Summertime...2015

With Cousin Maggie Rae's-painting a bird house!

Taziki's with Cousin Jackson Green



Papa Wayne reading a book to you

Sweet Annie the dog!





Gulf Shores in June

Dancing with Dad



On the road with your bike & your Dad



Today is July 7...summer is going fast! You will start school again on August 10! A lot has happened so far this summer: You went to the beach with your parents and another family; your Dad is off work for the summer & doing extra things with you; your Mom is starting to work weekends only so not only will she have more time with you, in the future one of your parents will always be off work; you are eating some of the things you have grown in your garden, your Dad's mother Tata moved to Florida; your Mom & I took you to Starkville to celebrate Maggie Rae's 7th birthday with a "spa party", you had swimming lessons at Greystone, you spent a sweet rainy afternoon playing in Granny's basement & drew some awesome pictures; you were delighted to see me arrive at your house one Sunday morning & you spent another afternoon playing with cousin Jackson at Granny's house. There were some significant political events including the legalization of gay marriage, the Confederate flag coming down in several states, & reinforcement of the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare").Since I haven't had a regularly scheduled time to be with you since school was out, this summer has been the most unstructured time for me since I retired last October. I'm getting a lot of things done at home including cleaning out closets & catching up on picture albums and otherwise organizing things as well has having longer visits with my Mother in Mobile. But it has been a little unsettling as I adjust to this stage of life. Every season of life has its joys and difficulties. However, the season of being a grandmother is a very good one. Later this month I'm going to my 45th High School Reunion. Time goes so quickly...it's hard to believe I'm so old! I want to enjoy & remember every moment I can of your life. That is one reason I do this blog & periodically publish a hardcopy of it. It won't be long until you won't want to spend as much time with me as you do now. But hopefully you will always want to spend time with me & we may have many fun times ahead as well as great memories!  

"Anywhere chair" Early B'day!

Picture for your parents drawn at Granny's



Picture for your parents drawn at Granny's

June Beach trip



Your beautiful Mother (& your baby sister!)



Milkshake with Granny!

Wonderful Garden!

May 2015-A Busy Month-Grandparent's Day, Strep Throat, Last Day School & much more!

Friday, May 1 was “special friends day” at your school and Saba Raffi & Tata & I were able to visit in your classroom and watch you do jobs and be with your friends, especially Maddie. You were very sweet. Pictures were made of the special bench!

Tuesday-Thursday, May 5-7 You were very sweet in the morning getting ready for school. Then your teacher at 11:00 am telling me you had a 102 fever & I needed to come get you from school. You napped some after I gave you some Advil then we did puzzles and read and talked about the princess books. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to read books with you! On Wednesday I stayed with you while your mother went to the dentist. We watched TV in your mother’s bed then we sat on the front porch listening to sounds while waiting on your mother to come home. I came back to your house on Thursday and you seemed to be feeling better. When you woke up your Dad had just walked out the door & I quickly carried you downstairs so you could tell him goodbye. You didn’t have an appetite but we played card games & you made a “dance video” for your mom. About noon your fever returned so we kept the 2:15 appointment with your pediatrician. You tested positive for strep. You were very sweet at the doctor’s office and when we stopped to pick up your prescription and other things ("Frozen" bowling set!) at the drug store.

Mother’s Day-May 11-You & your parents joined Kristina, Maggie Rae, Eli, me & Wayne for lunch at The Fig Tree then you all came to play together in the basement room-It was a very sweet visit!

Tuesday, May 12- you & your mother stopped by to visit after going to see your Dad at MBHS. Annie found my lost car keys in the basement room!! You had a great visit & you were very sweet until time to leave. (You don’t do well with “transitions”.)

Wednesday, May 13 you were awake when I arrived and we had plenty of time to get ready for school. You were ready early enough to work one puzzle before school! After school we went directly to my house where you were happy to play & watch TV.

Thursday, May 14-I’m trying to catch up on 2014 pictures this week. Maybe one day you will look thru the picture albums with printed copies of family pictures.  If so, know I spent a lot of time making them! I looked through the books of my blogs related to you. In the first one I mentioned a dream I had the night after I first saw you via ultrasound. But I didn’t describe the whole dream. In the dream I was dying and you were with me holding my hand and you told me I would be going to the same place you were on the day of that ultrasound. Death is a part of life. As I have retired and my mother is now 95 years old, I’ve thought a lot about end of life. I ordered a book by Dr. Daniel Crosby “Everyone You Love Will Die”. Despite the title it is very positive book and ends with “The fact we all must surely go makes time more precious than you know...Hug your mom, hug your dad and hold your Nana’s wrinkled hand. We have each other and you have us and love will always be enough. Yes, everyone you love will die but you’re here today and so am I”.  It reminds me each day is precious.

