A VERY EMBARRASSING JOURNEY

The five of us are settling in pretty well.  Braeden is on Christmas break so it's not quite the normal routine.  Plus all four of them are sick with Mr. B having a cough since I arrived.  Finally made an appt so they would take him to the doctor.  Walking pneumonia.  I'm hopeful better little boy moods will return when they are all healthy again.

A challenge for me is sharing a bathroom.  Mostly with the two little boys but since it is the first bathroom from the front door, it is often shared by all.  

First thing in the morning if someone beats me in, I'm doomed.  While it seems like 8 gallons come gushing out, I'm sure it's a few teaspoons of overnight tinkle.  I decided to wear Depends at night now to provide a margin of safety.  It is so embarrassing.  After just two weeks!  Last night I ordered some fancy pants by Icon so I don't look like an old, leaky grandma.

I sure hope they fit and I especially hope they WORK!  Supposed to hold six teaspoons.  Best of all, they have a great website with down to earth information about all kinds of things that happen "down there."  (Icon is all about celebrating our strength as women, while chuckling at the ways our beautiful, imperfect, sexy, hilarious, resilient, leaky bodies can go rogue.)  As well as sister companies.  Check out Thinx (period proof panties) and Tushy ... add on bidet features.

Despite this being a very embarrassing issue ... they say 1 in 3 women have leakage issues.  So I am not alone ....

MERRY CHRISTMAS

The year 2016 was a happy one for me.  I spent the whole year in Maui and was fortunate to be able to bring my little family over for a two week visit.  Sunshine and water all day long!  It would be great to all live there.

I renewed friendships on the little island and hosted a few guests.  Just the right amount of fun adventures, shared meals and a good amount of alone time.  And you know what I miss most?  My outdoor shower!

On December 14 I returned to Portland to live in my 3 bedroom condo with this little family.  I feel blessed to be able to enjoy the best of two worlds.  Watching these two little boys learn and grow is an amazingly fun project.  Jesse is used to running the household and is quite adamant about HIS way.  Right now, it works with me being the morning shift.  I bought a large coffee pot and set it up the night before so coffee is ready.  The boys are up between 7:30 and 9:00. They play a while then I fix breakfast.  Kate leaves about 9:15.  Most days I fill her mug with coffee and fix her an English muffin or toast to eat on the way.  She works four LONG days each week and rarely uses her 30 minutes to eat lunch ...

This morning, Christmas morning, we had to finally wake up Mr. Deacon at 10:30!!  It's not even noon yet and my ears are exhausted!  They've only opened a few gifts and their stockings so this may go on all day!  It's sunny and 38 with a roaring fire going.

Merry Christmas!!!

INTERGENERATIONAL LIVING

I've been back in Oregon with the little family for almost a week.  And I love it.

I loved it for the whole six months I was here in 2015.  Although this is a more crazy hectic time of year to start.  Kate is working 6 days a week and is a bit stressed.  I just rented a car til my 10 year old gas guzzling SUV arrives from Maui (landing in Seattle January 11 ... then being delivered to Lake Oswego after that).

So far this has been a big help for UnSon-in-Law Jesse who doesn't have a car.  We took the boys to Costco and loaded up the pantry.  The next day I went to Walmart and loaded up on toiletries and cookie making supplies, as well as a space heater (baseboard heat just doesn't cut it).

Mostly I've been learning how to best help him.  I get up at 8 to start my cup of coffee.  Mom leaves about 9am.  Boys are up anywhere from 8am to 10am.  I've been making a pot of coffee, packing Kate off with a mug and a bit to eat on the way.  The boys have breakfast next ... oatmeal, french toast, pancakes.  With my second cup of coffee I make breakfast for me and usually Jesse (today he chose cereal).

He loves cooking (and is great at it) but I asked for one day a week.  Yesterday I took leftover macaroni and cheese, leftover pad thai and leftover spaghetti and made an Oodles of Noodles casserole ... that neither boy would touch!  The adults liked it but next time it will be kid chosen.  AND!  My sister bought us a few weeks of Blue Apron and our first delivery is Friday!  So exciting.

After Christmas I'm having someone come out a reconfigure my closet to fit in more stuff.  It currently has just one bar for hanging with two shelves above.  I like the double bars as I can fit in twice as much on hangers.  The work I had done in Maui made me smile every morning when I got out my clothes.

I've invited Braeden to "spend the night" with me twice and tonight is Deacon's turn.  I'm not sure he will stay as he loves sleeping with his parents, but at least we will try.  I keep my room locked so it will remain very special to them ... and I get my quiet time as well.

