thankful thursday - the entrepreneurs

While our sweethearts were visiting us a few weeks ago, we were telling stories about past 4th of July celebrations when our children (aka their mom and aunt) were their age. Like most kids, the older four enjoyed hearing what their mom and aunt did when they were kids. We laughed about the year our oldest daughter along with several neighbor kids worked all day decorating their bikes, trikes and a wagon (to haul our youngest daughter who was a toddler) with red, white and blue signs and streamers in preparation for the "Big 4th of July Parade." The parents and other extended family members gathered in the afternoon to watch the parade... which lasted all of a minute and a half! And we  laughed about the year all the kids in the neighborhood set up a lemonade stand in the drive-way but ended up drinking all their product since it was so hot... and there were no kids left to BUY the lemonade.

That story intrigued the kids and they kept bringing it up, asking questions. Pretty soon the inevitable, dreaded question was asked: Can we have a stand and sell something?

I told them they could do a snack stand on the 4th of July but they needed to prepare for it and do the work.

The first thing was deciding what to sell. They suggested lemonade, homemade chocolate chip cookies, popsicles, and chocolate candy. After being reminded that it would be really hot outside, they realized popsicles, chocolate chips and chocolate candy would melt too quickly. They finally decided on lemonade, Otter Pops (they don't make a mess if they melt and can be refrozen) and Red Vines.

They figured out how much to charge for their goodies. They, of course, were thinking "dollars" while we were suggesting "cents." We talked about what happens when you over-price your product... and they finally agreed cents made more sense (Oh yeah, they made that joke!).

Next was making signs. We cut up some cardboard boxes and they went to town with markers. They decided to make an arrow sign that someone would twirl and dance with to get people's attention.

We practiced making change and counting it back to the customer. We talked about making eye contact, smiling and being friendly. We talked about wearing food-service gloves when getting the Red Vines out of the container. Good customer service is priceless!

Finally, the big day arrived and the kids were sooooooo excited. We had decided 2:30 in the afternoon would be a good time to catch people coming and going as they connected with their family. At 2:30 on the dot they set up the card table in front of our driveway. They agreed beforehand on who would sell first and who would dance with the signs.

Christopher and Ben were the first salespersons. 

And Nick and Lexie were the sign dancers down on the corner.

Although they got a few cars to come down the street, they quickly realized they would have better success if their goods were on the corner where the cars passed by. We packed up the table, chairs, goodies and ice chest and walked down to the corner to set up. 

It was 108 degrees that afternoon. And these kids are not used to our extreme heat. But there was no complaining. They waved at cars and danced with their signs... and people stopped! Cars made u-turns to come back. A couple of times there was a line of cars waiting for their turn. People were talking and laughing. A few told stories of their own lemonade stand when they were a child.

After an hour, the adults decided to pack it in. When we got back to the house, the kids cleaned the table and put stuff away. Finally it was time to count their money. Christopher was the counter and Nick watched to make sure he counted correctly and didn't take any. Such brotherly love! Their mom and dad reminded them they needed to pay their supplier (me) for the goodies before they divided up the money.

Everyone - adults and kids - was surprised to learn they made $60! In an hour! They had quite a few large tips because they were "so friendly" and "so sweet" and "enthusiastic" but no one thought they made that much. After I told them I would donate the supplies and they could keep their $60, they were all very quick to calculate that was $15 each! 

I am thankful for the lessons my sweethearts learned through this entrepreneurial adventure. Things like it takes hard work to make money. To evaluate your business plan and modify it as needed. And how to work together towards a common goal. That having a good work ethic is important. And I am thankful we were only out in the heat for an hour!

thankful thursday - rules??

When my sweet hubby and I were first married, before we had children, we had many opinions (most of them incorrect!) about raising children. For example, I was convinced that no child of mine would ever be plopped down in front of the tv so I could get something done. That lasted until our first child was about a month old and I discovered I could brush my teeth and get dressed before my hubby came home from work if I positioned our daughter (who was VERY colicky and awake most of the day) so she could "watch" Sesame Street. The shapes and colors of the characters and sing-songy dialog seemed to calm her - or at least distract her - for a few minutes.

