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Saturday, January 27, 2007

Remember When

{Lyrics by Alan Jackson}


Remember when we vowed the vows
and walked the walk
Gave our hearts, made the start, it was hard
We lived and learned, life threw curves
There was joy, there was hurt
Remember when


I had a world class migraine yesterday afternoon and all night long. One of those that it takes all your effort to just hold your head still to keep from getting sick. If you have never experienced these particular joys of life, imagine someone hitting you repeatedly about the head with a ball peen hammer. Then times that by 50, and you get the idea. Back before I had any of the rug rats, and it was just Angie and I, when these headaches would come on, the solution was easy. Go to a dark room, lay perfectly still, and a pray to God they would go away, or that someone would just shoot me, whichever came first. This was from 1992-1998. During that same time, the Boston Red Sox were mediocre at best, finishing in 7th, 5th, 4th, 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 2nd place during those years, with one division title and one wild card berth.


Remember when the sound of little feet
was the music
We danced to week to week
Brought back the love, we found trust
Vowed we'd never give up
Remember when


Ciera came along, and immediately wrapped her Dad around her little finger. I spoiled her rotten, and still do, with the firm belief (Prayer?) that if I treat her so well, and baby her so much, that no man will ever be good enough for her. I know this is HIGHLY unlikely, but if she does get married, I'm at least making sure the little weasel who is the lucky fella is going to have to WORK at it. He's got a lot to live up too. Whenever the headaches came during this time period of 1999-2002, I pretty much could do what I did before Ciera came along. Being that she was a girl, and close to perfect, I could just go lay down and wait for relief or death, it didn't really matter which. Things, coincidentally, started looking up for the Red Sox. For the next 4 seasons, they finished in 2nd place each year, with one wild card berth.


Remember when thirty something seemed so old
Now looking' back, it's just a steppin' stone
To where we are,
where we've been
Said we'd do it all again
Remember when


In 2003, Rakes was born, seemingly with a built-in megaphone. This boy even sleeps loud. He yells everything, laughs like a drunk hyena, and runs everywhere. Then, last March, baby Trot came along. And while he's a good baby, he has developed his brothers in your face way of communication. Just recently he's figured out how to scream when he's hungry, rather than his old method of just crying hysterically until he got his food. Trust me, the new way is NOT better. Last night when I got the migraine, I could not lay down. The boys are like Tommy Lee Jones character in "The Fugitive". There is not a bathhouse, gas house, or out house you can hide in. So, I just sat in the chair doing my best not to throw up for 3 hours, while the 3 of them ran around whooping it up at a volume I can only describe as being close to the sound a jet makes at Mach 3.


For the Red Sox during these last 4 years, unless you've been living in lower Mongolia, you know things have been good, great at times. 2003 they win the wild card, have the epic ALCS with the Yankees, and Aaron Boone becomes a figure in history. 2004, same finish, same ALCS, only this time the baseball God's were smiling, and after the greatest comeback in sports history, the World Championship came home to Boston. For the first time in 86 years.


Do I think my children coming along had anything to do with this? Nah. I just know that them entering this world has brought me more happiness and more joy than at any time in the 28 years before. The Red Sox winning the World Series? Just icing on the cake.


Remember when we said when we turned gray
When the children grow up and move away
We won't be sad, we'll be glad
Remember what we had
Remember when


Think I'll still be sad when that happens. And there are a lot of baseball seasons left ahead.


I've got at least 18 more years where at least one of my children will still live at home, and I'll be 54 years old then.


Anybody know how old you can be and still adopt?

22 comments:

Tex said...

Ted
I know exactly how you feel. I began my migraine episodes in my 30's while I was married to Attila the Hun. My life was filled with stress due to this and no matter what meds I took....wasn't enough. I teach a cognitive skill class which involves a topic on stress...I talk about how stress can bring on so much illnesses and how being healthy helps you. I talk about how I lost 170 lbs and got rid of my migraines most of the time....I divorced my Ex :)

Do I still get migraines still....on occasion...only when I drink too much, sleep too little and think too hard.

Reading about your little ones made me get teary eyed...they grow up so fast. I think Boys only have 2 volumes....Loud and Off. Somehow...I should have been a boy.

Ted D said...

Hey Texas. Your 2 volumes, loud and off, could not be more accurate! I would not take anything for them though. Just have to buy some earplugs I guess.

I like how you got rid of your migraines!

Stacy said...

Beautiful blog, Ted. Love the Alan Jackson song woven in between the stories of the kids.

Rakes' voice does sort of carry a little bit. :) Trot is just trying to keep up with the other two so no one forgets about him!

