So, Katie's rabbit, Sugarmuffin, is really missing Rooster, the parakeet. I just posted about Ronald Eugene Cheatham's parakeet, Rooster being laid to rest today in our backyard. It's strange because Sugarmuffin has hopped into Ronald's room sniffing around at least three times! SHe must know that Rooster is gone.
Sugarmuffin was given to Katherine Renee Cheatham on her 10th birthday. She is the most loving bunny ever. She was just a baby when Katie got her and now she's full grown and a beautiful silky white color. She's very sweet and cuddly. She'll actually just lay on anyone's lap and let them pet her. She's been very good with the younger girls when they were small.
Kim has a guinea pig and Becca has a turtle...actually the thing is technically a tortoise...excuse me. I don't really understand the difference. I don't touch him because he might have salmonella. I can't believe the story I saw on the news about that poor little 10 year old girl being kicked off her flight because she was caught with a miniature turtle. The thing litterally was about the size of a silver dollar. The girl was traveling with her two sisters back to their mom's house and they made it through security and through the gate agent and the plane was actually taxiing down the runway when the stewardess saw the turtle and made the plane turn around and go back to its gate. The stewardess told the girl to "get rid of it" and the poor baby threw her pet in the trash. Her parents weren't with her and she felt like she had no choice. Another gate agent fished it out of the trash and took it home to his little girl. The father rushed back to the airport to get the little guy and he was gone. The father eventually got the turtle back but it was such a sad story. It broke my heart to think of that 10 year old girl having to make a choice like that. The whole plane was waiting on her. Shame on AirTran. I hope they feel like jerks.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Ronald Eugene Cheatham's Parakeet
So, another week has gone by and it has been a busy one at the Cheatham household. All who know us know that we love our animals. well, yesterday Ronald's parakeet died. He's had that thing since he was 10. A beautiful blue parakeet he named Rooster. He's handling it very well but my heart goes out to him. We had a little ceremony this morning and buried Rooster in the back yard.
I wasn't sure how to handle the animal situation with my kids. I mean every kid wants a pet but it's hard to give in because all animals will die at some point in their lifetime. I guess it's a good thing in a way so they can learn to deal with loss.
Ronald got his parakeet on his 10th birthday. I have no idea why he named him Rooster and I don't think he does either. However, it was a very fitting name becuase that little guy was very loud and he would start squawking at the crack of dawn. We got Ronald a cage for Rooster and food and water and told him that he had to take care of Rooster all by himself and that's exactly what he did. It was a very good lesson in responsibility.
Anyway, Ronald loved you to death, Rooster. We'll miss you!
I wasn't sure how to handle the animal situation with my kids. I mean every kid wants a pet but it's hard to give in because all animals will die at some point in their lifetime. I guess it's a good thing in a way so they can learn to deal with loss.
Ronald got his parakeet on his 10th birthday. I have no idea why he named him Rooster and I don't think he does either. However, it was a very fitting name becuase that little guy was very loud and he would start squawking at the crack of dawn. We got Ronald a cage for Rooster and food and water and told him that he had to take care of Rooster all by himself and that's exactly what he did. It was a very good lesson in responsibility.
Anyway, Ronald loved you to death, Rooster. We'll miss you!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
First Family Vacation
I was sitting on the patio sipping my sweet tea when I had the best idea for a new post. It was our very first family vacation. We only had the three boys at that time. William, Roger, and Ronald. We had them pretty close together and didn't have a lot of money or a lot of time to go on vacation. Richard woke up one morning and said, "Dee Dee, pack up our suitcases, we're going on vacation." It sounds so cliche but that's exactly what he said.
We drove down to West Virginia to Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp and camped for 4 days. It was so much fun. Billy was 4, Roger was 2, and Ronald was only about 3 months old. Richard brought our pop-up camper and pulled it with the truck. Billy and Roger were pretending to hunt wild animals. Rich bought them toy guns and they were doing typical boy stuff. Ronald just sat back and observed the whole thing. He was always my observant one. Nothing gets past that boy!
So, the drive is about 400 miles and should only take about 6 hours or so but it took us almost 12 hours. Ron messed in his diaper at least 5 times. Billy and Roger kept asking how long it was going to take and needed several potty breaks and lots of snacks. Roger kept dropping his pacifier and I had to reach all the way back and get it for him. I think he was doing it on purpose.
