Eli was 4 years old on September 1, 2014...not 5 years old!

Eli was 4 years old on September 1, 2014...not 5 years old!

September 2014-Moving & Changing

Since I have last “blogged” several moves have happened. My 94 year-old Mother moved from the independent living apartment where she has lived since 2005 to an assisted living facility. In between she was in the hospital and had surgery and went to rehab at the same facility where she is now living. As she has said, this is most likely her last move until the cemetery. Papa Wayne and I are not moving, but he has prepared his childhood Trussville house to be sold. Your parents lived in that house when they got married. Kristina & her family have bought a house in Starkville, Mississippi and moved into it from their rental house. And your family has moved into a new house in Dunavant Square in Mt. Laurel close to your wonderful school. The movers got the piano from my house and moved it to your new house. You have loved playing it when you visit me and I’m hoping you will continue loving to play it at your new house. One of the movers is a piano tuner! It definitely needs tuning to get ready for its new life in your living room! This is a piano my parents bought when I was about 2 years old when we moved into the house in Mobile where I grew up. My mother & sister played very well. Although I took lessons for 7 years, I was never very good. Maybe you will enjoy playing it in your new house. Your new school year has started and it is fun to see how much you’ve grown. It is very different to let you out and pick you up in the carpool line. Such a reminder of how quickly you grow & change. You have been a little anxious as we wait in the morning carpool line and wonder which teacher will get you out of the car. Change is hard on all of us. But also very exciting signs you are growing up!  You were so happy to see Mattie & Elizabeth. Yesterday when I dropped you off you asked the teacher who helped you out of the car whether or not Mattie was there yet and when I picked you up at school you hugged Mattie goodbye and gave her a kiss. You are such a sweet and loving girl. When I drive you to our house from school you point out Chuck E Cheese which is where your 3^rd birthday will be celebrated on September 21. The first time you pointed it out yourself, telling me to look for a blue rectangle sign. When I drive you to school from Nitza’s we count the school buses we see. You remember that we turn right by the vet where Zelda used to go. You are very observant. And on the way to our house we talk about interstate 459 and the noise change that occurs when we pass over a bridge. And of course you’re always happy to see the Lady Liberty statue en route to and from our house. I’ve changed my route to travel on River Run rather than Overton Road so you can see the statue better. Because I’ve made 2 visits to Mobile since my last blog and your Dad only recently started back to work full time, there haven’t been as many times together in the last month. But because I’m retiring soon there will be more in the future! Right now you haven’t completely moved into your new house so we come to my house after school. You always enjoy seeing Sunday & riding in the Cozy Coupe and swinging on the porch and watch Thomas the Tank Engine & recently, Calliou on TV. You have also started gymnastic lessons! You are so agile I think you will really enjoy gymnastics. You already have a new friend as well as a school friend at gymnastics. While I was in Mobile you had lunch with Eli & Maggie Rae and celebrated Eli’s 5^th  birthday. Papa & I have a September grandchild in each family: Eli on September 1 and you on September 17 and Jackson on September 28. Jackson will be 7 years old. It will be different when you move to your new house. I will have my own bedroom for when I spend the night! You will no longer have a very long drive to school. That is great but there are some good aspects of the time together with you in the car since it’s a time we talk and notice our surroundings. But we can do that out of the car as well! I have joined the YMCA close to your house where I will spend some time trying to get in shape. And since you are a member as well, we may spend some time there together. You remember the dome that was put over the outdoor ahead at the Y last winter and still ask about it. This week you spent two days and one overnight with me while your parents were moving into your new house. We went to your new house to have a pizza lunch with your parents on moving day before I took you to my house for your nap and overnight stay. I think the many changes going on in your life right now have been a little stressful for you. But it won’t be long until we are settled into a routine again and things will be a little more predictable for you. I am looking forward to the year of being three years old. I need to slow down and treasure these special and exciting times in your life. You are a treasure.

Celebrating Eli's 5th Birthday

Your mother said you look like me in this picture. I wish it was true...you are beautiful.

