Thursday, July 22, 2010

Challenges to come

I'm watching a couple of kids for some friends tonight...a 4 and 1 year old. I quickly learned a big challenge coming in the near future......

letting the toddler play with her toys while keeping the baby in check around the big kid toys.
Notice how tall the 1 year old appears!!

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Gram G

A Tribute to AJ's Gram Galluccio, Sammi's Great Grandma, mother of Gramsi Sandy:

AJ wrote these memories and read this at her memorial.

I confess that I have been selfish, I thought Gram G would be with us forever, that she would outlive us all. Gram G stood about 5 feet tall, but it was her heart that was larger than life. Speaking of her heart, after her bypass surgery the doctors said it would be good for approximately 10 yrs, that was 30 years ago. It was her brain that Alzheimers may have taken, but it never claimed her heart.

Things I remember about Gram G:
She was....
never in a bad mood
always smiling
never cussed or yelled at her mischievous grandsons, the worst she would say was that we were being FRESH!!!!
incredibly generous and money to her was not to spend for herself but so that she could see others smile

Her laugh always encouraged Tim and me to joke more. She had this picture of me from college graduation with the dean handing me the diploma and I have this huge smile. Gram G would reminisce about how happy I was at that moment. My response to her was "Gram, I was only smiling because I had fooled them!!" and Gram would laugh and say how proud she was. There was never a doubt of how proud she was of Tim or myself. I could have been a mass murderer and she probably would still say how proud she was! She was very easy to please and extremely patient. The way to her heart was as easy as York Peppermint Patties and Hot Tamales!

Final note to Gram:
You would be happy to know that your granddaughter Sam loves to dust all like you, and yes she settles me like you always tried.
You probably already know this but I'm still cussing and acting "Fresh," at times, but it is still an ongoing process. I hope that you and Aunt Lorraine can be advocates for Tim and I to the man in charge, or el Jefe, to consider lowering the bar for admission before we apply. You and Lorraine would always say when someone was being rude or brainless, "It's hard to be perfect like us!" You were right in soooo many ways.