Anyway, we left our house around 6am and got to the park right before 6pm. We were all exhausted! Rich started up a fire and we roasted hot dogs and sat around the fire until it got dark. Then Rich laid out all the sleeping bags and we got comfy and got the kids into bed. No one slept very good that first night. It got pretty cold and you can hear all sorts of wild animal sounds. The next nights were much better.
We took long walks with the boys on that trip and hiked in Kumbrabrow State Forest on some of their great trails. The scenary was beautiful and the weather couldn't have been better. We sat around late at night and looked at the stars. Rich pointed out the bigger dipper to the boys and we made up bedtime stories for them.
It couldn't have been a better first vacation. I think the boys slept almost all the way home. they were up all night when we got home but it was well worth it.
We drove down to West Virginia to Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp and camped for 4 days. It was so much fun. Billy was 4, Roger was 2, and Ronald was only about 3 months old. Richard brought our pop-up camper and pulled it with the truck. Billy and Roger were pretending to hunt wild animals. Rich bought them toy guns and they were doing typical boy stuff. Ronald just sat back and observed the whole thing. He was always my observant one. Nothing gets past that boy!
So, the drive is about 400 miles and should only take about 6 hours or so but it took us almost 12 hours. Ron messed in his diaper at least 5 times. Billy and Roger kept asking how long it was going to take and needed several potty breaks and lots of snacks. Roger kept dropping his pacifier and I had to reach all the way back and get it for him. I think he was doing it on purpose.
Anyway, we left our house around 6am and got to the park right before 6pm. We were all exhausted! Rich started up a fire and we roasted hot dogs and sat around the fire until it got dark. Then Rich laid out all the sleeping bags and we got comfy and got the kids into bed. No one slept very good that first night. It got pretty cold and you can hear all sorts of wild animal sounds. The next nights were much better.
We took long walks with the boys on that trip and hiked in Kumbrabrow State Forest on some of their great trails. The scenary was beautiful and the weather couldn't have been better. We sat around late at night and looked at the stars. Rich pointed out the bigger dipper to the boys and we made up bedtime stories for them.
It couldn't have been a better first vacation. I think the boys slept almost all the way home. they were up all night when we got home but it was well worth it.
Richard Wayne Cheatham
I just realized all of the sudden that I haven't made much mention of my better half, Richard. He's the love of my life and the best father in the world. We've had 6 amazing children together and have been married for 24 years.
I met Rich in October of 1983. I was waiting tables at a restaurant he used to come to all the time with his buddies. I thought he was the cutest boy I'd ever laid eyes on. He had an adorable boyish charm and looked far younger than 21. I was only 19 at the time and hadn't dated many other boys. After the third or fourth time in the restaurant he left his phone number on a piece of paper as he left. I refused to call him. That would just be too forward but I wanted to so bad.
I didn't see him for awhile and thought I'd missed my chance when he came back in. He asked how come I hadn't called him and I pretended that I didn't even know what he was talking about. He asked for my number and I gave it to him. I just remember that I thought I was going to pass out or he could tell that I was completely in love. He called me that night. We dated for a year and then he asked me if I would marry him. Of course I said yes. We got married on November 1, 1985. I love him more today than I did in the beginning.
Rich has worked himself to death for his family. His family has always came first and he has always taken great care of us. We have a pretty traditional marriage. I take care of the home and he goes off to work every morning at the crack of dawn. I've had several jobs throughout the years but only part time. We wanted to look after our kids ourselves and not have to rely on babysitters and daycares. It's worked out well. We eat dinner together and talk about our days every night when Rich gets home.
I think Ronald is most like his father. He has a very strong set of values. Billy gets his work ethic from his father and Roger gets his stubbornness from his father. Rich has taken every one of our boys out hunting and fishing and has taught them all how to be great men. I'm not worried about a thing when it comes to them growing up and taking care of their own familes.
Richard, honey, I love you so much. Forever and ever.
I met Rich in October of 1983. I was waiting tables at a restaurant he used to come to all the time with his buddies. I thought he was the cutest boy I'd ever laid eyes on. He had an adorable boyish charm and looked far younger than 21. I was only 19 at the time and hadn't dated many other boys. After the third or fourth time in the restaurant he left his phone number on a piece of paper as he left. I refused to call him. That would just be too forward but I wanted to so bad.
I didn't see him for awhile and thought I'd missed my chance when he came back in. He asked how come I hadn't called him and I pretended that I didn't even know what he was talking about. He asked for my number and I gave it to him. I just remember that I thought I was going to pass out or he could tell that I was completely in love. He called me that night. We dated for a year and then he asked me if I would marry him. Of course I said yes. We got married on November 1, 1985. I love him more today than I did in the beginning.
