Just rambling thoughts about anything that happens to be on my mind and that usually isn't much!
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Friday, June 6, 2008

Visiting Tess

The Warden and I came to Peoria yesterday on our annual pilgrimage to visit our youngest daughter, her husband .... and of course our youngest grand daughter Tess. The drive up was a perfect day except very windy. (The strong tail winds did help improve gas mileage though!!) And the folks in STL actually had the ramp fixed onto the I70 bridge (first time in 5 years we made it on to the bridge without a few hour delay or detouring .... click here for a recap of a previous attempt)

And I must explain my absence from the blogosphere for the past few days (other than not having a thought worth recording). Last Saturday morning we had one heck of a hail storm. The biggest blessing the Warden and I have is that we are not depending on farming for a living. The crops locally to Burden were indeed destroyed or greatly reduced.

Our insurance agent acted quickly though and an adjuster was examining our house for damage Wednesday by noon. He reported to us late Wednesday night with the claim. Roof (the one we put on brand new last Oct with 30 year Heritage shingles) was totaled. The gutters (installed new a year ago) totaled. The siding on the north, west and east ... totaled. It appears the estimates are sufficient .... so basically we are going to end up with almost a cosmetically new house.

But back to the better things to write about .... our trip to see Tess.

Tess turned one just last week and we hadn't got to play with her since Christmas. Ruth had kept us "up to date" with U-tube videos of her changing, learning to walk and beginning to speak. Now naturally, when Ruth sent a video of Tess learning to say "Pappy" last week ... my desire to come to Peoria grew 100%.

For those who can view U-tubes click here to view this awesome event.

Now (as Paul Harvey says) for the rest of the story. As everyone knows, to teach a child a new word, one has to repeat the word often .... and soon the child mimics the word. At the same time the child is also associating the word with the event that is happening. An example would be saying "no" and swatting the hand. This of course teaches the child that when you say "no" they are to stop what they are doing.

Herein lies the problem .... Ruth often used the time changing dirty diapers to repeat the word "Pappy". So at this time, Pappy means dirty diaper ... but I'm optimistic I'll have the meaning changed before I leave to go home ... and hopefully I don't just redirect it till Tess thinks I'm a dirty old man. What I'm wondering now is ..... did Ruth just overlook the "repeat / association" technique .... or is she picking up some of the Warden's devious ways?
Dennis

1 comment:

Jenni said...

I'm glad you all are safe. I feel for all those farmers who've lost crops and more. The farmers in Republic and surrounding counties have been hit hard, too, from what I heard last week. With some of the storms we've been having, I think it's good to remember to be thankful for what has been spared and pray for those who have been less fortunate such as the families of those four Boy Scouts. Hopefully those lesser losses will be recovered soon.

I had to laugh at your grandbaby's vocabulary lessons. Surely with your visit she'll remember what Pappy means and not use it to describe the condition of her diaper, LOL.