Finally...

I started the search for new family room furniture December 5, 2008. I'm sure of the date because I found a dated paper that I signed to take home fabric samples the first day of my search. Today, 9+ months later, I finally signed a purchase agreement. I HATE DECISIONS. It is totally different than what I thought I wanted.... it will change the room completely even though furniture will be in the same place. The sales lady that helped me had no idea what she was in for... I HATE TO MAKE DECISIONS. The sofa had to be the right size, be comfortable, be high enough to hold my head and recline if possible. I sat in everything that fit the bill. Had to run home to see the fabric colors with my walls. I HATE DECISIONS. Went back but could not pick the fabric till I picked two chairs because they needed to coordinate. They had to swivel and recline. There was only one chair in the store that was comfortable...that swiveled and reclined. Now..fabric or leather??? I HATE DECISIONS. Which leather...what color? Sofa leather or chairs leather? I HATE DECISIONS. The sofa was bigger than my current sofa, the chairs were bigger than my current chairs. Would they fit? Would the room look really small with bigger furniture in it? I COULDN'T MAKE THE DECISION to just do it. The woman finally moved all the furniture around in the store to help me visualize. She had worked with me for several hours and was not about to lose this sale. While we were filling out the paperwork I kept saying "I hope the room doesn't look too small" "I hope the chairs aren't too dark" "I hope that I am comfortable with kids playing on and around the furniture" She smiled and kept working on the paperwork. Oh well, it's done.

A guy is a guy is a guy....

Today I watched three of the grandkids. The two girls played with baby dolls, dressed them and had fun making up things for them to do.



Our little boy sat in a chair eating potato chips and watching tv.


Our D. is a lot of fun. He enjoys running and playing, but I had to laugh and take these pictures.

Grandmom

My sister visited this week and we shared with each other the things we remembered about our Grandmother.

My favorite - When there were big puffy white clouds in the sky, she would ask if I thought Jesus would come back on that cloud.

In church - She played the organ. When she was finished, she would sit with me and rub my arms during the sermon.

Nails - She had long, beautiful nails.

Poppy - She married the best man. He worked hard, several jobs. He could take a nap anywhere, anytime. He treated her like gold.

Flowers - She loved flowers. I remember her growing Morning Glories and Snap Dragons in her yard on Parrish St. She showed me how to "pop" the Morning Glories and she let me squeeze the Snap Dragons to make them open. I have both of these in my yard right now.

Shopping - When I was in Junior High School, she and Poppy would take me to Murphy's on Friday night to buy a 45 record. She bought me a case to carry them in also. Wish I had them.

Food - No matter when you went to visit her, food would appear.... it would cover the table. Even if you weren't hungry, you had to eat something.

Apron - She had an apron on most of the time. The kind that went around the neck and tied at the waist.

Temper - She had a temper. I remember her going after my brother with a hairbrush. She chased him up the steps swinging it at his bottom....he was fast, not sure she even got him.

Hair - She used to curl my hair with the curling iron. The kind that you put on the stove to get hot. Her hair was always perfect, NEVER grey until she became ill at the end of her life.

Selfless/Loving - She took in a young homeless girl that showed up at her work looking for a job. This girl became my Aunt and I never knew she wasn't my Mother's real sister until I got old enough to ask questions about the last name being different.

Again Selfless - She and Grandpop moved to Florida to care for an elderly couple (that used to be their Pastor and wife) who had no family to take care of them in their golden years.

Spend the night - I always begged to spend the night with Grandmom. When we were young we lived two row houses away, so it happened often. Then we moved, and I started school.... when she visited, I remember crying when she left because I wanted to go with her.

I could probably continue adding to this post ..... My Grandmom left a legacy of love. She loved the Lord and showed that in her life. I am blessed that she was my Grandmother.

Cousin Camp 2009 - Fifth, Last Day

Today is the day after the Last Day of Cousin Camp....I waited to do this post so we could relax, shower and then go out for a nice quiet dinner.

On the last day of camp we played games, went to the Nature Center, visited "the air-conditioned playground that also serves food" and went swimming. The weather was not the best, so we were glad the Nature Center and playground were both indoors. The pool was enjoyed in the pouring rain... which was nice -- made it different.