Rich has worked himself to death for his family. His family has always came first and he has always taken great care of us. We have a pretty traditional marriage. I take care of the home and he goes off to work every morning at the crack of dawn. I've had several jobs throughout the years but only part time. We wanted to look after our kids ourselves and not have to rely on babysitters and daycares. It's worked out well. We eat dinner together and talk about our days every night when Rich gets home.
I think Ronald is most like his father. He has a very strong set of values. Billy gets his work ethic from his father and Roger gets his stubbornness from his father. Rich has taken every one of our boys out hunting and fishing and has taught them all how to be great men. I'm not worried about a thing when it comes to them growing up and taking care of their own familes.
Richard, honey, I love you so much. Forever and ever.
Katherine Renee Cheatham
This is my final post on my kids. I almost forgot about my little Katie. I've written lots of stuff about her but haven't dedicated a whole blog to this little sweetie.
As you all probably know, Ronald is teaching Katie how to drive. She's 15. Katie was born on Janurary 30, 1995. She was 7 pounds 1 ounce. She was in the NICU for several days after she was born because she had jaundice so bad. Most of my kids had jaundice but Katie had the worst case of them all. I went down every day to sit with her and rock her and feed her. I was worried we wouldn't bond as well as I did with my other children but we definately have. She's been a mama's girl since day one.
Katie did really good in school and always had a great attitude. She never quit anything. Her grades were good and she had a couple really close girlfriends. Katie's probably my only child who still tells me everything. Some stuff I don't really want to hear about but I love that she feels comfortable enough to share her secrets with me.
Katie just finished her freshman year in high school. elementary school and middle school were a breeze but I think she was a little shocked at how hard high school is. She had tons of homework all year and struggled with science projects and writing assignments. She's smart as a whip but it takes her a bit longer to do her homework than Rebecca. It's kind of effortless for Becca but Katie is very thoughtful with her work and likes to turn in work that is perfect. She has high expectations for herself and that makes me happy.
Like I've mentioned in previous blogs, Katie and Ronald are the closest of my two children. Having a big family, my kids always had to share rooms but I tried to keep the girls with the girls and the boys with the boys. Katie would crawl into bed with her big brother all the time. He would sing her some silly little song and get her to fall asleep in no time flat. Then, he would carry her back to her room. Bless his little heart. He's such a good boy. He's going to make some girl very lucky someday and the same with Katie. Whoever ends up lucky enough to win that girls heart is going to be the happiest man in the world.
As you all probably know, Ronald is teaching Katie how to drive. She's 15. Katie was born on Janurary 30, 1995. She was 7 pounds 1 ounce. She was in the NICU for several days after she was born because she had jaundice so bad. Most of my kids had jaundice but Katie had the worst case of them all. I went down every day to sit with her and rock her and feed her. I was worried we wouldn't bond as well as I did with my other children but we definately have. She's been a mama's girl since day one.
Katie did really good in school and always had a great attitude. She never quit anything. Her grades were good and she had a couple really close girlfriends. Katie's probably my only child who still tells me everything. Some stuff I don't really want to hear about but I love that she feels comfortable enough to share her secrets with me.
Katie just finished her freshman year in high school. elementary school and middle school were a breeze but I think she was a little shocked at how hard high school is. She had tons of homework all year and struggled with science projects and writing assignments. She's smart as a whip but it takes her a bit longer to do her homework than Rebecca. It's kind of effortless for Becca but Katie is very thoughtful with her work and likes to turn in work that is perfect. She has high expectations for herself and that makes me happy.
Like I've mentioned in previous blogs, Katie and Ronald are the closest of my two children. Having a big family, my kids always had to share rooms but I tried to keep the girls with the girls and the boys with the boys. Katie would crawl into bed with her big brother all the time. He would sing her some silly little song and get her to fall asleep in no time flat. Then, he would carry her back to her room. Bless his little heart. He's such a good boy. He's going to make some girl very lucky someday and the same with Katie. Whoever ends up lucky enough to win that girls heart is going to be the happiest man in the world.
Ronald Cheatham
So, I have a cute little story to share with ya'll. Ronald Cheatham, my sweet third son took all his brothers and sisters to the library today. I don't know what came over him but he just felt like getting everyone together for a little family outing. All the kids went except for Billy. He had to work a double shift at Lowe's. They're just working that poor boy to death since he made shift leader. He probably didn't want to go anyway.