We eventually learned to relax and trust our instincts while following the "rules." Rules like bedtime is bedtime, no snacks if you didn't eat your meal, no running in the house, keep your hands and other body parts off the windows, and we don't have cookies or candy before lunch.  It's important for children to have routine and to know what the boundaries are. I firmly believed that children are happier when the "rules" are consistent.

Then I became a grandma.

And the "rules" changed. Dramatically. Almost over night.

At grandma's house, bedtime is more like a starting point or suggestion. Dessert and snacks are always an option if you ate at least some of your meal. Running in the house doesn't bother me as much as it used to. And not only do I not mind fingerprints (and other body-prints ;-)) on my windows, I have each of them make a handprint up high on the window that remains pristine for several weeks after they leave! M&M's or a cookie before breakfast is good clean fun. As is having ice cream for breakfast.

Yep. I became my mother and my mother-in-law. They "spoiled" our children in good ways. Spending time with them. Bending the rules. Eating ice cream for breakfast one day a year isn't going to harm anyone but is a memory kids never forget. Going to their houses was always a treat for our kids, something they looked forward to. I am thankful for the wisdom my mother and mother-in-law shared on being a grandparent and on rules.

And just to be clear, some rules never change or go out of style. Rules like speak respectfully to each other, ask permission before you use something that belongs to someone else, no means no, don't run on the kool-deck, buckle up in the car. They are rules for safety or being respectful to others. And I still firmly believe that children are happier when the rules are consistent. But they also learn that rules may be different in different places (like grandma's house) or situations (like vacation).

I think our sweethearts make lots of memories when they are at our house. I hope they will one day share those memories with their children.  And laugh as hard as their parents do when they share their grandparent memories!

We love our sweethearts!

thankful thursday - humor

As Uncle Albert sings in the hit movie, Mary Poppins, I love to laugh! The ability to laugh is a gift, one I am thankful for each day. It lowers my blood pressure, makes me happy and gives me a more positive outlook on life.

I have been in North Carolina visiting the East Coast sweethearts and have laughed heartily every single day I've been here.

Everyday conversations are funny. Ben (almost nine-years old) wanted to know if his parents were going to "kiiiiiiiisssssss" when they "went out on a date" (to dinner and a movie while I babysat).

Mixing up words is funny. Ellie (two-years old) often says words differently than they are normally pronounced - like "det-to-wer"  for "Christopher."

"Jokes" are a way of life, especially with kids! Two years ago this month I posted each of their favorite knock knock jokes (wacky wednesday - tee hee hee). For your laughing pleasure, here are the current ones:

Knock knock
Who's there?
Honey bee
Honey bee who?
Honey, be a dear and please get me a soda!
(Christopher, age 12)

Knock knock
Who's there?
A broken pencil
A broken pencil who?
Never mind, it's pointless.
(Nick, age 11)

Knock knock
Who's there?
Dishes
Dishes who?
Dishes your friend so open the door!
(Ben, almost 9)

Knock knock
Who's there?
Elsa
Elsa who?
Hi Elsa! Hi Anna, too!
(Lexie, almost 8)

Mock Mock (Knock knock)
Who's there?
Ka cow  (Interrupting cow)
Interrupting cow wh..
MOO!!!
(Ellie, age 2)

The North Carolina Sweethearts

Ben, Christopher, Nick, Ellie & Lexie

thankful thursday - camp grandma with hannah

We have six grandchildren (aka "sweethearts") - three grandsons and three granddaughters - ranging in age from 12-years old (yikes!) to 15-months old. Five of them live on the east coast and one lives locally where we live.

Five years ago, while we were living in Maryland, each of the boys came up to visit us for several days. We called it Camp Grandma. It was just a fun way to spend time with each one individually. Unfortunately, Lexie was too young to go so far from home overnight and Ellie wasn't born yet so they missed Camp Grandma. Maybe we'll do a Girls' Weekend Away sometime when I'm out there.

Hannah lives here (literally here - as in in our house since she and her parents are waiting for their new house to be built) and stayed with us while her parents went out of town for several days. Camp Grandma was back in business!

Although we tried to keep Hannah's routine as much as possible, we managed to do some new things. One morning we went to the Phoenix Zoo. I thought Hannah would love the animals - she's quite enthralled with her Little People animals - but she was completely unimpressed with the real deal. Her favorite part seemed to be watching the birds at the lake and going to Taco Bell for lunch afterwards.