Ready for picture day at School

2nd year beginning at Your Wonderful School!

Ready for gymnastics!!

August 2014-First Overnight at Granny's!

I didn't blog in July 2014! Not sure where the time went & how I missed the whole month. But today is August 9 and I'm catching up. Sunday July 6 we went to the zoo together. It was hot & you played in the water...and your friend Wilder & his Dad appeared and you enjoyed playing with Wilder. I bought an unlimited ticket to ride the carousel and you enjoyed riding it a lot! I did too. July 9 we went to the Summit and ate at Johnny Rockets. After your nap at my house you sweetly said "I want to see my Daddy" so I took you home. You went to the beach with your parents for almost a week. When you returned I kept you July 24 and we stopped at the Statue of Liberty which you love to see from the interstate. We saw it up close and took some pictures. We have stopped for a close up view several times since. We also took lunch to your Mother at work. Fortunately she wasn't busy when we arrived and we had a great time eating food from Taziki's together in the break room in Labor and Delivery at UAB Women's & Infant's Hospital! On Sunday, July 27 I met you and your parents at Virginia Samford Theatre to see "Annie the Musical". We had front row seats and you really seemed to enjoy it. However at intermission you thought it was over and you were hungry so we didn't see the second half. Maybe when you're older we'll see it again one day! We went to get Mexican food at Rojo's nearby. The play was during your usual naptime so it was good you enjoyed the first half. You got to see both Annie & her dog Sandy really up close! On July 31 we had a great visit, but then you got a fever! We got you some Advil & a thermometer at Walmart. Your fever was103! We took a nap together on the bed and after you woke up your fever was down. Wednesday night August 6 was very special...it was the first time you spent the night at our house! You went to Wednesday night supper at Southside Baptist Church where Wayne & I are members. En route you spotted the statue Vulcan and were so excited you saw another statue like your friend Lady Liberty. We need to visit Vulcan one day soon. You had a great time playing with the other children and the many toys at Southside. You had a fun bath before bedtime! At bedtime we couldn't find your "Nanny" you always sleep with. I assumed we lost it at church because we had looked everywhere in the house, car & yard and couldn't find it. I assured you we would go get it the next morning. Although you weren't happy, you weren't really upset and you stretched out and went to sleep. The next morning you were so excited when you found Nanny under  the bed of Sunday the dog! That was the one place we didn't look!! We had a fun day on Thursday staying at our house. You saw a centipede, rode in the Cozy Coupe and played with toys in the basement, played the piano and ate mac & cheese & watched Thomas the Tank Engine on television. You were happy to see your Dad come pick you up after nap time. He's back at work at Mountain Brook High School which is just a few minutes from our house. Then Friday night August 8 you spent the night at our house again! It was your parent's 5th Anniversary and they went out. We had a fun evening and you went to sleep quickly....after reading a lot of books & singing songs & "high 5's, 1's & 0's" and other bed time stalling routines. You slept well and we had a great morning playing until your parents came to take you home about noon. You are getting a dachshund puppy for your birthday & your parents and been to see the newborn puppy and had pictures. Your mom loves dogs & now you will have two dogs at your new house. Your house should be ready to move into at the end of August! Monday you start back to school at Hilltop Montessori. You are almost three years old. Another thing that has happened since my last posting is I have finally made definite plans to retire. September 30 will be my last day to work full-time and I will only work about one day a week part-time starting in October. It will be good to have more time to be with you and do other things I want to do as well.

The Statue of Liberty at Liberty Park off I-459

Bed time at Granny's house!

                                                          Wilder at the Birmingham Zoo

One of your many carousel rides at the zoo!

Our morning at the Summit included playing at Barnes & Nobel Bookstore

One of your favorite things to do at our house...Play-Doh!!

Visiting your Mother for Lunch at her work

                                                    Your first Live Play! Only saw 1st half!!