Monday, May 18-We had a good morning but your fever & cough returned after school. Your Dad took you to Children’s Hospital “after hours” clinic and stayed home with you the next day. Although you didn't feel well, you were sweet. You started taking Prednisone. It's a bitter liquid your Mom took reluctantly when she was little.

Thursday, May 21-After school your Mother & I took you to the zoo. You had a great time climbing the “spider web” & riding the train. A friend of yours from school was also at the zoo and you enjoyed playing with him. It was unseasonably cool at the zoo!

Friday, May 22-Last day of school! I had spent the night at your house & got to take you to school for the end of school “beach party”. You got your face painted & at the end of the party & came with Annie and got to take a picture of you with Annie & your best friend Maddie! You've had a great year at Hilltop Montessori

Sunday, May 24-Kristina, Frank, Maggie Rae & Eli came to the Disney on Ice “Frozen” show. You liked  it but the “dark part” (every Disney show has one!) was a little scary. We went to eat together afterwards & you enjoyed playing outside.

Tuesday, May 26-I kept you while your parents went to an OB appointment. We went to get a milkshake at Chic-Fil-A drive-thru while you wore your PJ's & Annie in your lap!

Thursday, May 28-We played together while your Dad did some errands to get ready for you trip to the beach. You love to play "Doc McStuffins" Match game, & putting puzzles together & stacking blocks. You helped your Dad mop the house while wearing your Elsa dress! You left for a week at the beach on Saturday, May 30. I will miss you.



You like to make towers with puzzle blocks!

Playing in your room!

After your MD visit for Strep Throat

Almost last day of 2015 at school!

Visiting Dogs at My house



Train at Zoo with Mom

Fairy wings!

f

Spider Web at Zoo



Wagon ride with Annie

Last Day of School-Face painting & Maddie

With Maggie Rae at PF Chang's

Mothers & Daughters

Elsa Dress!



Early morning goodbye to your Mom!



Posing bench I sit on to wait for you after School



May 1 Grandparent's Day at School

You are going to be a Big Sister!!

Your new bicycle!

A cool day at the park!



Wind chime you made at school!



Working in your new garden

We got 2 milkshakes at Chic Fil A

At the Mt. Laurel Festival

   

Lunch at the park



You & Annie getting messy!



Another day of lunch at the park!

Sweeping the porch for Mommy!

Playing at the park

Sliding at the park

Tuesday-April 7-we played in park after school until time to get ready for gymnastics. We got ice cream at Brusters then when we got to gymnastics you said your outfit was “itchy” & although you went to join your gymnastics, you were crying. I was watching you & you came over to me & we went outside & I held you while you cried. Not sure what was going on. Maybe sunburn from beach trip? Tired? You were sweet. It made me sad for you to cry. Your Dad took you home & I went home.

Thursday- April 9-When you woke up you were so excited to show me your new garden in the back yard! We walked to school with Annie; after school we went to the park to eat lunch & play with lots of kids. It seemed as if the “shifts” changed at the park as kids came & left while we stayed. After we went home you home wrapped in blanket like it was a cape & played in the back yard with me & the dogs. You walked around singing the “Frozen” song, played in sandbox &  swept the back porch. You said it would make your mother happy for you to sweet the porch! You were happy & sweet.

Saturday-Sunday April 11-12. I met you at your friend Wilder’s birthday party & stayed with you overnight while you parents went to Atlanta. We went to the Festival in Mt. Laurel where you bravely went down a big bouncy slide many times & jumped in a Frozen themed “bouncy House” for a long time. You really enjoyed the festival! I spent the night at your house alone with you for the first time since your move there and since you’ve been out of your crib. I tried to sleep in your bed with you but after you went soundly to sleep (about 3 am) I left & went to “my” bed at your house. Sunday we played inside and watched Caillou & Olivia. One of the Olivia cartoons included a child pretending to be a ghost in the pretend hotel in their house (it was a snow storm & several friends from school spent the night at Olivia’s). You wanted to watch the ghost part over & over even though it scared you a little. You have since made sure that whenever you watch Olivia it is not “the ghost one”!

April 14-Your mom told you there was going to be a new baby. You will be a big sister!!!

