Baby Goley has had an adventurous four days in Birmingham! So adventurous, in fact, that we didn't even blog (no time!)... But, now that we are home, we have a lot of catching up to do!
So, because they say BG can hear now, we started with the basics for the 4- hour trek across the twin states with some Taylor Swift! Mommy loves Taylor Swift, BG hears wonderful music and mommy sings her heart out for 4 hours... makes sense! Of course we had to have potty and food breaks! Ask any pregnant person, "Do you have to pee?" and the answer will always be "YES!". Then there's the awful rumbly tummy that signals baby is ready to eat!, whether you are or not. When this hunger strikes, you really only get about 3 warnings (growls) before you'll be sorry!
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| INSANE |
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| ADORABLE |
Not only had we been a regular family rushing through life, leaving little remnants of times past in every nook and cranny, but my mom owned her own business for over 13 years. She was a successful, creative and messy business owner (not judging- messy and creative are always one in the same). She had a gourmet foods and gift baskets business that, over the years, took on many facelifts, a few moves and even a DBA name change. Through all this, the economy and family woes, she survived out there! She did what had to be done to succeed even when it totally sucked (for her and her free help- me) until the day a bigger love took over and ended the reign of Sisters Two, DBA The Monkey Basket.
My grandparents had been the strongest people you ever knew. As many of you know their generation saw a lot! They were both born in the late twenties, surviving the Great Depression that followed (describing their strange money saving habits) and change after change in the political, socioeconomic and technological world. I mean come on, they didn't have computers, cell phones, hell, at some point, I'm sure they didn't have food... Insane to think about! But, they loved their children. My grandmother had 3 boys and, surprise, twin girls! Let's just call her Fertile Myrtle. And my grandfather fell in love with her and took in these hellians as his own. They grew up and one by one left the house, a few to return in times of need later in life. My grandparents are the most amazing people.
But as all good people do, they got older and less independent. My grandmother suffered from early-onset Alzheimer's and my grandfather couldn't see or hear anything (and he refused to wear his teeth so even eating was difficult). There was one visit in particular that stands out in my mind, where I came home for a visit to see them and they had no food in-date in their fridge. I asked them what the heck they eat (starving teenager syndrome) and my grandmother was confused. I went to Johnny Rockets to get their favorite burgers and they ate them like they had never eaten. I was mad then. What happened to my grandparents? When did they get so old? So helpless? It wasn't long before the 5 children decided to get some outside help and have my grandparents moved into an assisted living facility. Once there, my grandfather's health started to deteriorate and they were forced to move to a more 'round-the- clock-care facility. He died shortly after the move. So now my grandmother plays Bingo with a nut named Ann and they share snacks and it is really cute. The cycle of life is funny, you know. She has returned to a child-like state where she doesn't always know what is going on and people care for her every need (playtime, snacktime, medicine, etc.) Now please do not take anything I am saying about my grandparents as condescending or mocking because, by golly, they are some of the most influential role models in my life and I would do anything for them (not just saying that, I would hurt your feelings really bad if I needed to).
Taking all these life events and rolling them into one time period, let's go back and explore my parents' house. So in 2005, my parents became empty-nesters. I came home and visited my old room, the way I left it, often. Later, my grandparents fell ill and needed to be in a care facility, leaving their house to be cleaned out and sold to pay for the nice choice. Most of the stuff was divided up and packed and sent away, but do you know how much stuff 1/5 of a household that functioned with 5 kids and tons of grandkids for a long freakin' time is? A LOT! So, all that came to my parents' house too. So now we have 2 households' stuff under one roof. Phew, that is a lot of stuff. Then, through the stress of all these moves and changes, my mom decided to close her store for good. It was a swift decision and it didn't seem final so what didn't sell came home. All the fixtures, racks, displays, products, office supplies, Ribbon, my god, the ribbon, came home too. She had plans to sell it all eventually but couldn't worry about that now.
So fast forward to now. We had a hell of a lot of work to do! So, me, Baby Goley my mom and my dad started in on the project. The rain, dust and overwhelming amount of work barely slowed us down! My mom and I, in 2 1/2 days, cleaned, packed and re-organized 3 bedrooms, their closets, 2 bathrooms (every square inch) and both hall closets (scary!). We even started on the dining room... aka "The File Room of Terror!" The tax papers alone for a business and a household for 7 years is enough to discourage anyone!
My dad worked downstairs and made a huge dent in the floor-to-ceiling storage area, organizing, packing and tossing! I am so proud of what we accomplished in such a short time! They will continue to work through the week of their vacation time and then try to have a garage sale this weekend, but more likely, as you can imagine, next weekend. I mean, imagine, if they put $1 on everything, they would easily make $10, 000 in the first half of the day! So, if you live in the Birmingham area, be looking for this garage sale! It will host antiques, functional household items, clothes, collectables, and mostly, tons of boutique store products! (Feds reading- What store merchandise?)
So, baby Goley had a successful trip to Birmingham and I absolutely cannot wait to share some of the stories this trip down memory lane has reminded me of with him/ her one day! I also look forward to having my grandmother meet the little turd...
Sneak Peek for tomorrow: Baby Goley's parents celebrate their 3rd year anniversary! See pictures from the dating days, the wedding and share all the love that made Baby Goley a dream come true!
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