Nana's & Happy Meals or Happy Nana's & Meals...

I've had so much going on in the last couple of weeks, heavy emotional loss, then I got sick. Truly, I believe that I got this cold for just being physically depleted. I was just sick in January of this year, and I almost never get sick!

My son Chris and his wife Christina have split up after 11 years of marriage. They have 3 kids, 10, 7, & 3...just babies. The really tragic thing, and I am ashamed to say, is that Chris has left his family. I know that they have struggled financially for much of their marriage, but I lay much of that blame on Chris. Where most men/fathers would be working 2-3 jobs to make ends meet, he worked only 1 job, barely making over minimum wage to support his family. I realize that it takes two to make a marriage work, as it takes 2 to let it fail. I have suggested counseling, for several years, to no avail. They, he, just won't. She is willing, he prefers to throw in the towel. I spoke with him 2 weeks ago, and I was very angry with him. I hung up on him because I did not want to say things I would regret. I did tell him the ball is in his court. We have not spoken since. I have visited the kids, and helped Christina clean the house, sort through stuff...she is a wreck, the kids are traumatized. She works part time so that she can have the time off with the kids, so she will have to get a full time job. Jobs are hard to come by these days. I don't know what will happen. Her mom is going through some serious health problems...diabetes has affected her sight, and she just had surgery to repair a detached retina. She can hardly help out with the kids. Chris is staying with my mom right now where he is cocooned in a safe world. What about his kids?? I just don't understand him, and I am shocked that this has happened. All part of the circle huh?

I did have my 4 year old granddaughter, Ailani, Carlos' daughter yesterday. She has been asking to come over and spend the night for several weeks. I told her that she could spend the night when she is 5 as I feel she is too young. But after spending the day with her yesterday, I believe she would be fine. We went to the park, she played on the slides, monkey bars, etc. We watched the ducks in the lake, and walked to the dog park. She said she wants to fish, but that she would throw the fish back in the water if she ever caught one! We went grocery shopping for a few things for the week, and she sat in the cart asking for me to hand her the stuff, and she sorted it in the cart for me. We had lunch at McDonald's. I got her a Happy Meal, but when it came time to eat the hamburger, she said she didn't like ketchup, so I tried to scrape it off. Then she said she didn't like mustard, I had already ordered it without pickles. What about some chicken McNuggets, yes...with ranch dressing. She ate it all...and even dipped her fries in it! Its time like these when I don't know their likes and dislikes that I feel like I've failed my grandkids. Aren't these little tidbits that a grandma should know? I've always said I'm not a traditional nana, and I'm not. I thought it was ok not to be "standard". Times are different from when my mom became a nana, and surely from my own nana who I still miss terribly. Anyway, after dinner, I took her home and she said, "I'm going to your house tomorrow, nana?" In a couple of weeks, sweetie, in a couple of weeks!

Glen has been sleeping on the couch for the last two nights because he wants me to sleep better knowing I won't be keeping him up. Translation: I'll sleep on the couch so I can get a good nights' sleep. I slept a good 12 hours last night. I still can't taste my food that well today, and its so frustrating...like why eat when I can't taste! We are going to dinner with Glen's sis and her DH today, The Melting Pot. Guess if Glen doesn't have my germs yet, he will by tonight. Love you, honey :)

Talk soon...