Here comes Santa Clause

First off I want to thank everyone who emailed me after the last post. I wasn't looking for comments but was kinda thinking out loud (in type) because if I go to a web site that doesn't update very often I stop going and eventually delete the site. It feels like I haven't updated very often and thought maybe I had lost everyone. So here is a surprise early update.

A week ago I found a veggie cookbook online and thought a couple recipes looked interesting so tried them out. They were very good if I do say so myself. I must say that Ben was a huge help in the making of the items. I had him chopping and dicing away while I was putting the items we needed together and reading the recipe to make sure it was done properly. We both worked very hard and then after dinner Patty had to clean up after us as usual. Al did what he normally does .... eat .... and tells us how much he does around here for us. I never seem to notice any difference other than how agitated Ben gets when Al is around.

Saturday we were going to see our little princess Gwen and her parents and taking her to her first ever Santa Clause Parade. Patty and I went shopping for all the ingredients so that Ben and I could recreate our masterpiece from the week before. I should have taken pictures of the meal because it looked just like the picture in the book. We prepared everything before we went to the parade then cooked it up as soon as we got back.

I gotta tell you before Gwen was born I was looking so forward to my first grandchild. I often thought about how the baby wasn't a blood grandchild and if that made a difference or if anyone thought that other than me. Just a couple days before she was born we were having a discussion in the living room about Ben taking time off school to go down to the hospital when Ben said well Kevin isn't even a real grandparent. I gotta tell you it was a bit of a shock and it hurt although I never did let on. I ended up going upstairs and working on my computer. Patty did say something to Ben about what he said and how it wasn't nice. When Gwen was born and for the first visit or two I played along but was still thinking about what Ben had said and what I had been thinking all along. I finally decided that as long as she grows up thinking I'm her papa and shes calling me papa what else do I need. I know dad loved Jean's grand kids like they were his own and I know how much they loved him. I'm going to spoil her and any other grandchild that comes along just like they were my own. I'll make them my own. (don't get any ideas Al your not ready) I already have lol. The last two visits have been so much better. I spend so much time with her (as much as Adam will let me) talking to her and playing games with her and I sure she recognizes me already. She follows me with her eyes if I move around bed while talking to her. I helped burp her the other day and when she was crying in pain because of gas I held her and rubbed her back and tummy trying to soothe her like I used to do with my nieces and nephews. Never been afraid of crying babies and have probably made more than a few cry LOL.




mom and dad trying unsuccessfully to get a hand print

Proud Papa



At her first ever Santa Clause parade with family and friends.





Shes not sure what to make of the hat, the look has nothing to do with the Canuck logo



poor thing has an upset tummy