Spitting Into the Wind

Here's my grandson, Zeke, wearing Alex's hat looking very pleased with himself. His best smiles are when he screws up his eyes.

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This is my grandson Zeke, who'll be two on Sunday. He's talking so good now that it's fun having a conversation with him. His little brother Riley was born last Saturday morning, and he's so cute.Zeke wanted to kiss and cuddle him on Sunday night and it was so sweet to watch. He was getting so excited about him, jumping up and down and nearly bursting out of his skin. It must be like having a real-live doll for someone so young.

Lauren will have her hands full come Sunday. She was going home from hospital today if everything was okay. Her husband Daniel has the next three weeks off work to help out while the family adjusts to a new addition. Zeke didn't seem at all put out that there's someone else around. We were all worried that he might start with some attention-seeking behaviour, but so far, he's just rapt to have a little brother. That could change down the track so having Daniel around will be a big help to Lauren, especially when she's feeding Riley.

Emily is due to have her baby in about six weeks, and finishes up at work this coming Friday. It's such a nice feeling to know the family is growing. Emily's having a baby girl who'll be called Scarlet and because we've all been saying it for so long now she feels like part of the family already. Riley was dubbed on Sunday so I still need to get used to calling him by name. This Christmas there'll be extra presents under the tree and it's not over yet. Emily wants at least another one.

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I'm not much of a mechanic myself, but Alex is learning how to be with his new birthday present, a petrol remote control car. He thinks it's totally awesome, and he's not alone. We took it to a big carpark in Wagga on Thursday night, near the local skate park, and ended up with lots of the crowd from the skate park looking on while he gave it a spin around the ashphalt. It flies! He told me later it's the best present he's had so far... I don't know how I can top it.

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The football season has begun and with it we have the cold weather. Last week we still had the air-cooler on, this week it's the heater. Alex has been to Wagga twice in the last week for Rugby League trials, and was picked in the first round, but did no good today. I'm not particularly sorry, those picked have to go to Queensland, by plane, and it's the parents who have to pay. Alex isn't too upset about it, he realises we couldn't afford it.

Tomorrow there's games at the ground to choose each age rep team and again Alex is hopeful. This time it's local so I don't mind if he's chosen. It's more football and more trips away, but I enjoy our Saturdays driving all over the country-side. It's a great family day out where we see some of the scenery. Not that the kids care about the scenery. I'm always pointing out a nice view and there responses aren't very encouraging. Not to worry, I enjoy it even if they don't.

Everyone's talking about a cold winter this year. We've been lucky for the last couple of years with quite mild winters. We got an early summer, and now we're getting the colder weather earlier than usual. Weather has gone crazy all over the world, it seems, with extremes in all seasons. Looks like some winter clothes shopping will be on the agenda soon.

Cross-posted on Toni's Alternate World

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I think there's something special about two sisters being pregnant together. My sister and I had our children a couple of years apart but they've grown up very close and were always around for the family celebrations. My two daughters, Emily and Lauren, only live a few blocks from each other and are both pregnant, six weeks apart. It was a race to see who could fall first, and Lauren, perhaps with a head start because she already has Zeke, was the first with the good news. Emily wasn't far behind, and come June and July I'll be a busy grandmother.

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If your family is anything like ours you have no less than 6 remote controls around for all the gadgetry in the lounge-room and bedrooms. There's nothing more frustrating than losing one, except perhaps when you're trying to find the right one!

On Christmas day I gathered up all the wrapping paper and put it straight out in the recycling bin, because it was getting emptied the next day. The first couple of days, after a quick search, I wasn't too concerned about not finding the TV remote. We went away for a few days and when we got home I did a pretty thorough search for the missing remote. I was beginning to think I might have picked it up with the gift wrap and we'd never see it again. For the first couple of weeks during January I continued to search the house in the hope of finding the remote. One day I got Alex to help me to lift up the lounge (a big, heavy, 3-seater), and sure enough, there it was. I was so happy. Now we could go back to being lounge lizards and not have to get up every time to change channels or turn the volume up or down.

About the 4th week in January, I gave Alex's room the best cleaning its ever had. We hauled everything out of there except the furniture, and proceeded to sort things in the lounge room. I ended up with a huge pile of remote controllers for old cars that went into the bin, along with lots of piles for the bin and charity. Lauren called in with Zeke when the mess was everywhere in the lounge room, so we quickly took all the piles to either the car or the bins, and the next day I couldn't find the TV remote again.

This time I went out and nearly emptied the garbage bin trying to find it but with no luck. I lifted the lounge, I checked under every pillow and cushion, behind the furniture, everywhere I could think. I became the butt of many a joke about the lost controller. I still hadn't completely given up hope that it would turn up again, and today I got home from work and Alex had found it. Down beside a cushion on the lounge, that I'm sure I've checked a dozen times.

When we can't find the handset for the phone, there's a button you can push that makes the handset beep. I wish someone would come up with something similar the the TV remote.

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