GRANDPAREN'T'S DAY AT RUBY'S SCHOOL

Today was Grandparent's day at Ruby's school for all the kindergarten students. I went to Ruby's class but couldn't find her. So I went to a different class and she wasn't there either. Back to the 1st class and low and behold, there she was on the front row, probably thinking, what is Grandma doing, going from class to class?

We had four activities to do together. I realized Ruby writes half in capitols and half in lower case. But, she is sounding out words and almost ready for the leap to real reading. It's always exciting when I see that happening in a child. A whole new world will open up for her.Recess. Who cares if the coat is buttoned right?See this? Three friends, having a private moment that no one else knew about. Then just two friends. This little girl and her mother met Ruby and her mother when the two girls were just babies. They didn't see each other again until the girls were in the same class. Hillary remembered because this little girls name is Sweden and she remembered the baby Sweden. Now the girls are friends. After recess they put on Turkey hats and performed for us in the gym. They sang six funny, wonderful songs.And then we went home. Ruby told me how to get there by the back roads. Well, Hillary on the cell phone helped some, too. We go that way, Grandma!My happy five year old granddaughter that I love so much. You really can't see them here but she has a sprinkling of freckles, just like her Momma did at that age.

Don't you just love that face? Me too.And Baby Daisy? This is how she looked three days ago when she went in to see if she needed to stay under the "lights" so her jaundice would go away. She looks tan doesn't she? But...she passed and didn't have to be under those lights. I think her dark complexion has something to do with my inability to manage my camera at all times.
And today, she had another test and passed again. But before she left with her daddy for the test she cried like no one I have EVER heard. Her little heart was broken. Why, we just don't know. She calmed down and went happily with Dad.

Don't you just love that little baby face? Me too.

And I told the other girl in this family, Miss Maddy--seen here, catching a ride this summer from Miss Ruby--that I would come again on Monday, and I would have a story recorded for her. It's going to be a doozy...I think...I'm still coming up with a plot and the cast of characters, but for that girl--who LOVES a story--I'm going to do my best.

She deserves the best. All our grandchildren deserve the best. We all do. I hope we are all helping each other to have good experiences here, on planet earth.

This is what I wish for all of us, that we could be this happy. I know trying times have to come but after the angst, happiness like this.
Don't you just love that happy face? Me too.

THEY WILL HAVE IT SO MUCH EASIER IF THEY LISTEN

Today I think the high was 98 degrees. This is what I saw in our neighborhood.

Our neighborhood taking his grandson for a walk. And the grandson wanted to be covered up to his chin with a beach towel.

"That's what he wants and so that's what we'll do," Boyd said. That's a grandfather for you, doing whatever the grandchild wants, even if it makes no sense.

Then our neighbor said something that we all fear. "When he gets to be a teenager will he even talk to me?"

He seems to be thinking it over.

And then the grandchild took over and and did it his way. Another fear every parent and grandparent fears--maybe they will do it their way, even if it's wrong.

And so it goes, down through the generations. Parents and grandparents, who have so much knowledge and love and the younger generation is determined to do it their way. Just like we did.

We could have saved ourselves so much trouble if we had just listened.

But maybe, just maybe this generation will.

SIX WORD FRIDAY 6-27-08

Grandparents, hopeful, happy, being good examples.

A SADNESS IN OUR FAMILY TODAY

Our darling daughter-in-law, Nurse Giggleswich, married to our son, Lord Bumhampton lost her father today. He had leukemia and was waiting to see if the chemo was successful so he could have a bone marrow transplant. A bacteria, or perhaps it was a virus, invaded his compromised immune system and antibiotics couldn't save him. He was only sixty-three. As you can imagine, she is devastated. We all are.

Her father wanted to live. He has grandchildren that needed to have more of his generous love. He has three other children, our daughter-in-law is his youngest child and she has no children, yet.