Hannah loves to sit at the kitchen counter in her chair and "talk" and watch what I'm doing. We had quite a few interesting conversations. One afternoon as I was doing dishes she started to get antsy. I did an Indian war whoop to distract her and she started laughing. And then tried to do it herself. After several attempts, she finally got it. And days later, she still thinks its hysterical. 

We played. A lot. Everything is an adventure. She discovered her shadow while we were playing outside and tried to get it. We discovered she could build a tower of four blocks by herself. We read books... over and over and over again.

Of course, there was some spoiling going on. She discovered Little Einsteins (okay, I put it on...)  and loved it! And we had cookies right before dinner. And she splashed in the tub as long as she wanted. We got her some "new" toys - empty toilet paper tubes make great horns!

We learned that Hannah has some very definite opinions about things - avocados are delicious, bananas are NOT! She likes to sit on your lap while you read to her. She's pretty easy going and likes interacting with people. And when she puts her thumb in her mouth and starts twirling her hair with the other hand, it's time for bed.

Sweethearts are a huge blessing. And I am thankful for each one.

thankful thursday - what i learned in 2015

Today is the last day of 2015 - a time for reflection, of looking back over the year remembering fun times as well as hard times, old friends and those I've just met. It is one of my favorite times of the year.

In no particular order, here are some of the things I learned (or was reminded of) this year:

1.  Grandchildren, aka Sweethearts, are a great, big, humongous blessing. Whether they live in the next room or across the country, invest time in getting to know them. Spend time with them one-on-one, play together, do errands together, just talk with them. Technology makes it easy to stay connected long distance - let them teach you how to use FaceTime, Skype, email, instant messenger and texting; you can teach them your phone number and show them how call or how to send real mail. Their lives will be richer as will yours!

Ben (8), Hannah (1), Christopher (12), Nick (10), Ellie (2) and Lexie (7)

Hannah lives in the same city we do; all the rest live on the East Coast.

2.  Pay attention to the details. Trying to do things on "autopilot" seldom works for long.Whether it's making a new recipe or putting a Lego set together, reading the directions and paying attention to what you're doing always pays off. Make the effort to get it right.

This "sand castle" was my favorite at the World's Best Sand Sculpting Competition in December at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Each contestant was given a pile of 10 tons of sand and 3 days to create their sculpture. This builder was the only one to use ALL of his sand as he meticulously worked to get the angles just right. Although he didn't place, his was my favorite and reminds me to pay attention to the details.

3.  Life is an adventure - embrace it!  Richard and I took off on a drive on a forest road (read: rutted dirt road) in southeast Arizona. We decided to do the drive backwards not realizing that not all the roads were marked on our map nor were the roads themselves well marked. It didn't take too long before we were quite lost and I'm pretty sure we were inches from the Mexico border. Instead of worrying about being lost, we enjoyed the spectacular scenery and saw a part of Arizona we had never seen before. After an hour or so we were able to get back on track and reach our destination. 

Part of this drive was where they filmed the prairie scenes in the musical/movie Oklahoma! It was different from any other area of Arizona I've seen - and breath-takingly beautiful!

4.  The years go by faster and faster - remember to take time to enjoy the moments! It's easy to get caught up in the things we "have to" do until pretty soon we are just moving from event to event without really enjoying anything. This year I spent some time each day doing an activity our oldest daughter and her husband have done with their kids - three good things. The idea is to think of three good things that happened that day - usually it is something seemingly trivial, like getting the closest parking spot at Costco - to help you remember the great moments, even in a "bad day."

Watching a beautiful sunset is sometimes one of my three things. Arizona is, after all, the self-proclaimed sunset capital of the world!

5.  Don't save the candles just for birthdays - use them just because.  It is the perfect ending to a "bad day" and we all have those from time to time. They make any occasion a celebration, even if the celebration is "I made through the day and I'm happy to be home!" 

Candlelight makes even an ordinary dessert look fabulously festive!

I am thankful for the lessons I've learned because they remind me of the many ways God has blessed me and that life is good.

thankful thursday - family adventures

Our oldest daughter, son-in-law and their five kids (collectively known as the Albaecks) came out to visit us this summer. They live in North Carolina and this was their first trip back here in six years. While they were here, our youngest daughter, her husband and their daughter (who live nearby and are collectively known as the Gaubs) came over often to visit. Our normally very quiet house was suddenly filled with lots of laughter, kids playing, kids crying, toys that make "noise" and adults talking. And it was heavenly!

