Yesterday was just one of those days that I cannot let go by without writing about. We went with some friends to eat mexican food after church. They invited us back to their home after lunch so we went, promsing them that we would only stay for a minute. We ended up staying for a couple of hours. They had just bought a 3D TV and we ended up putting our feet up, sitting with a bowl of M&M’s and nuts and watching a 3-D movie. Joe, the Lou’s husband has taught himself to play the fiddle and they had a keyboard, so we ended up laying some songs together and just had a great afternoon. On our way home, Randy and I talked about how long it had been since we had just gone to someone’s home and sit and visit and watch a movie or sing along while playing a piano much less the added fiddle. It was like our growing up years when we use to go to peoples homes after church and just sit, visit and talk….brought back so many memories. Thank you Jo and Lou for a precious afternoon.
Today, I went to the grocery store to buy some rib eye steaks to make Philly steak sandwiches for dinner. When I asked the butcher to slice one very thin, he replied, “we don’t have any machines that will do that, I would have to do it by hand.” I couldn’t believe my ears…..every grocery store in Dallas would be able to slice steaks, but then again, this is Pasadena and some of our experiences here have truly been like stepping back in time….in most ways, it is so refreshing and such a precious time of people taking the time to get together, but when I want a steak sliced, I want the convenience of being able to have that. If I had to pick between the two, I think I will take the slower, more relaxed visiting time and just slice the steaks myself. It will give my arms some exercise. Pasadena, we love your slower pace of living, but am going to add a meat slicer to my wish list for Christmas.

Wow, Jaden is on the plane headed back to Dallas. We can now watch whatever we want on TV, we can go to any restaurant without worryimg about whether or not they have chicken strips or hamburgers, there is no computer battle sounds in the background, no guilt over how much I let him sit at the computer or Ipad to play video games, no trying to figure out how I’m going to get the energy to head out to either miniature golf, bowling or sitting through a cartoon movie, life is now returned to normal……….but why did I break down when he walked onto the plane? Because, no matter the trouble, no matter the exhaustion, no matter the different interests, he is our grandchild, one in which we both have enjoyed this week, more than we ever dreamed. We fell in love all over again this week withh our new “grown up” version of our first grandchild……he is beginning to grow up, to show signs of different interests: cars, TV shows, such as America’s Got Talent, sitting and reading for over an hour. So…here we both sit tonight, so exhausted, we can’t hold our heads up, but sad for knowing that Jaden’s weekly visit won’t be here again until next summer,…..we will cherish this week, the memories,the love and bonding that both Randy and I truly enjoyed between ourselves and Jaden.

To continue the saga of our grandsons visit, he came here with the intent to break a record of eatting a cheeseburger or hot dog everyday of his 8 day visit. We are on day 5 of “his” vacation and I cannot look another hot dog or hamburger in the face. We have been to the zoo, Universal and the circus, even Costco and have had so many nitrates that Randy has begun to glow when sitting in the dark, trying to escape for a few minutes of quiet.
We have purchased a snow cone for $12.00 and a box of popcorn for $8…..I have begun to realize that our Italy vacation is just not going to happen this year, as our vacation “fund” has gone to help Jaden pursue his dream of eatting junk food every day. We have forgotten what the wonderful sound of “wheel of fortune” sounds like when Vana is turning letters, but we now go to sleep counting “angry birds” or singing “doodle jump” as we fall asleep exhausted from riding the Simpson ride more times than I care to remember.
Tomorrow will find us headed to the Long Beach Acquarium where Jaden has already asked us if we will be passing an In and Out Burger on the way. I lied and said that they closed down all the hamburger joints down by the beach, because the sea gulls were allergic to the smell of hamburgers…….Don’t judge me! We have watched Rango, Captain America, and Mars Needs Moms, gained 10 pounds from all the junk food and the little darling never sleeps. With all the miracle drugs that have been invented, where is the pill that you can give 10 year olds that makes them fall asleep around 7 and sleep until 10 the next day? Any politician that can invent that will get my vote. Randy and I have decided that we are not in the right shape to keep up with a 10 yr old. When Jaden turns 30 we will invite him back. Maybe by then, we will be rested and have enough money saved up to feed him again.

