George's Hangar

01/2003 Shortly after Becca was born, it was determined that she had a low blood sugar level. Wanting to help out in any way he could, George offered the Doctor his "Skittles" so he could give them to Becca to help raise her blood sugar!

10/2001 A few mornings ago I asked George if we could find something we'd both be able to watch on TV, rather than just the cartoons he likes. We then settled on an old Buster Keaton silent film. We were both laughing and enjoying it when the bus stopped to pick him up for school. A few nights later while Debbie's parents were over for dinner, George finished early and wanted to watch TV. I told him fine - but something other than cartoons would be nice. I turned it to TVLand and there was an ""I Love Lucy" episode on. I told George that was a show I used to watch when I was his age. Without skipping a beat George asked me if it had sound! Ouch - do I feel old or what?!

5/2001 Recently after a friend's son's Christening, George was out in the backyard pulling a couple of toddlers around in a wagon. He was going pretty fast - and it was all the little ones could do to hold on for their lives. I told George he needed to slow down so no one would fall out. George stopped and looked at me and said, "Dad, have you seen any babies fall out of the wagon today"? I thought it was pretty funny and was telling Debbie about it in the car on the way home. George overheard, and jumped right into the conversation: "Dad, only one fell out, but it was because the wagon tipped over". No big deal, right?!

5/2001 Yesterday morning I went in to awaken George for school. Since it was an early morning - I figured I would need a little incentive to get him up and dressed early. I laid his clothes out and told him if he was dressed in five minutes, he could play some Nintendo before breakfast. Surprisingly that wasn't as effective as I'd hoped. So I started telling him some jokes. His reaction: "Dad, do you hear anyone laughing"? Actually - I was after he said that!

2/2001 George was waiting patiently at the table for Debbie to finish making his dinner. The subject came up that he was next door while his cousins were eating. I told him that he'd need to come home when they were eating. He said, I know - besides Uncle Hoby bosses them around. He makes them make dinner for him. Knowing the truth - I asked if Drew and Sam were using the oven. "Well, no - Uncle Hoby helps them a little with that part. But they should get to wait around for their dinner like I do!" Guess who's going to be setting the table more often from now on?!

1/4/2001 George lost his first baby tooth today. He bit a little too hard into his pop sickle and it started to bleed a little. So, Mom pulled his tooth out. He was upset that he was going to lose all his teeth until she explained that he had new ones coming in right behind it! The tooth-fairy left him a dollar!

10/2000 George was talking to Joanie one day - when she mentioned to him that she felt sad because he was her baby - and he was growing up so fast. George told her she should have another baby. Joanie told him that this wasn't going to happen - that she was not going to have any more children, but that maybe, Dad and Debbie" will have a baby some day soon. Without missing a beat, George said, "It'll probably be Debbie".

8/22/2000 It was a sunny morning, and the windows were open, with only the sounds of the breeze and the locusts. George was lying in bed, having just awakened. All of the sudden he said, "Oh my, it's going to be a HOT one today!" "It is?" I asked. "How do you know?" "Because I heard the sun drizzling", he replied. Yep, it's going to be a hot one alright!

8/17/2000 While George's kindergarten teacher, Jen, was visiting to meet George and talk to him about starting school, she took the opportunity to ask many questions. When the subject of his "imaginary" friends came up (see below 8/99) he was eager to tell her all about Max, Max, and Joey. Jen then asked George a question that never crossed my mind. She asked how he could tell the difference between Max, and Max - the twins! "Well", George replied thoughtfully, "there's psychotic Max and regular Max." All of us were shocked, but Jen pressed on. "What do you mean by psychotic, George?" George instantly replied, "Psychotic Max is the crazy one! He does all kinds of crazy things. He can bounce on a ball without falling off!"

7/2000 While saying his prayers for bed last night, George was lying down in bed. When I told him he needed to sit up while praying he asked why. I explained that as a matter of respect towards God, we shouldn't just "lounge around" while praying. George quickly told me that by laying down, God can better see what we look like since he's looking down from above!

7/2000 While visiting Debbie's parents' house, George enjoyed opening and closing all the sliding doors. He closed one right behind me, and I asked him to please open it so I could enjoy the ocean breeze. He opened it about an inch. I asked him to open it more. He opened it another inch. I asked him to open it about a foot. He opened it another inch, and stuck his foot in and said - "It is a foot, Dad. See?"