I wanted to mention the things we did this week that could never have been planned... some of the spontaneous happenings.

Tomatoe Picking - the kids noticed the tomatoe's were ready for picking at various times when they were in the yard. They really enjoyed picking them and one day we even delivered some to neighbors.

Rain Gauge Lesson - When it finished raining on Friday, I asked C. to go see how many inches we got. He wasn't sure how to read the gauge, so Camp Director went with him to explain it and all the kids joined the group and got a lesson about measuring rain.

Blackberry Picking - We stopped to pick blackberries which were on the side of the road when you enter our neighborhood. They were delicious.

Bug Collection - I keep a bug collection for the kids. One day during camp V. asked if she could see the bugs. Then she went out back and started looking for dead bugs to add to the collection. The others joined her. We added one... don't know what it was.

Queen Anne's Lace - We stopped and cut some Q.A.L. When we got home we put them in red dye and blue dye. The kids loved squeezing the dyes into the bottles. I now have red and blue flowers in my window.

White Fuzzy Caterpillar - Camp Director and I saw an interesting caterpillar on the backyard gate. By the time we gathered the kids from the trampoline to see it, a really ugly bug was killing it. We wouldn't let anyone disturb them, although they wanted to. We later learned (on google of course) that the ugly bug was an assasin bug, a rather nasty little critter. It can actually inflict a serious bite/sting with a toxic venom that can give nasty reactions. Glad we did not interact with that little bug.

Breakfast Foods - Breakfast is a pretty easy meal. Although we had meals planned everyday, we decided, at the last minute, that we could do short order cooking for breakfast, so each camper got whatever they wanted from the breakfast menu.

Swimming in the Rain - What fun....

Hair Brushing - Not sure this qualifies for a spontaneous event because hair brushing didn't happen this week. Only the one night that I washed the girl's hair because the chlorine was making it so stiff.

We've put away the games, given away the leftover kid food, and enjoyed our first quiet day together in a week. What did we talk about???? WHAT DO YOU THINK????

Cousin Camp 2009 - Fourth Day

Wow, the week is almost over. There were things that ended up being so special...

Like Music --- The first day of Cousin Camp as we were driving to the Nature Center, the kids were arguing about something so I turned on a tape of Bible Stories and Songs. Within 30 seconds they were singing along and listening to the stories. Everyday after that, as soon as we started the car they asked me to turn on the tape. It was great... the last song they heard, they sang the rest of the day. On the path today at Centenni.al Par.k, they were singing and humming "Who built the ark? Noah, Noah. Who built the ark? Brother Noah built the ark." At one point today, I asked Camp Director if we could just drive around with the tape playing -- it's the only time they all enjoyed something without competition.

Like seeing them learn together -- Pool time was fun. All the kids learned new things this week.... the three big kids can now flip into the pool and they improved their dive. Our littlest camper learned to swim under water and today she jumped off the side for the first time.

Like Pajama mornings -- The mornings were nice. We hung out in our PJ's for a couple of hours playing games together. Not what we planned to do, but the kids loved it. We ended up doing it everyday. The favorite game was Bingo, but Kings Court and Sorry were close seconds.

Like enjoying nature -- Anywhere we went, whatever we did, the kids enjoyed bird watching and leaf and flower identification. The yard was a great place to point out lots of birds while we were swimming or eating on the deck. On the trails, the kids had a pamphlet with pictures of wildflowers and leaves; we'd see them looking through it trying to identify a flower or a tree by the leaf. Nature provides so much.. to see, talk about, do... God's motion picture.

Tomorrow parents will pick up the grandchildren that we were blessed to have for five whole days. We are truly thankful to God for the blessing of our family.

As for me, I'm planning a nice quiet dinner with my hubby, the best Camp Director I know.

Cousin Camp 2009 - Third Day

Oh my.... These kids crack me up.

Do kids bathe at camp??? Decided I would bathe the girls tonight because their hair was starting to look like a can of Aqua Net had been sprayed in it. C. doesn't have alot of hair so he escaped a bath and I escaped the argument it would have taken to get him there.

Ft. McHenry was great today. C. loved showing us around and the girls were real troopers. They "played house" in the buildings, while C. and I or Camp Director looked at things with him. We ate our picnic lunch near the water and watched boats go by. Nice day.

