Jacob is healing

Slowly but surely

Christmas

What a fun day of celebrating with my crazy family!  So blessed they could all be here. 

Benjamin has grown so much this year. He towers over everyone else. Caden read the Christmas story to us and Mary and Joseph would have been proud of how he narrated their journey.  Amanda came with Ben and she is always a welcome addition. Christmas is always better when Tara comes “home” from Austria for her school vacation.  Wesley rode his motorcycle from Cape Girardeau to be here and he gifted me with my first ever 2,000 piece puzzle. Yikes! Mallory was here for her first time and she jumped right into the madness. 

It was a wonderful day filled with fun, family and food.  And laughter. So much laughter.

Uh, no thank you

This is the text you get from your kid when he helped test and put on string after string of Christmas lights last night.

Jacob’s leg 7 week checkup

The doctor is pleased with the progress Jacob is making.  He is starting to work short distances without his crutches and has been going to PT 3 times weekly.

Jacob - Broken leg

Surgery was required and Jacob will now be rocking a metal bar in his leg. 

St. Louis with Jacob

Jacob has been off work following surgery for carpel tunnel and he’s going stir crazy.  He and I ventured over to St. Louis, where yesterday, we enjoyed our time at the zoo, a casino, IKEA, explored some beautiful neighborhoods, saw some very interesting buildings and gawked at the world’s largest catsup bottle.  

Today, we went to Third Degree Glass Factory, which was filled with beautiful glass baubles and art pieces.  

Afterwards, we went to the aquarium, because, for whatever reason, that has always been his happy place. The entrance was so cool; you had this imaginary train ride through St. Louis and an awesome wave effect in the ceiling.

However, when you stepped off the train, anything resembling awesome ended.  I have been to aquariums all over the country and this one was by far, the worst.  $30 per ticket, plus paid parking and we were through the whole place in under 45 minutes.  There were many empty tanks and exhibits, zero helpful signs regarding the exhibits and when we left, we agreed to never do that again. We grabbed lunch at one of my favorite places, Lotawata Creek, and headed home. 

Still, it was fun to spend the time with Jacob. He is a constant source of amusement to me and he keeps me laughing. 

Possum anyone?

Jacob: Do you ever have a dream that when you go out to grill and you lift the lid there is a possum in the grill?

Me: Nope. Never happened. Have you?

Jacob: Yep. Last night.

Me: Did you let it out?

Jacob: Nope. I put a bungee cord on the lid and turned on the fire.

Me: So, you cooked a live possum, fur and all?

Jacob: Yep. Weird dream.

Then he just turned his gaze away from me with a strange look on his face.

Several hours pass and I see him again.

Me: I'm hungry. Are you hungry, because I am.

Jacob: How do you feel about grilled possum?

The Great Toilet Paper Debate of '24

So this happened when I got home from Louisville Sunday.

Jacob carried my stuff in for me and then said he was going to the bathroom. I told him to go to my bathroom because I was having people over in a few minutes.

Later, as I walk down the hallway, I see him in the hall bathroom, holding two little squares of toilet paper and looking at them strangely. I didn’t ask why, but he just looked stunned.

I soon found out why. As I'm in the kitchen putting stuff away, in he walks with the two squares of toilet paper in his little hands.

I asked him what he's doing and he looks up at me and with 100% seriousness asked me, "Why is your toilet paper so much softer than mine?"

I just started laughing and he says, "I'm serious! Look at this. Mine doesn't even bend because it's so stiff and yours is so much softer."

I’m about to hit the floor laughing at him. I start to leave the room and it’s like he’s turned into a dad as he says, “Come back here little missy, we aren’t done discussing this!”

Jacob goes to Oscar’s

It’s gonna be weird this Christmas. It’s the first year I haven’t spent with Jacob. He will be gone to Oscar’s till New Year’s Eve. 

Keegan and Jacob Guy date night

Jacob @ the Post Office

Clarification needed

I had already been out to Wal-Mart this morning to buy a few groceries. One look at the parking lot and I went to Baum's instead.

Anyway, Jacob said he would go, because I am making buffalo chicken dip for our non-traditional Easter meal. And I had no hot sauce. Kinda a key ingredient. Whatever, I digress. Back to the deal.

Since I didn't want to get back out and it's his birthday, I told him to buy himself a little something. But then, a sudden burst of generosity overtook me. I changed it to buy himself anything he wanted in the store.

