a pretty day up north

Jay took Tim, Julia, and Kari and headed to his parents for the day.    Those little circles are filled pastry Lydia baked to bring along.

It was rainy and overcast at first, but later warm enough for a walk.

There was good food, cards, a couple boat rides, cousins, all in all a really great day.

love you Mom and Dad--love Jay and Val and Everybody

two pictures from Friday

This one was taken at the bedroom window, above.

And Sidney, happy Maria is home for the weekend.

love, Val

just life

 It's a quiet week, not much going on.    The kids have been playing this weird, goofy game.  It's kind of like charades.   You don't know what the tag on your headband says, and the other person has to act it out.

Life's real lively in the back hallway:

 Sidney is doing okay with Maria being away at school.  She's adapted.  The first week was ridiculous. She was disruptive at night, and mopey during the day.       But she's figured out she can hang out with me or with Kari and she even sits cozy with Sam more than she used to.

 This is a work in progress below.   It's a time capsule Lydia, aka Kari has been working on.   She's gathered up things to put in the time capsule. (Those are copies of photos, not the originals.)   She put in soup cans, but then we had to think about that.  They'll probably burst in time and ruin everything in the time capsule.   We can't bury it deep enough to never freeze.

What's the frost line, like six feet down?   Well, maybe we could.  I think it's better not to chance it.

And right away she realized the cardboard box won't work.  We need something that can be sealed.   So she's taking her time, thinking this out and planning it.     I asked her where she got the idea and she wouldn't say, even though she was quoting someone as to what kind of items to include:  a newspaper, a map, this and that.

James has a doctor appointment at the pediatrician tomorrow, see how he's doing, if he can go back to school or not and to check his spleen--mono causes the spleen to swell so he can't be in phy. ed. until the doctor says it's okay.

So now it's now.   They're reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid and p.j. and Lydia are having a tea party again, and she has some math ready to go over.

Pretty fine Wednesday.    love always, Val

a walk to the dam

I went for a walk to the dam this morning.

Jay ran after to catch up.

And then after this we grilled some burgers and cleaned up and came back to the city.

It was a great weekend, low-key and beautiful.     Onward.     love always, Mom, aka Grandma

morning

love, Val

evening

A movie, cribbage, shrimp.

Sidney is having a better week, getting used to being without Maria every single day.

Just Saturday night at the cabin, same old thing.

I like it that way.   love, Val

a sunny fishing trip

We headed out across the lake.

This cabin is on the island.  It's a cool place, but we've never seen anyone there.   Plus, it would be such a nusiance to have to ferry everything over every time.  But it's pretty and kind of wild and intriguing.

Mostly perch were caught.

Cranes?  Not sure.

One fat sunfish.

If enough fish had been caught for a meal, we'd have kept them, but no.   So we left them go.  

love you little fishermen,   Grandma, aka MOM