Kenderkins

2:42pm: Updated May pictures on Tuckerkins.
Anyone who would like to see Neil's 3rd birthday and other May shenanigans the pics are up on Tuckerkins.com now.

9:55am: Emails
Tom had to re-install Windows on my computer to fix a problem. In doing so I lost my address book. Please email me so I can rebuild my address book. :)

6:59pm: Sort of a rant..
Ok so we go to Memphis for Father's day weekend. We usually do this so I can take Tom to Beale Street for his birthday, since its the 18th. My Aunt Evelyn(father's oldest sister) has scheduled a Sandy side family reunion for that weekend on saturday so we opt to do that rather than go out. It's actually kinda fun, tho my Dad's family is a political struggle just waiting to happen most of the time. It breaks out with my Dad and Evelyn staying in touch all the time, his youngest brother Bill staying in touch with both them and Mary Lynn and Sissy(the two youngest), who periodically decide they are better than everyone else or something, but I digress slightly.

So we get there and my Aunt Sissy walks up to me and explains she did not intentionally slight me, she just was certain I wasn't coming(mind you if she had asked my Aunt Evelyn knew we were coming but that is neither here nor there) and that she got water guns and cars for all the kids coming to the reunion but mine. Ok, Neil is TWO. I understand she is a B*TCH of the first order but a two year old does not. She hands out the guns anyway, the kids randomly pass them back and forth shooting each other so Neil never realizes he was left out, but the point is, she should never have handed out the damned things if she was short of having some for all...deep breath.

3:14pm: Kerinda
Well after much searchage I determined that we evidently only took pics of me breastfeeding Neil the first and second week. He's still getting night time breastfeeding but he's such a big 2 year old I think a new pic of him breastfeeding would look odd..or something. :)

4:06pm: Update on Neil's birthday
New pictures on Tuckerkins. Birthday pics and such. My Mom and Dad came and stayed for a week. My backyard looks like a playground now. Tom built a climbing bar set from PVC Pipe and painted it bright colors. This was supposed to be Mom and Dad's present to Neil.(They paid for it, Tom built it). They got here and decided to get him a small swing set, nice and it was on sale so it wasn't awful. Then they decided to get him a little wading pool, also fine I guess. His Gramma Jean did better, just sent two toys, a bubble mower and a Animal Farm set. We got him a Lego table for his birthday and some age 2-5 legos for it. (I found a used one for 75.00, which is great, they sell new at 250.00). I am certain he had fun on his birthday but gosh it was a draining week. I think we are recuperating nicely now. And he is having fun with all the fun backyard stuff.

2:55pm: sign language
Katjabee, or anybody who knows actually, Neil held his hand up his left hand, thumb upright, fingers curled inward to palm but not around hand and tapped the top of the thumb with his right hand first finger. He had just finished a bowl of peas(my son is wierd he wanted peas for lunch, just peas) and I had just asked him if he wanted more.

I can't find that one in any of my references, was he making an ASL sign?

4:30pm: Last Saturday
Kingwamba, I dont' think I really told you Saturday but that was actually a rather strong statement that Neil likes you that he walked up to you of his own violition and grabbed your hand and walked with you. He's Mr. Independant and most of the time I have to fight him to hold my hand when he needs to be reigned in while walking somewhere.

FYI Che Tucker has a stomach bug, Neil is getting over it but since he graciously threw up on me repeatedly Saturday night I have it now.

6:13pm: Christmas Pagent
Pictures are up on Tuckerkins. I only have one pic from the rehearsal because my flash didn't go off so they were all quite dark. As a side note, my child is a ham. Once the audience started clapping at the end of the performance he froze. After he got off stage until we left he tried to make a dash back. While we were in Virginia visiting his Gramma Jean he did some preformances for her with my charm bracelet that has bells(shaking that) while I sang Jingle Bells. He wouldn't do it till he found a footstool to stand on so he could be on a platform.;0

6:15pm: Christmas program at Neil's school - info for interested locals
Ok, Neil's school Christmas program is December 12th 6:30 pm. They are supposedly singing a song. His class has been learning baby sign language however most have a verbal vocabulary of about Neil's, which isn't a huge amount of words. I am unsure how they will pull off a song, but any interested lemee know. His school is St. Michael's, across the street from our place.

