TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

It turns out the Princess either forgot about a seminar she had to attend at the school up in Athens OR she was doing something wild and crazy and couldn't take Chewlee with her.  So we got Chewlee today for around 7.5 hours and didn't even get a kiss (or some Mudslide...hint, hint)    But she was really fun today so I'm not really complaining. 

She did NOT whine or even complain today.  She didn't cry to try to get her way.  She was very upbeat and happy so she was a joy.  She watched her cartoons, did a couple hidden object games with me, then played her NickJr. games.  First on my computer, then on the Beast's computer.  In between that time (while we were eating sandwiches), she came up with some new games. 

The first one was that I had to name something in English that I knew she had learned in Spanish (this is from things we've gone over together plus what she's learned on Dora) and she had to say the word in Spanish.  We did colors, numbers, then a few words like pony, table, shoes, mother, father, aunt...that kind of thing.  Overall, she did well.  She still hasn't mastered the trill in some words but she will.  After that, her new game was for me to say different words and she had to tell me what letter they started with.  Then I took a book out and she read all the words she could and she sounded out a few others she wasn't sure of.  She's asking me, more and more, what some words are and then she keeps pronouncing the word and trying to spell it.  I don't mind doing those kind of things with her because I know she's learning, little-by-little.  It was fun for me and for her, too.

One funny thing was while we were working on some of the Spanish words she wanted to know, if there was any kind of *trill* in it, she would say to me, *Well, let's not do that one because I can't do that yet.*  It was more the WAY she said it than WHAT she said but it made me smile.  I just say to her, *You'll learn.*  I did give her a way to practice.  She CAN trill her tongue but she thought we were just playing a silly game.  After I heard her make the same noise I had been trying to show her, I told her, *There!  You DID it!*  But she still gets a bit flustered at certain words so I didn't try to get her to say them.  She's not quite ready.

When her mother got here to pick her up, she came in my computer room to put her boots and socks on then grabbed Robin and gave me a hug.  The Beast brought me a plate of funnel cake just as Chewlee came back into the house, popped in my room and said, *I just have to go to the bathroom for real (?), Grandma* then ran into the bathroom.  A few minutes later, we heard the toilet flush, she opened the door and ran to the front door with a *BYE!* and she was gone.

The funnel cake wasn't bad but he didn't let it drain enough before he put the powdered sugar on it so that was kind of yukky in spots.  It was his first experience with making funnel cake.  I offered to do it for him but he's stubborn and he was sure it was simple.  He learned it's not as easy as some people make it look.  But it was tasty just the same. 

Our high today was a fiery 40 but at least the wind wasn't blowing very hard.  Much easier to take than when the wind is really giving you hell.  It got down into the 20's last night and I had to wake up and turn up my heat a bit because my left hand has arthritis in it and it got cold enough to wake me up.  After I turned the heat up, I went back to bed and grabbed a small blanket and wrapped it around that hand.  I was tired so I fell asleep quickly and my hand was fine when I awoke. 

I've avoided watching the weather channel because, as my son Mustachio would say, *It IS what it IS* and there's nothing we can do with the weather but deal.  So, I wish you an easy *deal* with the weather.  Love you all.  Have a great Sunday. 

TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

Chewlee got off the bus and made a big deal out of hiding from me and then putting her backpack behind her like she didn't want me to see what kind of face she got for her behavior today.  I knew just from the grin she couldn't keep off her face that she had gotten a smiley face.  Sure enough!  I gave her a big hug and told her how proud I was of that and we did a ^5, too. 

Since the Beast was in taking his bath, I let her watch her cartoons on the big TV.  I knew the Beast was in pain and would probably lay down after his bath.  He did.  Chewlee loves to watch her cartoons on that TV better than anything....almost.  She also prefers the Beast's computer to mine (most of the time) for playing her games because his monitor is bigger than mine.  But also because I put a time limit on her when she's on mine.  On nights that the Beast has basketball games or football games, he's just let her play until it's her bath time.  She didn't get to play her Nick games tonight because a family friend called to find out if they could pick her up and take her with them (and their kids) to Wendy's and then to their house afterward.  Chewlee loves their kids (and them, too).  Since Chewlee had a good day at school, we let her go.  She was thrilled.