We hung out at the house after Ft. McHenry because we haven't done that and we have lots to do here. We played in the pool, had a candy shower, watched a movie, played games, made cookies, rode scooters, made pretzels, built a fire and roasted marshmellows.

Our little Boss Boy didn't take a break today. It was hysterical. They all rode scooters in formation. They looked like the Blue Angels on scooters. C. (Boss Boy) would yell "diamond formation" they would ride along until he yelled "line formation".... "turn right" "triangle formation" "stop". You get the idea.... he was driving me crazy, but the girls didn't mind. Once in a while our little P. would just drive off and do her own thing. He'd try to get her to "line up" but he met his match with her. She was in her own world... didn't even hear him.

At bedtime everyone wanted to change rooms.... sleep with a cousin, not a sibling. No problem if everyone didn't want to sleep with the same cousin. So... I had to say that everything would stay "as is" until tomorrow night when we would all sleep together in the basement (on the floor)...C. bargained for a tent to be set up.

I'm off to bed. I don't want to change rooms, don't want to sleep with a cousin. Ooopps....forgot to tell C. to wake me when he gets up NOT ALL THE GIRLS.

Cousin Camp 2009 - Second Day

No one woke us through the night....we slept till 7:15.

11:00AM...we headed to Pataps.co Stat.e Par.k for our hike over the swinging bridge and a trail or two. The cousins complained like crazy during the first hike.... a flat trail next to the river. It lead to a tunnel with a small stream running through it. Now that's more exciting... tunnel, water... they came alive. On the way back to the swinging bridge, they complained again.... hot, tired, thirsty, hungry, hurt....whatever they could think of. We found a bench in the shade, ate our picnic lunch and rested awhile.



Camp Director asked if anyone would like to go on another hike to a waterfall. All the girls went and C. decided to stay behind (I stayed with him). Of course, right as they were almost out of sight he decided that he wanted to go. So I told him to catch up and I would follow. THEY ALL LOVED IT. It was everything a boy dreams of... rocks to climb up the mountain, rocks to climb in the water, rocks to climb just to climb. The girls were pretty excited too...


I was a wreck and told my Camp Director husband that he was going to be dead tonight. I even asked the cousin's where I should bury him, they said the pool.





But now that all is well.... I'll forgive him for making me enjoy the fun and memories.

At home we cooled off....by....guess what???.....SWIMMING. One of the things the cousins have enjoyed is a huge float in the pool that they named Happy Boat. Everyone is happy on Happy Boat as long as they follow the rules of our Little Boss Boy. Jump on, jump off. No climbing on or off. You're not allowed to waste water. The boat will pick you up at one of two places only. We finally had to give Boss Boy 15 mins to be the boss and then the rest of us got to have fun on Happy Boat.

Then off to the Awards Ceremony of one of our little campers. K. received her trophy for swim team and an award for being the most spirited participate. We are proud of you K.

Everyone enjoyed swimming at the community pool - V. K. and C. all enjoyed jumping from the diving board, something we don't have at our pool. And our little P. finally learned to go under water. All she talked about on the way home was that she wanted to get in our pool and swim more ...under water.

We ended the night with popcorn and a movie (not swimming).
Only watched 1/2 hour....everyone was tired. Everyone was asleep quickly.

Cousin Camp 2009 - First Day

Day started earlier than I had hoped. Never-the-less, it was full and fun.

We headed to a Nature Center that ended up being closed - no electric.



So we changed gears quickly and took them to putt-putt, which was a huge success. We played for 1 1/2 hours and then had snacks in the shade. We all heard Chick-fil-A calling us for lunch. It "happened" to have a playground, AIR CONDITIONED, so we stayed and stayed and stayed. When we returned home we played in the pool, made snow cones and played board games. We had a great time. Camp Director and I were so proud of ourselves --- we were wearing THEM out and WE were still hanging in there.





Next, we headed out to have pizza and then Krispy Kreme for Kids Nite. It was fabulous. We watched the donuts being made from start to finish and then got to icing one, put sprinkles on it and eat it. WOW...free. The kids got balloons and hats. Did I mention - FREE.