She was his baby--the baby is the favorite in many ways and our son says that she was her dad's favorite. He's sure of it. I can write that here because her siblings don't know about my blog and so will never read it. I don't know why kids want to be the favorite. They are all the favorite anyway for so many reasons and just because.

When she does have children they won't get to sit on her dad's lap and listen to him read the picture book he wrote, illustrated and self published. They won't get to have the treats he might sneak to them when Momma's back is turned, they won't get to giggle together about it. They are going to miss out on his laugh and his jokes and his hugs. They won't get to hear all the hilarious things he said, right out of the blue. They won't get to listen to his history, stories his kids didn't even know until today. One was about how he earned a purple heart in Vietnam and then threw it in San Francisco Bay when he got home because he was unhappy with the government .

There is more tragedy in our sweet girl's life. She lost her mom to cancer ten years ago. She was only eighteen at the time. A teenager who perhaps had to grow up faster than she might have.

Our girl is putting herself through school, has her LPN and will get her RN in a year, maybe a bit longer. She will graduate from the university this fall in Family, Human and Consumer Development. She has been supporting herself long before she and our son got married. She has worked her way through all her schooling.

She works full time in a care center, taking care of people who outlived her parents by twenty, thirty, or more, years. She has a generous and loving heart, giving care to those who cannot care for themselves. For instance, last year she took boiled eggs and Easter egg dye into work because one little old woman didn't get to color eggs when the rest of the little ladies did, a few days before. That's the kind of person our girl is, going beyond what is expected, working harder than she has to, being better just because she thinks it's the right thing to do.

So, we are sad tonight. Sad for our daughter-in-law and son, sorry for her siblings and the grandkids. We are sorry that the children our daughter-in-law will have will only have one Grandma and Grandpa to love them. We will try to do an extra special job to make up for all they will miss from their other grandparents. We won't be able to do it good enough, but I hope we can help.

I will encourage her to remember and tell her children everything she knows about her parents so her children will feel close to them. I wish I knew more about our girl's parents so I could help with the memory keeping. I am going to ask her things and remember so I can tell the future grandkids about the rest of their heritage, all about her parents because they were wonderful people and because their heritage is a good one.

THE BAPTISM OF CURLY SUE

This is our darling granddaughter, Curly Sue on her baptism day. We sat in the chapel before the baptism, not doing anything, just listening to the prelude music and all of a sudden I started to cry. It was a very tender time for me. I think all of Curly Sue's ancestors were there, in the chapel for this special day. Curly Sue is one of the sweetest people I know. I am so very proud of her for being wanting to be baptised and to take upon her the name of our Savior and to try to do what would make him happy. In her baptism clothes with her daddy, Fearless Hunter.

Curly Sue's Great Grandpa Weaver baptized her.

Her Grandpa Snyder confirmed her a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and gave her the gift of the Holy Ghost. Curly Sue was cold after her baptism and confirmation and so is bundled up.

Here we are with our newest baptized granddaughter. I obviously forgot to bring my neck. I hate it when that happens.

After the baptism we went back to Fearless Hunter and Gilmore Girl's house for a lovely luncheon. The silliness started right away. But it is kind of sweet, don't you think?Tuesday with her wonderful Aunt Megan and Great Grandpa Weaver. This is one of my favorite photo's (except for Tuesday's evil red-eye).

This is Curly Sue and Tuesday's Grandma Smith who is one of the world's best cooks. I'm not kidding, everything she makes is delicious. On my dessert plate I had trifle and won ton chicken salad that Heidi made--my second helping. So fabulous. I'll ask her if it's okay if I put her recipe on my cookbook site. She is a pretty darn nice person, besides being one of the world's best cooks. Curly Sue and Tuesday are so lucky.

And, not to miss wonderful Megan who teaches Curly Sue all kinds of interesting things. Megan has been practically everywhere, studying languages. She hopes to go to Turkey this summer. Turkey! Who goes to Turkey to study...I guess Turkish? Megan does.