                                                           Yogurt & Play Doh at Granny's

                                                  Avery & Reed...new friends at Southside

                                                    Bath time at Granny's-squirting soap

                                                    Playing with toys in Granny's basement

June 2014--A lot has happened since May 10!

Last Picture of Frankie the Dog June 4

Granny! I love my new bed!



Reading "Walter the Farting Dog" at you new temporary home!

A wonderful day at Mt Brook "tot lot" with Granny & Mother

Family picture from your trip to Hawaii



Beautiful Girl on beach in Hawaii

The last time I posted on my “Lyla Blog” was May 10, the day before I went to the hospital (Mother’s Day morning) and did not go home until May 27. Fortunately you came to visit me a few times in the hospital and also came to visit me at home on May 31. You went to Hawaii with your parents and Tata and Sabba Alan where I hear you had a wonderful time. Your parents said you were a great traveler! And the pictures they sent showed you had a fun time as well.  On Friday, June 13 I had a delightful day with you and your mom. We ate at La Paz and shopped at a toy store and played at the Tot Lot and had yogurt. On June 18 I picked you up at Tata’s and we spent the day together. We went to the Hoover Library where we ran into your former neighbors Dustyn, Camdyn & Madyn. It may be the last time you see them because they are moving to Florida very soon. At the library we waited in line to see a live show called “Pirate School” but after the pirate came on stage you did not like him & thought he was scary so we left. We ate lunch at a “new” Taziki’s (at Liberty Park) and then came to our house where you did something  you had never done…took your afternoon nap in a new bed! You were so sweet when you saw it. You told me “I love my new bed Granny!” and you napped for 2 hours. We had several rides down the driveway in the Cozy Coupe and enjoyed swinging on the porch swing. It was a great day. Because it has been so long since I had spend a long time with you it was a special joy to be with you. And it was so amazing to see how much you had grown up. Conversations with you are now much more “wordy” and you use complete sentences and express how you feel and what you think very well. You are so loving and sweet. When you came to our house you asked where Frankie the dog had gone. I told you we had to take him to the vet because he fell down the front stairs and hurt himself. That was true. But we have not yet told you Frankie died on June 4. I wasn’t sure how to explain that but I know we will have to do it before you see your cousin Maggie Rae since she knows Frankie has died. We will miss Frankie. He was almost 14 years old and had a great life with many adventures. Being off work for so long made it very difficult for me to go back to work. I am planning to retire and work only part time before too long. I am looking forward to spending more time with you when you Dad goes back to work and you go back to school. You moved out of your Chace Lake home before you went to Hawaii and you will live at Tata Nitza & Sabba Alan’s home with your parents until your new house in Dunnavant Square is ready for you to move into. That will be great to live in a new house Mt. Laurel close to your school and in a great community. The day you spent with me I picked you up at Tata’s & you were so proud to show me around the house. You have a great bedroom and toys to play with in every room of the house. I like the picture of you reading a book on the porch with Sabba. “Walter the Farting Dog” is a funny book! You are such a sweet & happy girl and you seem to delight in & enjoy being with the many people who love you very much. I’m so glad I am one of them!!

You have been especially delightful recently!

Learning to play softball!



Finding Bunny!!!

You posed so well!



At Taziki's



At Taziki's Again



In Atlanta with Mommy



On a hike with Daddy

After Lunch at the Mall with Granny & Tata

Pushing Neighbor Dog in Swing!



So cute!