April 15-When I dropped you off at school the teachers said everyone at school knew about the baby! Before we left for school you changed mind about shoes 3 times!  We went to the park to play; Bella Lee there w/ her mom. I didn’t have lunch so we walked to Jimbo’s where you had a “crying fit” about wanting sweet cereal to eat. I carried you out & we ate at home! You made a mess playing in sandbox with mostly water & rain. Sunday had bath & Lu got cleaned up!  You drove your pink “Hello Kitty car” outside while your Dad went jogging up the mountain. I spent the night at your house.

April 16-You changed mind about clothes 4 times! Very difficult. New rule from your Dad: even if I have to sit on you to get you dressed, not changing your mind about what clothes to wear. It was a rainy day. I listened to children read in your classroom. It is neat to watch you do your jobs while I’m in the classroom. You inside all afternoon-playing in PJ’s & watching Caillou & playing upstairs “toy room” a long time. Outside for walk with dogs after Dad home.  Very sweet!

Tuesday, April 21-you & your mother were sick! I got lunch from Taziki’s & we played at your house. You gave me a sweet birthday card with a message written on the envelope which you said read “Happy Birthday Granny. I love you the most. Always remember that”. What a wonderful message!!

Wednesday, April 22-I came back to your house before your Dad left for work. You didn’t go to school but we went to Galleria Mall about 10:00 am where you visited Tata, rode the carousel, got cotton candy & a pretzel, ate lunch & played at the Lego store & rode around in the stroller. On the way back I stopped for gas and realized it was the first time I’d ever pumped gas with you with me. I spent the night at your house.

Thursday, April 23- you went back to school. It was very hard to wake you up & you were very fussy. Your Mother got up to help get you ready for school because you were being so difficult. When you got to school Ms. Mary was very sweet to you and happy to see you back at school. After school we played at the park and walked to Jimbo’s where you were very sweet & ate grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. We played at your house until your mother got home & I went home. Because the spring pollen is causing your mother to having breathing problems & she can’t take one of her medications because she’s pregnant & the dogs bring the pollen in the house, Annie & Sunday went home with me for a while. You were not upset about them leaving, but I’m sure you miss them.

Wednesday, April 29-Whenever it’s been more than a few days since I’ve seen you I can always see signs that you have grown up more since I last saw you. more since I last saw you. You were very good getting ready for school & we took your shoes with us to put on in the car. A great idea because it made it impossible for you to change your mind about which shoes to wear! You’ve stopped wanting to walk to school. I think maybe walking across busy Highway 41 before school was a little scary to you. After school we went to the part where we stayed until almost 6 pm. It was an overcast day so it wasn’t hot and amazingly, all afternoon, kids to play with came & went almost as if they were on a schedule to play with you. It was a great day. I had a lot of snacks & a homemade grilled cheese sandwich and you were very good and played very hard! You slept all night long without waking up!

Thursday, April 30 we had a good morning. You did not want to go anywhere after school although I offered to take you to Chuck E Cheese or the park or out to eat. We stayed at your house and played with your toys & puzzles etc. And you rested and watched Caillou. After your Dad got home we played outside. You had a fall off your bicycle which didn’t seem to hurt you but did seem to scare you. You ride your new bike amazingly well (with training wheels) so this may have been your first big fall off your bike.  You sat in my lap while we watched a movie “We bought a zoo” which you liked a lot. I stayed until after supper and then headed home.

April has been a great month! I'm looking forward to our time together in May!

 

 

March 2015-Spring is here!!