We thought they would be exhausted when we got home, THOUGHT... we read books, rode scooters, played on the neighbors swing set, read more books, played Bingo and then I finally sent them to bed. They had brushed teeth and put on PJ's way back when we first read books.

I can no longer say we out lasted them.... WE ARE EXHAUSTED. But can't wait to see those smiling faces tomorrow AM, I just hope it's about 8:00AM.... am I already dreaming?

Cousin Camp 2009 - Orientation Night

The kids are in bed. Two are asleep. Two are not.

I only had three children and I was under 30 when my last child was born. My camp director husband and I have four grandchildren here for the week. We're halfway between fifty and sixty. I hope we make it.

The children showed up all excited at four o'clock and Cousin Camp 2009 officially started. Aunt Mary helped us start our bright yellow t-shirts, which now have everyone's hand shape and initials on them.


Thank you Aunt Mary. Then the kids made signs for the doors of the rooms they would sleep in. Pool was next, making them hungry and hopefully tired.

Dinner - was quite fun. We let them experiment putting all kinds of food on top of each other to eat it. Then Nonno took them for a walk to find the Black Rat/Racer snake that he has seen in our yard twice in the past two weeks....they looked like snakes themselves wandering through the yard.



Then we made snowballs, each had four flavors, in one cup of course. I guess it would be called Rainbow. We read some books, had another treat (they are at Grandma's) and then off to bed.

The kids are still in bed. Two are still asleep, and two are still not.

Everything Gets Old...

V - Grandma, do you know that popcorn is corn?

Grandma - Well, yes, it's a special kind of corn that is grown to make popcorn.

V- I eat popcorn kernels because it's corn.

G- Oh...be careful I don't want them to break your teeth.

V- I do it all the time, don't worry, it doesn't.

G- It broke mine before

V- That's cause your teeth are old; everything gets old, then dies and goes away.

G- Thanks.

V- It's true Grandma.

This conversation happens to summarize one of my favorite songs, by Casting Crowns.

Who Am I?

.......I am a flower quickly fading,

Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind...

...But you've told me who I am.

I am yours.
I am yours.

So, of course I shared that even when this Grandma gets old, dies and goes away.... she will not really be dead.

A Cute Town

We told the girls we were taking them to a cute little town. It was a beautiful day. We enjoyed walking around... on the walkway, the bridges, the walls.




We ended our day at a nice restaurant where the napkins were folded so nicely. The girls sat down hesitantly and then smiled when they looked at the .....napkins??? Kids are soooo much fun, and I'm glad I had my camera.

A Mr. Rogers Morning

Watching the washing machine go swish, swish and showing his bunny rabbit. Isn't life simple and sweet through the eyes of a two year old. I love spending time with you D.

TaeKwonDo

For two years I have enjoyed being with C. at TaeKwonDo.


The first week that I took him, he was upset and I didn't know what to do.
Now I pick him up from school, he chooses a snack from the trunk of my car and we chat about his day while I drive.  We always arrive early, because he enjoys playing with the other students before class starts.

The first week he wasn't sure what to do.
This week he received his sixth trophy. Two are for skill and four for "Best Student".



First week he was wearing a white belt.
Now he is wearing a green belt.

First week his pants were so long they had to be hemmed up 4 inches.
This week I took the hem out, all 4 inches, and they fit him perfectly.

In the beginning he was unsure... now he is confident.

I will always be thankful for this special time  with C.  

Lord, Help him to grow as Jesus did ... "In wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men." 

In and Out the door

I was babysitting K. and D. while their Mommy took T. to the allergist.  

K. and I played games till we heard D. talking in his monitor.  After getting him out of bed we settled in on the floor of his bedroom just relaxing.  A minute later he walked out the door and said "Bye".  Five seconds later he came back in and said "Hi" and came over to join us as if he was visiting. Then back out again..."Bye", in again "Hi"....  again and again with a big smile on his face each time as if it was the first time.  So cute.

I was reminded of a day four years previous that K. did the same thing, but she brought me "cookies".  In and out the bedroom door - going to the store to get "cookies", bringing them to me and watching me eat them.  That day the game went on for a long time, it was just the two of us.

K. enjoyed her brothers "game" more when I told her about her own day of doing the same thing.  Wonderful growing up memories.