This is retirement?

     I've been "on retirement" since September and it's become another job!  I can't seem to do what I anticipated. The leisure days, the stay cations and vacations seem to be looming in the future, but they're not here yet.
     First of all I made one big mistake. I decided to tag along with my husband on his daily excursions.  BIG MISTAKE. Now I'm the one getting up early and he's the one sleeping in for an extra hour.  I quickly dash across the street and relieve my daughter of her motherly duties so she can leave for work.  I use to work with her - now I work FOR her!
     This is the favorite part of my day. I love being with my grandchildren. Kids are so happy in the morning after a good night's sleep. (Not so when it's a bad night's sleep though!)  Isabel, at age three, gets herself ready, brushing her teeth, changing her clothes and heading downstairs to greet me. (I do have to watch her socks - she wore the same pair three days in a row before her mother caught it.)
     Lil Rigo at ten months is a smiley face.  He moans and groans to let you know he's awake; once I enter his room, he pulls himself up and has the dearest smile on his face.  If his grandfather arrives by this time, he eagerly listens for him. How he loves his grandpa! He holds on sweetly when I creep down the stairs. As soon as I place him on the floor, off he goes, searching for grandpa.
     Tia finally comes to take over the demands of Rigo while I finish up with Isabel. She has her breakfast; now combing her hair is sometimes a battle. I like putting pigtails or french braids on her. She's decided she likes that wild look but she thinks that means I'm not suppose to comb her hair at all. Once we get through this, it's time to drive her to preschool. (Mom doesn't like to call it daycare.)
     After we drop her off we sometimes have doctor's appointments or blood tests. Mainly my husband does. Then we may end up at the apartment to pick up rent or clean up in the front of the building Breakfast is eaten either at a restaurant or grandpa whips up his eggs in a manner that can only be done by him. They are the best!
     The rest of the day should be mine. So far it hasn't been. We have a new "dependent" Andre who was living in our home for a few weeks. He's returned to his own home but we usually pick him up around 1:30 and bring him with us whether it's to pick up lunch or run into the fruit market. He loves being in the car. He thinks it's the best thing that's ever happened to him and since he was a puppy mill dog for three years before my daughter fostered (then adopted) him, I guess he may be right about that.
     Well, dinner has to be made. Emails have to be answered. Bills have to be paid.
     We had lots of running around to do, trying to activate my pension.  My husband and I failed in our divorce and had remarried.  Even though I married the same person twice, the pension board has to receive a copy of the divorce decree. Would you save a divorce decree under these circumstances?? Neither did we.  Then his birth certificate is from Turkey.  It has been translated but I don't think the translation was very good because his passport was requested for more verifications. Hopefully my pension will start at the end of this month. I may get retroactive money though. That'll be great.
     Our reverse mortgage went through - YEAH!!!  Interesting closing, done in our own home.  The Title Company hired doesn't collect any proceeds.  We had to go to the bank and have that money transferred. That's the finale.
     Before we reached this finale, there were visits to a mortgage counselor, kinko's for copies, and constant papers being sent to the mortgage company to show we are upstanding citizens who always pay our bills and will now do our best to continue to pay our insurance and taxes.  The ends justify the means - not paying a monthly mortgage for LIFE is going to make all this running around worth it.
     So, evening arrives much too fast. My daughter comes over for dinner and to pick up Andre.  We review all the obstacles she has to overcome in her life at the time.  I'm longing for a time when we can say her life is drama-free. Don't think that'll be happening any time soon, but we can wish, can't we?
     So, my friends sporadically enter the picture. i have an aunt in the hospital for surgery.
     Oh but I did get one of my anticipated retirement bonuses - we tossed out our PC and bought an iMac. LOVE IT!!! I ran a Mac lab, then later I ran a PC lab at the schools I worked in. I can't understand why anybody would prefer a PC. I'm soo glad to be an Apple person again.
     Wonder when the rest of my anticipations will come to fruition??