Holiday at Nana's Day Five (part two)

Day 5 at Nana's (part 2) - Reinforcements arrive!


Mom and Aaron got here today around lunch time. Yahoo! They brought with them energy and peach pie.
This is my magic wand. Madeline made it for me and I only use it for good, not evil.
This is our craft mess for the day. We made magic wands and visors and picture frames. We're going to put pictures from this week in our picture frames for a lasting memory.
This is Anna finding a new source of snack. I think her favorite is the liver flavored kibble.
Sadie took this picture and it was so energetic I couldn't resist putting it on here. This is Alysse, Wendy's oldest girl, she's the same age as Sadie, 7.

Holiday at Nana's Day Five (part One)

Day four at Nana's OK, really it's day 5. It started out with a phone call that went a little something like this:


Me: Hello?
phone voice: Is Brownie or Howard there?
Me: No, they're gone right now, may I take a message?
phone voice: this is their neighbor, and do you know there is a deer in your backyard? Really it's a fawn.
Me: NO WAY! I'm coming out to take pictures, no one will believe this.

Chaos ensues.
These are the pictures (of course, not in order and in fact they are backwards).
This is the little fawn after Greg(on the right) caught it. That's Joe on the left feeding it from Anna's bottle. You can buy a baby bottle anytime but you can only save a deer once maybe twice in a lifetime.
The great catch. The little thing was exhausted and bleeding from it's nose and back hoof, paw, whatever you call it.
This is the cute little thing running through the brush.
Again, through the brush.

Holiday at Nana's Day Three

We are into Day Three of Holiday at Nana's

Madeline was a bit more willing participant in the activities today. Full of gusto I would say. "Go Madeline"!

This is all the cousins except Anna who was asleep upstairs. It took a great deal of cooperation to take this picture. No splashing and no sudden moves because I took my camera in the pool. I know, not the smartest thing but look at the cute picture!

"One, two, three, jump"!

Holiday at Nana's Day Three

We are in to day three of Holiday at Nana's. I can't believe we've survived. Wendy's had a really lovely case of Poison Ivy and has been drugged up on Benedryl since we arrived on Sunday. That leaves on ly two adults here for 6 children, Nana and me. And today, Nana went back to work. Thank goodness Wendy is starting to function again. I have a really lovely picture of her in her dispair but I promised her I wouldn't post it. Sorry, folks. Journalistic integrity and all.

Anyway, today's craft project was a koozie (you'll see a picture further down) and bracelets/watches. Lest you worry about Austin (the only male cousin) making bracelets, we have "boy" crafts for him. He just didn't feel like participating today. This is a picture of the mess we made - I mean the creative process we were involved in today.
We also played dress up with Wendy's old costumes from YEARS of ballet, tap, jazz...lots of costumes. This is our reluctant participant.
This is a picture of two of the boxes they made yesterdy and Madeline's koozies. Now they have koozies to keep their beer...ooops, I mean sodas cold.
Two of the way more than willing participants in the dress up portion of our day.
And last but not least...While we were playing dress up, Wendy found this old picture of me. I was a sophomore in High School at Caddo Parish Magnet School. Yep, this is me, way skinnier.

Enjoy

Holiday at Nana's Day Two

Craft time! Today's craft was to decorate a box in which we will put the rest of the crafts we make throughout the rest of the week. Creativity abounded.
Sadie is working earnestly at her box
At Nana's house, everyone can be doing a different activity, all in the same space.
Some of us were not happy today at Nana's house.

Holiday at Nana's Day One

Day One of our Holiday at Nana's house began with swimming. (Sorry about the underscore but I don't know how to take if off).


I actually did it! No underscore! I don't know what I did so I'm not messing with that stuff above. Sorry.

We weren't even in the door before the girls were asking if they could go swimming. I said "can we unload the car first, please"? They said "no". I told them that it would go alot faster if they would help. They actually did. We unloaded the car and just dumped it right in the doorway and they're screaming to go into the pool again. I said "can we get the stuff upstairs , first". Nana said "go on, go swimming". I said "OK".The three cousins. There's actually five but one was at the movies and the other was not in goggles nor in camera range. From left to right: Alysse, Sadie and Ashlea
This was Anna when we first drove up. "Get me out of this car". She was tired of riding. I'm thinking if she had taken a nap at any point during the trip instead of screaming the whole way, she might have enjoyed it a little more.
The calm before the storm.
Anna likes the water.

With the posting of the above picture, we can officially say I have masterd my phone. This picture was taken with my cell phone and I SUCCESSFULLY downloaded it to my computer FINALLY!!!!

There is no telling what y'all will see from now on!

Sleeping Beauty awakes

And just what would the prince have thought if this is what Sleeping Beauty looked like when she got up? My first thought? Blog Moment - "Don't move a muscle". And I went and got the camera.

