2010

Well...
Didn't get anything posted in 2010 and, I suppose, it is no small wonder...
In December 2009 Matt, Rhea and I decided to move back to California at the end of January 2010. Rhea's mother had breat cancer and my mother's health was failing. It was a difficult decision and more so for me as I loved living in the midwest. Actually, I love living anywhere but Southern California - too many issues.
After securing a transport for our belongings and preparing ourselves for the long trip ahead we left Aurora, Illinois at the end of January. We were about 200 miles from Aurora when the fuel pump on my car gave out. We spent 2 nights in Bloomington having repairs completed while we stayed in a motel with 'bed bugs.' I should interject at this point we had planned our travels around a huge ice storm that was going to hit 5 of the states we had to travel through. Our delay put of head on with the storm... We managed to reroute the trip and drove above the storm and that is another story.

She Strikes Again...

Ish???

Mathew and I went out to lunch on Saturday and he looked at me and said..."Do you want to hear Madalynn's latest?" "Of course, I do," I responded (this is where I warn you to be careful what you ask for).

Thursday, I had a Board Meeting so Maddie called Uncle Matt to ask if she could go to the library. Matt told her she could go but if she told him the library then she had better be at the library and no where else. Upon hearing this warning Maddie modified the request to include the park. Matt agreed to the park and library ONLY.

Okay...an hour goes by and Maddie calls Matt to find out if he wants anything from McDonalds. Matt asked Madalynn what she is doing at McDonalds...because there is no McDonalds at the library or park. She comes right back at him and states that McDonald's is parkish...kinda located by the park. Matt told her to come home immediately because they needed to discuss Madalynn's 'ish'es. Good Grief!

We spoke to Hailee and Amaris this weekend from their foster home. They are doing well and appear to be quite content. We are not allowed to talk about Trisha or the girls coming to live with us. They asked a couple of questions about these two subjects but we steered them back to smooth waters. We do not want to upset the house mother or the girls by pushing issues and we want to be able to talk to the girls every Saturday morning. The girls have already been on an outing - Medieval Times and Universal Studios - both located in Orlando. At this moment in time I am not as worried as I was. The girls sound happy and healthy. They are getting the attention they so richly deserve, they are fed every day and their needs are taken care of. The foster mother has taken the girls to the doctor and I understand they are off to the dentist this week. So all is well at this moment in time.

I watched Miss Sofia this weekend and she is talking quite a bit. We read People Magazine and I taught her a new word "Yummo." For the rest of the afternoon everything was "Yummo, Gammi."

Finally...I brought a new member into our household this weekend. I was given a brand new baby bird - a cockatiel. Rhea and Maddie are busy bonding with "Cali" (short for California). I am delighted that Rhea is enjoying Cali and Cali is enjoying Rhea. Rhea comes into the room and Cali goes right to the door so she can get out and play. The two dogs have taken quite an interest in this little bit of fluff that squaks! Jade lays her head down by the cage and cries. Beau just runs around and barks - I imagine in a couple of months Cali will start imitating a bark. Once we have settled Cali in I will take a picture so you can all see the "Baby Bird.

Choosing Her Religion...

I know I'm in trouble when my kids, mostly Mathew, ask me not to put something in my blog that I find extremely funny. So, Matt...I will try my best to behave.

Maddie strikes again...Matt and Rhea were having a conversation with Madalynn one night last week whilst I was attending one of my Board Meetings. Madalynn announced that she was seriously considering joining the Catholic Church (predominant religion here in the Chicago area). Quite curious as to her selection Matt asked her what made her come to that decision. The answer was quite simple..."It is the closest church to our house," said Maddie.

She's Got the Look!

I watched Sofia the day before Easter so Katie could go out and do some Easter Bunny shopping. I was taking a couple of pictures of her when she gave me 'the look.'

The Irish side of may family calls this 'the go to hell Hanlon look.' A goodly percentage of the Hanlon side of the family has inherited this delightful face off. I am sure it isn't genetics - rather it is an Irish Attitude - and my lovely baby granddaughter has it.

I watched Mikey, Ella and Sofia this past Sunday afternoon so their parents could have a little adult time. Madalynn went with me and kept Ella and Sofia occupied with teenage activities. Mikey and I played the Wii Star Wars Lego game. Mikey is amazing because he knows every one of the characters from the original trilogy. His favorite ride is Bobo Fett's Slave - personally I am all over the Millennium Falcon.

