The proof is in the … uh …. recliner
Ok, I don’t normally like to be all Braggy McBraggypants about my kids and the wonderful things they do because quite frankly, its much more fun to tell you about their faults and fallacies and to make fun of the way they butcher the English language on a regular basis. What is the point of being a parent if you can’t keep an online journal and embarrass your children as often as possible??? Case in point: Kendrie, just this week, “Mom, what is this puberty ring I keep hearing about?” Me, “Um, I think you mean PURITY ring, right?”
But Kendrie did something last night that was so sweet, so touching ….. SO proof that she loves Blaine more than me!
He had to travel to TX yesterday to see one of his cancer docs ….. was up and out the door to the airport before the kids woke up, and didn’t return home until way past the point of them going to bed. I was laying the “Hey, wouldn’t it be great if Daddy came home, late tonight, to a nice clean house???” line on the kids pretty thick last night. I could hear Kendrie working in the living room for a few minutes, then she came in and asked me to see what she had done.
This is what I found:
Can’t quite tell what it is? Well let’s look more closely:
A “Reserved for Dad” sign, above one end of the couch that reclines, just in case any axe-murderers broke into the house and mistakenly thought it might be for them ……
and what exactly was she reserving? This:
Blaine sleeps downstairs, in the living room, every night. Even the occasional night when he starts out upstairs in bed, he winds up downstairs because he is on round-the-clock pain meds, and has been for years. Once he wakes up at 2 or 3 am to take pain meds, he has trouble falling back asleep until they kick in, so he goes into the living room and watches television. Then if he is able to fall back asleep, he typically does so in his recliner. He’s definitely got a routine down, though, and Kendrie has clearly paid more attention to it than any of us realized.
What she set out for Blaine, so he would be ready for bed when he finally arrived home at that late hour (photo, top to bottom):
Remote control and headphones. The headphones are because before we moved our master bedroom upstairs, the noise from the television (Blaine watches hour after endless hour of the Military Channel, all night long, guns shooting and soldiers yelling and firefights and tanks blazing and airplanes crashing and my GOSH the noise drove me absolutely batty …..) would wake me up, so we bought headphones. They’re fantastic, actually, and get quite a bit of use from the kids, too, even during the day.
A pillow, so he could rest his head.
A bag of Corn Pops, because despite being 46 years old, that is what he snacks on at night.
Pain meds. (Should I be surprised or horrified that she not only knew what he would need, and how many he would need, but she also apparently knew where he kept them ????)
A little bucket with Coke, and Boost, to help him stay hydrated, and also freezy packs to keep them cold.
T shirt, pajama pants, and a jacket, because Blaine gets so cold at night.
Blanket, which every single night Blaine drops on the floor while he is sleeping and the dogs wind up laying on. No, I have no idea why the linens in my house constantly smell like WET DOG.
And right there, I present to you, as evidence that my daughter is hands down, no contest, a daddy’s girl …. the proof is in the recliner.
37 Responses to The proof is in the … uh …. recliner
August 24th, 2010 saat: 9:18 PM
She’s very sweet.
August 24th, 2010 saat: 9:44 PM
Kendrie made my day.
And I bet she made her Dad’s too. I hope it made for the best night’s (almost) sleep he’s had in a long while.
August 24th, 2010 saat: 10:08 PM
That is so sweet of her.
August 24th, 2010 saat: 10:23 PM
She is not only a daddy’s girl but a young girl who truly loves her dad and knows all he has gone through. And you are the proud mother of such a caring young lady.
August 24th, 2010 saat: 10:27 PM
I’m not exaggerating…that is one of THE sweetest, most thoughtful things I’ve EVER seen. It brought tears to my eyes!
August 24th, 2010 saat: 10:45 PM
How sweet…I love it!!!
August 24th, 2010 saat: 10:53 PM
That young lady has a heart as big as Texas (you know, as in Dallas, where her granddad lives).
August 24th, 2010 saat: 10:54 PM
I love that girl! And, I admit, I love Corn Pops.
August 24th, 2010 saat: 11:01 PM
That is one of the most sweetest, loving, thoughtful things I have ever seen. What an absolutely wonderful little girl you have there.♥
August 24th, 2010 saat: 11:18 PM
That is so awesome. He is a very lucky daddy. She loves him so.
August 24th, 2010 saat: 11:26 PM
That is absolutely the sweetest thing EVER!! This made me tear up….in a feel-good kind of way.