Glad you migrane is gone. Sorry you couldn't find a quiet place. Try the van next time.

Peter N said...

Yes Ted, so well said. I hope you can be pain free, and in 18 years, you'll be my age exactly. So rejoice in your youth, your family. Irreplaceble elements of your life. And for that, I'm happy for you. P

KAYLEE said...

hey i hope you feel better:) I get those on occasion and they are painnful=( between that and the asthma and the now broken hand and nose I am battling a tough life right now:D

Ted D said...

Hey Stacy. Stacy told me at chruch this morning she was gonna out me so I'll do it myself: Stacy is my big sister! So thanks for stopping by Stacy. And Peter, 'preciate you stopping by to. Jeez, kaylee, you are in tough shape! Your year has got to get better!

KAYLEE said...

yes i am hopefully it will=)but i hate playing baseball now the men can have that sport=)

Tex said...

I kinda half figured that out too Ted...about Stacy being your sis...something she posted before.

Always nice to have your family posting on your blog. See They DO listen to you Ted!! :)

Tree Newt said...

Dude, let me know if the plan about spoiling Ciera in order to keep her from ever being satisfied with any man works...I'll get started on Caroline right away!

I had migraines for a couple of years...so bad they made me yak. Then I quit drinking 5 20oz. sodas a day, and I haven't had one since. Strange, since migraine medicines have caffine in them, yet true.

Remember when...we used to have "sock fights," and you loaded your's with AA batteries?

Remember when...I blamed you for eating the ends off of the nerf football, though I did it?

Remember when...you drug me out of the pool after my swan dive and ensuing broken arms?

Ahhh...memories. Think of all the fun Rakes and Trot are going to have!!!

Tex said...

\\Remember when...we used to have "sock fights," and you loaded your's with AA batteries? //

The truth comes out about our sweet innocent Ted! I bought cracked up laughing at that. I have my own "remember when..." stories about my lil sis too.

Ted D said...

Bro, you can't be telling all that stuff. It was a LONG time ago Matty! You have got to let it GO!

Tree Newt said...

Bro, you know I've never thought about this, but the ol' sock fights might just be responsible for my "tree-hugging." Think about it: when I was a kid, I was all into G.I. Joe and guns and war-stuff. Post-sock fight with aforementioned AA batteries, I love playing acoustic guitar and hugging trees. Coincidence?

Tex said...

::getting comfy on my couch waiting for more stories from Matt about Ted::

Stacy said...

Ted also used to tell Matt to cry so he would get one of us older sisters in trouble if we hit him or something inconsequential like that.:)

Believe me, Rakes comes by his antics very HONESTLY!

Stacy

Stacy said...

Matt, I think you're on to something; Ted is probably responsible for your tree hugging, granola loving ways! :)

Stacy

Tex said...

Soooooooooo Not only was Ted a stinker, he encouraged Matt to be a stinker too???!! Well I guess he's in for it once Rake and Trot gets older...

ted is so gonna wish he didnt create a blog now LOL!!

Ted D said...

Matt and Stacy: do not give Tex any encouragement to pick on me: she does just fine on her own!

Tex, you can't believe everything you hear, you know.:)

Matt, I can SO get you back on this blog. You know this right?

Tex said...

woooT!! Im on the blog!

Ted D said...

Tex, glad I, I mean Angie, figured it out! Before I post a new one later tonight, I had to share a story about sweet little Matt. After he broke his arms, as he alluded to earlier, he came in one day, both arms in casts mind you, REEKING of the smell of hay. Seems Matt and a buddy were playing with a lighter and a can of hairspray, and set the hay in our barn on fire. I will note here I was NOWHERE around when this happened.

Matt was a bit of a firebug: he once tried to light a fire with the flu CLOSED and smoked up the entire house! Mom was not pleased.

P.S. Matt: that was mild. You have been warned! :)

Tex said...

LOL oh This is gonna be SO much fun hearing all your family stories!! Notice I did NOT tell my family about MY blog :)

Ted D said...

Tex, I'll say this now: we have a very close family, and we laugh and pick on each other all the time! I would NEVER say anything about any of them here they would be embarrassed about.

Hear that Matt?

Tex said...

no biggie Ted. My family puts the FUN in dysFUNctional. I remember when my bro in law told me at his sweet age of 17 that he was gonna marry my lil sister...I was taking him christmas shopping for her...I turned to him while I was driving the car and said "Over my dead body" and continued driving...he was silent for the rest of his trip. Although as you see...i said it was a story about my BROTHER IN LAW for the last 20 yrs.