Today you are at the beach at Gulf Shores with your parents. It’s a beautiful day and from the pictures your Mom is “tweeting”, I know you are having a great time!!
I had a lot of good times with you in March. Monday, March 2 you came to UAB Hospital with your Mother. The 3 of us had lunch together and we walked around while your Mother had an appointment. It’s always fun to walk around the hospital with you. Friday, March 6 you didn’t have school. Your father went to your school for a parent-teacher conference & because he went camping after school and your mother was working until 8 pm, for the first time since early January I had the opportunity to give you your bath & put you to bed...and the first time ever to put you in your “big girl bed”. We had a great day. We played with dominoes and watched TV then after lunch we went to Krispy Kreme. You played there with 2 sweet girls named after flowers...Lillie & Rosie. It’s always fun to see you interact with new peers. You are very sweet with other children. Then we went to Chuck E Cheese and you were disappointed the sweet older girl, Oona, you played with last time was not there. I guess it’s normal to expect to see the same people at the same place; you remained hopeful she would appear but you did enjoy playing with some other children. On the way home we shopped at Winn Dixie and you pushed your own little grocery cart & picked out some snack items you could have. It was fun. At bedtime you were very clever to tell me your parents would put the night light into your room until you fell asleep. When I communicated with your mother she told me that was what you always asked them to do but they never actually agreed to do so. So I promptly took out the night light and you didn’t resist...you almost pulled it off! I need to be more aware of what is actually okay for you to do. Saturday morning I played with you while your mother got ready for a visit from her friend who lives in Atlanta. You were excited because her girls (Madie & Jojo) were going to spend the night at your house! You were very sweet when I left taking Sunday the dog home with me for a long visit. I love to get hugs & “I love you Granny” shouts as I leave. On March 10 there were workers at your house fixing the stairs. It was a rainy day and we almost made it to school early but a slip in the yard necessitated a last minute clean up, but we weren’t late. We ate lunch at Taziki’s and stayed a long time. It’s always good to have time with you when we are not in a hurry. After playing at home we got ready for gymnastics but we ended up having to rush. It was raining but we made it in time to stop at Brusters for ice cream to eat in the car and still get to gymnastics in time. You like for me to stand & watch you in gymnastics. It is always fun to watch you. Even though your Dad came before your class ended, I stayed until the end of gymnastics. I’m always a little sad as I leave you but it’s good to know I’ll see you again soon.

On Friday the 13^th I parked the car on the street at your school & walked you in to your class while I was carrying Annie the dog. When the weather gets warmer I’m hoping we can walk to your school together. Or maybe just walk home together since it would require an earlier start to walk to school! When we got home after school Annie got out of the car and ran down the street. You didn’t have a shirt on (it’s “itchy” and you always want to take it off in the car). It was very cool and the dog was headed to the street, I called at you to stop and you ignored me & kept running. It was scary to me and I talked to you firmly about how important it is for you to obey to stay safe. It reminded me of how little control we actually have over our children and how vulnerable they can be. It means a lot to me that you are being raised by loving parents who are doing such a good job with you. We had a fun afternoon playing together including doing a little bit of yoga from your “flash cards” as well as doing puzzles and coloring. I enjoyed learning about Bear, Bunny, Bumble Bee, Snake & Elephant breathing techniques. I need to practice them!

On Monday, March 16 I picked you up at school and we had a picnic lunch (Grilled Cheese sandwiches from Waffle House) at Olmstead Park by the school. You enjoyed the great weather and the many kids at the park. Your Mom came about 3 pm & I went home until Wednesday morning when you & I and Annie the dog walked to school together for the first time!  After school we had lunch at the park again (this time Grilled cheese from Jimbo’s) and stayed for a long time. The crowd at the park changes as the HMS kids come out for play time & neighborhood kids come to play and some of your classmates come to play after lunch time. After we walked home you played with Emmie across the street who was visiting her grandparents with her newborn brother Wyatt. You had a busy & fun day. I stayed overnight and on Thursday you woke up early enough to hurry outside for a hug from your mother before she left for work. We walked to school again with Annie. After school we walked to the new restaurant in Mt. Laurel for lunch. You enjoyed being able to color on the paper table cloth. Because it looked like rain we walked home where you rested on the sofa watching cartoons then we played outside in the front yard until your Dad came home and I left. Wednesday March 26 I was waiting for you on the “butterfly bench” after you got out of school and we had grilled cheese sandwiches in the park again and you played with lots of kids and I enjoyed visiting with Georgia’s mother until time to walk you home because your parents were both there. Sunday, March 29 you and Sunday and Annie spent the night at our house. Your Dad was off and going to paint the bathroom on Monday and did not want to have you and the dogs around the fumes and bored because he was busy. You & Annie slept with me...you were very good (although you woke up several times due to stormy weather) but Annie did not sleep well at all! Before you went to sleep you had to make sure everything was “just so” in the bedroom...all of the drawers closed and the clothes picked up etc. It’s good you like things neat & in order! You spent the day with me until I took you home about 3 pm. We played with play doh in the basement & had Cozy Coupe rides & walked the dogs & played our first card game of “go fish” and watched Calliou. When I took you home you played in your new sandbox, which was good practice before your “Spring Break” beach trip with your parents. I’ll see you again Tuesday morning...one if the few times it will be more than a week between times I see you. I know you will have changed a lot in just a week. You are growing up so quickly. So glad I’m getting to watch it happen!

At the beach yesterday-flying a kite!

On the deck at Granny's house!

Playing at the park (Georgia in Green dress)

Resting & watching Calliou

Picnic at the park!



Pushing a friend at the park

Outside Tazkiki's



At Chuck E Cheese

Shopping with your mom in a favorite dress