The conversation went round and round with these 2 sentences.

J- Anything?

Me - Yes

Then it got more intense.

J-Absolutely anything?

Me - Yes. I don't know how to make it any more clear for you.

But clarification was needed.

J-So, I'm correct in hearing you say to take your debit card, get your 2 items you want and then I use your debit card to buy anything I want in the entire store.

Me - Yes. As long as it is actually for sell and not a fixture or something like that. Now, can you go? Now, mind you, it's the Dollar Store, so how much could it cost? Right? Uh, no. Wrong.

J - Happily! As he walks out the door, I hear, "I'm sure you know they sell prepaid gift cards."

Me - WHOA, STOP. COME BACK HERE!

MORE clarification needed on my part!

He finally left and came back with his "purchase." In reality, he bought himself Dr. Pepper. But what he showed me made me laugh so hard, I told him to just keep it and his next tank of gas was on me. I even paid a service fee for this laugh. It was worth it.

"Home?"

I was telling Jacob about my doctor appointment yesterday and trying to be upbeat about it.

Me: It could be worse. I could have put myself in a wheelchair and we would have to build a ramp.

J: Noooo (said in a very soft whisper) We would just put you in a home.

Me: I have a home. I would just need a ramp.

J: Noooo (said in a softer whisper) A different type of “home.” He used air quotes, even.

Me: Oh. Would it be a luxury home?

J: Noooo (said with a soft laugh) Look at me. It’s gonna be a one star home where you sit in the corner and watch Andy Griffith while you eat pudding.

I told him that sounds like an ok life, so I just let it go and went on to the comedy show.

When I got home Jacob and I watched TV for a bit. He spoke up during a commercial and told me he was just kidding earlier and he would never put me in a home but would always take care of me.

I felt all loved until I went to bed and saw my nightstand. Not sure exactly what to make of this. Is it a threat or a promise?

Either way. It was delicious.

Banana Splits all around

Morning conversation with Jacob

Me: I’ll see you this afternoon and I’m sure you will welcome me with great news and we will celebrate with banana splits!

J: Awesome!!! (Pause) Wait. Do we have toppings?

Me: No.

J: Do we even have ice cream?

Me: Ummm, no.

J: So, just bananas?

Me: And cherries.

J: I don’t like cherries.

Me: OK. Looks like you will have a plain banana split, then.

No words describe the look I got.

I’m an antique

This evening’s conversation with Jacob as we were discussing my doctor appointment today…

Jacob: You’re like an antique. 

Me: Rare, valuable and a family heirloom?

Jacob:  (to my face) Exactly.

Jacob: (as he leaves the room) And old.

Happy birthday to me

I look in the mirror and see someone who has a great life. I am blessed with so many amazing friends. I want for nothing. I am content and happy with my life. 

When Jacob got home from work last night at 11, he baked me a birthday cake and then woke me at the stroke of midnight, whispering, "I made you a birthday cake.  It's time to celebrate."  So, I had cake at midnight.  As he was cutting me a big piece, he mentioned that maybe he should have let it cool some before icing it.  It tasted like love to me. Before I got back into bed a few minutes later, I was already replying to a sweet text from Carly.

Sophie and some of her friends called from school to sing Happy Birthday to me. It's good to be loved. 

An unexpected twist

Well, I certainly didn’t see this one coming, but Jacob turned his house over to his mortgage company and it was sold at a sheriff sale, unbeknownst to any of the family.  

Today, they showed up to change the locks and that is the first anyone but Jacob knew anything was wrong.  Needless to say, I was beyond heartbroken, angry and sad.  All of the hard work and money we put into the house was just wasted. To top it off, I suddenly had both Jacob and Wesley living with me again.  Not at all how I expected this day to go.

Rise and Shine!

I woke early this morning to the sound of someone coming through the front door. Early as in 5 a.m. Before I could even orient myself, I see the beam of a flashlight coming down the hall and then I hear, “Mom, wake up. We’re going to get donuts.”

Reminiscent of my dad doing this with me when I was a kid, it was Jacob doing it now. 50 years ago, this conversation would’ve taken us to Jimmy’s donuts in Sturgis for the best donuts in history. Today, we went to Pioneer bakery.

After sharing a single donut (he’s losing weight but had a bad craving), we parted ways and I went back to sleep. I was almost back asleep when my phone dinged with a message. It was worth waking back up for. I love that kid!

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Christmas celebration