I'm sure there will be therapy bills aplenty when she sees all these things on the world wide web.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July Everyone~ Happy Birthday, America!

What a day we had. Baby Shower, croquet, rain, downpours of love. I know this family had a great day and I hope yours did as well.

This is Madeline (who actually asked me to put up her hair today), Sadie and Anna in their new 4th of July outfits (Thank you, Nonnie!) They looked adorable.
The baby shower we had today was for Rachel. We prayed for her baby (thank you, everyone) and God heard our prayers and all seems to be well. The c-cam tumor is shrunken and is only a small thing now. So all is a-go for this baby to come into this world.

One of the things we did at the shower was to write out on an index card words of encouragement or advice or whatever to Rachel and then I took a picture of each person with her and those words will go under their picture in a photo album. This is Sadie's picture with her and these are her words of advice:

"Dear Reachelle,

Don't get booties ther Just going to take them off all the time love you lots sincerly, Sadie"

Sage advice from one so young.

This is Parker "muggin" with Anna. Actually, he was asked to give the baby a hug and he complied...everytime he was asked. It was so cute to watch them play together. He would tap her feet gently, it was too cute.
He also liked her binky. He would put it in his mouth and then in her mouth. She didn't seem to mind.

Firsts

Anna had her first Cheeto yesterday under the exceptional tuteledge (sp?) of her big sister Madeline. Madeline taught her how to hold it in such a way so as not to let any of the cheesy flavor escape. And of course, to always have one in each hand. You can't eat Cheetoes singly, it just isn't done that way.

Very special

After a lovely evening of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the parents of my friend Karen (Happy 50th Micheal and Betsy Doyle), I came home to my sweet little family (except Anna who was already asleep) playing a rousing game of "Candy Land". When told she came in second Madeline replied "very special". I don't know where she gets it but she cracks me up.

I could resist this picture of Anna.
Or this one. We sat outside for a very long time today. We visited with the neighbors and ate cheerios. How much better could it get? OK, add some strawberry margaritas and you've got yourself a special day. But really, outside with good friends...hard to beat, with or without margaritas.
Banda has, for some reason, taken to being carried around in this little basket. Anyone can carry her around in it. Love nips for Sadie!
This is what a lazy Saturday morning looks like in our house.

Fun times

After a fun trip to Austin and back, Aaron's home! Anna is very happy about this. She now has someone to pick her up at her every whim. I shudder to think what she is going to be like when he leaves. As if she's not already spoiled enough.
Today there were 7 kids at my house. My 3 girls, Aaron and the boys from down the street. They brought their slip-n-slide. Fun times.

The yard sure got watered.

oh my

Didn't she just start crawling just day before yesterday? How can she already be standing in her bed? Please wake me up from this nightmare of days passing by so quickly that they bleed together in one big blur and all of a sudden everything has changed. WAKE ME UP!!!!!

"The Wall"

The traveling Vietnam War Memorial Wall was in Arlington this weekend. I saw the preparations for it's arrival on Tues. morning. There was alot of police and motorcycles and American Flags. When I said alot of motorcycles I mean as far as the eye could see. I was amazed.
This will give you an idea of the size of the wall. It is very big. It's about 3/4 the size of the real one.
This is my brother-in-law Paul's finger pointing to a fallen friend's name. Paul is a Vietnam Veteran.
When I took this picture inside my head a voice said "put this picture on the blog". I don't know why but maybe it will mean something to someone. I hope it does.
I don't know if you can read this but if you can it's a moving story. If you can enlarge it to read it, it's worth the trouble. If not, I'll try to copy it into a regular e-mail if you're interested. Just let me know.
This is a picture of some people finding a name they are looking for but also of things people have left as memorials.

There is a sign when you are entering the memorial that says it is Sacred Ground. I feel priviledged to have been there today. It is a sight to see and if you were able to go, great. If not, I'm sorry you missed it.

Wheeeee!

Please keep your hands and feet in the vehicle at all times.
Rides at Six Flags should be so safe. Just look at the safety belt Madeline has created out of "noodle" used at the pool. She's a creative one. Safety first.
"Yeah, the ride's over!!!!" "And I survived, thanks to Madeline's safety belt!"
This is what I got to do today. Go see "Les Miserables". Boy, those poor people's lives were miserable. That Jean ValJean could flat sing. When he sings "Bring Him Home" it was BEAUTIFUL. I don't think I've ever heard that much applause for that long in the middle of a play/musical ever. He deserved it. What a treat. Thank you, Uncle Ernie. Just another cute pic of Anna and Mads. I thought the look on Anna's face was priceless. "What am I doing in this car with this maniac?"