No Dull Moments!!

On my Monday with the three C's nearly 2 weeks ago now, we spent a quiet morning at home. We visited the chickens, picked up and piled rocks, and the girls did some of their sidewalk art on the driveway. Some of those activities are recorded in the photos below.

Dancing and posing for the camera....

 



 

Claire and one of the chickens that all seem to have names except I can't keep them straight.

 

 

Chris contemplating some chicken matter....

 

 

All three working on that never ending gathering and piling of rocks.....

 

 

 

Ooops....we had some disagreement about the rocks. Chris wasn't too pleased.

 



 

 

Sidewalk artists....

 



 

 

On the following Saturday Daddy brought them up to swim. The girls are always so anxious to go to the deep end. Water wings required when Grandma is around! Daddy and Chris do some swimming too.

 

 

 

 

Last Monday, we also spent the morning at home. Claire, Chloe, and Chris spent a long time racing cars down their steep driveway. Chris was gracious enough to share his cars.

 

 

 

 

Claire and Chloe came home with me in the afternoon to spend the night before we left on a fun adventure the following day. It would be a new adventure for them but a much loved activity for Papa and me, we have previously gone maybe 6-7 times. We (Claire, Chloe, Papa, Me)  along with our friends, Connie and Wayne, and their two granddaughters, Danica and Aubrey, traveled to Gold Beach, Oregon to ride on Jerry's Jet Boats up the Rogue River. We stayed in a very comfortable house on the Ireland's Rustic Lodges property which had a great back yard for the four girls to play in and explore. We all had a ball and the four girls got along so well we hope to do more  activities with them. As we traveled in a caravan at each stop the girls would run up and hug like they hadn't seen each other in years. It was really something to watch.

 

Here they are at the first "stop" along the way.

 

 

The view from our back deck at the rental house just a few minutes walk to the beach.



 

 

Dinner out... Claire and Chloe, huge seafood lovers,  ordered shrimp...actually all three days we were traveling!

 

 

Beach time after dinner.....

 

 

 

Showers, and then pre-bedtime entertainment including dancing, singing, and magic!

 

 

 

They colored and worked on sticker type paper dolls, gathered flowers, driftwood (from the garden displays, unbeknownst to us...yikes!),  and lawn chairs and made a fort in the back yard.

 

 

 

 

We took a walk to the small lighthouse on the property,climbed the stairs, and also checked out lots of the many, many, painted rocks that guests have signed and left on the property. Next time we will try and do that as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was time for our afternoon boat ride up the Rogue River. While waiting for our boat the girls were entertained by a dog that pushes a large rock around the entrance area. It was fascinating to watch. We estimated that the rock was 20+ pounds and the dog would push it and expect the nearest human to rescue it from under cars or wherever it landed. The girls giggled and giggled which was entertainment in itself. We all enjoyed it. The boat ride was fantastic. It was a bit colder that we would have liked (and probably colder than we have previously experienced) but it was so enjoyable. We all got pretty wet but dried off during dinner break up the river and then bundled up as well as we could for the even colder ride back to Gold Beach. We saw bald eagles, osprey, ducks, geese, turtle, deer, and a bear along the route, not to mention the beautiful and captivating scenery that is there.

 

 

Here we all are, waving from the third and fourth rows from the front of the boat.

 

 

 

 

That night before bed the girls had a blanket campfire time around the wood stove. They had snacks and we took turns telling stories.

 

 

Both sets of grandparents kept close touch with the children's parents by cell phone and texting. Thursday morning these are the "good morning" shots we sent to Paula and Mike.

 

 

 

It was a great experience for the grandparents and even though it was quite a distance to go by car the girls enjoyed it all. We had snacks and Leap Pads and children's CD music in our car so there was very little time for boredom. We all came home quite tired but not enough that we won't try it again sometime.

 

Yesterday Papa's family had a gathering at Uncle Larry's cabin. The little cousins, big cousins, and the adult siblings enjoyed a great day of water activity, food, and just chatting. Here are a couple of shots of the deer that came around for a snack and some of the family watching from the deck.