There are probably many reasons you have been especially delightful recently, but I think “delightful” is your basic “default” personality. One of the main reasons however is you have amazing parents who feed you healthy foods & keep you on a routine and shower you with love & security and take you exciting places and enrich your life with friends and many people who love you and send you to an awesome school…just to name a few things. And of course, you found your bunny! Maybe your fairy wings & wand made it happen? It was cool the day bunny disappeared & we sat on the front porch wrapped in a blanket. Obviously when I put up the blanket, I wrapped up bunny as well. I was so glad to hear you found him! This month you went to Atlanta with your parents and a Saturday hike with your Dad. It was Spring break and your parents were off work some together. Your house in Chace Lake sold and plans were made to build a new house in Dunavant Square close to your school! How exciting. You Mom started working day shift which means on the days she works she does not see you at all, but she does spend more time with you overall. I have learned to be sure you do not have any caffeine or sugar at lunch time so you will nap better. When we ate at Jason’s Deli you asked me “does this have caffeine?” before you would eat something. It is so wonderful you are such a healthy eater. We went to lunch with Elizabeth and her Mother one day after school. It was so sweet to see you with a little friend! All four of us went to the potty together for you to “poop”--Elizabeth has a sweet Mom! She was impressed with how well you were “toilet trained”. One evening while you Mom was at work your Dad cooked dinner outside and played disco music. It was so precious to see you run around & dance so well to the music! You have many many talents! One day a neighbor had her dog at the swings & you got to push him! I had a birthday & turned 62. Now I’m eligible for Social Security! And I’m planning to retire in the near future (but keep working part-time for awhile!). We had a great dinner sitting outside at La Paz for my birthday. You have started listening to the music from the movies Frozen & Annie in the car and it is so fun to hear you sing along. You are able to express the song “Let it Go” from Frozen makes you sad and sometimes you want to skip it. You sing so sweetly along with the song “Tomorrow”. We ate at Taziki’s twice recently. Yesterday the waitress commented how cute you were and how she liked to see you when you came in. I’m always surprised when people recognize me because I feel very “non-descript”. But I do understand why people notice you! You are so adorable. We have fun eating outside at Jason’s Deli. You really like to see the birds come pick at the leftover food. Yesterday for the first time in a long time you didn’t call me back or get upset after I left you for a nap. Of course I had done all of the pre-nap tasks…tissue, water, hugs, songs, books & High 5,4,3,2,1,0 & “air hugs” etc. After I leave you in your room for nap you sometimes sing “Tomorrow” in your bed to your entourage. You now have original bunny plus substitute bunny & favorite “nanny” and the original sheepy & puppy plus a new owl and another animal..it’s white but not a new sheepy. Maybe a dog? See above…I’ve turned 62 and the memory is going fast! But I have many wonderful memories of being with you & look forward to many more.

April 2014

You should be in advertising!

1st McDonald's breakfast w/ Granny

Rain coat at School

Twirling & dancing with Granny



Chip & Dale at Disney (you call Valleydale Road "Chip & Dale" Road)