We had lots of thing to celebrate - the first time the boys met their cousin, the end of another successful school year, the beginning of summer vacation, and THREE college graduations. Jacob got his Bachelor's, Jennifer got her Master's and Janne got her Ph.D. ALL this year! I am thankful our kids know and appreciate the value of education and learning.

The cake was deeeeee-licious! Christopher made the topper =)

The kids wanted to swim several times a day... every single day. The older four have become little fishes in the water and like to splash and dive! The younger ones mostly like to float in their inflatables. I laughed so hard when I heard Jennifer telling her kids to not splash so hard, they were getting the windows wet. I distinctly remember her telling me, as a child, that she wouldn't care about the windows getting wet when her kids were in the pool. Fast forward a couple of decades and now she cares and I don't! I am thankful, though, for parents who teach their kids to be respectful of others.

The kids were in the pool so much the bottoms of the their toes got scraped up - hence, the sox!

As most of you know, we LOVE Disneyland and go as often as we can. We took our daughters when they were growing up. And now they take their kids. So it was only natural that we ALL (six adults, four older kids and two stroller kids!) went to Disneyland for a few days. The boys were excited about Carsland (they had not been yet) and the girls were excited about everything Frozen. No one was disappointed! I am thankful our family likes Disneyland like we do - or at least comes with us when we go!

We celebrated Disneyland's 60th birthday and Ellie and Hannah's first time at Disneyland!  

We had lots of time to just hang out and be together. They kids played and watched movies. The adults talked - there is never a shortage of things to talk about! We ate some of our favorite foods. Remember all the manicotti I made earlier and put in the freezer? It did not go to waste! We also went shopping, had gelato (a few times!), went to a couple movies and went out to eat. It was a nice vacation for all of us. I am thankful for family that enjoys being together.

We all agreed it's fun to just hang out and be together!

All too soon it was time for the Albaecks to start their road trip back home. We went to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon with them before saying good-by. I am thankful for beauty all around me - in my family and in nature.

You can see Richard, Christopher and Lexie at the view point in the lower right corner. They look tiny compared to the immenseness of the Grand Canyon!

There are, indeed, many things to be thankful for when family is around. What a wonderful blessing it is to have family!

thankful thursday - one at a time

We have six grandchildren, five of whom live across the country from us. We are blessed to be able to see them three or maybe four times a year. Most often we fly to North Carolina and visit them because it's easier with school schedules and less expensive for two people to travel than it is for seven.

But when each grandchild turns ten, they get to come to our house by themselves for two weeks. It's become a rite of passage separating the little kids from the big kids. It's something they look forward to for years - as do we. And this summer it was Nick's turn to come.

Nick came out to Arizona with his whole family in a cross-country road trip. The rest of the family left from Flagstaff to go back home but Nick stayed with us and we did a little more sight-seeing in the high country.

We went to Meteor Crater - it was MUCH larger than Nick thought it would be! Then we enjoyed the view out this fabulous "window!"

We also spent a weekend exploring southern Arizona. Nick was surprised to learn that Arizona has both cool pine forests and scorching deserts.

Our first stop was the top of Mount Lemmon where the ski lift was a big hit. We stopped at some of the hoodoos and other rock formations as we drove down the mountain. The next day we stopped at the Titan Missile Museum where Nick got to turn the key to "launch" the missile. Then we drove through Saguaro National Park on our way back to the valley. Nick's favorite cactus is the prickly pear although he was intrigued with the saguaro skeletons.

While we were out traveling we introduced Nick to the wonderful world of geocaching. He caught on very quickly and talked Grandpa into giving him his old GPS so he could geocache at home! 

Before Nick left Arizona, he used his GPS to find a geocache near our house all by himself - well, I drove to the site but he told me which way to go and then he found it. He was soooo excited to put his own username in the log!

Nick likes breakfast... a lot! He learned to make pancakes at his great-grandma's house in California and wanted to practice while he was here. And then he wanted to learn to make waffles. But Nick also likes to experiment so we added cinnamon chips... or chocolate syrup and cocoa... or bacon. Every day was a new adventure! I think he may be a chef one day!