Once Mom gets home, I head to my room for reading, FB, word games and Netflix.  Last night she brought home indoor snowballs and I have never heard so much laughter!  Mostly throwing them at each other in the hallway but it came with ideas for other games as well.

I'm looking forward to longer days and shorter nights ... and, of course, Christmas!

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES

Thursday around noon I departed Maui for nonstop to Portland.  It was a great flight as Alaska was celebrating it's acquisition of Virgin America.

Upon landing, as soon as I turned on my phone, there was a message from Kate.  Schools and businesses closed at noon due to snow!  Not much accumulation but then it turned to ICE.  My neighbors and friends talked her out of driving to get me ... it took some of them SIX hours to travel two miles to get home.

She and Jesse called all the airport hotels and just like a few years ago, no room at the Inn.  Some cabs had chains but the line was 471 miles long to wait to catch one.

I became a Bag Lady and spent the night on the floor at the airport!  I had two large suitcases and my carry on.  I took my suitcase strap and looped them through everything so if I fell asleep, anyone trying to take one bag would have to pull the cart plus all the bags, including my purse.  My main excitement was finding an electrical outlet to keep my phone charged.

At 4:45 am a Security Guard suggested I move as check in for flights was starting (PACKED and I don't know how they got to airport!)  So I hobbled myself upright (with two offers of help), loaded all the bags back on and found a table nearest to a donut shop figuring they would be first to have coffee.

 

When I checked my phone ... a lady I worked with over 30 years ago had texted (and messaged on FB) that she would drive 20 miles to the airport then drive ME 20 miles home.  No way would I have her risk her life as I was willing to wait 5 more hours hoping Kate could make it during the afternoon.  Several more messages and she convinced me.  She was already near airport after taking a niece to work.  I bought donuts and more coffee and met her downstairs.

Yes.  She drove me home (front wheel drive with studded tires).  We caught up just a little bit on the past years, sipped coffee and ate donuts ... without one little slip!

I have been blessed by angels.  Thank you Deb!

INTERSECTION OF HAPPY and SAD

It's almost time!  I'm heading back to a small suburb of Portland, Oregon to spend some time with my little grandsons.  We are all pretty excited.

School was closed for them yesterday in anticipation of a big snow storm.  They got about 0.5 inches but the family had fun playing outside and then decorating Christmas cookies.

This morning schools were closed due to ICE.  Momma had to get to work and it was a scary one hour drive and her retail shop is in the worst of the ice.  

Maui has been under a gloomy rainy haze since my friends landed.  In fact, it rained hard yesterday, with thunderstorms!  We also had a tsunami watch due to earthquake in the Solomon Islands.  So we stayed home all day.  They even brought in dinner!  I am a professional couch potato now.

Moving has just hit me now as a reality!  Not stressful since my friend will be renting and will send me anything I forget.  She will also take better care of the place than I do.  I sure do love this place.

The condo complex in Lake Oswego is a magical place as well.  Even though my unit may feel small some days, we have three clubhouse rooms which are rarely used.  One has a fireplace, one has big screen TV and one is a library.  All of them have free wifi.  When I want to entertain, there is also a full kitchen in the middle.

I'm just lucky I have such choices to make.

BLOGWORTHY

Is it December?  Really?  

I have been lax in writing since Thanksgiving.  My friends from Seattle arrived on Tuesday.  They are long time visitors and very independent.  Usually they would hit the beach every day for a couple of hours and do a long bike ride, etc.  But Kihei has been rainy since they landed.

Fortunately for me, Lindee is an Energizer Bunny ... and so is John.  So since they were stuck at home ... my garage is organized AND clean.  The lanai has never looked so good ... he pounded all the "engineered" decking back into place so there are no more one inch gaps.  They have trimmed the potted plants.  I have beautiful natural bouquets artfully placed hither and yon.  

And I am trying to meet up with Maui friends before I move back to Oregon.  Oh yeh!  I've started my tiny bit of packing.  

The photo above is the front of a very touching card from Breakfast With God blogger, Leslie.  There are so many intellectual or teaching blogs on the internet, I'm surprised people take time to look at my ordinary life.  It is very flattering.  Thus it was even MORE flattering that she would think any of my topics are blogworthy!  

Her posts take reading and research and thinking.  She is a very Christian person and the title of her blog may be misleading a little.  So many different topics!  Stop over there and take a look!  She and her hubby moved from Maui for his job opportunities ... and she is trying to make a paying career from her writing and coaching skills.

Eleven more days til take off to Portland!