P.S. I was a Daddy’s girl, too :)
August 24th, 2010 saat: 11:38 PM
That happens to be one of the sweetest things ever!!!!! Just shows that they do pay attention to the parents…
August 25th, 2010 saat: 1:31 AM
That is possibly the sweetest thing I have ever seen. *sigh*
August 25th, 2010 saat: 3:44 AM
That is so sweet, it is sad that Blaine needs the pain meds and can’t sleep the entire night without them but just precious that Kendrie knew just what her dad’s routine was.
August 25th, 2010 saat: 5:33 AM
Wow – what a sweet thing to do!
‘Lucy’
August 25th, 2010 saat: 5:45 AM
I loved this post. You have great kids. :)
August 25th, 2010 saat: 6:07 AM
That is truly sweet! Good job Kendrie :) Oh, and Kristie, as for the pain meds I wouldn’t worry too much. We have found with our own little one that growing up in a house where meds are the norm she is well versed in the “these are for Daddy, we don’t ever take daddy’s medicine” routine. It was interesting recently when the little girl next door happened down into our family room while my husband was hooked up to his hemodialysis machine (my mom was visiting and told the kids they could go downstairs to ask if my own daughter was allowed outside). Anyway, Raegan stood there and explained matter-of-factly to her wide-eyed friend that “my daddy’s kidneys don’t work so this cleans his blood and makes him feel better”. Guess she has been paying attention :)
August 25th, 2010 saat: 7:19 AM
That right there is absolute evidence that as parents, you two are doing something very, very right.
August 25th, 2010 saat: 8:27 AM
This made my day!
August 25th, 2010 saat: 8:52 AM
Tears are flowing! How sweet is that? She is an AMAZING girl and maybe, possibly, she is just doing for her dad what her mommy did for her when she was so sick? Way to go Kendrie!
August 25th, 2010 saat: 10:14 AM
Kendrie truly rocks – this actually brought tears to my eyes. She really loves Blaine – this took time, effort, and thoughtfulness. Way to go, Kendrie.
August 25th, 2010 saat: 11:21 AM
Beautiful!
August 25th, 2010 saat: 12:12 PM
I can’t wait for you to tell us about Blaine’s reaction!
We’ve had a couple good chuckles here when people are over, and at bedtime, Allie and Justin go to the kitchen and get out syringes and start drawing up, then administering their own meds. People look at us in horror like they can’t believe we trust our kids with meds, but when we have been doing them for so many years, me, the great mom that I am, have finally reached the point of, “You know how to do it. Get them yourself so I don’t have to get off the couch and miss a second of America’s Got Talent.”
August 25th, 2010 saat: 12:21 PM
Sweetest thing I’ve ever seen!!!
August 25th, 2010 saat: 12:23 PM
Precious, precious story – you’ve got a great family!
August 25th, 2010 saat: 12:57 PM
I echo what a lot of others said~that is one of the sweetest things ever!!!
August 25th, 2010 saat: 1:09 PM
OH that is so sweet. You have done a wonderful job raising her.
August 25th, 2010 saat: 2:00 PM
No, no, that’s just a bit of dust in my eyes… no need for a tissue, well, ok, maybe just one.
August 25th, 2010 saat: 2:12 PM
That is just awesome!! It’s amazing that they come up with stuff like this just when you think they are not paying any attention to anyone but themselves. Way to go, Kendrie!! :)
Gayle in AL
August 25th, 2010 saat: 2:44 PM
There are no words for how very sweet that is!!!!
August 25th, 2010 saat: 5:17 PM
Way to go Kendrie. That is so sweet.
August 25th, 2010 saat: 6:55 PM
Isn’t it wonderful to see what makes your children uniquely them?!!! How caring and giving Kendrie is and in spite of your disclaimers, she must have had a pretty good model in you!
August 27th, 2010 saat: 1:31 AM
Next time you go to kill her, remember this.
What an amazing child.
August 27th, 2010 saat: 1:51 PM
That was adorable!! Brought tears to my eyes too!
August 27th, 2010 saat: 5:28 PM
Kristie – seriously the best blog you have ever posted…..I have a big lump in my throat.
August 29th, 2010 saat: 12:26 PM
This is breathtaking in the depth of empathy and compassion that Kendrie displayed. Beyond her years. I’m all teary.
September 1st, 2010 saat: 9:45 PM
This is just the sweetest. Maybe she will end up counseling or working with kids who have cancer, or who have family members that do. She clearly has the heart and compassion for it.
Love your blog, Kristie.
Do you mind if I borrow your interview idea? I love it.
Thanks-
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