Wednesday, August 10th, woke up at 5:30, so excited about heading to airport to pick up Jaden. He is visiting us for 8 days and we cannot be more excited. No more quiet car rides just driving around by myself during the day. Now I will have my sweet angelic 10 hr old grandson to drive around with me. We will laugh and talk about what he has done this summer and stop for ice cream and I will snap impromtu pictures of him, as he takes in the sights and sounds of Los Angeles for the next week. How memorable this will be. I cannot wait to just watch him walk off the plane and give him a giant hug.
10:00 a.m. Here he comes, walking off the plane with his cute little backpack. Wait….is that a skull and bones I see on the front of the backpack, surely not, Jaden is only 10 and I think he would still have SpongeBob Squarepants shirt and backpacks. I bet maybe he picked up the wrong backpack. We hug him while he says, “Nana…not in public….and don’t even think about kissing me.” Oh, I’m sure he is just a little fussy after getting up so early to catch the plane. Will get a real hug when we get to the car.
10:30 a.m. We are walking to the car. He tells me that he can’t talk to me until his ears pop. They are all stopped up and he just can’t hear anything. And…since his ears are all stopped up, and he cannot hear us talking, could he just play video games on my iphone in the car until his ears unstop. Of course he can, after all, he is at grandmas and he can do anything he wants, right?
11:00 a.m. We ask him if his ears are unstopped so we can talk, “not yet” he says. Isn’t this just awesome, Randy and I are having to yell over the precious sounds of Angry Birds to talk to each other. Oh…that brings back the days of living around all our family when we lost our television rights to grandkids who always had to watch the Wiggles or Elmo or SpongeBob. But….after all, when was the last time we heard Angry Birds in the background. Oh boy, this is going to be a great 8 days. Am so glad Jaden is here.
1:00 p.m. We have treated our young sweetheart to his First In and Out Burger in California. He is so excited, he even put down the iphone to eat. Things are warming up and he has even said a few words to us. Gotta love these grandkids. Can’t wait to take him and show him the beautiful homes here and the different museums. He is going to love them.
2:30 I guess the sightseeing is going to have to wait, Jaden fell asleep from being so tired from the flight. Doesn’t he look adorable, all curled up in his room. I bet the minute he wakes up all he is going to want to do is tell me about his first plane ride and what all he is wanting to do. Will be excited to have him wake up.
5:00 Have to go wake up the little darling. He is now a little fussy from being woke up. Oh well, I’m sure once he really wakes up he will start to enjoy being here. We leave to go get Randy from work, stopping at the grocery store first to let Jaden pick out a few things to eat. Wanted to be sure that we have everything he would like to have. He asked if he can sit in the car while I go in to the grocery store. He wanted to play Angry Birds. Not on your life, Mister. We go into the store and he picks out 2 frozen pizza’s and a box of cereal. He is anxious to get back to the car to play on my iphone. This bonding time isn’t quite what I expected it to be. Expect tomorrow to be a little better, after he gets rested up.
7:30 We have finished frozen pizza and tear him away from the computer to go for a walk, but make it short, as Jaden is cold. AFter all, he tells us, “I am used to the Texas heat of 105, so this 80 degrees makes me cold”. We head home. Well, that’s ok, he can curl up by me on the couch and we can watch “America’s Got Talent” together. This will be a great night…”nana, do you mind if I play Witches and Wizards on the computer while ya’ll watch AGT, I’m not really into that?” Oh, no, mister, you are going to watch AGT with us and you are going to enjoy it. Maybe if he has ice cream and brownies, that will get him in a bettter mood. Yep, that’s what he needs, sugar….so we have dessert and that makes him happy. We enjoy a little TV and around 10 I announce that I am exhausted. Getting up around 5 and then entertaining the little darling has been exhausting. Jaden, Randy and I all head to bed around….
10:00….Randy and I are asleep when I feel a presence over me…”Jaden, what’s wrong sweetie?” I can’t sleep, Nana, maybe it was the 3 hour nap or just being excited about going rock climbing in the morning….well, go read, I didn’t bring a book, well…..close your eyes and try to sleep…ok…….11:45 “nana, I still can’t sleep” Well, I can and so you just go lay there until your eyes close”
Midnight……got him a glass of water and another tucking in….he’d better better go to sleep before I pour a whole bottle of Benedryl down his precious little throat. Maybe all that sugar wasn’t such a good idea.
6:30 a.m. Second day….Good morning Nana and Papa, I’m awake…….can I play on the Ipad? Yes, you can do anything if I can just go back to sleep….
7:00 a..m. When are we going rock climbing Nana? They don’t open until 10 Jaden, go play video games or watch a movie. How many days do we have left of this wonderful bonding time we are having? If I hear Angry Birds one more time this morning, I am going to throw the iphone out the window (oops, did I just say that?)
1:00 p.m. Got his second In and Out Burger for lunch. That’s all he wants. Am gagging at the thought of another burger…but after all, this is his summer vacation. so will force one down my throat.
2:00 Showtime, am headed to see Captain American…now here we go, this is what I’m talking about…..sightseeing at the Americana, movies and fun….”what? Oh, ok, Jaden, rock climbing wore him out, so could we just go home and he could play on the computer” Well, I guess that’s ok, after all, I do want my sweet little grandson to be enjoying himself”.
4:00 We are anxiously awaiting Papa to come home. I am going to tell Randy that it’s his turn to entertain this little darling for a while. I’m Angry Birded out and the sounds of aliens and army guys blasting away at each other has already got me deaf……man, I wish Jaden were staying longer than 8 days. The time is going so fast…..will update you tomorrow if we are out buying a ticket to send him home early or not…….