midnight santa

Midnight Santa, always sweet.

This is what I saw in the morning when I opened the door to check on the kitties.

!!!!

This one was all docile-like in a small nest.

Christmas night Kari was home, so we had Midnight Santa, Round 2:

And this is the dog who stole the kitty cat's Christmas present.

I saw her eating something, seemed weird, so investigated.

It was a package of freeze dried salmon treats that Kari had wrapped up for her cat.

Stolen by the dog!

Of course I took it away, but the damage was done and Kari was a tad bit livid.

Understandable.

I thought of that line from 101 Dalmations where the dogs have disguised themselves in soot and the one hoodlum points it out to the other and he scoffs, "Oh right. Dogs is always doing that."

Bad dog.

Love, Mom

 

happy birthday, sweetheart

It was a very laid back, rainy Sunday.

There were gifts

And cake

I am so proud of the woman you've become and have so much appreciation for your conscientious loving heart, your perseverance and patience.

And I hope this year is the best year EVER.

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart

Love you like crazy forever and ever, Mom and Dad and Everybody

cookies

After graduation, the next day at noon we started baking.  She's been doing this since they were so little they had to stand on chairs at the breadboard.

The woman knows how to roll cookies.  I mostly ran the oven, and we're a good team. Not even ONE pan was burned, and that's probably a record.

The frosting crew arrived in the evening and they were ready to go, capable and dedicated to the job.

About the time we were done frosting cookies an old friend arrived, in town for Christmas.   She's a former real estate client turned friend, turned excellent math tutor, and we were so happy to see her and her husband and meet this beautiful baby of theirs.

She's been a good friend to all of us.  She and Heidi had never actually met in person, so it was extra nice they were all there together and Heidi got a turn too hugging this guy.

The girls brought up some blankets from the blanket stash and one was chosen for him. He's wrapped in it there, so pretty.  When they left it was cuddled around him just right, not slippery, not too big or floppy, just right.

Sunday while Julia was babysitting for Maria's little guy, Kari and I tackled these.   Apparently there's some kind of Ritz Bitz shortage, so we couldn't make those.

Who knew?

But we dipped the Christmas pretzels in chocolate and agreed it took longer than the other kind, but not that much longer, and the results?  Delicious.

And there were are at the end of Sunday night, all the cookies put away and the whole trashed kitchen put right again.

It was a good job done.

Tomorrow the floor will be washed and waxed and we'll be ready to start making meatballs for Saturday's party.

This weekend was perfect in unexpected ways, and nothing but love,   MOM aka Val aka Grandma

 

yay!

So this lizard went to the vet over a month ago and the ultrasound showed her to be distended with eggs.

The vet said they can reabsorb. We hoped he was right, and have been worrying over her every day that she doesn't eat.  She licked a wax worm one day.  Kari bought nutritional supplement and we've fed her that a few times, a few drops. She hated it.

Well she's been looking less distended the last ten days or so, which is interesting, and her color seemed better.
 

Last night Kari came racing into the family room late in the evening, "She ate a cricket!"

We ran upstairs and she ate two more.

Kari and I cheered and did high fives. Then we hugged and jumped for joy.

Lilli is going to be okay.

Love, Val

from the past

 Heidi sent a pile of old photos and this one kind of got me by the heart.  At first I thought that was Maria on the swing beside Jay, but when we zoomed in, of course it was JAMES.

He laughed, "What am I doing?"

I dunno. Sucking your thumb, kicking around, being yourself.

And Kari--she's telling something to Jay, and he's listening so intently.  I wonder what she was saying?

So much love, MOM