a winter drive

We drove out to Wisconsin on Saturday.   It was a beautiful drive.

And we saw these sweet people:

And these:

Saturdays don't come any better.

Love, Val

a week of occasions

It started out early Monday morning with the second graders leading the prayer service at their school.  That's her in the middle, reading.

Then the Christmas story in her classroom. She was a narrator, did a great job.

Her class has only thirteen students.  It was very sweet.

That evening we watched a couple basketball games, which is always fun.  Kids sports do not change, the good and the bad, whee.  They played hard, were tough fought games.

Wednesday night was  First Communion for those two girls returning to the pew afterward.  I don't like to take pictures in church very much.  It always feels impolite somehow, but we got one picture.

And then these afterward, beautiful night:

The camera distorts the picture the further the image from the center, but those are my people.  My own babies on each end, and lots of grands in the middle, missing the youngest two.

Tonight was the musical at their school.  It was a great performance, elaborate, fancy, well crafted.

Babes in Toyland, which is an old story, but it was fun to hear it fresh again.

Our guy was the villain, the main character.  He had SO MANY lines he had to speak, so many insults and insinuations.  He did a truly great job.

That's the brother in the middle, singing. The singers were wonderful, so many songs.

And tomorrow is Friday, the end of a very sweet week.

We so missed all these occasions during the past couple years when it wasn't safe to be together, touching each other, breathing the same air.

Not taking any of this for granted.

So much love all you guys, GRANDMA, aka MOM
 

the magic bathrobe

That's my bathrobe hanging on the door.  It's the magic bathrobe.  It got this name because if anyone can't sleep, you just put the magic bathrobe over them and they go straight to sleep.  It's very reliable.

I told the child about this and while we three were resting on the bed watching TV, I covered Grandpa up to demonstrate.

He fell right to sleep.  She noticed he'd dozed off and was giggling behind her hand. He'd been hit by the magic.

I told her I'd wash the robe and then she could take it home.  Maybe it would help her sleep.

So after it came out of the dryer, she wanted to try it out.

I explained again that you have to be very still.  No kicking or talking or wiggling.  Your eyes have to be closed and then you wait for the magic to come onto you.

In about five minutes she was asleep.  I texted Heidi this picture and she said, "Don't let her sleep!  She'll be up all night!"

In a couple minutes I said her name and she woke right up (she's a light sleeper) and looked startled that she'd fallen asleep! She said she'd been dreaming about Shrek.

Random!

Anyway, good luck with the magic bathrobe.   Hope you get lots of great sleep.

Love, Grandma
 

more baking

She was an intrepid baker.   I showed her how to scoop the dough, flour the board, flour the dough, and flip it over a couple times and then start rolling.   Sprinkle a dab on any sticky spots.   She caught on fast, and had only one moment she yelled for help and had the rolling pin encased in gingerbread.

I helped her get straightened out and she was off again.

Then the sugar cookies were baked.  She'd gone home by then, so it was just the two of us--Jay frosted gingerbread and I baked the cookies.  Not used to doing both the breadboard and the oven, so there was a bit of a struggle. A few pans were burned. Squirrels like them anyway. Out the door they went.

Later she returned all by herself to help sprinkle cookies. She hung in there a long, long time, and used so many sprinkles Jay said to fetch the trays and recoup some overage to continue on. All were done.

Very nice job, my darling.

Thank you so much for your help.   Love, Grandma

a baking sleepover

We haven't had a sleepover in a long time, but Friday night it worked out, and they had a good time.

Only had one helper with the baking and she's very good at it, surprisingly for someone so tiny.

Some racing crash game with cars:

Okay, little water skiing Santa had his boat deflate.  Fan is dead, smelled burnt.

Sad.

Since the guinea pigs have overtaken the guest room, they exhumed the air mattress once again.

Made beds on the couches:

She has such a hard time falling asleep.  He got her warmed up and she conked out, finally. But trying to sneak off that air mattress without waking her up was quite the feat.

The next morning, the baking got underway:

Okay, I encourage people to eat at the table. We have tables in the kitchen, in the family room, and in the dining room. They're great tables.

So we've got your french fries on the rug.

And a walkie talkie and a banana on the couch.

At one point, glanced into the family room and a child had a hamburger on the piano!  And a large beverage!  

Seriously?

I don't know how clean that piano is.  We dust it with furniture polish, but not promising anything.  

Oh my goodness.

I love you kids, Grandma, aka MOM