My grandchildren keep me young and, somewhat, active. Each child has brought something special to my life and make me better because they are here on earth! I normally do not discuss Jim Brown but today I will digress. It is very difficult to understand his behavior. He has not seen nor held four of his grandchildren. He hasn't seen Michael or Mathew in almost 15 years and it has been about 6 years since he last spent time with Trisha. I am sorry for his loss...these children of mine have grown into lovely people and have blessed me with beautiful and intelligent grandchildren - albeit a bit boisterous at times. I don't want to miss watching these babies growing up!

"Children will not remember you for the material things you provided but for the feeling that you cherished them." ~Richard L. Evans~

Oh No...Snow

It is hard to believe this is what we woke up to on Monday morning (April 06, 2009)! I knew we were in trouble when I saw the snow falling early Sunday evening. I had to find my gloves, hat, heavy coat and, most importantly, that doo dad that scraps ice and snow off of the windows. Thank goodness we didn't need to go searching for the snow shovel!

I am not going to go on and on about the snow but goodness gracious enough is enough!

Mikey...My Favorite Grandson...

I love my Mikey! He is so much like his mother in temperment but he sure looks like Michael. I must add that I am delighted he has his mother's temperment. She is kind and compassionate - both excellent qualities.

Mikey played T-Ball last year and football. He was very good at both but you can tell he LOVES football. He does well in school and is very considerate to everyone but Ella...just kidding! For a while he had a sign on his bedroom door...No gurls can come in. Ella has become a bit squeamish about sleeping alone so Mikey lets her come in and sleep in his double bed. One day he confided in me - telling me he thought Ella had issues (his words not mine). Quite funny coming from a 6 year old about his 4 year old sister.

He is very sweet with Sofia but there are times when he has just had enough of the gurls!

He loves all things WII and I have contributed to his enjoyment of computer games. He and I play Zelda together though it is for an older age group.

Mikey is all things wonderful and 500% boy! I have been blessed with truly fantastic grandchildren!

Plating...not to be confused with skating!

Maddie could keep me in stories forever. I wish I had time when my children were growing up to keep a blog about their comings and goings. But then again we didn't have the internet when my kids were growing up...
So...Matt and Rhea flew to Southern California last week to attend Allison's Bat Mitzvah. Maddie had school so we stayed here and it was business as usual. I decided I would go home early every night I could so I could spend more time with Madds. Last Wednesday night I walked in about 4:30 p.m. - to everyone's surprise. Yes...I mean everyone's surprise. Maddie had a gaggle of girlie girls at the house...Sam, Emily (Maddie's partner in most crimes), Yugoda, Carrie and Jaylynn. On the table were a stack of nice white glass plates. The girls decided to take a walk around the block before I was going to take them to church. My last words as they departed..."I'm not sure what you are doing with those dishes but DO NOT throw those dishes. Put them in the trash before you get yourself into trouble." Yeppers...famous last words!
So I am cleaning up - doing a bit of laundry and I get a phone call from Jaylynn's mother - asking me to go to the high school because the police are holding the girls. It seems the girls decided to use the plates as skates. They broke glass all over the school parking lot with their antics. The police made them pick up all the glass. The principal of the school asked the kids involved to meet him on Saturday morning to clean up the grounds of the school.
Madalynn was quite upset because her friends did not confess and own their misdeeds. Perhaps she will find the lesson in this and understand she must make her choices without influence from her friends.
Anywho...she was restricted to the house for the weekend and had to do copious amount of chores! And that is another story!!!

March Madness

I can't believe it is already March 12, 2009! They say time flies when you are having fun but I think it really works both ways 'cuz I'm not having fun but time is sure a flying!

The weather has been so unpredictable. It rained all day Saturday and most of Sunday. We had this really great weather going on and yesterday I walked out in the morning and scooted back in to grab a coat! It went from 62 degrees on Tuesday to 18 degrees on Wednesday. Today is quite cold as well.

I got my car washed this morning and watched the water beading on the window shield. It reminded me of my first winter experiences last year. The funniest was the day I rushed out to go to work - now most know if it has snowed there is no rush to work because you must spend a minimum of 15 minutes prepping the vehicle and getting it all warm and cozy. This particular day I had stuff all over my wind shield so I took out my bottle of water and poured it over the windshield to clean it off. The water turned the window into an ice shield. What a mess to try and scrape off. I needed a chisel and hammer.

