Sunday afternoon.  My garden is still smiling from a torrential downpour yesterday evening.  It battered the petunias a bit, yet they are bright and beautiful, fragrant and deeply brilliant, anyway. It is so wonderful to step outside, know there are lots of things that need “done” and still be greeted by beauty all my works cannot create, anyway.  I thank God for this amazing grace!  I have about a dozen weekend projects going and I don’t think they’ll get finished, but I am so grateful to get to work on them and see the mirror wall really taking shape (since Dave’s ribs are fully healed) and I have been re-doing all the grandbebe craft supplies trying to answer the age-old question: how do you keep creativity-inspiring supplies for art and crafts on hand for kids (and accesible) AND not go crazy when they are actually {quite liberally} used for inspired creativity?  This doesn’t answer that question, but I have decided to make a list (because I LOVE lists) of simple art projects they can do at anytime with the things I have on hand.  That will at least answer the question, “Nonna – what can we do now?” when the little ones are here.

What a loud and glorious week I have had.

There was an old woman {who is actually not that old}  who lived in Colorado; she had so many grandbebes she could barely keep up…  I have enjoyed large chunks of time {days, even} with the first 6 (of 8.4 current grandebes): the K-kids, the little Rock & Jovan girlies, and Hunter-Magoo.  I got to see Kai briefly, but baby Bailey was away (D2S).

There was splashing (the pool), and tiny little swim suits and trunks in a veritable trail from the doors to the bathroom.  There was squeaking (the trampoline) as little ones jumped high and long.  Everybody stayed up way too late and we probably snacked way too much.  There was art and “school work” and playing pretend house and dress-up, dancing and army guys, fort-building, sand-digging and looking through the telescope at the moon {“I see the real craters, Nonna!!!” said one.  “You can actually see the dark side of the moon!” another told me} and general silliness all around.

I am pooped out.  Good thing I had my kids young because these little ones wore.me.down!  But – with goodness.  I am depleted wholly by the best things of life.  I am blessed!