Hot Cakes

Took the two youngest boys to visit my dad and his wife today in Washougal. It had been a very long time since we'd been there. So long in fact that when we pulled up, Aedan asked, "Who's house is this?"

Tradition has been that my dad makes "hot cakes" for us. He has done this as long as I've had kids, so we were thrilled to have him do that for us today.

The purpose of this trip was to retrieve some photos that dad wants scanned in the computer and saved on disks. Since I did my mom's side this past Christmas, the hope is to do the Hamm/Dye side this year. We'll see how this goes. I have also started scanning in my mom's recipes--grease stains and all. I have tried to type them up many times but have run into difficulties with the project, so this seems to be the best way to do it. So much faster to scan them than to retype them. I also figure having the actual pages somehow brings her closer as well.

After the trip, I have realized why we don't take this trip all that often. Their house is not equipped for little kids. I always felt that when we went to my mom and dad's house, it was perfectly suited to little children. There was a box of toys and books and kids videos for the grandkids to enjoy while there, but with his new(er) wife's youngest grandchild being just older than Quinlan, there are no amenities for little ones now. So, I spend a good part of my time there chasing the youngest and keeping stuff from getting broken--from the glass table to the statues and vases that are everywhere. It really doesn't lend itself to any good conversation time, which I really miss having with my dad.

I feel that everyone needs a person in their life that is truly honest; that will tell them if they have a booger hanging from their nose, or something stuck in their teeth. My dad was this person for me until he remarried. I think I miss this more than anything else. Since he remarried, he has become more of an acquaintance that keeps things on a very surface-y level. Very sad. Today he tried to have a sit-down conversation, but needless to say, I was playing interference with Teagen. Ah well. That conversation may never happen. My dad is 80-years-old now. I don't know how much longer he'll be around, but I think I will regret that we never got the chance to really sit down and talk in these last years.