His favorite creation was a chocolate waffle topped with red velvet ice cream, chocolate syrup and a cherry on top. I was out of whipped cream or he would have had that on it, too! He got pretty good at making Mickey pancakes and thinks I should buy a Mickey waffle iron for the next time he comes to visit. Sadly, he had never had Jell-o Jigglers so we made Minion ones - which he proclaimed good and fun.

Some days we worked on projects. 

Nick wanted to learn how to crochet. He is left-handed and I am right-handed. Although he is left-handed (and I am not), he learned pretty quickly how to make a chain and then braid them into a friendship bracelet. 

We got a kit for making bouncy balls. He loved making them and then explaining how they were made from polymers and other geeky stuff. Another day he wanted to put blue food coloring on a piece of watermelon to see if it would turn purple. It did not.

And other days we went out to do errands or something more fun.

Movies are a great way to escape the heat! While we were at Chick-fil-A for lunch one day, Nick arranged a kitchen tour for the following week. It was really very interesting (and clean!) and they feed you! We got ice cream cones since our tour was in the afternoon - and Nick got a stuffed cow!

And, of course, almost every day we went swimming!

Snorkeling was great fun but Nick REALLY liked talking through his snorkel! He quickly learned to hold his breath when Grandpa flipped him!

We had a lot of fun. I laughed a lot!

And I learned a lot about Nick. He is interested in current events. We had a long and involved discussion in the pool one day about illegal immigration. He has a soft heart and cares about God's creatures. A bird hit the living room window and fell to the kool deck, dead. Nick was very concerned about the bird and his family. Nick doesn't like to be alone but can work or play independently without interacting with someone. And he still isn't too old for a big hug and a smooch!

Before we knew it, it was time for Nick to go home. The house was once again quiet (not necessarily a good thing!) and I didn't have to go grocery shopping every other day (growing boys eat a LOT!). And I missed the ten-year old conversation and doing things on the spur of the moment. I am thankful we have the opportunity to hang out with our grandchildren one-on-one and really get to know them. And I am thankful they want to come visit us!

wacky wednesday - piano blues

I begged, pleaded and made deals with my parents for over a year before they finally realized my "request" for a piano was not a passing whim. A friend of the family had an old piano they weren't using and my parents borrowed it thinking I would give it up in a few months like my older sister had with the guitar. I didn't care that the piano was old and scratched up. It was a real piano and I could play it to my heart's content!

I started taking piano lessons that summer from an "older lady" (she was probably in her 40's... I was ten...) who lived a few miles from our house. My mother didn't drive then so I had to ride my bike to and from her house once a week. It was hot but I didn't care. I loved learning to play using both hands and even my feet sometimes! And, seriously, I didn't mind practicing... ever.

I played for a couple of years until our friends wanted their piano back. I was sad to see it go but by that time I was also playing the flute in band. There are only so many practice hours in a day! However, learning to play piano is something that engages your mind like nothing else does as you read two lines of music simultaneously with your eyes while playing them with your hands. I feel fortunate to have been able to learn to play and although I cannot play very well now, I don't regret the hours spent practicing as a child. 

As a parent, I wanted to have a piano in our house. In fact, when we bought our house, I had a spot in mind for the piano. Unfortunately, a piano wasn't in our budget and our daughters were busy with other activities, including music through high school - one played the clarinet and the other played the violin. 

Years after the kids grew up and left our home, we unexpectedly got a piano. Friends of ours needed a place to store an extra piano and asked if we knew anyone who had room and would be willing to do that. I jumped at the chance to finally have a piano again and have enjoyed "fiddling around" on it.

I recently read several articles in major newspapers reporting that piano stores across the nation are closing due to lack of sales. The best year for new piano sales in the United States was 1909 when more than 364,500 new pianos found homes. In recent years, that number has dropped to less than 40,000 annually. 

There are several factors playing into the decrease in piano sales but the primary reason is fewer kids are learning to play, an indicator of a changing society. People are more interested in things that don't take much effort so playing an hour a day to learn piano is not what kids want to do. Computer technology has changed what kids are interested in. Fiddling around with a digital keyboard is fun, learning to play piano correctly is not. 

Things like smaller homes, emphasis on youth sports (rather than music studies), larger number of latch-key children and children who split their time between two parent's homes also contribute to fewer kids taking up the piano.

