Whew...

I'm in manic mode. Who knew I even had manic mode. Usually I'm a slug joking that I'm a lazy person living a busy person's life. Not this week. No laziness allowed.

I just want to get a few things down so I don't forget but it will mostly be a chronological listing of the last weeks activities.

First off, the kids and I drove to Santa Barbara last Friday. It was slow to get out of San Jose but we made up good time once we got south of Salinas. Not much else happened that evening because it was about 8:30 when we arrived.

Saturday we went into LA to see my grandma. That was actually very difficult. I didn't expect to react as strongly as I did. My kids did great though because I fell apart right away, they had a bit of a hard time. But we all went in right away and she definitely recognized us and was very happy to see us. But she could hardly talk and was so thin -- that is why my son had the hardest time with. She was skeletal, so thin you could see her veins and her cheeks were so sunken in. It was very obvious that we were looking at death but Austin still stayed with her initially and told her all about his trip to Scotland that is coming up. He didn't go back in the rest fo the day though and that wasn't a problem. Alana did great too and went in several times with me. The last time Alana and I went back, right before we left, she didn't recognize us. She wanted to know if we were sisters and asked if I was someone else. But we talked to her a bit and then she wanted to touch my hair because it was so thick, like Tricia's. I kept telling her 'grandma, I am Tricia' but I don't think she got it.

So that is it. She's been in and out all week and the hospice nurses don't think it will be too much longer.

We went back to SB that night and went to the art walk and the beach on Sunday. The kids and I came back up this way on Monday and then went to a friend's for fireworks on Monday night.

On Tuesday at 12:30 my brother, his wife and their two girls roll into town. They are moving from outside of Detroit to the bay area. My brother is in the Coast Guard and they will spend the next 4 or 5 years here. Excited doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about this - beyond elated is more accurate. We've not lived in the same area for the past 20 years when he left to go join the service so this will be such a treat. His girls are 7 and almost 9 and they hooked up with my daughter like they were long lost sisters. They were instant friends and so darned cute together. Poor Austin, his cousins started busting on him right away so he mostly rolls his eyes in disgust and wonders how he managed to add additional sisters to his list of woes.

Anyhow, the rest of the week has been a bit of a circus. They've been here every night until tonight, we're watching their parakeets and guinea pigs, and we're trying to not sway them too much on where WE want them to live (next door would be fun!). Brother will be working at SFO so the list of places he can live is pretty big so it makes it a bit tricky to find the right place at the right price with the right schools.

Tomorrow is Alana's birthday party. Her birthday was back in June but who can manage a birthday celebration at the end of school - not I, certainly. So we pushed it off until this weekend with the added benefit that we could invite her cousins and this is working out great. However, on top of all else that is going on, I've been trying to get ready for the party. We're pretty close to being set and I told husband that when he gets home tonight he'd better go into the garage and the back yard to see all the work I've done and that I expect exclamations of appreciation of the work. My SIL helped immensely with the back yard and I was very lucky to have that help.

Oh, and tonight was the little boy across the street's birthday. He is 2 and a love --- we all just adore him so when I found out his mother didn't get him a birthday cake, the kids and I went to Safeway to get him one -- luckily they have premade ones so we picked one out and I asked the bakery guy for Nemo goodies since Baby C likes Nemo a bunch. Bakery guy even wrote Happy Birthday on the cake -- the kids and I were quite pleased with our selves. Baby C loved it and we had a fun mini party for him tonight.

And finally, Austin got his guitar. The deal was, he'd have to earn half of it then we'd front him the money for the other half but he'd have to work off the remaining balance. He's been a chore doing fool and I've had a nice clean house for a month now. This is so win win.

Anyhow, it is a cute little red beginning electric guitar that came with an amp, headphones and a bunch of stuff. His guitar instructor came with us to buy it (thank goodness) and seemed pleased that it was a nice package deal for a beginner and at a nice price. He's been tinkering a bit and I guess I'd better get used to guitar music now. His second lesson will be Wednesday and he's very excited.

I think that is all the news of the week -- I'll get to pictures sometime this weekend. Well, mostly likely on Sunday because tomorrow after Alana's party we go to my friend's 40th Birthday Party.

Happy July 8th!