This year I was pretty much down with the program. I get out there and shovel the driveway (when Matt isn't around), pry the frozen doors open, start the car with all the defrosters going, and finally I scrape the snow and ice off... The order is somewhat crucial.

I know I am babbling on but I wanted to make sure I got something posted and in all likely hood I will edit this again and add a picture but I need more time...Got any?

All Right, Already!

Okay... So it snowed on Saturday, February 21, 2009. We got between 2-3 inches of the white stuff. And it snowed on and off all day long - during Ella's birthday party. On Wednesday it warmed up to 50 degrees and all the snow was gone.

Yesterday was the winner...it thundered, lightening and RAIN!!! I had a Board meeting last night and driving home was a thrill with the sky lighting up, the torrential downpour and the newly formed rivers that we normally call streets.

At 10:30 p.m. last night I received a call from a Board member - one of my buildings with a subterranean garage was flooding. Oh, Joy! So much for getting a good night's sleep.

There is water everywhere. Everyone says the past two years Chicago has had the worst weather in many, many years! As I drove home last night I thought about Noah...at what point did he know it was time to build the ark?

A Bit of This and That...

Just wanted to catch up a bit today...

Tuesday evening we were eating dinner and Rhea mentioned that she, Matt and Maddie were invited to attend Allison's (Rhea's cousin) Bat Mitzvah in Los Angeles. We discussed the invitation and possibilities of everyone traveling to Los Angeles for the event. Matt piped up and asked everyone..."What do you wear to a Bat Mitzvah?" Madalynn didn't skip a beat before she responded..."A Turban!" We laughed long and hard...I think she meant a Yamaka.

Ella just turned five years old! Her birthday party is tomorrow and we are all attending and helping out! Rhea and I called last Friday on her birthday and sang Happy Birthday to her. As soon as we finished Ella exclaimed..."Well, gosh! I wasn't expecting that!"

Kids do say the funniest things!

It has been a busy couple of weeks with work and Madalynn! I am trying to catch up before our next winter storm...tonight! Can you believe it we are expecting 6-8 inches of snow sometime late tonight and into tomorrow? I am delighted that I do not need to go anywhere this weekend except Ella's b-day party!

Well, I need to get back to my tasks so I will bid you farewell for the time being!

Well, all you groovy people...stay warm!

Maddie Madds

I could write for days about Madalynn but instead I will share a story today...

I arrived home late last night after a grueling Board meeting. Rhea shared a 'Madalynn' experience. We have had a difficult time convincing Maddie that she can live without a phone in her ear 24/7. Rhea took the phones last night into the laundry room, along with Maddie's other prize possesions (her hair straightener and digital camera). She locked her self in the laundry room, took a bunch of pictures of herself with Maddie's camera - and of course - locked Madalynn out. I didn't ask but I am fairly sure Rhea didn't use the hair straightener.

Maddie waited about 30 minutes and then knocked on the bathroom door and handed Rhea a telephone - yes, the telephone was Rhea's. She had forgotten to pull her telephone out of her purse. When Maddie handed Rhea her phone guess who was on the other line...Rhea's mother. Maddie called Rhea's mother to report her 'immature' behavior and to let her know that Rhea's behavior was bordering on abuse. Well, when I heard this I was horrified at first and then I began to laugh and couldn't stop!

Maddie is one cheeky bird! But you got to love her!

Ice, Ice, Baby!

We have had icicles on the drip edge of our roof for almost two weeks. It is great fun to watch the evolutionary journey of an icicle on a day to day basis. I guess icicles must live with the philosophy.."Here today, gone tomorrow."

Consider this...the gutters are full of ice and very heavy.

Also...on any day that it has a bit of warmth the icicles melt a tiny bit on to the concrete stoop. The stoop is extremely dangerous and my greatest enemy at the moment. I have tried jumping across the stoop but found my world upside down (should have taken a picture from that perspective but I was busy trying to sooth my bruised ego).

I love Chicago...I don't love the snow and ice.

Sofia Valencia

This is my Sofia... She is a hoot and great fun for this grandma!

Sofia is the youngest of my six grandchildren and daughter of Michael and Katie Brown. I moved to Chicago just before Sofia was born so I have watched her grow.