Despite the many reason for not playing the piano, two of our sweethearts LOVED playing "our" piano when they visited last fall! It is a joyful noise! It makes me sad, though, that pianos won't be readily available for other children to learn to play.

wacky wednesday - breakfast with sweetheart number 4

When we were in North Carolina in December, we took each of the boys to breakfast one by one. (breakfast with the boys) I visited the sweethearts a couple of weeks ago and it was Lexie's turn to go to breakfast.

Part of the fun is the anticipation and deciding where to go. Every time I talked to Lexie on the phone in the weeks leading up to my visit, we talked about going to breakfast. And every time we talked about it, her restaurant choice changed. I couldn't wait to find out the final answer!

Lexie (age 7) chose Dunkin' Donuts for her breakfast outing. She was so excited that the first words out of her mouth when she woke up were, "Can we go to breakfast NOW?????" After getting dressed and getting directions, we were off. On the drive there, I asked her how many donuts she wanted. Her quick, no hesitation response was "THREE!" And she also wanted coffee.

I convinced her to start with two donuts with the promise that she could get another one if she wanted it after she ate the first two. The woman at the counter took our order and made Lexie "special coffee" (a little coffee with warm milk and sugar).

She chose a bar-height table and we sat down to eat breakfast and chat. She read all the signs on the walls and windows to me. Then we got down to business. She likes playing with her friends and reading the best at school. Frozen is her favorite movie and it's Elsa over Anna all the way because "she sings the good songs and she's so pretty!"

By this time Lexie had finished her two donuts and wanted a third. I encouraged her to go up and order her donut herself but she wanted me to do it. As I watched her sitting at the table while I went up to the counter, she reminded me very much of her mother as a child - kicking her legs against the chair and smiling at the other customers. Sigh. They grow up so fast.

Lexie celebrated her seventh birthday the week before our breakfast. She insisted she felt "older" when she woke up on her birthday and she might even be a little taller. But other than that, being seven was about the same as being six. I asked her old she thought I was and she said, with absolute certainty, "39!" YES!!!

The donuts and coffee were gone and it was time to go. As we drove home I was already looking forward to the next time she and I will go to breakfast, wondering what things we'll talk about then. One thing I know for certain - kids like to talk, especially when someone is listening.

wacky wednesday - breakfast with the boys

Family meals with all the sweethearts are great but getting them alone is like the frosting on the cake. It's when we learn the nitty gritty stuff. They are so much more talkative and serious when they have our undivided attention.

While we were in North Carolina last month, we took advantage of the sweethearts being out of school to take each one of the boys out to breakfast all by himself. (And yes, the girls will get their turns the next time we are there.)  We chose the day; they chose the restaurant (after establishing some ground rules - all you can eat buffets were out!).

First up was Ben (age 7) and he was verrrrrrry excited to go to Waffle House. When we walked in and noticed all the tables were full, meaning we would "have to/get to" sit at the counter, he could barely contain his enthusiasm. We perused the menu although I think he knew exactly what he wanted before we got there - a waffle, some bacon, hash browns ("smothered and scattered!") and orange juice ("just like Grandpa!"). We talked about school - he likes reading and recess- and what he really wanted for Christmas - Legos and a new rock box (to keep his expanding collection of rocks in) - as he watched the short order cooks prepare food. And he giggled every time one of the waitresses called out an order with the short-hand lingo they use.

Next up was Christopher (age 11) who has a more sophisticated palate. He chose Daily Grind, a local breakfast establishment famous for their pancakes (although I think their eggs and toast are quite delish, too!). As the waitress was taking our drink order, he asked if he could have coffee. Our awesome server winked and said she would make him a special coffee he would love - decaf with steamed milk and chocolate syrup. It was definitely a hit - as was the short stack (two plate-sized, thick, fluffy pancakes) and bacon he ordered. While we were waiting for our food to arrive, he and Grandpa had a contest building the best tower out of jelly packets. I think it ended up being a tie since our food came before we could have the tie-breaker. In between bites, we talked about the fun things he gets to do with his friends (sleep-overs and going to movies with their family) and what he hoped to get for Christmas (an iTunes gift card and Legos). 

