We're still around ...

Sorry for the long delay between posts.  Wow, we skipped all of November.  I have to say, I was pretty excited about the Giants winning the World Series again (just a tad less full of "torture" than in 2010).

As the boys grow, I realize that they don't do anything cute anymore.  No gnawing on the dining room table, no chasing butterflies, no putting on mommy's make-up (wait a minute, I still do that myself).  Regardless, followers just want to see the boys. 

Max is approaching 9 years old (hint, hint).  This weekend, I told the boys that we needed to clean the cars out - Mom's and Dad's - fully ... vacuum, interior cleaning, and complete wash.  Groans, groans, groans.  According to Will, weekend's are NOT for cleaning and that I'm RUINING the fun of weekends!!!  Trying to divvy up all the responsibilities, I told Max that I wanted him to start by vacuuming my car.  "Then, what?", he asked ... looking to negotiate the least amount of work in the day.  I responded, "If you do a good job, you can then sweep the garage ... if not, you'll have to vacuum Mom's car, too".  Completely matter-of-factly, he replies, "Dad, that doesn't make any sense at all ... if I do a great job, don't you WANT me to vacuum Mom's car?  If I did a bad job, then why would you want me to vacuum another car?"  He added, "Parents ...  can't figure them out!"

So I grounded him and vacuumed both cars myself.  That will team him!

 Max dancing ...

Halloween was kind of odd here.  Usually, there's a pretty good build-up to it with anticipation.  I think since Shelly bought the mammoth pack of candies from Costco a few weeks earlier ... and we had already gone through all of it (except for the Almond Joy's and Costco's version of a peanut butter cup that was really awful ... and took up half the bag) the lure of trick or treating was lessened. 

Charlie went with a group of friends - mostly to go to the houses of girls they knew; realize that they were not there; hang outside their house kind of creepily; text the girls; text their friends next to them; text the girls about texting their friends; etc. 

Will  had one of those Halloweens we've all had.  He had a great idea ... he was going to be "Fork in the road".  Essentially, a black shirt with lane markers and a plastic fork taped at the intersection.  Brilliant.  Simple.  Easy to wear.  No explanation.  Perfect ... until Halloween night ... when he put it on and thought he looked stupid.  So then we spend the next two hours trying out all other types of costume ideas and he ends up dressing as ... a baseball player.  I'd laugh, but I've been there, too!

Max wanted to be a weird, scary guy ... but we didn't having any dress robes for him to dress like Patrick.  Ha, ha!

Fall in North Carolina ... I ruined another "perfectly good weekend" (according to Will) by making the boys rake all the leaves!

Will ... showing his support for the first place 49ers!  He's so young ... doesn't he know that NO ONE uses a cell phone to make calls anymore!

Thanksgiving visit to Florida

Will, with cousin Liam

Six grandsons of the Cullinan's ... from left to right ... Liam, Will, Eli, TJ, Max, and Charlie

Granddaddy with Liam

 Eli (left) and Liam on the piano

On a serious note, after our visit to Florida for Thanksgiving, I drove home with the boys and left Shelly behind.  Her dad, Jim, was to undergo a procedure and surgery to remove a cancerous piece of his liver.  The procedure took place on the Monday after Thanksgiving ... to look for any other signs of cancer.  Nothing else was found, thankfully.  After further discussion, his doctors recommended that they perform surgery to remove the cancer.  This past Monday, he entered the hospital to start receiving treatment in preparation for surgery on Friday (Dec 7th).  The surgery was successful!  He will remain in the hospital for several more days as he recovers. 

In the meantime, I've been doing the Mr. Mom thing at home - with complete respect to all those single parents out there that have to manage a family and work at the same time.  The boys have been supportive and have enjoyed the experience, but clearly, we miss our Shelly. 

Depending on Jim's recovery, we'll either drive down to Florida for Christmas and we'll all drive home together before the New Year - or - if the thought of hosting three (or four) rambunctious boys while trying to fully recuperate is too much, we might have Shelly fly home for Christmas.