 

 

 

 

Chris was very excited about the deer. Guess he was just taking a moment to soak it all in. :)

 



 

Once again, I will express how thankful I am that I do have time with my precious grandchildren. I will never take it for granted and hopefully these memories will stick in my mind as they grow older and their interest in spending time with us may diminish. We are blessed beyond measure.  

 



Our Crazy, Busy, Days of Summer!!!

On the first day and first Monday of July, arriving at the three C's house I was greeted by these beautiful lilies blooming in their front yard. The picture doesn't do them justice, they were huge, beautiful, and fragrant.

 

The heat was excessive that day and so Chris and I set out for something cool to do. We headed for the mall and the children's play area. I don't think Chris had been there before, and I know I hadn't been there since the refurbishing, and so we were in for some new adventures. He had lots of fun and we had a quick bite of lunch before heading back up the hill. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later that week, Papa and I headed for the coast to get out of the heat and enjoy some time with our friends, Billy & Susan. We took our favorite route, highway 36, and were in Fortuna before we knew it. Susan and I went into Eureka for a few hours to see all of the 4th of July events and took a boat ride on the bay while the men spent time checking out all of Billy's organic gardens.  It was a beautiful and perfect temperature day!

 

 

The following Sunday the three C's came home with us after church for an overnight stay. The girls quickly went to their "fancy-box" as they call it, and got out their accessories for dress-up and playtime. Chris got involved a bit too.

 

 

 

 

Lots of swimming and pool time took up the rest of the time while they were here.

 



 

 

 

This past week the girls spent Sunday through Thursday nights with us as it was VBS (Vacation Bible School) week at our church. Chris spent Sunday night with us as well, but went home on Monday to hang out with Mommy the rest of the week. VBS turned out to be a great adventure for all of us. I had offered to help in some way, thinking I could pass out cookies or something, but ended up being a counselor/teacher for a group of 3-4th grade kids. What a neat group I had, it was exhausting but so worth it. Claire and Chloe thrived. They were so excited and so enthused about everything that took place. After the first day of VBS Chloe told the director that it was, "The best day of my whole life"! The group that planned and put VBS together did an awesome job! The music was a wonderful treat and the girls had the Kingdom Rock CD a few weeks ahead so by the time they started they knew several of the songs very well. It did my heart good to hear Claire singing "Come Thou Almighty King" one evening as she played around the house. Chloe sang "Don't worry about anything, instead pray about everything..." as she colored and drew pictures the following night. I hope the messages of these songs stay with them for a very long time. Each day had a theme of sorts....

 

Monday was backwards t-shirt day:

 

 

 

 

Tuesday was dress in red day...where in the world are my pictures? I'm sure I took some but the camera sure didn't have them..... and the girls looked so cute in their new red sun-dresses. :(

 

Wednesday was crazy hat day:

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday was dress like royalty day: Mommy came up with some very special and fun dresses for them to wear.

 

 

 



 



 

 

Friday was crazy hair day: We had lots of fun going to the store to find some crazy stuff for their hair.

 

 

 

 

All in all the week went very well. Each afternoon the girls swam and swam and we did manage to squeeze in a couple of nap/rest times. Mostly though, it was go, go, go, the entire week. So, as you can see, our summer is whizzing by. Some additional adventures are ahead before the school bell rings in mid-August.

 

Here's hoping you are enjoying your summer too!

Two Out of Three, Under The Weather!

On Monday Morning when I arrived, Mike told me that Chris had been up most of the night with an earache. Poor little guy! Not long after Mike left, sure enough, Chris woke up from a short sleep crying. He told me his ear hurt and so we cuddled for a while before the girls were awake. When Claire and Chloe got up, the first thing Claire told me was that her throat hurt and she felt pretty sick. She headed directly for the couch to lay down. Chloe quickly told me that she didn't feel so good either, but as you will see in this blog, she had quite a miracle recovery. :) I told the girls I would have to call Daddy to see what to do and ask him if they should both stay home from pre-school. He, of course, said to keep them home and that he would check in with Paula as she was leaving work. When I hung up the phone, and reported that they were both going to stay home Chloe quickly responded with, "Maybe we can go to the park!" I told her that when you miss school for not feeling well, you certainly don't go to the park. She didn't say much at that point, but after a few minutes she disappeared for a while and when she returned, she was all dressed for school and reported that she was feeling better. She had put on one of their flannel dresses and tights which was very appropriate for the very unusual cold and rainy June day.

