A Quick Trip Home

 Last Tuesday night I got a call from my sister that my brother had been taken to the hospital. He would be in the hospital for a few days. My sister had to work, which would mean my dad would be home alone. My dad is not a young man anymore. He isn't as stable on his feet as he used to be, and him being alone for a long period of time makes us all a little nervous. I had a Thursday and Friday  off, and decided to drive home after work Wednesday. I would have to come back Friday night, so I could work Saturday. It was worth it.

I had to go home to get some things for the trip and decided to take Bazinga along. I knew Dad would get a kick out of having Bazinga around. He likes dogs a lot, and if it weren't for it being too hard for him to take care of one, I'm sure he would love to still have one.

Bazinga and I made the long drive. He travels very well. We got into town late, and stayed with Josh and Caitlin. Talulla was already kenneled for the night, and Bazinga was antsy  from the drive. He was not ready to be kenneled for the night. After a while he finally settled down, and we got some sleep.

The next morning we got up early and headed over to my dad's. When I got there my sister was still there. This surprised me, I was expecting that she would be at work. Ben had called and he was being released from the hospital. Everything was OK. Stacey was getting ready to make the trip to Iowa City to go get him.

Dad and I had a good day together. I made him some lunch and we talked as we waited for Ben and Stacey to get home. Later in the afternoon Alyssa called and would bring Kahlen out to see Great Grandpa. I couldn't wait!

Alyssa's car pulled up to the house and parked in the street. She hadn't told Kahlen that I was there. I hid back as she got her out of the car and told her she had a surprise. I waited until she got across the street and popped out. She paused for a minute and then smiled and ran straight into my arms! It felt so good to hug that little girl! I couldn't stop smiling! We went in and sat down. She had a death grip on me, which was fine because I really had no intention of putting her down anyway. We sat and talked. We read a couple of books I had downloaded on my phone for her.

I asked her if someone was having a baby. She looked up at me, her eyes got very big and bright and she said, "My Mommy is having a baby!" She smiled and we all laughed, so taken in by her enthusiasm.

"Are you going to have a brother or sister?" I asked.

She thought for a minute, and said with certainty, "a brother!" She doesn't really know yet, and goes back and forth about which she wants, and sometimes says she is going to get both.

We started talking about names for her brother. I asked her if she wanted to name him several different names, all of which she disapproved. Then I asked her if she wanted to name him Antonio Banderas. Okay, yes, this might sound like a very strange question, to the uninformed ear. There is a history behind it, though. When Alyssa was pregnant with Kahlen, Willie kept saying that she should be named, (yes, even after we knew she was a girl) Antonio Banderas, and that was just the first name. Why, well, we just don't know for sure, but it became a running joke. After I asked her, she looked up at me and said a definite, no.  Alyssa laughed and said that Grandpa had wanted to name her that. Kaheln looked at me stunned. I said, "it's true, he did, can Grandpa call you Antonio Banderas?"

She smiled at me, "Yes!" she said happily.

After Ben and Stacey got home and had a little Kahlen visit, we got in the car to go over to Josh and Caitlin's. Kahlen decided she wanted to ride with me. We talked on the way there. I was amazed at how well she was talking and how grown up she seemed since the last time I had seen her. I asked questions and she answered them. She told me about daycare and I listened intently. The baby we were holding not that long ago, who could only cry was telling me stories.

Which made me ask her a question.  I asked her if I could still call her 'baby'. She had told her mom that she could no longer call her baby, or sweety or pumpkin. Just Kahlen, so, I decided to find out if Nahma, could still call her baby. "NO!" She said firmly. "I NOT a baby, I KAHLEN!" Well, okay then!

So on my quick trip home, I learned that while Grandpa is allowed to call her Antonio Banderas, Nahma was no longer allowed to call her baby.