Hello… Before we chat about all things Mister C, I firstly wanted to acknowledge husband’s Grand-Dad and his passing at the humble age of 98 in December 2013. I had the pleasure to meet this wonderful man, and his wife (husband’s Grand-Ma) and extended family in early 2008, in Arlington, Texas USA (Hi all!). I was six months pregnant with second daughter, had lost the plot in ‘Vegas’ (Las Vegas) days before and rolled my ankle quite badly. Husband did comment, “Funny, I don’t remember that, but do remember you playing casino roulette right next to two cigar smoking dudes. There was so much smoke over the table, I thought breathing it in would make you and unborn Baby C quite uncomfortable; so, I sat in between you and those dudes to try to filter the bad smoke!”…
Anyway, as you can imagine, I had trouble walking me and my (very) round belly about the place. On meeting this beautiful man, every ache and annoyance just slipped away. (After losing my dear Dad nearly seventeen years before, it was wonderful to spend time with Husband’s US family). Being a tall and handsome older gentleman, (mind you he was very sprightly for ninety-three!), and the fact I was both a woman and pregnant, he absolutely insisted he carry my suitcase. He also opened the car door side for me, and drove us back to his house with Grand-Ma. We spent five lovely days with Grand-Dad and Grand-Ma, meeting most of the US family. I will fondly remember these times always. Sadly, we lost dear Grand-Ma in 2010, a very hard time for Grand-Dad, Husband, his Ma and brothers (always missed).
Why I mention Grand-Dad is, because when Mister C was born, everyone commented on how alike he was to Grand-Dad as a child (spitting image almost) with his little stubby nose and bright red-hair! To also mention, my Dad had sandy auburn hair and the similarities between Mister C and him are uncanny too… It is interesting how the familiar traits and resemblances are carried down from men to boys, nice to know we do belong somewhere!… Sadly, as mentioned we too lost Grand-Dad Mid December. Husband recalls…” Had phone call this morning, I had been wondering for some time and nervously expecting. Ma rang to say Grand-Dad passed yesterday (time zone differences). I always knew the last time I gave him a big hug goodbye in August 2010, (husband was able to get to Grand-Ma’s funeral) outside his Arlington house would be the last time I saw him in person”… The only regret we have was Mister C (and the girls) not being able to meet his super great Grand-Dad and dear Grand-Ma too… (always remembered).
Through this sad time, we were able to purchase a beautiful upright pianola- piano (Australian made ‘Beale’- thanks Uncle P.P and Ma!) and have dedicated it to both husband’s Grandparents with inscribed, silver memory plaques placed on the front of the piano. Husband has always dabbled in playing the piano, he was able to have lessons for about a year and play the piano at home in memory of Grand-Dad and Grand-Ma. Husband comments, …”Well at one stage, I could play ‘Firework’ by Katy Perry, a quarter of an ABBA song and also ‘Chopsticks’.” Now our Flossy (our ‘mini Delta’- will kill me for writing this…) has been playing the piano and singing (from birth really) since she was four years old. Having great lessons each week (hiya B.G!), progressing well and recently received a credit for her first exam earlier in the year (so proud!) It is so wonderful to hear the piano music fill the big house (as is downstairs), almost like our ‘heaven family’ are all around the piano listening too… Husband said to say, “He is jealous because Flossy overtook his piano playing and music reading skills a long time ago!”…
Moving right along, back to all things Mister C. I have to mention husband’s journal entry end of December (says it all) … ” I must say, Mister C at nearly thirteen months is proving to be a real handful. He wants to be on the go almost all the time, and shakes the play-pen so hard to get out, he nearly breaks it! (Mind you, he did eventually break the side and we had to buy a bigger, sturdier one online!) He screeches lots, squealing so loudly over and over again, either demanding food or to be let out of the play-pen or his baby porta-chair…” All I can say is the oral abs were working that week, and even just a month had passed since his first b’day, how much Mister C had grown and changed (that zany personality was already shining through!). Always on the go was our Mister C (mind you STILL is), trying to keep up was a battle some days. I recall the girls and I would take it in turns playing with him, particularly when he started walking well. That was a bone of contention too, as the girls and I believed it was before our second trip to Mollybook end of January 2014, in the kitchen at home; Husband believes he saw it first down the coast (again he just wasn’t there to see it at the time)…
In between husband pondering what to call his son, with …”It’s hard to know what to call Mister C when I’m being affectionate. I can’t say ‘princess’, ‘darling’ or ‘sweetie’ like I can with the girls. I don’t like ‘mate’ and not sure how ‘sugar’ will sound coming from another bloke, might end up saying ‘my son’ like Dad did.”… To, having to lock the dead lock on the front door, to stop Mister C from trying to escape, (he would at about 16 months old literally run out the front door, where he was heading nobody knows!) was our priority, not so much what to call the sprightly young man (even though ‘my son’ was very sweet to mention)… A daily routine of locking the front door after Daddy left for work, (as there was no fly screen on the large front door of the house we had at the time), to distracted the young man with water, lots and lots of WATER! We bought an early Xmas gift of a cute plastic ring pool for him, and a three-man pool for everyone to use. All set with a new pair of green swimmers and matching hat, he had the best time splashing (with our supervision of course) and giggling with the girls all afternoon long. We also bought the girls a ‘slip’n’slide’ for Xmas too, it was extra fun with a dash of detergent with the water down the plastic runner. It was super fun to see their Uncle (Hiya B.L) go down it many times trying to hold a beer at the same time! Fun, but busy times…
A word from Mister C…
Mister C was talking about going away after Xmas soon. He said… “I like it when we go to the beach at Mollybook. Daddy lifts me up over the big loud waves, and the tide comes crashing in with us. We call it ‘Booschlugger!’ (Husband made it up with first daughter years before and name has stuck!). “I love the sand, it feels soft and warm under my feet. I love collecting shells with Rah Rah and Mummy. We can put the big ones up to our ears, and you can hear the ocean rolling in and calling to us you know- WOW!”…
Stay tuned…
For more Mister C milestones, running, SQUEALING fun and games. Our second (partly disastrous trip back to Mollybook) and me turning the big four-O (Oh no! Couldn’t be!)…
Loving adventures of Mister C and his family!