the best kind of monday

 It was.   We went to my parents for lunch and ate chicken noodle casserole.   Alicia was in ht\\the neighborhood, picking b.g. up from preschool, so she joined us.

That baby girl is growing!

 Lunch, again with a fair amount of butt talk.

I know.  Kids never change.

 My mother, who always was the voice of reason, found it a bit funny.  "He can say butt crack all day long, not going to bother me."

I'm sure she would have hated it as much as Dan and Alicia do, when one of us kids did it, but as Great-Grandma?

Nah.

 Cousins rolling around in the den, half watching a program and goofing around.

This was a great Monday.

Tuesday is okay too.

love, Val

sewing curtains

So it's tough sewing curtains.  First you have to have enough fabric, and drag out the sewing machine and ironing board.

These are the old curtains over the sink.  The ones over the dryer actually have holes in them. This is not an optional decision.

 But I sewed em, and don't like em!

I'm used to the old ones.

This is how I am.

 So we have a set of curtains up and are attempting to get used to them.

Not the most serious problem in human existence, but a challenge in mine.  I always hate anything new or different.

Almost twenty years ago I bought a living room sofa, the couch.    Okay, now I am resenting that I have to revisit that problem again.

I bought a couch.  I examined swatches and made decisions, wrote a big check.

I'm so annoyed  by having to do this over again, as I will have to do in the next year or so.

In 1994 Jay bought me a car.  I only gave it up because I had no choice.

Now the next car is reaching an age.

I object..

Okay, goodnight, and my aren't my new curtains gaudy?

Pbbbbflt.

love, Val

seven adults

It's true, Jimmy's an official adult, turned eighteen today.

When people find out how many kids I have, I often tell them at this point I do not have ten children.    I have however many adults and the rest are children.

Now I have seven adults and three children.

Actually I never had ten children.  When Julia was born I already had three adults.

Anyway, here was a guy late last night doing homework, annoying homework.  They assign kids to read a book, and then ask them a million questions where they have to basically regurgitate the book.

 In homeschool when there were stories with questions afterward, those were entirely optional.  I mean, who cares?    That's just painful.

Doesn't he look like he could use a couple aspirin?

 Today though, this was a great day to have a birthday.  James was born in a year when March tenth was still very winter.  This year?  It's looking very April.

 What a dang mess.  Those plastic bottles are recycling I, and others, pitched from the back door toward the recycle bin and missed.  The bottles are light. The wind interferes.   The laundry soap bottles are at least a little heavier.  Usually I can get those in.

 As soon as the ground thaws, that little pond will disappear.

 James invited friends to the party tonight, and that was very fun. He has very nice friends--funny, interesting people I like to be around.

 Oh, and the nephews and nieces were here!  They have on their favorite hero costumes, sweating, screaming, running.

 Jay and my dad in the kitchen:

 I like this blurry one because Maria's eyes kind of say a lot.

 Time for gifts!

 The heros got hot, shirts came off.

And cake--p.j. and Julia decorated it.

 Blurry, blurry family.

 Here he's getting ready.  Nobody blows out candles faster than James does.

 Boom, done, in one sweep.

 Here's my mama, with John and Dannell's little girl:

And here's one more picture of James.

James?

You are one of the most tender, sweetest, kindest people I've ever known.  There's the teenaged attitude now and then, and that downstairs bathroom is an ongoing challenge, but you have never been one.

You have brought Dad and me, and also your brothers and sisters, more happiness than you can probably even imagine.

The cute baby, the funny toddler, your tremendously nervous-energy child self, wiggling all over the place constantly, the wry and astute teenager you became, and now you're a dang adult??

We used to say you were a nut magnet because every young squirrel in any group would be hyping out, pounding you with their Sunday School literature, their worksheets, paper towel tubes even.

You are the only kid ever to get kicked out of preschool, so take that trophy.

James?

Go out into the world and do good things.  You have personal power.  Use it.

This whole family is obviously way better because you're in it.

love forever, Mom and Dad and Everybody.

celebration for pj

 Today was the fourth birthday party and it was fantastic.  There's a whole mob of people who love this child, and they filled the house and even the yard.  It was 40+ degrees out, and sun shining.

This is John and  Dannell's baby, growing fast, so cuddly and funny.  She is starting to smile, though she's also very good at sleeping.

And this is Alicia and Dan's little girl, just ten days old.  They were both thoroughly hugged by a lot of people, including my sister, and my brother's wife.

Those two girls in the cream sweater and the purple are not kids of mine. They are Joe's step-sisters and they're great.    That's Joe's grandma in the blouse, leaning against the wall, my brother's girl in the blue, her mom in the print sweater in the hall.  With the zig zag print--Joe's mom.

It was a great party for a great girl.

 Here she is, four candles!

And here she was, quite some time ago.

Recognize her?  Oh my goodness.

Little girl, you done won our hearts first in an instant.

Thank you for everything you bring to us--your smarty sense of humor, your determination, your singing and sense of FUN.

You are the little sister Julia never had and gets to dote on and enjoy, and she is the big sister you get to love and follow, and also duke it out with.

You're my Curious George buddy, who warmed up my back on these winter mornings.

This whole family is better having you for a girl.

Love forever, Grandma and Grandpa and Everybody