Finally it was Nick's (age 9) turn and after much discussion and changing his mind, he decided to go to Daily Grind, too. He heard Christopher had coffee and he wanted some as well - no surprise there! He ordered the short stack, a side of fried eggs and shared my bacon - and he ate almost all of it! Nick is excited about his upcoming trip to Arizona this summer. When our sweethearts turn ten, as Nick will this year, we bring them to our house during the summer for a couple of weeks of fun with us. He talked about all the places he wants to see and things he wants to do. His interests are varied - he wants to go to the Titan Missile Museum since he's interested in the Cold War and an observatory with a telescope he can look through and Meteor Crater because he loves space stuff and Sunsplash because he's never been to a water park but it surely must be fun. Oh, and school is going great.

Going out to breakfast is one of my favorite things to do. And going with my sweethearts is a double favorite thing. I can't wait to come back and take the girls out to breakfast. I wonder what we'll talk about ...

wacky wednesday - the things you miss

My mother-in-law, whom we affectionately called Nona, often reminded me to appreciate each age and stage of parenting our children. For example, I would complain about spending all day in my car driving 75 miles to take our darlin's to school and back, to activities, etc. and never travel farther than ten miles from our house. She would laugh and tell me that one day I would miss that. I'm pretty sure there was some eye rolling on my part after that.

Seriously? I would miss stuff like that? What about changing clothes several times a day because the baby spit up - or worse- on me? Would I miss that, too? How about finding out at 9:00 at night that my sweet darlin' had volunteered to bring 5 pieces of poster board to school the next day? Or going on a road trip and answering the question, "Are we there yet?" a bajillion times? I was absolutely certain Nona was mistaken; no one could possibly miss stuff like that.

Fast forward a couple of decades. My sweet darlin's now have sweethearts of their own. And I have learned that Nona did, indeed, know what she was talking about.

In no particular order, here are seven things I never, ever thought I'd miss.

1.  Photo-bombing (although back in the day it was just called "getting in the way")
I am almost certain I "talked sternly" to my sweet darlin's for jumping up into my picture while I was trying to take a landscape photo. However, I realized I really do miss the silliness and spontaneity of this prank when one of my sweethearts did it last week.

2.  Hearing and responding to "Watch this!!!" fifty times a day

Our parenting style was to be engaged and interact with our sweet darlin's when we reasonably could so we heard "Watch this!!" a lot. I remember one summer when they both wanted me to watch them dive in the pool and pick up rings off the bottom EVERY SINGLE TIME THEY DID IT all summer long. It's difficult to be enthusiastic and excited the five hundredth time you've watched it! But I've learned that their wanting me to watch them is really their way of sharing themselves with me. Yes, it's attention-getting but they're sharing something they like to do or something they learned. And I do miss it. Fortunately, the sweethearts have a never-ending supply of things to "share!"

3.  The disorder of the tupperware cupboard

Our sweet darlin's quickly learned that they were to leave cupboard doors alone (and closed)... except for the Tupperware cupboard. That one they could open, take all the containers and lids out and play with them (and as they were older, put them away) to their heart's content. Consequently, that cupboard was usually a disorganized, chaotic mess. While I loved watching their delight while they played with "my toys," I also longed for the day when my cupboard would be neat and tidy and finding the right container and lid wouldn't take half an hour. Imagine my surprise when they were older and I actually missed the mess inside the cupboard! I am delighted to have some little sweethearts that like to play in the cupboard. 

4.  Chalk art on the driveway or patio

While doing chalk art is fun and I always loved seeing what they would make, the mess it creates is not so fun. The chalk dust gets all over hands, legs, feet and clothes to then be tracked into the house. Once our sweet darlin's outgrew chalk art I was certain I would never miss it - but I did. Seeing their drawings or, as they got older, messages spread across the driveway as I came home always made me smile. So now I always have a bucket or two of chalk for the sweethearts to draw with - the "mess" is easily cleaned up!

5.  Drool and fingerprints on the glass on the back door

I could never understand why both my mother and Nona never seemed to mind if our sweet darlin's put their hands all over a window or a mirror. Who were these women? They couldn't be the same mothers my husband and I had - because we got scolded at for doing that! And we "discouraged" our sweet darlin's from slobbering and putting handprints on glass doors and windows. It seemed like I was forever cleaning them - and couldn't wait until everyone was old enough to not do that. And once they were,  I learned what my mother and Nona already knew - that the fingerprints and the drool is a reminder of how little they are and how fast they grow up. And I missed it! Now, when my sweethearts (or someone else's sweethearts) come to visit, I encourage them to fingerprint away and I don't wash it off for weeks or sometimes months!