Prettiest Girl at Veteran's Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A lot has happened since my last posting. When I was with you before you went to Disneyworld, somehow the bunny you’ve had since you were born disappeared. I have vague memories bunny accidentally left the house with us & I stuffed him somewhere for safe keeping. But it seems that he may have permanently disappeared. You periodically ask “where’s bunny?” and you handle the response unemotionally but I’m sure you miss him. And it makes me very cautious about not losing your precious remaining Nanny & Sheepy! You have come to UAB several mornings while your mother had an appointment and I’ve gotten to “hang out” with you. You always want a pink “cupcake on a stick” from Starbucks, but you never eat them. You have very good eating habits. You also like to get in the fountain in from of the hospital! One of the sweetest things I’ve recorded is you singing “Itsy Bitsy Spider”. You have a precious voice! This month we went to Gymboree for maybe the last time (the current owners have closed it but maybe someone else will open it) and to Veteran’s Park for the first time. It is a great park with lots of kids & fun equipment. There will be many "last times" ahead...but many more "first times" to enjoy! During Spring Break you went to Disneyworld with your parents & grandparents. I heard you were really well behaved and had a great time!! I have realized one reason you love for me to take you to Taziki is I have let you share my sweet iced tea. Now that I suspect the caffeine affects your nap time, I’m going to have to change my ways! Yesterday we went to Jason’s Deli together & you loved eating outside and watching the little birds eat leftovers. You have developed an amazing stalling routine pre-nap. I try to prepare ahead but then you come up with more ideas of what must be done before I can leave the room. Getting a tissue & one more “high five” and more water and even yelling out “you forgot the butt paste!” when I knew for sure I had remembered it!  I have 3 naptime songs: ABC’s, Twinkle Twinkle & Row Row Row. You have really tried unsuccessfully to teach me to sing “Numi Numi”, a Hebrew lullabye. My inability to learn new things is in great contrast to your amazing ability to learn new things…and remember everything! Besides songs, there is the routine including “high 5, 4 3, 2 1 & 0’s” and hugs, etc. But you always eventually go to sleep. It is so precious to hear you chat & sing in your bed. I made a video via your monitor and you like to look at yourself “sleeping”. For the first time we stopped to get breakfast on the way to school on a day there were no bagels in the house & I realized we had enough time to make the stop. It was a lot of fun and now you say every morning that you want to stop at “Old McDonald’s” but we haven’t done it again yet. But we will. You have become very grown up about potty training. It makes it more fun to go places with you & it makes the pre-naptime routine much easier as well. One morning it was raining hard when we left your house. Although it stopped when we got to your school you still wanted to wear your raincoat in to school. You were so cute & sweet! Yesterday when we got home the “coming soon for sale” sign was in your yard. I think I captured a precious picture of you with a “thumbs up” sign. Soon after I made the picture you took off running down the street & really scared me! You knew I was upset when I caught up with you and you so sweetly hugged me & said “I love you Granny” repeatedly. Balancing the need for independence and the dangers involved is an eternal challenge in raising a child. But the sweet hugs & “I love you” make it worth it all. You are an amazing little girl and I love you “right back”!

March 2014—L-Y-L-A R-O-T-T-E-R

Snow at Granny's Feb 12

Snow at  Chace Lake

"Big girl" swing with sweet neighbor Brooklyn

Snow day with Mommy!

Gymboree sticker!

For awhile you have been able to spell your first name but your parents were surprised to hear you also spell your last name aloud! Apparently you learned that at school. As your world grows there will be more and more surprising things you have learned elsewhere…some good and maybe some not as good. Yesterday I took you to the zoo with your school class. It was so sweet to watch you walk along holding hands with one of your best friend Mattie. The time since I last blogged has been full & busy. The scheduled class at UAB mentioned in my last posting didn’t happen because it snowed again! You got to run outside in your snow suit & experience “snow!”. It snowed at our house more than yours & you have enjoyed looking at my “snow video”. You had some extra “home time” with your parents. In contrast we also enjoyed a delightful warm Saturday afternoon playing outside with a big crowd of neighborhood kids. You ran & ran & tried to do cartwheels with an older child & rode on a “razor” scooter & had a great time. The spring weather brought out a neighbor child your age you hadn’t seen in quite awhile. Her mother was amazed you were swinging alone in a “big swing” and you were “potty trained”. I tend you take your “amazingness” for granted & it’s nice be reminded how special it is. We have had some fun time at Gymboree and ate at Taziki & “Egg & I” and even got a cupcake at GiGi’s, which you didn’t enjoy very much. I’m glad you haven’t yet developed an unhealthy “sweet tooth” like I have. Your parents do so much to keep you healthy. My time with you this month has reinforced how wonderful your parents are in many ways, including the hard job of disciplining you rather than giving in when you disobey. Parenting is not easy, even with a wonderful child like you! This month I’ve finally made the decision to set a firm retirement date, July 1, when I will start working only part-time. For a variety of reasons this has been difficult for me to do. But you are one of the major motivators for me to end over 40 years of working fulltime and start “enjoying life” more. Next fall you will go to school 5 days a week instead of just 2 and next month your mom will start working fulltime day shift rather than part-time night shift at UAB Labor & Delivery. It will be good to be with you more without having the pressure of working fulltime as well. One of my favorite things this month was the video I made of you singing “if you’re happy & you know it clap your hands”. You were so cute & funny. I’m looking forward to a lot of hand-clapping in the future!