Ron and Katie go to the library all the time but they've never taken all the kids. Ron goes straight to the Science Fiction section. He loves that kind of stuff. Katie likes your typical girly romance stuff but I was really surprised to see Roger go straight to the History section. When I was strolling through the aisles I saw him reading a biography of Thomas Jefferson. Really interesting.
Then, I saw Rebecca in the travel section. She really wants to get out of the northeast and explore. She has always dreamt of going to California to see how the beaches are different from ours. I don't think she's missing much but kids have to get out and see for themselves. I think she'll move far away from her mama and daddy someday too soon. I just hope she comes back a lot to visit. The thought of my kids being far away from me keeps me awake at night.
Kimberly was reading some vampire stuff. I don't get that at all but the kids just love it so I let her read what she wants to. I would always rather have my kids reading than watching TV and playing video games.
I had to pick up Michael Crichton's book, Congo for myself. That's one of the few I haven't read. It's about an expedition of American geologists brutally killed in the African rainforest. I heard it was really good and I got hooked on his books by a good friend of mine. Like I have time to read. It will probably take me a month to get through the book but I do really enjoy relaxing on the back patio with a good murder mystery book.
Thanks, Ron. We had a great day today!!!
Ron and Katie go to the library all the time but they've never taken all the kids. Ron goes straight to the Science Fiction section. He loves that kind of stuff. Katie likes your typical girly romance stuff but I was really surprised to see Roger go straight to the History section. When I was strolling through the aisles I saw him reading a biography of Thomas Jefferson. Really interesting.
Then, I saw Rebecca in the travel section. She really wants to get out of the northeast and explore. She has always dreamt of going to California to see how the beaches are different from ours. I don't think she's missing much but kids have to get out and see for themselves. I think she'll move far away from her mama and daddy someday too soon. I just hope she comes back a lot to visit. The thought of my kids being far away from me keeps me awake at night.
Kimberly was reading some vampire stuff. I don't get that at all but the kids just love it so I let her read what she wants to. I would always rather have my kids reading than watching TV and playing video games.
I had to pick up Michael Crichton's book, Congo for myself. That's one of the few I haven't read. It's about an expedition of American geologists brutally killed in the African rainforest. I heard it was really good and I got hooked on his books by a good friend of mine. Like I have time to read. It will probably take me a month to get through the book but I do really enjoy relaxing on the back patio with a good murder mystery book.
Thanks, Ron. We had a great day today!!!
Kimberly Louise Cheatham
This blog is for my youngest daughter Kimberly Louise Cheatham. She just turned 12 on June 1st. She is just a sweet little princess. I really love this age because she still has the innocence of a child but it's a little bittersweet because it's already starting to fade.
Kimberly truly is a typical baby sister. She is a little spoiled and has been doted on and carted all over the place by her brothers and sisters. I'm not sure exactly how but Kimberly is probably closest to her big brother Ronald Eugene Cheatham. She looks up to him so much! He's always giving her advice and she'll run and ask him for stuff she would never ask her other siblings for and even her parents. He just has a knack for girl stuff.
Kimberly was a daydreamer in elementary school. She did okay but just had a very creative mind and doodled and stared out the window rather than listening to her teachers. Her grades were okay but not as good as Rebecca's. It's amazing how six children from the same two parents can be so unique!
Kimberly is still in middle school so her story is still being written. She's doing very well. She's very involved in our local 4-H Club. She loves animals. She also loves nature. She's always out collecting rocks and leaves and loves going for strolls by herself. She also likes to journal. I think she'll be my little author. Whatever you do, Kimberly, mama will be proud.
I love you, sunshine!
Kimberly truly is a typical baby sister. She is a little spoiled and has been doted on and carted all over the place by her brothers and sisters. I'm not sure exactly how but Kimberly is probably closest to her big brother Ronald Eugene Cheatham. She looks up to him so much! He's always giving her advice and she'll run and ask him for stuff she would never ask her other siblings for and even her parents. He just has a knack for girl stuff.
Kimberly was a daydreamer in elementary school. She did okay but just had a very creative mind and doodled and stared out the window rather than listening to her teachers. Her grades were okay but not as good as Rebecca's. It's amazing how six children from the same two parents can be so unique!
Kimberly is still in middle school so her story is still being written. She's doing very well. She's very involved in our local 4-H Club. She loves animals. She also loves nature. She's always out collecting rocks and leaves and loves going for strolls by herself. She also likes to journal. I think she'll be my little author. Whatever you do, Kimberly, mama will be proud.
I love you, sunshine!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)