Seasons Greetings! We're a little late this year but the battles have been real!!
It’s a mad, mad world we’re living in right now but we are
strong and will get through all of this craziness. I believe in the human heart
– however hardened in these unprecedented times and so I share the story of
when food betrayed Robb.
The annual Allred Holiday letter was born in 1999 when I
sent out messages to friends, family and neighbors of good cheer. Robb was
horrified. No one, he said, wants to read that. They want to revel in our
misery so they can feel better about themselves. It was Robb’s sunny
disposition that first attracted him to me. Here goes:
2025 has been challenging. Our new grandson, Apollo, came into
this world with a few heart issues. Nine days into his precious new life,
Apollo had a cardiac event that involved LifeFlight, untold hours of worry that
are still hard to describe. But he is growing stronger every day! True to his
Greek God name, he is magical.
Apollo is so charming, resilient, funny, and so clever. All who
meet him are in love with him. People literally stop in stores to peer at him.
Sorry. I’m off track and must stick to this letter’s intended format. My dog,
Douglas is trying to kill me. He’s psychotic.
Michelle refuses to wear glasses. She’s a menace on the
roads but now, she’s even a menace to herself. She has sent some pretty bad, if
not unwittingly inappropriate texts to people but now that she can only text
one-handed since a recent shoulder surgery, she’s improved here texting skills
considerably!
Kerri and Kyle’s girls, Ella and Harper, are now in a co-op
school system which means they are getting whatever illness is going around and
love to spread it to us. And I’m afraid Kerri and Kyle’s constant “feats of
strengths” battles against each other (please pic below to see how it has
devolved) have now spread to Audrey and Tommy. Audrey has taken to either
hiding in closets or re-enacting the final scene from The Blair Witch
Project over and over. It’s disturbing.
It seemed like a good idea to get those giant bubble sumo
balls and have all of us run into each other, except I discounted Grant’s
competitive spirit. Initially, Grant (Katie’s) appeared low-key – this would be
the same person who decided to run a 100k (62 miles) for “fun” – but as he laid
everyone out, one by human-ball-flying one, I had to admire Kerri and Kyle as
they determinedly challenged Grant (until they ultimately turned on each other).
Katie got to meet a social influencer she likes (I know, I
know … it was hard even typing ‘influencer’), and she kind of fan-girled. I
questioned this (as I did with the time Domino’s Pizza erroneously delivered a
pizza to her house and she decided she ‘deserved’ and began eating it when the
angry owner of said pizza and neighbor pounded on her door and she decided to ‘hide’
to the ‘I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE!), Katie explained the power of the social
influencer: “When my fearless leader [influencer] embraced me in her loving arms,
I thought ‘this must be how North Koreans feel when they see Kim Jong Un.’ …. Um. What?!
But it was the day food betrayed Robb that really brings
home Robb’s true messaging for the holidays!
We were in Arizona while Apollo was at a children’s hospital.
The Ronald McDonald House was housing us when Robb and I had a late dinner. I
dozed off while he started watching COPS. I woke to up to him standing over me
saying, 'something's not right.' He was red, almost purple and his face/neck
were so swollen. His neck was the size of a bulldog. He was rubbing his hands
like he was washing them. Hand over hand over hand. I knew instantly what was
going on. He had shrimp for dinner. (Katie is allergic to shellfish).
The following is as accurate as I can remember:
Alex:
Robb. This is a reaction to the shrimp! [gets up to get
dressed]
Robb:
I've always eaten shrimp [washing hands, washing hands, washing
hands]
Alex:
You can develop an allergy. Katie is allergic to shrimp.
This is exactly what happens to
her. [finding shoes]
Robb:
But I love food
[what?]
Robb:
What are you doing?
Alex:
I'm getting dressed. We have to go to the hospital
Robb:
I'm not going to the hothpital
Alex:
You know what? I am NOT doing CPR on my husband!
Robb:
I'm not going to the hothpital.
Alex:
You could die! [I Google symptoms of anaphylactic
shock. Why is he such a Robb?]
Robb:
Why ith food betraying me?
[ignoring the mind of Robb -- now reading]
Alex:
Hives. Check! Red face. Check! Swelling. Check!
Robb:
I love food. [washing hands, washing hands] Why ith food betraying
me?
Alex:
We need to go to the hospital.
Robb:
I'm not going to the hothpital.
[reallllly getting agitated!]
Alex:
Okay. Is your tongue swollen?
Robb:
I don't thhhink tho ...
Alex:
[mimicking] YOU DON'T THHHINK THHHO?????
[he is confused by my speech]
Alex:
Say "Suzie sells seashells by the seashore!'
[I knew he wouldn't say it but was making
a point but ....]
Robb:
Thuthie thells thethells by the theethore
Alex:
THERIOUTHLY!?!?!?!?! (seriously)
In the end, I gave him two Claridons as he refused to go to
the hospital but continued to question how/why food "betrayed" him. I
stayed up to watch him and was questioning so many other things! Anyway,
that'th the update. Happy Holidayth.
Moath
Thintherely,
The Allredthhh Grant carries off the wounded. No
mercy sparred - not even for a 4 yr old
Or the 6 yr old ...
Briefly, Grant feels compassion and attempts to help her up; Kerri delivers final blow
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