Engleberts in Missouri [miz-er-ree]

You’ve known it since the day you were born and your mom slapped a diaper on your backside.

My dad knew it even though he would complain loudly about how he should buy stock in TP.

Now that I’ve had so many children I know exactly what he was complaining about.

Here’s a solution for those who are tired of spending so much money on “waste”d paper.

The Washlet

I’ve been doing genealogical research on our various family lines for a couple of years now. One line I haven’t had much luck with was my mother’s line. I actually didn’t even make any attempt to research my maternal grandfather’s line because I knew my Uncle John had already traced a large part of that family.

While I was down in Florida during my dad’s recent surgery/recovery, I got a chance to sit down one evening with my uncle and go through some of the genealogy records he had. He really did a great job with the Smith line but had hit quite a few roadblocks with his mother’s side - the Robinson/Green lines.

My grandmother, Pearl, grew up without her mother or her mother’s family. Pearl’s mother, Cora, had left her dad while she was very young. Cora was never heard from again and Pearl’s dad didn’t speak of her or her family.

In the evenings after my mom and I would get home from the hospital and she would head to bed, I did a lot of research online. I’ve continued that research since getting home and have discovered I come from a line of women who needed a marriage mulligan.

My great-great-grandmother Almira married at the age of 21 and apparently had a long (over 50 years) and (we’ll assume) happy marriage. Her female children though seem destined to marital unhappiness - at least the first time around.

My great-grandmother Cora married even younger (17) and divorced her first husband (my great-grandfather) after about 4 years of marriage. It appears she went on to marry again somewhat more successfully. Her daughter, my grandmother Pearl also married young and divorced her first husband (not my grandfather) after a couple years of marriage. She also went on to marry much more successfully. She and my grandfather were married for 40 years. My mother divorced her first husband after 10 years of marriage. She married my dad and they are coming up on their 36th anniversary.

Although my first husband wasn’t a drunk or cruel and abusive husband like my female relatives chose the first time around, our marriage didn’t work out either. We divorced after 5 years of marriage. Every now and then I get down on myself for that failure. Strange I know considering I believe I found the “love of my life” when I met and married Steven almost 19 years ago. I know this one is going to last.

So from now on I’ll just remind myself that I took a do over - it’s a family tradition. Not a good one but still a tradition.

Guess what?! They’ve sent my dad home from the rehab hospital today. That’s a week early! He is doing great - no walker, no oxygen, feeling strong. I don’t have any feedback on the feeling like a 20 year old yet.

We’ve been having some bad weather here the past couple of days. The kids were out of school again yesterday because of another ice storm. That’s the 8th “snow” day they have had this year. Since only 4 days were set aside in the school calendar, it looks like Violet’s school year will be extended. If the weather continues like this she might get out of 4th grade just in time to start 5th grade. Snow days don’t affect April & Jon this year - they’ll graduate on time regardless of how many days they miss. You can guess which kids pray for a snow day every day.

Volleyball practice was canceled last night also. That is a sad thing. Violet’s team can really use the practice. Not that they didn’t win their match on Monday. They did - all three games (25-18, 26-24, 25-18). It’s just that there wasn’t much volley in the game.

Volleyball at this age is all about learning to play - most of the girls have never played before and are starting at ground zero. Mostly, whoever served won the point because the girls can’t seem to hit the ball back yet. And passing to other teammates? Fuhgitaboutit. For one brief instant during the second game there was a little back and forth action but it didn’t last for long.

Violet’s serves aren’t that dependable yet. Maybe she’ll get it across the net. Maybe not. Practice was rescheduled for Saturday morning. Maybe she’ll get better. Maybe not. But she is enjoying playing and being part of the team and that’s really what it’s all about at this age.

More pictures on my flickr site.