Do I have anything to say?: Irish Festival

Monday, September 14, 2009

Irish Festival

It's after 2:00, so this will need to be a quick post :o) Every September, my parish has a festival and it is ALWAYS tons of fun. My dad used to always sit up in "the big chair" and announce throughout the day. This year, for some reason, the organizers decided to give it an Irish twist (kinda weird...maybe because our main priest is Italian...but I guess it worked). Since my dad is "crazy", he decided to have my sister color his hair red (he didn't win the "red hair contest" though) and rent a leprechaun costume. Everyone loved it and he said he lost track of how many pictures were taken of him...he doesn't like being the center of attention AT ALL, does he?!

It is possible that I used up all my patience at work yesterday because my sister and brother-in-law didn't get any of it today. In my head they were driving me crazy. My nephew hasn't been outside more than a couple of times which I think is ridiculous. So, while they did make an "attempt" to bring him to the festival, they only lasted for about an hour because it was "too hot" (mind you there were babies EVERYWHERE and lots of shade and seating inside...) Why not just say that you don't want to visit with people rather than use your kid as an excuse?! As one of the girls I went to grade school with said..."A baby comes into YOUR life"...meaning they go where you want to go. It maybe was in the 80s, but definitely not 90 or 100 which would have been understandably too hot to be OUTSIDE with a baby, but still...

I had planned to spend somewhere between $50 and $75 as my donation for the day. Since I didn't have any kids with me this year (for most of the past six years, I have "borrowed" kids), I didn't play any of the games. There were only a few other games for "adults" and I spent most of my money playing pickles (and on Bacardi Razz...and nachos and Italian sausage!) I won 50 cents here dollars there which I put back into more pickles. My mom won $25 on one. But, the first pickle I bought from this woman won me $100! I was SO excited! She and on of her daughters were walking home as we were walking up to the festival and I yelled to her that needed to buy pickles from her later. SO funny that she sold me the big winner ($100 is the biggest prize on these pickles) :o) Her kids are actually the first kids I ever baby-sat. I was telling a story about her yesterday which I shared with her today. I was twelve and at that time she had four kids, including a three-month-old. On this particular day I was either just watching the oldest who was about seven or him and the baby. He and I had macaroni and cheese for lunch. Apparently I must not have done the dishes because she told me that if I was going to eat with the kids I really should wash the dishes. That stuck with me and I ALWAYS tried to leave the homes of the families I baby-sat for as clean or cleaner than it was when I got there (where oh where did that cleaning girl go?!). She laughed because she didn't remember that, but it definitely made an impression on me.

My sister and nephew came back to my parents' house for dinner. (Is it wrong that I think it is WEIRD that my mom does my sister's laundry but NOT weird that I let them cook me dinner?!) My nephew gets really fussy before he goes to sleep, but I'm good at calming him down (and getting him to sleep rather quickly :o) ). He crashed on my lap (he was even drooling!), so we had to snap a picture...I have been trying a new photo editing program and am not sure what I did to this picture, but I'm not going to print it that way anyway, so I guess it works.

I had a great time visiting with people I hadn't seen or talked to for a while. It is always nice to "catch up"...I have been going to the same church since before I started kindergarten, so I know a LOT of people! I even talked to my first grade teacher for a bit (she also taught me in third and sixth grade...she's awesome!) Her classroom is now "1-B", so Ginger I'm definitely going to make a point to get to her classroom soon and snap a picture for Maggie, who is in "1-B" at HER school :o)

Well, that's lots more than I was planning to type, but it only took 30 minutes, so that's not too bad (2, 2:30, what's the difference anyway?!) Must be those three Bacardi Razz's and one Goose Island Summertime (oh and the handfuls of sugary Bottle Caps) that gave me a second wind!Good night now though!

2 comments:

Furry Bottoms said...: You look like you have a six pack abs in that picture with your adorable nephew across your lap. He looks so content!; 14 September, 2009 08:27
RAK said...: I sometimes take my laundry to my parents' house (if I'm going anyway--it certainly wouldn't make sense to drive an hour and a quarter one way just to do laundry) but I ALWAYS do it myself. I can't imagine just dumping it on my mom. (Actually, sometimes I will go out with my mom and give my dad very specific directions for switching loads.)

But I never ever wash my dishes in my parents' house because I am a horribly selfish and unhelpful person, and I don't know how the dishes are supposed to fit in the dishwasher.; 14 September, 2009 08:48

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This blog purposefully is left full name and location free out of respect to my family and to my patients/families. Due to the nature of my work, and having foster children in my home, it is important to maintain privacy and confidentiality. All photographs of patients were either given to me by the families or taken with family permission. Thank you for your understanding and support in helping me protect myself and "my people" =) If you have any questions, or want to know more about me, feel free to email me at iloveblogs44 {at} gmail {dot} com.

Who's Who

Updated September 2013

I have one sister who is married and has two boys. "A" was born June 2009 and "I" was born March 2012. We are both really close to my parents and have lots of "family dinners".

I wrote a lot about my patients when I first started this blog. Some patients are still growing and thriving, and others have lost their battles.

My first foster placements lived with me from June 2010-September 2011. They were sisters who were 15 and almost 3 when they were placed with me and are now 18 and 5. I called M "the teen" and L "the little one". They live with their mom who still has many issues, but are doing well (ok) and I still have (not enough) contact with them.

My second foster placement came to me September 6, 2012. I call her Zoe and she turned 5 in April. She has cystic fibrosis and has been a patient on my floor at the hospital. The plan is still reunification.

Ivy is a 17-year-old whose mom died just before Thanksgiving. She has a Guardian, but is unable to live with him due to some family issues. She has no other family who is willing/able to take her. She moved in with me the beginning of February. She moved to a group home at the beginning of August as her needs were too great for me with my schedule and having another child with special needs.