12 posts tagged “grands!”

Show us something you made by hand.

We drove down from our cottage on Sunday.  It is nice to be here with the ac in this awful heat. And it was getting hot even at the lake.  Our week at the cottage with the blond grands was fun. They were busy all the time.  Their dad made the trip up for a long weekend and they went home with him.

 KTG and her mommy were with us for the entire time with her daddy driving back for work after the 4th, then back up for the weekend. But poor KTG developed a fever on Friday and had to lie low the rest of the weekend. She was on the beach and in the lake before then. Another Beach Bum in the family. She approaches things with such joy that it is truly fun to watch her. 

She caught on to digging in the sand and shell collecting very quickly.  Her older cousins loved watching her and playing with her. They kicked ball around the lawn and patiently watched as she picked it up and walked off with it.  After a few days, she was kicking it too and looking very proud.  She tried the tiniest bit of her mommy's S'more as her cousins tried experimenting with the recipe. They used chocolate chip cookies and oreos in place of the graham crackers , and then egged on by their Aunt B, used Peanut butter cups instead of chocolate squares!  Pronoounced their creations as the "best ever".

                    Our oldest and youngest grand daughters are bonded!  THey light up when they are together.

We head back up tomorrow. My husband's cousin, her daughter and so in law and their kids are coming for a long weekend. The heat is breaking so we look forward to more beach fires, S'mores. long walks on the beach and lots of music and laughter. This part of the family are muscians and bring ukeleles and guitars and fiddles with them.

More lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.

Tomorrow we leave town to go back up to our cottage. Both the blond grands are going with us. So are B, KTG and her daddy.  A week of sand, blue lake and hopefully sunny skies.  Normally all the kids and grands would be coming but with the 4th being on Wednesday, work will keep the rest in town.  And our next door neighbors will not be there for the first time in years. Again...work and midweek.  We will have fun.  We can build a fire on the beach and sit and watch the fireworks from the nearby town and from the resorts along the shore.  No traffic...just starry skies and lots of S'mores.

Hope everyone has a safe, happy 4th!

On a hot June day, much like this one,  my husband  and I got married.  How did we celebrate?  A cookout at my daughter's house, watching four of our grands play in the pool.  What better way could we spend our day?  It was so much fun!
A two year old, a three year old, a nine year old and an eleven year old...all connecting and having fun.  We had good food and a lot of laughs....

Just the kind of family day a young couple dreamed of 43 years ago.
So many memories, so many shared experiences...but today we looked at each other and said 43 years?  Where did time go?  It really doesn't seem possible that that much time has passed.

I have been reading a lot of knitting blogs lately.  I really enjoy seeing all the creativity that is going on.  I learned to knit over 50 years ago as a child, but knitting fell out of fashion for a while. Then, as I was graduating from college, it became popular again and I took up my needles. There was a wide variety of yarn available and I enjoyed making things. As I had my children, I continued to knit. My mom and I made their sweaters until they were in upper el and wanted the ones they saw in the stores. We still made some, but not as many. We concentrated on mittens, hats, and scarves for a while.  I made tons of afghans.  I made dishcloths.  I made several sweaters for the one child I have who appreciates hand knitted apparel. I even knit a coat for her.  Then came the grands!   I have done some knitting for all of them. The eldest, who is 11, wants scarves and hats made by gramma.  And I have promised her a teddy bear since she saw the one I made for KTG.  I made baby blankets galore. 

But with KTG...I am having so much fun. Lots of hats, sweaters, blankies and toys.  I am even knitting a dress....a first for me.  And she wears them...often. Her mama likes hand knitted things and I even have something planned for her soon.

I am also knitting in a group.  They meet once a month in a local coffee shop. All of us retired, many of us former teachers.  We knit for charity while we are together.  All of us have other projects and we laugh about our bountiful stashes, but when we are together we knit for the local Soup Kitchen, for hospices, Chemo caps for kids, blankets for Bosnia and Africa and Katirna victims, and now we have added an assisted living facility to our list. 

