Miss you Grandpa

I don't want to hear that summer is almost over. I am not even half way through.

Tough month. Sick for half. By the time I went for the xray, nothing showed up that was irregular--I had been on meds for a week and was breathing better. Just about done with the meds now.

Great Grandpa Steiger died on July 16th. He was in a lot of pain at the end so it was a blessing for him, but it still leaves me feeling like there is a hole in the world. I have never known the world without him here. Somewhere. Even if I didn't see him, I knew he was here. Alex crept up with me to the casket and prayed to him, constantly telling us she misses him. Kath reached over while I was holding her and touched his arm, blew him a kiss and signed 'shhh' (for sleeping). After the funeral-beautiful ceremony with TAPS played by a real live bugler, and two Honor Guards folding and presenting the flag to my aunt-- Alex asked us in the limo if grandpa was in the casket. I said yes and she just started crying. Sad for everyone especially my Dad and Aunt Eye. I will miss his good heart. Alex feels a little better knowing he watching out for her now.

I stayed down with Aunt Eileen with the girls and tried to spend time, after Roger and the boys returned home. We went to Bayard Cutting Arboratum and Fire Island Lighthouse. We plan on getting back down and beaching with Aunt Eye.

Before this Grandpa Bob was up from Monday to Thursday and the girls (and us) had a great time hanging out with him.

Roger worked a National Board Retreat the previous week and was in the Adirondicks for a CASDA retreat when grandpa passed away.

Nick had a car accident on his first day of work. While trying to avoid a speeding car on one of our terrible gravel roads he lost control and flipped his father's car over into a ditch. He had no injuries, other than a couple of scratches. He went to camp (he is Sports Director) and scraped his hands while sliding on gravel ( imbedded gravel into his palms). That was a worse injury. He has tested as still having Lyme's, too.

Chris has been helping Roger with the route so we have been able to see him a bit. He is now considering a motorcycle. I will never sleep again at this rate. He is considering NYU for grad school.

My writing has suffered drastically this month. I did the three reviews for Resource Links and that was really great. I will let you know if I am published. But I have not worked on my writing at all. Pretty pathetic. But I ahve been the goals moderator for the writing forum again.

I was doing great with losing weight--3 pounds a week--but the stress of the last week has not been kind. Oh, well. Start over.

Alex has shown more interest in reading, she actually carries around a copy of The Neverending Story. And then she 'reads' it to me during the day. She HATED this book when I tried to read it to her. She actually hid the book so I wouldn't read it! Now she 'reads' it to me and says it's her fav! She is also working on writing and storytelling much more. We are reading the Narnia series.

Kath showed a different side to her visual issues while on LI. In the funeral home there was a sunroof in the lady's room. Kath was fine until she saw the trees blowing through the roof then suddenly she gripped onto the sink countertop and looked at me with such fear in her eyes I grabbed her and held her tight. She seemed to have vertigo or something. The next day she walked to me when she noticed it but she looked like someone on a tightrope, trying not to look up and trying to keep her eyes focused on me. Then at the beach, on the boardwalk, she wanted to walk so badly, but once I put her down, she froze. She looked down, saw the beach grass between the wooden slats and couldn't move, she became lead and locked up. She was going to be evaluated by a teacher for the visually impared last week, now it is rescheduled for next week.

This week we have had OT, PT and speech. Today Roger, the girls and I met up with Kristen, one of my students from the first year I taught. We saw Wallace and Gromitt for our free movie then went to Johnny Rockets. Tomorrow is dance class for Alex, PT and speech for Kath. Possible libe trip afterward. Friday is hippotherapy then the ride out to Sturbridge to the New England Retreat for kids and families of hemiplagia. I am so looking foward to this!

Hope everyone is doing well. Excuse the errors.