mom

Mom

May 15, 2013

Katney picked this week's Headbanger's theme.  We are going with "Mom."  Check out my  pals for their interpretations on this theme: Fishing Guy, Katney, Imac and Lew.

Moms are so important, and never appreciated enough.  I love my kids, but if dads had to spend as much time dealing with their childrens' shenanigans as the moms, we'd have a lot more cases of lost kids and hunting accidents; do you know what I'm saying?  Of course, I always make it easy on my wife and never contribute to frustrations in the house. (cough, cough)  The pic in my header is my D2 with my mom and her mom (Mrs. Craver.)  Next, I show D1 with her son and her mother.

Um, that's not how you steal a kiss, not that you'd have to steal one from Nana anyway.

 

Craver's family tree with Mom & Dad.  (side note: Why am I the only one with a moustache?)

look up

Look Up

April 10, 2013

Katney chose "Look Up" for this week's Headbanger's theme.  Check out my  pals for their interpretations on this theme: Fishing  Guy, Katney, Imac and Lew.

My header is looking up at our cat through a pane of glass.  Oh, the pane we go through to try to get a good shot.  ;-)

look up to see Elwood Blues "on a mission from God" atop the theater's main entrance

my grandchildren are always looking up, as they are so much nearer to the ground than us

our dog "Bear" looks up for a treat, as a statue and I scan the skies in a burger joint

this is Kacie, enjoying a photo shoot, and playfully being dramatic for her senior pics

turtle whisperer

While camping at Timber-Lee, we visited their Science Center. They have live animals and lots of interesting exhibits. We took the grandies for a tour. Grandson liked handling live snakes in the reptile house. I thought that was cool. Here is our little wild man staring down a painted turtle. Ha! The serene pose works for the photograph, but I know the real child, and what he is capable of. When we went downstairs, all the children were instructed to sit akimbo on a carpet, while the tour guide gave some basic information and handling instructions for the small mammals and birds. Boy is two and-a-half, so he completely ignored the presenter. Instead, when he saw that Poppa was sitting on the carpet, he remembered our game from the day before. That means that he rushes me for a tackle... over and over and over... That's the equivalent to doing one hundred sit-ups!

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Granddaughter did not handle the animals, and for the most part, she refused to be handled by anyone other than her auntie. But every once in a while, she forgot that she decided that she was not supposed to be having fun. Here, she found delight simply by lying flat on the floor.

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Before the week was over, Granddaughter smiled more and more, sometimes laughing and hugging. She is still much more reserved than her big brother, but all things considered, there was a remarkable turn-around in her initial demeanor from last Thursday!

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My daughter made one comment about their time away. She talked about how much she was able to enjoy the vacation with her husband, especially without having to constantly look down and exclaim, "Omigosh! Where are the kids?" I'm glad we could do that for them. It made us real tired, but isn't that what love is about?

I'm IL, You're OK

The grandkids are in Illinois this week from Oklahoma. We took them camping with us this weekend. Just the two little ones. My daughter and son-in-law are should be savoring every minute they spend with just each other.

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Friday night, while walking back towards our campsite, a bonfire behind us cast a shadow of my grandson and me onto this little tent. I liked what I saw, so I stopped briefly to see if I could capture the image.

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But, as I said, the little ones are from out-of-state. They are not used to Mrs. Craver and me, and sometimes the baby cries when we try to pick her up. (If you allow me a moment of transparency, that kind of rejection is heartbreaking for a grandma and grandpa.) There were a few occasions, when they got caught up in the moment, and seemed to be less traumatized by "Poppa and Nanna." I will treasure those times!

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I managed to scrounge up one more vacation day, so that I can spend one more full day with them before they have to return home.

homeward bound

Nobody expected this would last forever, but it is bittersweet to see them go back home. We look forward to recovering from all of the playing we did, and extra patience we practiced, but they brought so much joy into those few days, that it was all very much worth it.

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I like the transition that happened from extreme shyness at the beginning, to the way Rylan eventually would come running to the door as I returned home from errands. He would reach up for a hug, and then not let go, so that I could hold him for a while. He's bilingual now, as he knows butterfly kisses AND Eskimo kisses. (Maybe he knew that before, but we brushed up on it.)

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I am so glad for this opportunity to spend time with them. It sounds like my daughter son-in-law enjoyed the special week they had together. The strange thing is how one-sided this will be in our memories. I will never forget this week with all the funny faces and baby giggles, but my grandchildren will not remember a thing. I look forward to someday showing them the pictures and telling the stories.

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In the meantime, I'm back at work, and the department is absolutely swamped. (sigh) In a way, that makes me feel special, too. I'm glad they need me. ☺

grandpa quiz

Grandpa quiz

First Question: There are jumbo Legos piled up on the floor, but your grandson isn't playing with them. Do you:

a) show him how to do it by building something?

b) allow him to find his own use for the blocks?

c) find a way to build something together?

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The answer I chose is:

d) None of the above. Shove the blocks aside and wrestle.

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Next Question: You set him on your bed while picking out dinner attire, and he starts playing with the wall decorations above your bed. Do you:

a) tell him not to touch those things?

b) let him explore the decorations, even if he could destroy them.

c) move him off the bed?

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My answer?:

d) None of the above (again). Forget about picking out clothes, take his hands, and start jumping on the bed.

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I made sure this week that he would know me, not as his personal photographer, but as Grandpa (or Poppa). I had forgotten how much repetition they require. While I sat on the floor with him, he would walk up, bump me, and I tumbled back, taking him down with me while pleading, "Get him off of me!" He laughed hard. Then we would get up, and he would do it again. And again. And again... That was a good workout.

