngest resident.

Rawlin and the girls
~

Mom Blake, Rawlin, and Dad Blake
~

Rawlin’s new room. This one is only temporary, it’s for two people, but it’s all they have at the time. Nick, his SIL is trying out the chair that stands you up for you.

Wednesday is my day off, that was until I registered Eden into a dance class and until I had to go shopping for costume stuff, but before that it was my day off from running errands and going places. It was the day the girls and I stayed home and did things around the house, the day we might actually get some school work done and the day I didn’t have to shower or leave my house.

Today I realized I really like having Wednesdays off.

I was going to go to the park today, but the rain kept me home. I was suppose to take Eden to her dance class, but I forgot until I looked at the clock at 11:26 and realized it had started 11 minutes earlier, because I had been so preoccupied that morning trying to find a 2′ x 3′ magnetic white erase board that didn’t cost tons of money, and would ship in 1-2 days, rather than 1-2 months.

So instead of being busy outside of the house, we were busy inside the house.

The girls did some school stuff while I did some searching on the internet.
I did the dishes and actually started the dishwasher.
I read the girls books and Lilah wrote two really long stories in her creative writing book.
I baked some frozen cookie dough for a treat, and Eden reminded me this was “no treats” week.
We played math Bingo.
We got rid of some old art projects and hung up some new ones.
Lilah vacuumed the floor for me.

Now we’re relaxing for just a moment before I have to go help my MIL get her car from the shop. Then hopefully I can get home early enough to cook a home-made meal and we can enjoy some corn on the cob with our dinner.

I really like my day off. I’ve got to make sure I get one of these days at least once a week. It helps me feel accomplished and ready to do more, rather than be stressed about the mess or all the chaos that is life.

There’s a blog I read where she does a month ends post about fun things her girls and husband did during the month. I thought it would be a fun idea so I’ve tried to take notes of cute things from this past month.

Lilah:
Being so excited for April Fool’s Day. You switched our cereal around so the Raisin Bran was in the Life cereal box and the Life was in the Raisin Bran box. It was an oatmeal day, but we had mixed up cereal instead.

Losing your tooth while daddy was away. I finally pulled it out for you, but boy was it an ordeal, now I know why I let you pull the first 6.

You were reading “Where the Red Fern Grows” and told me how the little boy fell on an ax and ended up dying. You acted it out with your eyes and body going limp.

Mommy ruined it. (Talking to Eden after I told you no to playing with our lanterns all day.)

Letting me lie next to you on the couch while you read a magazine. I was trying to give you some cuddle time, but I think it became more of a nap time for me.

You were so excited to check the mail and have the only piece of mail in the box. It was a collections letter of some overdue books. (The smile was worth the overdue book fee I had to pay.)

The way you walk with curly hair. You make sure it bounces.

Cleaning your room naked because you got ready for your bath too soon. (Sigh.)

Eden:
While making a “Welcome Home” card for Daddy you looked out our window and then promptly hid the card under the table because you saw Daddy’s car. I had to remind you he left his car here and we would be picking him up from the airport that night.

You were playing with a calculator and asked Lilah, “Lilah do you know what 5+29 is?” Lilah thought then answered 34. You then asked, “How’d you know that?”

While at Lilah’s dance class I wanted some cuddles, but you weren’t having it. I teased you I wouldn’t give you cuddles later that evening when you’d want some, since we always seem to want to cuddle at opposite times. You settled down for just a few minutes and let me hold you, then later that night you reminded me that I needed to cuddle with you. (Really, when I want to cuddle you don’t and when you do, it seems to be when I can’t.)

Humming me Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to help me fall asleep, but you ended up falling asleep first. You laughed about it afterwards and when I told you that you had slept for an hour and a half, you were like, “I must have been really tired.”

Easter morning you came in to talk to me, as you sat there, you looked out the back door and said, “I wonder where the Easter Bunny hid all the eggs?”

I was cleaning my closet and making room for my shoes. I mentioned to you that I had lost a brown flip-flop and you got a mischievous smile on your face. I figured out you had taken it and hidden it. I asked you to only hid the shoes I’m wearing. (Example: You like to hide my flip-flops when I take them off to have my feet on the couch.)

Jon:
While you sat doing taxes, “I’m doing taxes and you get to do your bloggy, bloggy stuff.” You’re weren’t very happy that I wasn’t looking over your shoulder and double checking what you were entering.

Thanking me for helping life run more smoothly at home while you’re stressed with work and school stuff. Even if I feel like I’m doing a terrible job, I’m happy that you’re not stressed with it right now.

I was singing, but you had a headache, As you left I teased, “You don’t like my singing?” and as you walked down the hall you said, “You could be the greatest singer and it would still be too loud.” then you popped your head back in the room and said, “And you are a great singer.” With your cute smile.

Going to see “Singing in the Rain” with me, and doing a 10 pm Del Taco stop. You teased that I wasn’t pregnant, so why’d I need Del Taco?

Helping me find a solution so I can sing at my recital, which is now the same night as the family night for co-op.(Sigh) You won’t be there, which still makes me sad, but Sam will tape it for us, then I’ll jet over to the family night in time to see the girl’s stuff.