 

 

Claire spent most of the morning on the couch sleeping. Mommy came home from work and whisked Chris off to the doctor for an ear check. I really didn't even get a picture of him because shortly after coming home he and Mommy headed to bed, hopefully to recover a bit for him, and for her to get some much needed sleep after working all night at the hospital.

 

 

 

By early afternoon, Claire was feeling a little better and managed to spend some time with her mermaid doll.

 

 

 

 

Chloe arrived home from pre-school with some renewed academic urges and quickly set to work writing her ABC's. She did quite a nice job but was frustrated that she wasn't going to be able to fit them all on the same page. I think she did a fabulous job!

 





 

 

Chris ended up with not only an ear problem but with pink-eye. Claire recovered for the most part and Chloe apparently skipped this round of  the dreaded "bug". They were all feeling great and happy as clams this morning when we saw them at church.

 

This upcoming week is actually the last week of pre-school for Claire and Chloe. I had reported last week that I thought they were done on last Friday, but they excitedly told me that they were taking cupcakes for all the kids on their last day, this Friday.

 

Looking forward to tomorrow with my grandchildren and a short coastal trip later in the week.

 

Happy 4th of July to all!!!

 

A Little of This and A Little of That....

When Mike was very small he had a book that we read over and over and over. It was about Daniel Boone I believe, but it might have been Davy Crockett, I just can't remember. At any rate, the main character in the book always wore a buckskin jacket. Mike was very determined to own a buckskin jacket as well, and during one telephone conversation that he had with my parents he told them about it. Well, as grandparents often do, they moved heaven and earth to find him a buckskin jacket and also got one for Jon (Uncle Superman). I recently had Mike's jacket cleaned (it cost a fortune) and we passed it along to Chris. It is very heavy and warm and Chris has a bit of growing to do, but here it is....he was quite proud of it and if nothing else, it will give him something to play with in the cooler weather.

The family had a very enjoyable Father's Day. We grilled, and swam, and just hung out.
The three C's had spent the previous night with us and below is a picture of proud Papa and his grandchildren before church.

This past week Papa and I took a short trip that included seeing a Giants game in San Francisco. We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather and are so appreciative of our friends Gary and Patty for making all the arrangements and planning the outing. We took a ferry boat from Larkspur to AT&T Park and found that, in our opinion, it is the way to go. The ferry drops you right at the gate and waits until the game is over and takes you right back to Larkspur. No traffic, no parking issues, practically no pain!!! :) The Giants won the game which made it even better!

This week, I believe, is Claire and Chloe's last week of pre-school. Mike and Paula are giving them a summer break before they start kindergarten in August. It just doesn't seem possible that\it is time for them to start school. I'm looking forward to my "Monday time" with them tomorrow.

Enjoy the last week of June!

"Uh-Oh" or "Umm-umm", As Chris Would Say

Chris often uses the term "Umm-umm" for anything that isn't just quite right that he wants to call to your attention. Often it is when one of the girls is doing something he thinks is wrong and he will point and say "Umm-umm". I'm not sure where he got it, or how it came about, but it is funny and now we sometimes use it as well.

It didn't take long for a wily predator to find the chickens which was a BIG "uh-oh" or "Umm-umm". There were only five chicks and a duck left one morning last weekend, but the coup showed no damage or forced entry. Mike was sure that the nasty creature had gained entry through the small door intended for chickens only. Papa came up on Monday not only to do some reinforcement to the coup, but to replace a few of the chickens. Some of the missing ones had already been named, and were special, so replacing wasn't really possible, but distraction with some new ones helped. Here the three C's are checking out the box.

