my kid---tim

 

Matt and Tim

My son Tim is 23 years old, a college graduate, has a great job.  He went to school at Purdue, I was so proud and still am.  He graduated last summer.  While in school he was a member of a Frat or fraternity as I am correct by Tim.  John Kennedy even belonged to a chapter of this fraternity.  But with all groups and being in college and being male they have their habits, rituals and gatherings.  He has kept some of the friends from this time along with friends he had in high school  My son has moved to a nearby town from here which happens to be a college town.  Put it this way his roommate and he have a bar that would put most clubs to shame.  He likes the whole "group" attitude and regularly goes out with his friends or has parties. 

One of his hangouts had a contest last weekend.  It was put on by Pabst Blue Ribbon beer.  My understanding was that you got tickets to drink beer and who had the most won a bike.  Imagine my horror and shock when I saw this bike on my son's away message~I had images of my son drinking bottles and bottles of beer, getting alcohol poisoning, being carried to the emergency room puking, and passed out.

Silly mom!  It was a raffle, and the more tickets you had the better the chance of winning!  Which meant the more you had gave you a better chance to win, not the MOST you had won.

God I am getting to old for this!

Plus now my kid will get some exercise, now he can ride his bike to the bar!

PS:  I have taught my kids to never, ever drink and drive!

 

 

3rd times a charm----fingers crossed!

This will be (hopefully) my third time at doing this entry, last night my computer shut off, I have a bad driver, then today AOL wouldn't save my entry.  Enough whining, this morning I drove a sports trip, easy money for a few miles of driving.  Plus I like the coach.  This evening we took Tracey and Jeremy out to eat for their birthdays.  We went to place that on the gift card had the number for another restaurant so when Mark made the reservation it was for the wrong place.  The place was packed too.  But the hostess was a dear and took our names and we only waited a short bit. 

The food was excellent and we had a nice time.

Liz watched the boys.  Dakota only fell down a couple of times and only drew blood once.  Otherwise all was well.   Jacob and Dakota are wearing their Big Red Car Wiggles slippers in these pictures from Christmas.  If you haven't seen the program you won't know what I am talking about, but I find it very, very disturbing...4 grown men in costumes (not Barney or Big Bird either) singing and dancing or riding in the Big Car doing the same.  I guess Sesame Street and Barney are out of style.  The hip toddler must watch The Wiggles or at the very least Thomas the Train. 

Big brother Jacob is waiting for his little bro to get his slippers back on so they can race around the house and do what little boy do...act goofy!

These slippers are so wide that little Dakota has to walk bow legged!

Jeremy tells me that the doctor says Dakota is in the 5 percent for height, the 90 percent for weight and his big old head is in the 90 percent too!  Must be all the Gossett brains!!

After the dinner we stayed with the boys while Tracey and Jeremy went to a neighbors birthday party.  And Grandma got her baby fix!

The sun came out!

Ok Lisa asked for it, here's bad a'ma making Jacob look at the camera from the Thanksgiving party.

Me and Dakota, after a sleep over--he likes his picture taken, but wanted the camera.

It's funny how two kids can be so very different.  Jacob sleeps like an old man.  When he's ready he goes to sleep, throws his arm over his face and snores.  Dakota on the other hand, which by the way is the one I am in charge of during the sleepovers, wakes up every 2 hours screaming his head off.  He usually goes right back to sleep, but when you are not used to a screaming 1 year old it will really jump start your heart.  It's not because he's not at home in his own bed, he does it there too. 

But I don't care it's worth it.  These two little nuts are my joy, besides they are pretty cheap entertainment too!

This weekend we are taking Jeremy and Tracey to a new restaurant for their birthdays.  Liz will be babysitting, she's nervous, but at her age she's well ready to watch two toddlers for a few hours.  I was the oldest in my family and used to babysit mobs of kids before I even got out of the 7th grade.  But Liz is the youngest, always either been watched over by big brothers or on her own.  She'll be fine.

Plus Mike is going back to college.  She will need a diversion, young love can be a pain for the parents.  They sure take a long break at Southern Illinois University, 4 weeks, must be nice.  I wonder if I can drive a school bus for them? 

I went to the doctor yesterday for my yearly groping, nurse told me my blood pressure was 110 over 60, at least my job hasn't effected that!  I really don't hold much in, pretty much a direct-no B.S. type. 