For the non-locals, I'll be sure to put pics up on Tuckerkins. I can't help but think this is going to be wildly funny. :)

6:43pm: In case you were wondering where I have been this month...
I flew up to Memphis on Monday, October 31st when my Mom phoned me and told me my aunt had been given 2 to 3 days prognonsis on her very rapidly growing cancer. After my grandmother found out the cancer was terminal she just decided she didn't want to live, she was 89 and had a lot of things wrong but was doing well. She just wilted. My Mom was holding her hand and she was at home where she wanted to be when she died tho.


Veta McCrory Chappell

VETA McCRORY CHAPPELL, 89, of Memphis, died Friday, November 4, 2005 at home. She was a member of Bartlett Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Curtis. She is survived by her four children, Sonja Sandy of Bartlett, James Chappell of Memphis, Thomas Chappell of Kingston Springs, TN, and Sharon Gillespie of Bartlett; a sister, Johnnie Brett of Sheridan, AR; eight grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Monday, November 7 and funeral services will be 10 a.m. Tuesday, November 8 at Forest Hill East Funeral Home with burial following. Forest Hill Funeral Home East Chapel901-382-1000

Published in The Commercial Appeal on 11/6/2005

Sharon Gillespie

SHARON GILLESPIE, 49, of Bartlett, died November 5, 2005 at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis. A member of Bellevue Baptist Church, she was an employee of Kraft Foods. She is survived by her husband, Kenneth Gillespie; two daughters, Rachel (Tim) Moore and Sarah (Scott) Orellana; a sister, Sonja Sandy; two brothers, Jim Chappell and Tommy Chappell, and three grandchildren. Sharon’s quiet and gentle spirit reflected a great love for God and family. Funeral Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Memphis Funeral Home Poplar Chapel, with interment following at Memphis Memory Gardens. Visitation with the family will be Tuesday night from 5-8 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the Breast Cancer Fund or Bellevue Baptist Church Prayer Center. Memphis Funeral Home Poplar Chapel901-725-0100

Published in The Commercial Appeal on 11/6/2005.

8:28am: Neil likes apples...
Our 27 lb mouse, known as Neil, climbed onto the dining room chair and pulled the fruit bowl on the table over to him and took ONE bite out of every apple in the fruit bowl while I was hanging up Tom's shirts yesterday and was in the back room. When he saw me coming he said Uh Oh...

9:41am: update to Tukerkins
The July folder has pictures of Neil swimming with his Daddy now. Also various pictures of him and his climbing antics. :)

8:42am: Baby swimming class
Well Neil started Mommy and me swimming class yesterday. There were only two kids there(including him) yesterday tho the teacher said more were signed up. The other child(a little girl, looked to be about 3ish(judging from her vocabulary and the fact she and Neil were about the same size, she was just a little taller) was somewhat nervous about the water and started crying once we got in. Neil, who had been fine till then decided maybe there was something to be afraid of. Anyway, she calmed down and we did ok while she wasn't crying but he got upset anytime she cried. My shortness is a bit of a problem in the 3ft water. The baby class is not near any of the stairs since they have other clases going on(at the YMCA) at the same time of older kids. Holding Neil, at 22 lbs, while trying to keep him in the water means I squat in a very uncomfortable position the whole class. Well anyway, he didn't seem to enjoy the class very much so Tom and I went to our apartment pool after dinner and did the same exercises and he seemed to enjoy them a lot more. He even let his face in the water (in bubble position) for a minute. I am hopeful that he will be more comfortable today. :)

8:07pm: Things you enjoy, even when no one around you wants to go out and play. What lowers your stress/blood pressure/anxiety level? Make a list, post it to your journal... and then tag 5 friends and ask them to post it to theirs.

1. Reading that does not involve baby developmental books in any way.

2. Alone time in the tub. Just me, my catwalk oatmeal and honey shampoo and my bubblies. No baby trying to climb into the tub with me(altho that is nice too just not usually relaxing).

3. Soloing one of my toons on my online game to relieve stress. My friar gets pretty suicidal when I am stressed, its amazing how a well placed staff bopping of a few make-believe monsters relieves my stress.

