Our Family Chronicle

A day of skiing at winter park on this Cold and windy day was trying yet good for mental health.  Pattie was not able to make this trip (due to the new job) but she would not have liked the cold and wind and cold.  Did I mention it was cold and windy.   The kids got a day off of school – yea.  They had to do home work when they got home – Boo.  It was a trip with the recreational center, and my first time on a ski bus. Of course it was full of children but it was still a fun experience.  Melinda was talking openly about loosing grandpa to a friend of hers and asked me a couple of times to explain (as best I could) what happened.  She seems to be dealing with it ok though she has developed a little extra concern for me.  As cold as it was and as cold as she was she kept asking me if I was ok.  On the way home Melinda wanted to sit with her friend but got her to move so she could be behind me.  She would reach up every once in awhile and hug my neck and give me a kiss on the cheek.  She saw me rubbing my head and asked if I was ok and if she needed to get some water for me.  Tonight every little stumble I make, she has to check on me to make sure I’m ok.  She has always been thoughtful but her concern for my well-being has defiantly become more important. 

Tags: Melinda, Relationship, Uncategorized, new experiences by Randall
No Comments »

 We have time yet to do ……..??

Looking forward to skiing with the kids and grandpa.  He was excited about going skiing with the kids in a couple of weeks.  I have a coupon for a free lift ticket (he loved using coupons). On the phone He said: “not this weekend but the following will be perfect.” And the plans were made.  It was great that he was able to come up and ski, as I was looking forward to showing off how well the kids ski now.  We also talked about Pattie and the job situation.  Yes – Pattie has the new job and will be starting next Monday (today).  I could hear in his voice he was happy and how proud he was of Pattie for getting this job.  Pattie was looking forward to sharing her experiences at her new job with him.

A few hours later the call – Ambulance, Hospital, Dad.  That can’t be – he’s healthy and strong and has only been in the hospital to visit other people that were sick including myself. 

We have many rolls to play throughout our lives.  My father had a number of different rolls to play including husband, wood worker (he just bought a new table saw), father and many more. Years back when I was in the hospital he even played the role caregiver as he and others helped me through a long couple of months.  But the roll I most enjoyed watching him play was grandpa.  There are few things that could give me more pleasure than watching the excitement on Alex and Melinda’s faces while waiting to be dropped off at grandma and grandpa’s house – or to get picked up by them at our house. They could not wait for Pattie and I to leave so that grandma and grandpa could give them the full attention they deserve.  

More than once I would ask my father what the deal was?  When I was a kid I could not have gotten away with all that he lets my kids get away with!!!! He would make no apology but simply smile and say: “It’s dad’s job to make limits and be the disciplinarian -Its grandpa’s job to be the good guy and have fun with the kids,” a job he truly excelled at.

This last year I have visited people in the hospital more than a few times and after a couple of days and a few tests back home they went.  But not this time – There will be no more ski trips, no new stories of dad with the kids, no more calls about his latest project.

Knowing that there will be no new stories, the memories I have, have become ever more precious.  

At a Birthday party for Reed, the boys were off crawfish hunting and Melinda felt left out.  But a little special grandpa time and everything was better.  I look forward to being able to play the roll of grandpa one-day (not too soon) and I hope that I will be as good at it and enjoy it as much as he did. 

These days’ people compete with each other for the distinct honor of having the worst life.   I cannot remember the last time dad complained about his life.  Dad enjoyed his life, making him a joy to be around.    

A Little basket ball with Alex

I realize the emptiness I feel, is there because how full my heart felt when he was here.  We will truly miss him – and know he is still watching over us.

Tags: Gratitude!! by Randall
No Comments »

I had another day of ski instructing for – Pattie and Melinda put in a couple of runs in while I worked. Both Alex and Melinda would like it if they could find friends that could ski with them.  One more project for me.  Alex and Melinda will get to rid the bus up to winter park next week and have a change to ski with some older kids that will most likely be good skiers as well.  

Today I had some upper level kids and it was warmer than normal so we had a good time while working on improving their turns.  As usual I had one in the class that was not terribly interested in control or turning.  When you have a skier in class that likes to just hang un for dear life you must try to plan turns so that he wont run over the other students. It was a great day and the kids had fun.   One of the fathers watched us for a run and at the end of the day told me how impressed he was with how we teach.   I was glad to hear that because Friday I had a 6 year old that was not impressed.   This young lady went up the lift with one instructor but could not keep up with the class so was brought back down to a lower level class (Panayota’s class) and could not do what they were doing so I was given the assignment to help her get up to speed and to hopefully enjoy her day.  This young lady was not happy about being dropped down to a lower class and had no problem expressing this. After about an hour of trying (with little success) to get her to do a few turns for me she told me she just wanted to take a nap.  This is not a good sign but I thought it would be worth trying a little more to get her skiing.  Having decided that she was not happy with this situation at all she, a determined 6 year old, looked up at me with her arms folded and announced with all the authority of the queen of England: “I am very disappointed in you!!!!!”  for a moment she reminded me of one of my grade school teaches and I felt like the 6 year old.  Should I laugh – no that would not help.  She has now dug in her heals and decided that she would no longer do anything. Nothing, no turns, no walking, no sliding, no skiing of any kind.    Taking her into the office, she let it be known throughout the land that she has had enough and was not going to do anything ever again.  Later in the day I checked on her to find out that she had indeed fallen asleep.    Take my advice and avoid the wrath of tired 6-year-old girl’s, for you will pay dearly.  Melinda now 9 is not much different when she is tired for that matter nether is Panayota.

Alex spent the night (last night) at his friends so he did not come up to ski today.   He had a sleep over – more of a stay up all night – at the school Friday night.  All the kids stayed up all night playing dodge ball, hid and seek, computer games, and watching movies.  He was dead tired all day Saturday and had not caught up on his sleep Sunday but some how I gave in and let him have another sleepover. It will most likely take all week for him to get back to a normal sleep pattern.

Tags: Gratitude!!, family activities, new experiences by Randall
No Comments »

Friday was a great day.  The sun was out, the temperature was perfect (not too cold or too hot), no wind, the snow was great and Panayota skied her first double black diamond in the morning and though it scared her a bit she was able to make some nice turns at the bottom.  I was not able to get her to jump off of the rock out-cropping that some of the more aggressive skiers were doing – she decided she didn’t need that much adrenaline. Actually I chose not to go off the jump, as my IQ must have been slightly higher than my testosterone level at that moment.   In the afternoon Panayota taught a private lesson to a little boy that could rip up the hill so she had fun teaching him.  I got to make a few solo runs in the afternoon and that is rare. I don’t like to ski alone all the time but some times it is nice to ski at my own pace and pick the runs I want.  We were even able to get home early and get a little bit of real work done.  All and all a great day to be alive!!

Tags: Gratitude!!, family activities by Randall
No Comments »

So we get a letter telling us that the kids will be getting more homework.   MORE THAN WHAT?  Are we talking about the 5, 6, 7 nights in a row with no homework, or about the night of 4 pages?  I have been reading up on the subject of homework and though it seems some is a good thing most of the studies say that too much is not good.  Ultimately the challenge is to convince Alex’s teacher that consistency is the best way to teach Alex good study habits.  To be honest I wish he would get a week worth of homework on Monday that is due on Friday and he could learn to pace it out.

Tags: Public education RANT by Randall
No Comments »