6.  Little feet peeking under the stall door in a public bathroom

When our kids reached an age where they were old enough to go in a public restroom stall by themselves but not quite old enough to be in the public restroom alone, I would use the stall next to them so I could see their feet. If they finished before me, they would plant their feet outside my stall door so I could still see their feet. I was 100% certain I would NOT miss that when the kids got older, mostly because they liked to peek through the cracks in the door to watch me. But, alas, I was wrong again and not only enjoy it but even laugh when I see my sweetheart's shoes peeking under the stall door.

7. Toys scattered all over the floor

Okay, absolutely no one would miss tripping over toys on the floor. And, honestly, I don't miss the tripping - but I do miss seeing toys spread out all over. We have a basket of toys in our family room for young children to play with when they come to visit. Their parents always remind the child to "pick up your mess" but I really wish they would leave it, at least for awhile.

Although Joni Mitchell's song, Big Yellow Taxi, is making an environmental statement, the sentiment in the refrain - "don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone..." - rings true for me.

wacky wednesday - how many does it take??

Our daughter, who lives in North Carolina, flew out here last week with her two daughters to surprise her sister who just had a baby. It was a sweet sister reunion and a fun weekend with the girl cousins getting to know each other (although I am quite certain little baby Hannah and bigger baby Ellie will not remember it).

It was a beautiful weekend and we went to a park by our house to take some pictures. We did groupings of grandparents & granddaughters, sisters and their kids, three generations and the like.

As I was getting my picture taken with granddaughter #2, Ellie, who is a year old and not always a cooperative subject, especially when momma isn't holding her, I began laughing at the antics going on behind the camera. And then I had to wonder... just how many people does it take to get a photograph?

The good news is they finally got one!

And, also one of the girls - although by this time the kids were tired of posing and the wind was blowing hair around. Nevertheless, it is my favorite shot of our girls!

Hannah (almost 2 weeks), Janne, Jennifer, Lexie (6 years), Ellie (1 year)

sweetheart #6

Grandchildren (aka sweethearts) are the best thing since sliced bread. They love to spend time you you, don't mind getting smooches and will tell you things they won't tell anyone else.

You think you can't possibly love anyone as much as your spouse or children... until you have grandchildren. You are a little older and wiser than when you had your children and you know things like how quickly they grow up and to appreciate the everyday things.

Two weeks ago we welcomed Sweetheart #6 into the world and our hearts. Like her five North Carolina cousins, she is a blessing to us... and will, undoubtedly, be spoiled just a little by us.

Hannah Beckett is a sweet little bundle of joy with a go-with-the-flow personality.

wacky wednesday - tee hee hee

We just got back from a week in North Carolina visiting the grandkids and their parents. One of the things I love about being there is listening to kid conversation, and in particular, kid jokes. Even though I've heard most of them many times, each child tells them with different expression and emphasis which makes me laugh again and again.

I asked each of the older kids to tell me their favorite joke. As expected, "knock knock" jokes were at the top of their lists.

Christopher (age 10)

Knock knock!

Who's there?

Aaron.

Aaron who?

Aaron out my stinky gym shoes!

Nick (age 9)

Knock knock!

Who's there?

Dishes. 

Dishes who?

Dishes your friend, let me in!

Ben (age 7 (almost))

Knock knock!

Who's there?

Blue.

Blue who?

Blue Berry!

Lexie (age 6)

Knock knock!

Who's there?

Banana.

Banana who?

Knock knock!

Who's there?

Banana.

Banana who?

Knock knock!

Who's there?

Orange.

Orange who?

Orange you glad I didn't say banana?!

Ellie (age 4 months)

She doesn't know any jokes but she makes me laugh with her expressions and "talking!" It seems as though she is trying to tell a joke as she babbles and then waits for a second before delivering the punchline and breaks into a huge smile. 

It has been said that laughter is the best medicine. I think it might be. The effects of laughter and exercise are similar - heart rate increases, oxygenation of tissue increases, stress hormones are reduced. People who laugh often tend to be healthier and happier. So go find something to laugh about … giggle… guffaw… snort… and let loose a belly laugh!