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Speaking of which, I would like to devote this blog entry to the makers if Advil and Tylenol. And a very special thank-you to my own Mrs. Craver, who took these pictures.

stay-cation

They say you shouldn't announce your vacation over the internet. Bad people find out, and they break in while you're away to take your stuff. Well, we live quite simply, here in the Craver home, and I have a hunch that if somebody broke in while we were gone, they are more likely to feel bad for us and leave something, so the next guy has something to steal! Truth be told, we have everything that we need.

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But no, we are not going away, so it is probably okay if I break this rule. Instead of travelling, I will spend four days this week at home. (I couldn't get Friday off.) My daughter and son-in-law are having some time for themselves and so they brought the grandchildren to Bolingbrook.

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This week will be about cherishing every moment that I can hang out with my grandson. The poor guy bumped his face on our coffeetable on the first night, but everything else has been a breeze so far.

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We have lots and lots of kisses for our granddaughter. She is SO good natured, and loves to smile! Oh, and she loves to kick Poppa (me) in the face, too. They call her "the flailer" on account of how she gets excited and pumps her arms and legs.

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I put a lot of work into scrubbing out some old yard toys and prepping the back yard for my grandson. I hope he likes playing with us here. They were all stashed way back in a "forest" of weeds. I'm lucky to have found my way back to civilization after going into that dense thicket!

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Check out the beauty I found while cleaning out the playset. There were lots of spiders (and other critters) playing in these unused toys. This one was bigger than the others, and worthy for a photo break. I didn't want her playing with my grandchildren, and got ready to squish her into oblivion, but she got away. Well, the main thing is that she is not in the playset anymore. Good for her!

two weeks

Rylan: Elowyn: Castle Craver was without its queen for two weeks. My beloved flew to Oklahoma to see if she could be of some help as our second grandchild was born. Rylan is 14 months and Ellie was born two weeks ago. Everybody is doing fine.

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The kids did behaved amazingly well, and made their momma (and me) proud. Still, I have to say that I missed my wife more than ever before. Who would have known that after 22 years of marriage that our closeness and intimacy would make our early marriage years pale in comparison? We sent daily notes via email. When she finally arrived, there were tears of joy and I think she cried, too.

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When I hear how other grandparents spend time with their grandchildren, I hope they realize how blessed they are to have them close. I sure wish Mrs. Craver and I could spend more time reading or singing to them, laying on the floor at their level playing games and hearing them laugh.

kissable Rylan

flavor crystals

Baby update: Unless Rylan makes a move, they'll induce labor on Tuesday night, for a Wednesday birth. We would plan to make the drive Wednesday afternoon, to arrive close to 9AM on Thursday. But he can still arrive before that, so we take it day by day.

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The anticipated 20-hour drive to see our grandson could still be a few days away. I usually try to keep a sojourner's mindset, so that I live in the moment, soaking up life in the present, rather than wishing I could be someplace else at that time. But I gotta tell you. There is one daily activity that I am really going to miss on that looooooong drive.

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Coffee. I love this stuff! We get fresh beans at home, and I grind only when I'm brewing. Most of the time, my coffee is great. But from time to time, I use a French press, and that coffee is (sniff) ... excuse me, I hate to cry about it, but I get a bit overwhelmed with emotion every time I think of fresh Starbucks through the French press!

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I remember the last time we made this drive. I was getting drowsy, and out of desperation, I did something rash. I used one of those rest stop vending machines to get a Dixie cup of toxic swill that... well, traveling victims are supposed to believe that those few ounces of abomination are somehow related to coffee.

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I would rather drink (gag) instant coffee. But wait!! I saw something in the news this week that says that Starbucks is going to start making some kind of instant coffee! How can this be?! Honestly, I'm a little scared about the whole thing. Still, if I find a way to temporarily suspend my skepticism, how shall I procure the piping hot water needed for my favorite elixir?

f-f-f-freezing temps

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The weather has been exceptionally cold lately. We gotta keep moving, though. Inching along on the treacherous ice, we'll eventually get where we need to be. Some may find this hard to understand, but I actually like living in cold weather. The snow is beautiful and it is exciting to witness the changing of the seasons. Most of the time, if you anticipate the needs of the season, you can keep enjoying the present weather.

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Friends treated us to a special evening last Saturday. We got all dressed up and drove into cold, wet, slushy Chicago to see The Screwtape Letters and have dinner at a restaurant. We met some of their other friends and the whole event was such a pleasurable diversion from our regular routines. I hope you get a chance to read it yourself. It's a funny book from a brilliant English mind.

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Check this one out. The plowed heap of snow is just as high as the car next to it!

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Hey, in a few weeks, we'll be trekking down to Florida to visit family on account of the arrival of our new grandson, Rylan. He's due February 14 and last night, I did a trial-assembly of a crib we plan on bringing for him. That day will probably race up to us quickly, and we have to get ready for the looooong trip. Once we arrive, the weather will be fine I'm sure, but I'm dreading that drive. I'll probably pack a little cooler with Snickers and Red Bull to keep myself alert. Please pray for good driving weather and a safe trip!

grandson

Rylan

My daughter sent us a progress report on our grandson. Yes, I said grandson... it's a boy. And she included a picture. His name is Rylan. The Lord bless you, little buddy!

ain't they grand?

These are some of my buds. Most of our children are close in age, and we have seen the joys and struggles of our fellow parents here. I'm happy with how our kids are turning out, and yet I think I understand why some animals eat their young.

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It is written that children are a gift from God. That is certainly true, but my personal opinion is that grandchildren must be a reward for not giving up when our children drive us to the edge of insanity.

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The other night, we picked up someone else's baby, and I didn't mind at all that she soaked my collar and sleeves in baby drool. I held this tiny girl and didn't want to put her down. I would do just about anything, just to make her smile... or laugh. Oh, a baby's laugh! Is there anything in the world that can compare?!