Chloe and Claire making some up close and personal contact with the new family members.

Chris was delighted too but was discouraged from picking them up. His gentle mode needs some refining.

After lunch, Papa and Chloe and Claire did a little work on the door to the coup. The girls were very helpful and Papa let each of them have a turn at using the drill and giving general assistance.

Chris was taking his nap by now and Papa and the girls went on an errand to the hardware store. When they returned, Claire, in particular, was a mess. When did they start selling ice cream at the hardware store? Chloe had chosen ice cream dots, so somehow she stayed clean. I'm not sure that Claire actually consumed any of whatever she had chosen, her face and hands tell the tale.

There may be more catastrophes with the chickens given where the family lives and the number of wild creatures that are in the area. Learning about tragedy and disappointment is part of the learning process I guess, but I'm hoping it is a long time before they have to experience it again.

Looking forward to a day with the grand kids tomorrow and hopefully more extended family time next weekend. Stay cool!

The Week Before.....Memorial Day

We were very fortunate to have quite a bit of time with the three C's this week before Memorial Day. On Monday, my usual babysitting day, the girls went to pre-school and Chris and I spent the morning together. Below you see him as he discovered a shadow on the wall. He played there for a long time totally entertained by the shadows he could make with his hands and arms. It sure amazes me at times the small things that give little children joy and entertainment.

 On Thursday evening, Mike and Paula attended their first parents meeting for kindergarten children that begin in the Fall semester, 2013. They were very pleased with Claire and Chloe's teacher, classroom, and the school overall. While Mike and Paula were gone, we had dinner with the children, gave them baths, and of course read lots of books.

On the weekend Papa and I went to their home, Papa to help Mike build a chicken coup, and I to watch the three C's and keep them busy. We had lots of park time both Saturday and Sunday. Below you see Chris trying yet another option for climbing up to the slide. He mastered that and a very high and curvy slide very well.

Chloe enjoyed climbing the swinging ladder. Once when I asked her to look at me so I could get a picture, she responded, "Please, Grandma, I need to focus"! Shame on me, I interrupted her focus!!! Also I can't resist mentioning her combination of colors. Mike had asked her if she was sure that her choice of socks were right for her shirt and shorts. She insisted that it was fine and she wanted to make sure she looked "serious". This was the second time in a week that she had been concerned whether she looked "serious" or not. On Monday morning that was the first thing she asked me after getting dressed, "Grandma, do I look serious?" I learned some time back to NEVER say Chloe looks cute. She doesn't want to look cute at all...it is just not an acceptable description for herself. In fact, when Paula had arrived home from work Monday morning she had automatically said how cute Chloe looked. Chloe headed for the bedroom to change clothes...Paula, quick thinking Mommy that she is, responded that Chloe looked "seriously cute". We finally convinced her that indeed she did look serious. All I can say is I hope this stage passes quickly.

Claire was on this park outing as well but apparently she was just too busy meeting and greeting people to get her picture taken. She makes friends instantly with whomever comes to play.

On Sunday, Uncle Superman came to assist with the chicken coup. Papa, Mike, and Jon, worked all day to get it finished up. The chickens better like and appreciate their new dwelling.

A late afternoon activity on the deck kept the kids busy while the guys finished up. They really love to paint and doing it outside made it even better. All three painted fans and then Chloe opted for a scene with flowers.



A visitor to the deck for a couple of days was this beautiful, young, Cooper's Hawk. At least that is what Mike believes it was. He took over Paula's flowers for part of the time and also hung out on the deck chair backs.

He couldn't fly very well and last report he had moved on, so I hope he is safe somewhere. It gave the kids lots of enjoyment while there.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention how important Memorial Day is to us. We are so thankful to live in such a great country where we often take our freedom for granted. Thank you to those who have served in the military and thank you to their families, as well, who often sacrifice so much while their family member is gone. I can only identify a little since my Dad served in WWII and came home while I was still an infant. Interestingly, he rarely talked of his military time until his last few years with us. He saw and experienced some pretty hard things that he carried with him the rest of his life.  God Bless America!