Margie and I babysit Jobe; I pay a visit to Jason, Iqaluk, Raquel and Aanavak, down from Wainwright
Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 4:00AM ;)
I am in the car with Margie and we are nearing Jacob and Lavina's house. As is plain to see, there is more snow in Anchorage than there is here. I think it is because the way the mountains around us are situated. They scrape a lot of the snow out of the sky before it can fall on us.
That's my theory, anyway.
;)
Laverne and Gracie must check in at the airport late Saturday night for their very early Sunday morning departure back to Arizona. The Anchorage Fur Rendezvous began today and Lavina wanted to show her sister the sights, so Margie and I went in to babysit Jobe and Gracie.
Lavina with Jobe, shortly before she and Laverne set out to explore the Rendez.
;)
What do you think he was dreaming about?
;)
Soon, Margie had Jobe. Jacob came home for lunch and checked him out. Gracie played with Muzzy. Those two hit it off big time.
;)
Gracie is a great admirer of my mustache and beard. Nobody has one in her household down in Shonto, Arizona, in the Navajo Nation.
;)
Gracie became sleepy, and went into her room to take a nap. Nobody had to put her down, she just did it on her own.
;)
Every now and then you meet someone in this life who you wish could be there all the time, a person that you would like to see nearly every day, and say, "Hi. How you doing? Wanna go get an ice cream?" but you know that can't be. You know you will see this only every now and then, in visits separated by years.
Still, you wish.
Gracie is such a person. I will hate to see her go.
Farrell, her dad, will be thrilled to see her come home. He has spent so much time overseas in places like Kuwait, wearing the uniform for Uncle Sam, that he deserves all the time he can get with his little daughter.
;)
Pretty soon, Jobe needed to be fed, so I held him and gave him the bottle. He guzzled it. In fact, he would guzzle three bottles before Margie and I would head home in the evening.
;)
Margie and Jobe, Take 1.
;)
Margie and Jobe, Take 2.
;)
I had a few other people to see, I had to leave Margie with Jobe and the sleeping Gracie. I headed out into the heavy traffic of Anchorage.
;)
I made a couple of stops, then headed over to the Dimond Center Hotel, because Jason Ahmaogak of Iceberg 14 and a member of my Wainwright family had come down to get some dental work done on his daughters, Raquel and Aanavak, here with their mother, Iqaluk.
The family had been out to Fur Rendez, where the temperature was a warm 20 compared to in the -25 to -40 range back in Wainwright, where it had been mighty windy, too. So they wandered about dressed in light clothing, marveling at the warmth, and they say they got a few stares.
Because of their dental work, the girls had to eat soft food, but when they saw some Chicken McNuggets, they wanted them. Jason bought them some and cut them into tiny, tiny, pieces.
Soon, Jason says, they will be eating maktak and other Iñupiaq foods. They will need their teeth for that.
;)
Jason and Aanavak, Take 1.
;)
Jason and Aanavak, Take 2.
;)
I then went back to Jacob and Lavina's, hoping to get a shot of Kalib and Jobe together, but Jobe was asleep. Kalib was helping his dad prepare dinner.
He was making enough for all of us, but Margie and I had to leave, so we didn't get to eat any of it.
We will go back Saturday, to do some more baby-sitting while Laverne and Lavina go watch the sled dog races.
I still hope that maybe some of that cold air will slip down here before Laverne and Gracie leave, but I saw a picture on the news of a low-pressure system spinning this way from out of the South Pacific, so I doubt it.
Reader Comments (9)
"Every now and then you meet someone in this life who you wish could be there all the time, a person that you would like to see nearly every day, and say, "Hi. How you doing? Wanna go get an ice cream?" but you know that can't be. You know you will see this only every now and then, in visits separated by years."
Yeah. I know that feeling. *sniffle* It makes the time you do have painfully precious, doesn't it?
I love the look on Margie's face as she holds little Jobe. It is a look of complete satisfaction. Perfect completeness. It is beautiful to see and it brought tears to my eyes. I also liked the picture of you and Gracie. The picture of Kalib at the end was almost a shock. He looked so baby-ish just a few weeks back, but now, compared to his brother, well, suddenly he seems so very grown, a little boy instead of a baby.
Nice post, Wasilla Bill!
Oh, that Margie is a blessed Gramma for sure. As for Gracie living several states away...I've said it once and I'll say it again, there should be a law that all children and grandchildren must live within a 150 mile radius of grandparents. Fifty miles would be better. *smile*
I just LOVE the photo "what do you think he's dreaming about?" That little smile on his face is soooo cute! Then my next fav is Gracie up on Grandpa's lap, each of you looking into each others eyes.
Damn your getting so good Bill! If you ever decide to 'un-retire', maybe AP will hire you. Or whatever mag is equal to the old POST mag these days.
They'd say "HIRED!" on the spot, believe me....
Your pictures are giving me baby fever in the worst way!! That one of Margie holding Jobe, the way babies do, little butt so rounded... oh I miss those days. Such a wonderful and cherished time right now. I'm very envious of you and Margie. Special times.
Precious! I think Jobe is dreaming of flying just like his grandfather.....
Take #2 of Margie and Jobe encompasses everything you have ever written about your wife and her relationship to your children. Look at that sweet and tender expression on her face; moreover, she clearly is in her element. It has a calming effect on me. I am experiencing the 'Stop and smell the Roses' feeling!
Wonderful post.
Also wishing Laverne and Gracie a safe trip back home. Maybe Shadow should make the journey with them (for protection) bet he would have a tall tale to tell in the end.
My favorite photo (they are all excellent though!) is the one of Lavina holding Jobe in the sunlight. Such a dreamy mother and child connection.
ditto! twas good to see kalib again. and margie too, so serene, holding jobe. and what about the tiny kids from the rez? all with i-phones. yikes! good shot, bill.
I like that little Gracie. Cool kid!
Is she gentle with the animals?
Debby: Thank youy. And now Gracie is gone. I had written a bit about it in the post that went up today, but that is part of the material was wiped out by Squarespace. You can probably imagine, however.
Whitestone: That 50 mile rule is a good one, and Gracie is actually in compliance with it, as her grandparents live right near by. I guess I am a granddad-in-law, but it is amazing how quickly a ganddad-in-law can become attached as well.
Aview: Thank you for the good comments. You make me feel good. But I need to clear up one thing for sure. I am by no means retired. No, no, no! Absolutely. I retired when I die or my health or brain utterly fails me. Not until. This week, I go to to press with a 116 page publication. And I have no financial resources to retire upon even if I wanted. Which I don't.
I am not of a temperament, though, to work for anybody but myself.
Mikey - Yes, it is very special.
Funny Face - And now they are already back. Right now, I see Shadow's fingers smacking mine as I type, but maybe he did travel with them as I slept.
Michelle - Yes. Lavina connects deeply.
Ruth - Yes, ever since Jobe was born, there has been this feeling about Margie that is incredible. I should note that those were iPods, not iPhones and there is no reservation on the Arctic Slope. In fact, there is only one Indian reservation in all of Alaska - Metlakatla, home of the Tsimshian, at the tip of Southeast. It is a long and complex story and I can't even hint at it here.
Anon - She is exuberant with animals, but she is not rough. Soon, I will make a post dedicated to that very topic.