I babysit every Saturday while Katie and Michael work. Most weekends we play and eat and pine for the outdoors because it is too cold to stay out for any length of time. Mikey loves to play Zelda - Sofia gets to hold the extra nunchuk and she has a fairly good idea of what this little piece of equipment does...you shake it at the television and then yell and holler like everyone else in the room does. Ella loves to dance so we put music on and Sofia shakes her groove thing! This weekend Sofia added a new activity to our weekend agenda...She wanders off (this in itself is miraculous because she usually stays within a couple of feet of Grandma) and proceeds to disrobe herself. Then she does the bootie dance... Mike says she is a born nudist...

Sofia loves all things sweet. She coos while having a tasty bite of a cupcake or cookies. When she eats chocolate I swear her eyes roll into the back of her head. It is too cute!

It's true...it's true...being a grandparent is the best part of life!

Matt and Maddie...

As you may all know Madalynn and I live with Matt and Rhea. Matt and Rhea have been a really huge help with Madalynn. We are working together to keep Madalynn on track - easily said but it is a good bit of energy and effort to keep up with her.
This morning as I was dropping off Matt at work he said he wanted to use his video camera to document Madalynn's behavior. At some point in the future he wants to share the videos with Madalynn to elicit an apology from her for her atrocious teenage behavior. I replied with "I hope I live long enough to hear this."

Don't tell Matt but I am still waiting to hear a couple of apologies from one of his siblings...

Madalynn is a good girl! Her grades are good - a couple could be better (Math and Science). She does what is asked of her (but no more than what is asked) - as long as it is within her time frame. This means she wants to take care of family responsibilities between social events and phone calls from her friends. She is a typical teenager and a dynamo with a mouth attached! She may be 13 years old but she is still my baby girl.

The dynamic between Matt and Madalynn is very interesting. Matt has been almost a big brother to her until we moved from Florida to Chicago. At first he maintained his distance during squabbles but somewhere along the line he has found peace in being a father figure to her. Now he is the 'Dad' and this has added a dimension to their relationship. In dealing with Maddie's antics he is generally much more patient than Rhea or I. Now and then you do hear him raise his voice while Maddie is busy arguing with his logic. Matt and Rhea...Thank you...from the very bottom of my heart...Thank you for helping me on this journey with Madalynn. I don't tell you thank you often enough - I couldn't do this without you! Well...I could but it would be difficult and not nearly as fun!

There's No Business Like Snow Business

I got up early this morning to read a couple chapters of my latest read "Escape." Another day and after completing the Escape I will share my thoughts on this book. Anywho...I turned on the television to check out the weather (as property manager I do this daily...gives me an idea of how my day will proceed) and guess what...? More snow coming our way later today. I think we have had snow on the ground since the first of January. The ice damming is becoming critical in several of the associations I manage. I currently manage approximately 850 units throughout the Chicagoland area. That is a lot of roofs! It is also a lot of cranky people...all tired of the winter. And, let's face it, this has been a tough one.

Driving into work (I travel from Aurora to Hickory Hills) I enjoyed the beauty of the wide open spaces. Naked trees with white snow covering their limbs as they reach for the sun and its warmth. It always amazes me! Almost every day I see a huge pergrine (or falcon) seeking a meal as he watches the snow covered fields for prey. Nope...never gonna see this in Los Angeles.

I so delight in the beauty of nature and it is wonderful to observe the wild animals, beautiful birds and have I mentioned my geese? It has become a family joke because I have adopted all the Canadian Geese in Chicagoland. This summer I had a resident throwing rocks at my geese...I got out of my car and let him have the whatfor. Hey, the geese were here before him and they are our Father's creation.

I have often thought I would like to find a method of journaling that could be shared with family and friends. After a bit of luck I caught up with lost friends that are currently posting on this site. I really enjoy writing, sharing events and pictures with the people I love. So here it is...

Today is January 28, 2009 and another cold, cruel day in Chicagoland. I say this in jest...actually life has been very good to me. My three children and six grandchildren are healthy and, for the most part, happy. Trisha and two of her daughters (Hailee and Amaris) live in West Palm Beach, Florida. Michael, Katie and their three children (Mikey, Ella and Sofia) live in Naperville, Illinois. Matt and Rhea live in Aurora, Illinois with their absolutely adorable rottweiler, Jade. Madalynn (my oldest granddaughter), Bobo (my three pound Pomeranian), and I live with Matt and Rhea.

I am employed by MC Property Management as a Community Association Manager. This means I spend a good bit of time taking care of other's homes and well being. There are days when I spend time muttering under my breath - some people have a very strange sense of entitlement.


Stay tuned for the real deal as I get this up and going...