Flannel Shirt

The other thing she left behind

When they left for home someone forgot to pack a bottle of baby shampoo. 

The other thing I think Kins left behind was the cold I've got. Been dragging all day. And after a week of warm and sunny weather it's been raining since the day they left. 

Gone gone gone

Well, they've gone home, but I've still got a bunch of pictures to post.

Unfortunately for Kinsley she came down with a cold Friday and was pretty miserable. And that made us miserable. She is certainly in those "terrible twos". She was really fussy at times. But that's the way kids are at that age. As I recall, that's the way my kid was.

She babbles on and on like she's giving a description of the world around her, or our dogs, or her choice of foods. Every once in a while you think you hear a word, or a string of words, but it's gone before you can get your head around it. Kinsley knows a few words like "yes", "no" and "apple", which are pretty easily to understand after you've been around her for a week. She also knows a couple of words of sign language, mostly "more" around dinner time. 

That stuffed animal is "Spirit" named after a movie or TV show. That and her rabbit, a floppy-eared well-worn one, are the two things that generally accompany her around. Our friend Diana across the street brought over some toys she had packed away since Ramona outgrew them, so we had those things to play with too. Izzy, probably because she lived for a time on the street, is a bit of a hoarder. If a block or a stuffed animal is lying around, Izzy would quietly acquire it, either moving it to her hiding place downstairs (under the dining room table) or bringing it upstairs to her bed. Poor Spirit lost an eye in an encounter with Izzy. All through the day that Izzy had gotten the drop on Spirit Kinsley would point to Spirit's empty eye socket and say something. 

In any case, Kinsley's favorite thing to do with Gil was to pet him. Her favorite thing to do with Izzy was to chase her around the dining room table. At first we were afraid that Izzy was going to get frightened and snap back, but instead she played along. The little girl walked in that toddler gait while Izzy would skitter away, wait for her to catch up, then skitter away again.

Tonight the house is quiet. First thing I did after my last wave to Kinsley as they drove off was to lay down and take a nap. She's small but she's loud. 

About town

That's what it's been like around here this week. A lot of bending over to guide the little one. Lots of conversations that she seems to understand.  

Pictures at places

 

Taken at different places around town. We're having fun until we have to go to sleep.

A good day. Kinsley, Robin and I went to storytime for toddlers down the street at the library. Kins was a little shy, but got into the flow of things. She is especially good and clapping and shaking her patootie. We came back home for awhile, I took a nap that felt great. Then we went across the street for happy hour and had hamburgers and beer. The Laurelwood has play areas for little kids, and Kinsley thought that was just the greatest thing. There were two other little girls, older than Kins, and they loved playing with her. She got a horsey ride on Pops' knee just like Robin used to. And she has the greatest smile in the world.

She went down easily. The San Antonio Spurs didn't go down easily, but they eventually went down to our Golden State Warriors. What a game. 

Tomorrow, that will be today for the rest of the world, Robin's going to sneak away for a massage. Then who knows?

Grandpa's knees

Sunday night Miss Kinsley had a meltdown. Oh what a meltdown. I think she just stayed up and got a little to wound up and kept fighting not to go to sleep.

But this morning she was in fine fettle, and she, her mom and me visited a local kids' park. On the roundabout, down the slide (with mom), on the swings, a one-child seesaw, a little house that kids can waddle through. Hours of endless fun. Then we went to the food carts for lunch. Chinese food, with lots of noodles to suck up. Then the two of them drove over to see her aunt and her mom (who's been visiting up here). When they came back tonight the little one strolled in as to give everyone a high-five. To paraphrase a boxing announcer, she went down and she went down hard. Tomorrow we are going to try to catch the toddler reading time at the library. 

And on we go. The only part of me that's not enjoying the visit are my knees.

Kinsley's first flight

They're here. Kinsley already made friends with Ramona across the street. Ramona's mom gave us some old age-appropriate toys for K. We walked around the block. Kinsley likes the dogs. This is great for Gil. Gil likes to lick ears, and there's nothing better than fresh baby ears.

We expected poor Izzy to be very upset with the new person and the toddler, but she's actually been behaving better, much better than we expected. Maybe it was just time for Iz to reach another emotional milestone. Earlier tonight we cuddled on the floor watching TV. Well, only watches if other animals are on. It's a really good high-definition and a puppy running across the screen looks like a real puppy, even to dogs. But tonight Iz wasn't particularly interested in Wheel Of Fortune. She never gets the letters right anyway.

There will be lots more pictures, especially when I figure out how to take pictures with my phone. 

Lichen along Clackamas River near Pup Falls

Well, tomorrow is D-Day. 

Today we picked up Oliver after kindergarten until Mom came and picked him up. My knee is doing better than it was yesterday, but I figure long-term someone's got to figure out what to do with it. I don't look forward to a new knee. Oh well, tomorrow's D-Day.

Shelter near school bus stop, between Colton and Molalla

Things around here are moving quickly. The guys who will be doing the painting have finished the carpentry work, have prepped the house and are going to disappear while Robin and Kinsley are here.

And it was a beautiful, sunny day. Izzy certainly enjoyed it. That was pretty much it. Did some arrangements over the net with Robin, finding what they want to do and where to go. 

My right knee's x-ray results weren't so good. The report said: "Osteophyte formation is seen along the lateral joint space. There is no fracture or destructive osseous lesion. On the lateral view, there is a small 5 mm ossification along the posterior aspect of the joint space which may be due to degenerative change versus a loose body." That is, my knee is getting crappy. I smashed it back in basic training in 1972 and then I had to carry thirty-five pounds on my right shoulder. I have to contact my doctor to find out the next step. 

Oh well. I won't be climbing a mountain any time soon.

By the way, I don't know if those Kinsley pictures yesterday came out right, so let's try it again.

 

 

Mickey Mouse pancake

We're getting closer. This house has been crazy all week with the guys working on the house, but everyone should be gone after tomorrow. Did my laundry today so that I'm all set.