Chapter 22 – we’ve come a long way baby
I think it would be best to catch you up to what all had been happening in our lives besides tons of diaper changes. It is now summer 2005
I graduated with a Bachelors degree in Graphic Design and IT in 2004. It took me some time, cause I would take a quarter off here and there.
Shortly before we adopted Sammy, I built a home office to work freelance for clients who wanted design work done. I was working for myself. I would do the design work, show it to the clients, who would then have me get the items created like signs, printed material or whatever. I then had a little out-building built to become my shop which I used to venture into the sign business, mainly just doing vinyl lettering and artwork. I still had to farm anything that was an installation too big out to other shops, and in turn, they sent some small sized jobs my way. I also ventured out into doing AB prints for nurseries. I would have the client sent the measurements and what they wanted and I would send them the vinyl and instructions to install it. The work kept me busy, but lots of times I was just Mr. Mom. Doing the laundry, dishes, room parent at school, chaperone for field trips and stuff.
Jackie by now had gotten her RN, and was finishing up her Masters of Nursing, while working at the hospital, as well as being mom to Sammy, and aide to me when she had the time.
Sammy was getting ready to head into the 4th grade, and quite popular in his class cause he was so outgoing, never one to let his problems slow him down, even though they did.
Mom and Dad still traveled in the RV much of the winter in the south, and usually by spring time so they could get out of the tourist areas in the south, and see family. We would go down to see them in the winter when Sammy was on break, but when you have to coordinate 2 adults and a child’s schedule, it can be very much. Mom and dad found a nice price on a park model camper, and had it right next to their’s at the RV park.
Forever a Toddler is still keeping Dad busy doing the woodworking for clients of all ages. He rents a little industrial space where he had most of his operation. He has several models of cribs and two sizes of each. Basically he makes them, crates them and ships them out. In-fact he did make Sammy a crib for the trailer in Florida.
When we’re in Florida, that is the one time when Sammy wants to just go toddler, cause nobody from up in ohio knows him down there.
Mom is still sewing up diapers for babies big and little, along with all the other items that her and Aunt Sharon make. The orders come in through email and if we have them in Ohio, I pick and ship them. If not, I message down to mom in Florida and she will take the order and ship from there.
Sadly my grandmother passed in late 2004 suddenly, but I can tell you she loved doing all that she did right up to the end. Most of all she loved her grandkids and great grandson too along with all the kids that they sewed diapers for that would send thank you cards.
Aunt Sharon still lives across the street as well, when mom and dad fly up they stay there for the weekend. Jake went off to college in 2001, and graduates this summer. He will join the league of techno-nerds. He majored in IT and graphic design. He says that he is going to move to Florida with mom and dad and try to get on at one of the theme parks down there.
With the internet and all, business started booming, and soon enough I was getting jobs from all over the place. Some wanted us to move to places like seattle, LA, Texas, New York City; all of which I turned down, I did not want to up-root my family, nor move to those places.
One night after we had put Sammy to bed, Jackie asked me why I was turning down all those great offers? “I Just don’t want to uproot you from your job, and Sammy from a school that he has friends at, plus those cities just don’t appeal to me. I figure that if I am such demand, that I should be able to pick where I would like to be”
“And just where would that be baby Jay” She said. Knowing that she called me baby Jay, she was trying to say I was being a big baby about not wanting to move. I think she also knew the answer too.
“Well I would love to be able to go south with mom and dad, ya know Orlando area” I said sheepishly.
“Well when the right offer comes along, we will talk, but keep in mind, that the longer you wait, the more chance you take of not getting a better offer.” She was right, I knew it.
I hoped that perfect offer would have came before the cold season of 2005, but it didn’t.
My original lift van took a crap in late October, so we had to buy a new one, and I made sure it had all the amenities that I needed, along with what the wife wanted as well.
With Christmas a few months away I had to get planning on our trip to mom and dad’s.
When you have to travel with your own vehicle, and on trains and planes, you have to plan ahead when you are handicapped. I had already made sure that the new van was not too tall to take through the drive-thru, or on the Auto Train, we just made it too, good thing I am short and can use the stock roof, plus I got the van lowered a few inches as well.