3/2000 As Joanie and George were riding to the hospital for a check up, George said to Joanie that his head was feeling just fine! Since they were on the Expressway bridge near the north side of Boston, Joanie asked George why it was he always felt better as they got closer to the hospital. George thought for a few seconds while looking out the window, and said, "I don't know. Maybe it's just the beautiful view of the city"!

12/99 Christmas morning, George was busy opening gifts, when he opened a hat from Uncle Hoby and Joanie that they'd recently bought in Bali. When Joanie told him the hat was from "Bali", George promptly turned to her middle daughter, and said, "Thanks Molly"! (I guess he thought Joanie had a cold!)

12/99 About 1030 in the morning on George's 5th birthday, I asked him how it felt to be five. He reluctantly said, "Dad, I don't know".
"You don't know? What do you mean"? I asked.

"I checked the [sic] wayer Dad, and I'm still only four".

"The wayer? What do you mean"? I asked.

"I looked at the weigher, Dad. And it still points to four".

"You mean the scale"?

"Yes, Dad. I stepped on it, and the pointer still says four".

I can only imagine how disappointed he felt when he stepped on the scale, and looked at the pointer showing his weight still at about 40 pounds! He knew he had presents, and friends coming over. It was very difficult for him to come out and admit that he wasn't in fact five as he thought he was supposed to be! He was very relieved to discover that the scale had nothing to do with his age!

11/99 George and I went down to Ft Meyers FL. where her parents have a condo they stay in several weeks a year. Jane, Debbie's mother, treated George like a little king. Everything and anything his heart desired, he got. Stories read endlessly; food (of his choice, of course) and anything else! Well, I was walking by the kitchen where George was sitting at the table, and Debbie told me he had just said, "This place isn't too bad". Before I could say anything, he chimed in... "It really isn't, Dad"!

11/99 I picked up one of those "artistic" pumpkin carving kits for Halloween. George and I made a pumpkin with Snoopy on it, and one with Charlie Brown. I left the pumpkins on the front deck when I went to work for a week. I arrived home the other night, and brought George home with me. Debbie also came for a visit. On arriving, George and Debbie went upstairs while I unloaded all of our stuff. Debbie started straightening a couple of things in the kitchen, and George went into the living room. A minute later, George went back to Debbie in the kitchen and said, "Charlie Brown's head fell in and Snoopy had an 'erfquake'!" Debbie had NO idea what he was talking about, and asked him what he meant. He dragged her over to the front window and pointed to the pumpkins. Having no experience with rotting vegetables, George explained what he saw as best he could. Sure enough, Charlie Brown's head had fallen in. And it looked indeed like Snoopy had been through an 'erfquake'!

10/99 Joanie's Dad, Arnie, died of Cancer on Oct 23, and George and I went to the funeral. George spent many hours with "Grampy" and they shared an affinity for tractors. (George has a couple in his collection that Grampy has given him). We went to the funeral home early that morning, before heading over to the church. While in the funeral home, Joanie's Mother, Anne, was sitting alone by the casket. George saw his opportunity, and moved in. He walked right over to Anne, put his arms around her and matter-of-factly said, "Gram, Grampy was a good man you know". I dare say, that did as much as anything could to lift her spirits that day.

8/99 While out on a trip I called back as usual to say goodnight to George. He took the phone call as an opportunity to tell me about his new friends. They are invisible friends, and had shown up about three days earlier. I asked their names and he told me, "Max, Max, and Joey!" I asked, "Max, Matt and Joey"? "No, Dad! Max, Max, and Joey! Max and Max are twins"! You know - there's just no arguing with a four-year-old's logic!

7/99 While preparing to go to work the other day, I asked George to please carry a few things over to Joan next door. Apparently he thought I was asking him to carry too much. He looked at me and said, "Dad, do you think I have three hands?"

5-99 While on a trip from Memphis to New Hampshire in the camper, George was sitting in the "co-pilot's" seat when he opened the map and decided to navigate. Soon, he turned around and asked Debbie, "Where should I tell Dad to go?" She told him - and he turned around and told me, "Go north, Dad". This repeated about three more times, and each time Debbie gave him a different answer until she finally told him to tell me to go to Connecticut. George then turned and said, "Dad, go to Conn . . . go to Conncet . . . . Dad, go to Conn. . . - Debbie, you tell him"!

