Over The River and Through The Woods...

So, I took my new little red RAV4 to Grandma's - just Jim and I went. We had a grand old time!

I'm so proud of my new car - I saved up 1/2 of the cost, so I owe just under $11,000 on a BRAND NEW car, I bought a mini-SUV, and I got an average of 29 MPG on the trip with the AC on!!!! Wow, huh?

I'm proud of my boy too! He made it the whole way to/from my parents house (5 hr trip) without any major meltdowns or demands that I let him out of his seat! Wow, really, wow.

Grandma and Granpa both got such a kick out of seeing him, and he just lit up when he recognized them. He soooo loves my Daddy. I just melt everytime I see them together. I so wish they could be together more often. I would move home if I thought hubby and I had any hope of finding good jobs.

We had a great time on Saturday night - my brother, his wife and daughter, and my brother-in-law and Sister-in-law. We all played and ate and had a great time swapping stories and comparing Jim's quirks to different people in the family. The whole evening was great.

This morning we wore Jim out playing, then Grandma gave him a bath while my Dad and I picked up toys and packed my things in the car. We gave Jim a bite to eat and a ba-ba then plopped him in his carseat. He slept for 2 1/2 hours. Yay! Once he did wake up, we played and talked back and forth with stuffed animals and silly faces.

Hope everyone out there in bloggy-land has as great a weekend as I did!!

First Father's Day Weekend

Sorry I haven't blogged in forever... I think I am finding less and less time for blogging. I think it is partly because I don't want to share family details on this blog. I find I can't tell my story straight - I have to censor and edit. This way of writing feels stunted. Not sure how I'm going to cure that issue... I might setup a private blog for the munchkin. Not sure. What do you guys think?

We have had a pretty good yet very disjointed Father's Day weekend. It all started with my hubby's crazy plan to leave town for a solid week. His planned departure was Sunday, which was during our planned Father's Day weekend in the Smokey Mountains with my family.

This would have been all well and good, but this was to be a long weekend getaway that included Monday. So, he left early in the day on Father's Day and kind-of disrupted the whole gift-giving scene.

See, my niece is autistic, and she doesn't like change. She was expecting gifts to be given out on Sunday. When she expects something you just try your darndest to keep it going on schedule. It isn't pretty when she gets unhappy.

So, we opened presents Saturday night. Sister-in-law and my niece got into a fight during the gift giving and my niece was a pain the rest of the evening. Oh well...

Bo was very, very happy to get the gift Jim "made" him... The daycare dressed Jim in a man's suit coat and a very loose tie and took his picture. Then they put the picture in a frame made of Ho.me De.pot rulers. It was really very, very cute.

He also loved the gift I gave him. A week or so ago I took Jim down to Babies R Us and had his pics made in a little baseball jersey that says "Dad's team". They propped him up with a baseball, a bat and glove. He is soooooo cute. You just want to pinch his little cheeks!

I also had his pic made in a red outfit with fire trucks on it. My brother W is a fireman. I gave him and my Dad copies of this picture. My brother was so surprised to get a gift. :) I think he was really touched. I'm going to send my other brother a copy too - it is sad that he couldn't come this weekend. :( But it is just to far to travel for a weekend gig.

I have to give hubby praise where it is due - he loves his son so deeply and truly that it makes me jealous. He loves him until it hurts. I'm not jealous of his love for the baby vs. me. I'm jealous because I wish I knew for sure that I loved our son that much. I KNOW I love him, but I can't help but notice that hubby seems to love him more. I guess since it is hard to quantify love I can't be really sure, but I'd give him 1st prize.

I feel so very lucky to have a hubby like mine. I can't imagine having a hubby that felt like the kid was my responsibility, mine to raise, mine to manage. I can't really ask for more.

A Major Milestone Acheived - Parents Relieved

Bo and I just returned from a 5 day jaunt to D.C. to see Jim's Grandpa.

For those of you "old timers" to my world I've talked about Bo's family situation before, but here's a quick refresher: Bo is the oldest of 3 boys. Jim is the first and only grandchild on Bo's side of the family, also Grandpa's namesake. Grandpa is 82 years old and not in great health. Grandma, sadly has already passed from this life.

The last month of oxygen treatments for Jim has been nerve-wracking, but in addition we've been holding our collective breath that Grandpa would live to see Jim. So, my apologies for not posting Jim's sleep study results quickly, but as SOON as we got Jim's sleep study results on Friday we piled in the car for a 2-day 10 hour car trip (that's one way folks)!

Jim had never met Grandpa before, as neither Jim nor Grandpa could travel. Yes, we had sent pictures, and boy is that Grandpa ever proud, but he so wanted to hold him. It was a sweet and joyful meeting. Both Jim and Grandpa had a good time - staring at each other, opening and playing with a sliver rattle, taking naps, and generally hanging out. Jim was an ANGEL too!!!! In 3 days of visiting he cried 1 time - and it was to get his poo diaper changed!

Just for the record, I have been declared "a good Mom", and it feels good. :) Frankly, I was afraid Grandpa's old fashioned thoughts on how Mom should behave would be an issue. I seem to have passed muster though, and I'm very glad. I wouldn't want Grandpa to worry about his little man.

Folks, this is one milestone I am terribly glad we achieved, for everyone's sake.