You've heard of the extended family?

I came home from visiting Ray this afternoon to find a house full of people who weren't there when I left.

From left to right

Top:
Tasha, Jennifer, and Rochelle (with hat)

Middle:
Elcie and Rebecca

Bottom:
Isaac (sp?), Kyla, and Emerald

Tasha, of course, is the girls' mom. Jennifer is the girls' dad's ex-wife (everybody keeping up so far?) The three kids in the bottom row are hers; the oldest, Kyla, is my grandson's youngest daughter which makes her the girls' half-sister. I don't distinguish between halfs and steps and all that stuff. Kids are kids, they all say Grandma Ann, and that's fine with me. They can sort it out later. My girls are old enough to know which kids are actual relatives and which ones aren't but they don't care. Jennifer moved to Washington State when the youngest was tiny. They're back visiting families for a few days and decided to surprise us. They certainly did. Jennifer's a good girl and I'm glad life is working out well for her.

Kyla remembered me and the girls. She spent a lot of time with us; lived with us for a while and then next door but she was quite young when they moved. She's a cutie and looks as much like her mom as Rochelle looks like Tasha.

It's odd. I've always been able to get along with the exes in my grandson's life and they all like each other. I have one rule with exes (any exes). They're all welcome with or without their new partners and any other kids they may acquire along the way. They must, if they happen to turn up at the same time, be civil or leave. (Oh, and no badmouthing, especially in front of the kids). It seems to work. Actually I think they may put their heads together and compare notes from time to time. They sure giggle a lot when they get together. I like them all and there have been several. So far as I know, these are all the kids except for Tasha's two younger ones who live with their dad (not my grandson). Long story - another time. Victim turned into criminal by the capricious family court system.

Ray was feeling better when I was there. They've increased his oxygen and of course they're treating the pneumonia. I hope when he gets out they'll finally let him have oxygen at home. He needs it, his doctors know it, but it wouldn't clear Medi-care. If his oxygen level is low enough to qualify when they test him, they test him again until it's at a level to exclude him. We will try again. I can see the difference in the way he feels.

Surely someone with a brain must realize that providing an oxygen tank for home use has to be cheaper than two hospital stays in a month.

I just discovered two gummy worms (where the heck did they come from - they're usually on the verboten list - cavities) on my computer desk. Yuck. Now I have to find out which culprit was eating here. Rebecca? Probably she just set them down and forgot them. They were intact - no bite marks. I took them (girls, not gummy worms - I hate pronouns) to the store late this afternoon and let them each buy a small container of Peeps. Everybody know what those are? The yellow or pink marshmallow chicks and bunnies that come out at Easter? I discovered five of them on my rocker, still linked together. I called one "rent" and ate it and then tracked down the owner.

Pizza tonight. Cooking tomorrow. The cobwebs have left. I opened the microwave this morning without even thinking about it. I internalize a lot, probably too much. I've always been the go-to person, the one who is calm in a crisis. It's not true of course; it just seems that way. We all have meltdowns one way or another and I'm sure the cobwebs were my version. It was a little more than absent-mindedness or distraction but it passed.

If you have a chance, check out L's latest post on thehomesickhome.blogspot.com. She's on the blogroll. I can't remember the title but she starts out talking about blogcleaning. Then check the links in her post. I won't say anything more.

I'm going to split this because I have something totally unrelated to add and it may deserve its own title.