The weather here has been very, very unusal, 50's and finally sunny.  It's supposed cool off a bit and go right back up to 40's next week.  Nice!

Plus I have a 3 day weekend---can't beat that!

some pics from thanksgiving...

The rest of the Thanksgiving pictures from our Pre-Thanksgiving bash---

LIZ & MIKE

My new Daughter in Law, Brandy, with Jacob (who hates his picture taken), & my stepson Matt

Dakota and Liz

Matt and my hungover son, Tim

Jeremy holding Dakota and my other stepson Jim.

I actually raised Matt and Jim since they were 14 and 15.  They have turned into fine young men.  I am so blessed to have this awesome family!  No matter how big this group grows I will always have room in my heart for all of them!

FLORIDA!

Here's happy Rose on the BEACH in FLORIDA!

 

Mark, Liz and I spent Thursday on the Resondo Beach in St Pete.  It was a glorious day, clear, sunny with a wonderful breeze.

Mark hates to have his picture taken, but since he was actually having a good time he was actually happy! 

We had plenty of people to watch too, which is one of my favorite things to do when I am some place new.  There were plenty to see too, a tipsy housewife trying to find her hotel, joggers, kids building sand castles or trying to skim board, old people of all shapes and sizes power walking down the beach.  We even took a walk to the pier, the sad thing is that many of the beach front motels, hotels and little old homes are being torn down to build huge, expensive condos.  Luckily I have a dad who already has a place just 5 minutes from the beach.

Liz and I in the cabana, Toni sprung for a rental, which she said I HAD to have.  Actually I would have been just as happy with a towel on the beach, but she wanted me to feel special & pampered so I let her.  The next day my father was being a poop, and Mark didn't want to be in the sun anymore  so Toni, Liz and I came back to this very spot.  Toni spent every summer here as a wee one.  She is a very nice lady, I couldn't have picked a better stepmom.  And since we are close in age and my Liz can act like an old lady we all got along great.

One night after dinner we hurried to the beach to see this wonderful sunset.

Can't wait until next year...this vacation stuff is going to become a habit!

2006

2006 has started off in  fine fashion.  I did the vacation laundry, Mark cooked, I vacuumed the cat hair, Mark scraped all the mud that has built up around the back door drain (we are having a heat wave, it's 40.  I started to crochet a baby blanket for the new one, Mark played online poker...

Just a normal relaxing Sunday after a vacation...I love saying vacation!  That is a word I am going to use more often in the future! 

Florida was great, vacations are great!  Eating scallops and shrimp by the waterfront watching the sea gulls fly above is GREAT!  Sleeping in is great, being warmed by the Florida sun is really great!  Being a goofy tourist with white legs and running in the waves in the gulf is great!

People do drive  really, really fast down there, nothing like trying to cross the street and not get hit by a blue haired granny in a big caddy! 

I am a lucky, lucky girl to have a dad who picked an awesome place to retire!  And being the only daughter and the apple of his eye really, really helps!!  AND bringing the other favorite, his granddaughter sure didn't hurt either!

2006 sure is going to be great!

 

Happy New Year! I am HOME!

 

I am home!!  I am HOME!  Not willingly, but we made it home at noon today after 20 hours on the road.  The hardest part was leaving the SUN, the BEACH, the 75 degrees of lovely WARMTH! 

My father and stepmom were so happy to have us...they have a nice home in a neighborhood in St Petersburg.  The area is where my stepmom (who by the way is only 5 years older than me, at 53, my dad is 69 ), spend every summer there while she was growing up, so she knew the area and while she had to work a couple of hours during the week she showed us around.  We also spent some nice alone time with dad.  She tends to like to stop and let we girls stop and look, dad gets impatient really easy, and boom it's time to go.

The last two days we spent on the beach, on the gulf of Mexico.  Which was pure HEAVEN to me!  I am now just a bit burned but have plenty of proof of my getaway!  Besides I tan really quickly.   Give me a week and I'd be native.

I took pictures so you all can see my good time...while my first true love is the west coast, I really, really enjoyed Florida...my "only old people live there" attitude was broken and the weather and the laidback attitude sure won me over.

So I am home still barefoot, refusing to wear real shoes until I have to go back to work on Tuesday, is that wrong???   Keeping the sunshine and relaxing thoughts in my soul...

We are staying in tonight.  Welcoming 2006 whiile watching a favorite band on TV...

Here's to 2006....it will be the best, yes the best year yet....