But the blogs. They make me so happy. The craft I learned at my grandmother's knee is alive and vital!  There is a resurgence in the craft and the stores are full of all sort of wonderful yarns. Exciting yarns. Best of all, there is a new yarn shop opening in our community.  It has been years since there has been a local yarn shop in our area. The nearest is about 20 miles away.  I purchase yarn from Michael's or Joann,etc. or online. Sometimes I have found yarn sources in the northern part of our state, near our cottage. 

The knitting blogs tell me that this craft will go on.  They introduce me to designers and patterns and fibers that I didn't know existed. The pictures and writings inspire me.

And they keep me busy for hours!

Lots of randomness today.

I had a fun weekend...saw all five of my grands...and spent time with my daughters.  The Grands are all growing and changing so quickly.  They provide the light and joy in my life.  No one makes me laugh like Katherine Grace and her 2 year old boy cousin...as they explore the world and try to establish their place in it.

After the visit to my doctor last week, I am now on Allergy meds and a anti cholesterol med. I hate taking pills so this is giving me a good deal of grief!  I am also strictly counting calories...he says 1500/day, I am trying to keep to about 1200.  I have lost 3 pounds. I am also increasing my exercise.  I am certain this is also making me sleep better.
Aging is not always fun.

Amazing Race ended last night.  My choices didn't win,  AGAIN.  At least Amber and Rob didn't win.

I am officially hooked on Brothers and Sisters. I love the cast and I think the writing is interesting. I always have a laugh during the hour, and sometimes shed a tear.

And tonight is Dancing With the Stars.  I love to watch people dancing.  After taking ballroom dancing as a teenager, it is fun to see what the celebrities do. And it is amazing how much weight they all lose. Makes me wonder about their new dvd ...could be fun.

I am enjoying all the sunshine and nice weather we have been having.  Lifts the spirits and relaxes me.  I have even begun the Spring Cleaning process.   Need to do the windows inside and out to improve the  view.

Now I need to go download the new Avril Lavigne cd from iTunes for the eldest grand.  She needs it for her Shuffle.
Or so she says.  Her downloads always make for an interesting read when the QOTD or a friend ask for postings of what happens  when I press shuffle on my iTunes.  What other woman my age can list Hanna Montana,  The Cheetah girls, and Avril Lavigne?

I love this computer. I just spent time on iChat with my daughter, my eldest granddaughter and my youngest granddaughter...so much nicer than a phone call. I could see them and watch them interacting with each other. Just so much fun!

People ask me why I use Apple, not another type of computer...and many are less expensive. But the OS and programs for Apple are  so easy to use...and I enjoy using this so much.  iPhoto is another program I am totally in love with. It makes it so easy to store pictures and to email them to friends and family across the country.

And it gives me happy moments like tonight!

Today I drove about 20 miles south of here and delivered the blond grand daughter to her Aunt B. She is going to spend the night and get to know her cousin, Katherine, a bit better.  We shopped for a bit at the mall, had lunch and I drove home.  When I got home, the husband was back from opening our cottage and 3 days of raking and blowing leave.  Everything was good there, no downed trees on our property and no apparent winter damage.  We will go back up soon and get everything ready for Memorial Day weekend.  We spent some time catching up and then went to pick up the blond grandson. He wanted to come home with me when I picked up his sister, but last night was girls' night.  He is here now,  settled in for the night. He and his Papa fixed his bike and then fixed their own dinner.  They are watching tv together and he will probably be into the Play Station soon. He was telling me all about the book, Holes, that he is reading. He likes it, and likes that it is different than the movie...which he and his sister love.  I am so happy they love to read.

Tomorrow his sister comes back..and then we will take them home.  And the fun weekend of seeing all the grands ( in shifts) will be over.

This morning I was awake early...I do not sleep well when my husband is away.  So I got my day started and met the daughter with the two redheads at our local park. Before she got there, I had done my 5 laps of walking. The girl readhead attends Montessori and she was in school so I played with the boy redhead on the playground equipment. He climbed and used the slide and crawled on me.   We giggled a lot and then went to the swings.  Afterward we went to the Tim Horton's nearby and he had a donut while his mom and I had our coffee and chatted.

This evening, I am picking up the blond granddaughter and she is spending the night with me. Tomorrow morning I am driving her down to meet her Aunt B and she will spend the night there and play wirh Katherine...she is so excited about going. 

I enjoy them all so much.  Grands are the bonus in life!!