It seemed really strange without her here for me and I actually got a bit worried about her missing her bath until I thought, *Oh duh!  Tomorrow is Saturday.  No school.* 

The Princess got off work early and had no clue that Chewlee was with Birdie and her family but said to just call her when they brought her home.  The Princess only lives about 1-1/2 to 2 miles away from us so it's no big deal for her to run over here to get her.  When the Princess came to get her, Chewlee found out her mother was planning on going to the gym in the morning without taking her and she got all upset over that.   I guess when she went with her mother the other day, she didn't behave so there was no way she was going to go again for a while no matter how much she swore she would be good.  Her *trust me!* went over like a lead balloon and the crying she started only made her mother angry.  Then, when I gave Chewlee a DVD tape she wanted to watch (Madagascar, of course), she started crying again because the Princess told her she couldn't watch it until tomorrow because it was too late.  That REALLY ticked off the Princess so the DVD was returned to me.  Her mother told her if she behaved, they MIGHT come by tomorrow to get it but not if she continued to cry.

In true drama queen fashion, the Princess asked Chewlee if she wanted to take her stuffed Robin home with her and Chewlee, mad, kicked it aside and said NO.  When the Princess picked it  up and handed it to me, Chewlee got really upset because she loves that dumb thing.  Her mother told her if she wanted something, she shouldn't kick it just because she's mad.  When her mother nodded, I gave it back to her and she clutched it to her chest and snuggled it like she was comforting it, instead of herself.  And thusly ended my day with Chewlee.

As I announced in my short blog earlier today, the Beast's bladder cancer is back.  As his bleeding continues, it becomes very painful down there for him, which is the reason for his bath.  I have to call the doctor's office on Monday (they closed the office at 2pm to my surprise) to confirm he just wants to get in ASAP and get it all over with.  He's even going to put up with the heavy-handed nurse.  I have no doubt, however, that since I made it a point to say that she hurt him and that's what made him reluctant to go to that office, the news will have become an open secret.  Maybe it will make her more sensitive to how the MEN feel about how she *handles* things.  We'll see.  Meantime, I'm going to try to find out if the doctor can prescribe something for pain for him until he sees him on Friday. 

Poor Bratfink is suffering with some cold weather there and I don't think snow is really involved.  I think they had a high of 9F and a wind chill of -1F.  I know other places are much colder and I hope everyone is keeping warm there but it's Sheldon that is suffering and she's sweating under her *boobsicles* as she calls them.    Us?  We had a high of 45F and expect to go down to 22F tonight.  It's already 30 degrees so it may be even colder than that, who can tell?  Meantime, love you all and I wish you a great weekend.  Keep warm and stay out of really cold weather if you don't have to go out.  Drive carefully! 

TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

When the Beast got up this morning, he delivered the news to me that I've been kind of dreading.  His bladder cancer is back again.  We knew this was going to happen since it can't be cured, only controlled to some extent.  I called the doctor's office and the snotty little nurse said to me, *Well, how do you KNOW it's back?*  I said, *After three times plus a cancerous prostate, I think he knows, don't you?*  She actually made a *tut* sound and then said, less snotty, *The doctor is going to want to know exactly what signs he's having.*  So I told her the difficulty urinating plus bleeding.  I think it was the bleeding that got her more than anything but he's got an appointment for next Friday.  At least right now it's for next Friday. 

I found out that all the doctors share the same nurse and that is the one that is so brutal.  However, if he goes to the doctors office in either Gadsden or Fort Payne, they have different nurses there that insert that...ahem!...tv tube into his private area.  So we put the appointment on hold until I talk to the Beast and I'll call back to let her know what he wants to do.  He described her as a real good looking gal but hands like a blacksmith with the way she did things. 

What this all means is that, sometime soon, the Beast will be having surgery again.  Every surgery carries a risk.  He's been lucky so far that the tumors have not infiltrated the bladder wall to injure the bladder to the point that it has to be removed.  I know the Beast would rather die than have to carry around a pee bag.  Or he could NOT come out from under the anesthesia.  All unacceptable but unavoidable risks. 

Say a little prayer for him if you think of it, won't you?