4-99 George has for some reason always liked vacuum cleaners. Whether it's the noise or what I don't know. But for years, he has had a toy vacuum which he followed Joanie around with as she did her housework. Recently he has taken to dragging out her vacuum and using it. Well, the other day, he was using it when Joanie heard an awful racket coming from the living room. She got in there about the time the vacuum got turned off. George looked up at her and said, "Mom, I think I've outgrown my Leggo^® blocks." Holding back laughter, Joanie explained that you never outgrow Leggos, and that perhaps he should keep them. "Well, Mom." He responded somewhat dejectedly, "I think it's already too late."

3-99 Riding down the road, Joanie mentioned to George that he should learn to write his name. He quickly responded that he already knew. Joanie told him that he can spell it, but needs to learn to write it on paper. George was silent for a couple of minutes, and then said, "I think we should start with the letter 'O'!" (One he already knows of course!)

2-19-99 - Many mornings the first thing I am aware of is the sound of little feet coming into my room - followed by a voice announcing his arrival - or perhaps he'll just climb onto the bed and snuggle a while. This morning - it was all I could do not to fall out of bed laughing when George walked in - and in a slightly "congested" voice announced, "Dad, I think my nose is stuck"!

2-18-99 - George has recently gotten into the habit of kicking off his underwear when getting changed or undressing for his bath. After several stalling tactics failed to work last night - I told him to hurry and get undressed for his bath - and I'd be in the bathroom on the count of 3 and he'd better be ready for his bath. When I rounded the corner of the bathroom door, I saw George standing in front of the toilet - holding his underwear - 'dripping wet' - both on the floor and in the toilet - but rather dismayed at his predicament. Seems that when he kicked off his underwear - it landed in the toilet bowl. "Uh-oooooh"! Trying my best (and failing miserably) not to laugh - I told George it wasn't funny - and he shouldn't "kick" his underwear off anymore! His reply was, "I know, Dad". (I get a lot of that expression lately too).

1/99 - My girlfriend, Debbie was visiting, and it was snowing - so I was out plowing the driveway. It was time to eat - and I asked Debbie if she'd mind feeding George dinner. She made dinner for him - and when he was initially reluctant to eat - she told him he'd have to eat it or I'd be mad at her. He asked, "Why will he be mad at you"? Debbie told him that I'd asked her to make him dinner, and if he didn't eat it - I'd be angry with both of them. George thought for a second, and then told Debbie, "Oh, then we'll BOTH get a 'time-out"! (He then promptly ate his dinner!)

1/99 - A favorite saying of George's has become. "I think you're missing the point here". I am not sure where, or from whom he got this 'saying', but it sounds good to him and he will often tell Joanie or me that we are missing the point for no apparent reason.

11-10-98: George has recently enjoyed dressing himself. He is so proud of himself when he gets himself dressed or ready for bed. Well, the other night, he was at Joanie's, and she told him it was time to get ready for bed. He disappeared, and came back out a few minutes later with one of those one-piece pajamas, but this one had open feet on it. He had it on, but had put his arms through the legs, and legs through the sleeves. "Mom, I think I've got a problem", he told her. Joanie offered to help, but George would have none of that. He went to his room and came back a few minutes later, this time with his legs through one sleeve and one leg, and the same for his arms. Again, he knew it wasn't quite right, but refused any assistance. He disappeared again, and came back with his arms and legs through the correct holes . . . but had managed to twist it in the back so there was no possible way to zip it up. Being ever persistent, he refused help yet again. By this time, Joanie and her daughter, Katie were almost in stitches, but careful not to laugh in his face. Finally, George came back into the room, with his one-piece on correctly, and all zipped up - with only one minor problem: It was inside out! He was so proud of himself; Joanie didn't have the heart to let him know. So, he slept that night with his jammies inside out, but ever proud of his accomplishment!

7-15-98: George was just beginning to get the hang of using the toilet. He still had some accidents, but was getting pretty good about telling me when he had to go. Well, one afternoon, about a week after we got to Memphis, he was out in the yard playing with the Ross boys (the family we were staying with) and some kids that were visiting. Then he came in and told me he had to go "pee pee". After he came out of the bathroom, I smelled something more. I asked him if he had to go "poops". He said, "No, and I'm not in big trouble. Am I"? I said of course not, but decided to press the issue, when he again informed me he was not in "big trouble". Immediately, I knew something was up. I pressed again, and he told me he'd already gone, and wasn't in big trouble. Since he'd been so quick in the bathroom, I asked where he'd gone. He told me, "In the street, but I'm not in big trouble". So - to make a long story short, I went outside with him to find the other four kids standing in a circle in the driveway pointing to something George had left for them, going "Eeewwwwwww"! George was still proud of himself for not going in his pants. I guess progress, however small, is progress.