The girl of the day, sans shoes.

Look at this. Wouldn't we all love to have a Great Grandpa like this, so patient, so willing to try and get Tuesday to pose for me--she wouldn't of course but loved playing with her great grandpa's bolo tie.

This is a picture of Gilmore Girl's best friend since seventh grade. This girl is amazing. She does it all. When she was about fourteen I called her, disguised my voice and said something like, "Hi, I'm in town for a reunion and we have seventeen children, ages one to ten. We need a baby sitter tomorrow for four hours and someone recommended you. Could you do it for us?" She hesitated and as soon as she could breathe again she said, "Ah...I guess so." And she would have done it too. She has three children, her oldest looks exactly like her.

This photo is out of focus and not the best, her daughter kind of has a "who is this woman and why is she sticking a camera in my face," but this is Gilmore Girl's best friend's clone and I wanted you to see her.

These pictures are taken before the baptism. This is Kraut and Soap Queen's children.

Every brother should have a brother who is willing to give them rabbit ears. The Gamer, Entomologist and Lego® Boy.

The oldest of the clan, Book Worm and the youngest of the clan,Taz. The New baby will be born any time.

This is sad Dragonfly, in a snit. She didn't get to sit by her mother on the way to the baptism and she was oh, so very sad. Life is so hard.

Curly Sue, showing one of her new skills that she is leaning in gymnastics, the back-bend. Dragonfly, crawling under the Curly Sue bridge.

This is the twenty pound trifle that I will post a recipe for later in the week.

I just had to include this. We followed Kraut and Soap Queen--on the way to the baptism--and when we passed them I took their picture. I felt like a spy.

The weather turned nasty just before we left to drive home.

And by the time we got home, there wasn't even as much as a raindrop on the roads. The storm completely missed us but all around us it was a blizzard.

Thank you Fearless Hunter and Gilmore Girl for giving us this wonderful granddaughter, Curly Sue.

Congratulations, Curly Sue. We love you very much.

BUILD A BEAR, AGAIN, AND A BABY SHOWER

It's Curly Sue's birthday.

She's had her hair straightened, put stick-on bling on her ears and is wearing a Beatles shirt and I hardly recognized her. She picked out a Husky Dog, named Snowy. Snowy has a baby, I forgot to find out the baby's name and Tuesday got a little baby--a leopard, too. Here Tuesday is, with her Daddy.

Here is Curly Sue--with the straight hair-- giving Snowy his name.

Tuesday is keeping Curly Sue's baby Husky safe while Snowy gets registered on the computer.


After Build a Bear we went to the Smith Grandparent's house for a Birthday celebration for Curly Sue and a Baby Shower for Tierney, who is carrying twins. These are the twins that we were worried about and everyone fasted and prayed about. They are now doing fine. They are each about 2 1/2 pounds and will be born in about two months or so. She is so excited.

Here she is, not looking pregnant at all--in the purple--with her sister, Megan and Curly Sue.

Here are four generations. Curly Sue's Great Grandpa, her Grandma Smith, her Aunt Tierney and Curly Sue and Tuesday. I think Megan snuck off.

Another picture because they are all so darn cute.

Here's their Grandpa Smith. I must say that they spoiled Curly Sue and Tierney--and they even spoiled Tuesday, who didn't have a birthday but got a present anyway. I didn't get pictures of the presents because by then everyone was sick of me taking pictures so I backed off...for a few minutes.

Here is Curly Sue's very own little birthday cake.

And Aunt Megan, lighting things on fire. And then Curly Sue blew the candles out so fast that I missed it.

After all the presents and the candle blowing out we had a wonderful lunch. This is Heidi's beautiful kitchen. She is a fabulous cook and is giving me one of her very own published cookbooks. I will ask if I can put a recipe or two of her's on my cookbook blog. Everything she makes is deeelicious.Heidi is the perfect hostess.

It was a wonderful day. Everyone was happy and well fed and the twins even got some friends