4. Dancing to silly music with the baby and making him laugh while I do that.

7:25pm: pictures from Neil's birthday
http://tuckerkins.com/v-web/gallery/Neils-birthday

8:51am: Neil's first birthday
Well around this time last year I had been in labor about an hour. I can't believe its been a year since Neil was born. He is walking well and running like a little drunk man. He has figured out you have to turn the DVD player on before you can punch for the button for the drive to come out (sigh). He babbles in sentence like ways now. He says Mama and Dada and knows who he means by that. He can say TE(Tilly) too. He knows how to clap really well and play patty cake but waving hi and bye haven't clicked for him yet. He has figured out how to climb UP on the couch but is iffy on the getting down part without just tumbling off. He is such a big little man I can't believe how much he has grown. :)

4:34pm: Meme swiped from Katjabee
Who are you?
Are we friends?
If we've met, when and how did we meet?
What social event or place would you like to go to with me?
Would you kiss me?
Describe me in one word.
What was your first impression?
Do you still think that way about me now?
What reminds you of me?
If you could give me anything what would it be?
How well do you know me?
When's the last time you saw me?
Ever wanted to tell me something but couldn't?
Are you going to put this on your blog and see what I say about you?

3:37pm: Meme

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

8:32pm: Little Tykes Toolbox Sorter -0- Neil -1-
Yes, with enough strength and determination you CAN push a hexagon shape through a Circle hole. (The hexagon is BIGGER than the circle hole, though not by a huge amount, and it is plastic so I assume it has some give to its shape).

2:32pm: Update
Hmmm Neil has a cold. Major runny noseage but otherwise in a pleasant mood. He has discovered the power button on ... well almost everything he can reach and his favorite activity right now is turning things on and off. Right now he's busy turning his Daddy's second computer (the unix one) on and off. Thankfully my power button is behind a door on the cpu that he finds more fun to open and shut than reach in and mess with the buttons inside. We are doing well tho I am currently a bit stressed, my MIL is coming to visit for a week and while I more than welcome it I feel wildly inadequate to clean the house like I feel it ought to be cleaned since cleaning and Neil don't go toghether well. I know she won't mind and she certainly won't do what my Mom will when she comes to visit in May which is clean my house for me(both a plus and a minus there, makes me feel a bit inadequate when she does it, but DANG that woman can clean). Hmm will try to do more later I sense an unloading of the CD rack is approaching a boiler point.
+

2:31pm: Compliments :)
Comment here with your name and I'll tell you something I adore (or at least mildly like) about you. Afterwards, copy and paste this into your own journal

8:16pm: Medicare strangeness...
Ok to make a long story semi-short my grandmother has a wound on her foot. To you or me it would be nothing but a small cut and would heal no problem. For her its problematic because of a number of factors including her inability to feel her feet. Every day for the past 4 months or so my mother re-dresses the foot and attempts to make sure that she does not get anything in the cut through the dressing, every few days a (medicare paid for) wound nurse comes by and checks dressings and re-assesses the foot. She hasn't like the progress of the healing but the doctor(s) have been ignoring her for the most part, this includes her primary care physican and a wound care specialist. Last week the nurse had a fit and called all the doctors but could not get anyone to see her. The next day mother took her to the emergency room where lo and behold they confirmed that it had indeed gotten worse and started her back on IV antibiotics and some vacuum wound therapy involving oxegen strapped to her foot. Anyway, the infectious disease doctor there cleared her to go home monday after finding out she had Tenn Care as a supplement to medicare(state supplement to medicare, you have to get reapproved every year, its a pain but it covers the gaps in medicare coverage). The problem with medicare is that they won't pay for medication outside the hospital, but Tenn Care will. Anyway, Medicare is paying for the nurse to come out and set up the IV for the IV antibiotics but get this, it does not pay for the nurse to stay or to remove it. So...my mother, her sister and my brother and his wife all got lessons from the wound care nurse on removing the IV line and flushing it after the IV is finished. They are going to have to do this several times a day for several days a week, for what could be a year. The part that baffles me is how exactly any insurance(including medicare) figures that you only need the nurse to START the IV???

9:48am: Farewell and good journey Johnny Cochran
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7330234/

Say what you will about the OJ case, the man did a lot of pro-bono work for the poor. His greatest achievements were those.

12:41am: English Meme

English Genius You scored 93% Beginner, 93% Intermediate, 81% Advanced, and 88% Expert!

You did so extremely well, even I can't find a word to describe your excellence! You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don't. You have an extensive vocabulary, and you're not afraid to use it properly! Way to go! Thank you so much for taking my test. I hope you enjoyed it! For the complete Answer Key, visit my blog: http://shortredhead78.blogspot.com/.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 20% on Beginner You scored higher than 34% on Intermediate You scored higher than 9% on Advanced You scored higher than 95% on Expert

Link: The Commonly Confused Words Test written by shortredhead78 on Ok Cupid

7:56pm: In celebration of his Uncle James' birthday...
Neil took 3 unassisted steps tonight to Momma. :)