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Tag Archives: the grandbebes
Crazy 8 Days before Christmas
Hunter had a pre-school Christmas program.
See Hunter? He is fourth from the right on the back row, his little blond head bowed-praying for all he is worth!
It was truly apparent, and not just because the Little Prince belongs to me, but because it is true: the kid has the market on musical talent at his pre-school. And when they did “The Little Drummer Boy,” Hunter led out on that coffee can “drum,” never ever missing that first beat. Truly, all the other little kids followed his lead. He told me, “I drummed “pa-rum pum pum pum,’ but the other kids drummed pa-rum-a-do-do,’ like that.” He knew he was good.
The grandbebes make ornaments for the keepsake tree.
Cardboard hats and felt, glue and glitter, and voila! Note to Averi: Though quite pretty, it is actually not a cookie.
Gavin is a dedicated artiste. He loves the Martha Stewart super-fine glitter as much as I do (90% off the last week of January 09…jealous?).
Bad news/good tidings of comfort and great, great joy!
Dave’s book didn’t make the top three in the competition (we now find 10 more votes would have put him there!!), but we got good news that outshone some silly competition. It is kind of private, but suffice it to say, we are rejoicing and dancing merrily because of a health scare one of us had that is now not as scary and looking really good, in fact. Thank-You, God for mercy, for healing…
The grandbebes will not stand still for pictures. Will not. C’est impossible.
We tried sitting, standing, and stacking, we clapped our hands and said their names as brightly and joyously as possible. We threatened, cajoled, bribed and shrugged our shoulders in hopelessness. These five are in charge of the universe and all the best-laid plans are a fantasy, because they are a combined, insurmountable energy-force and you best just get out of the way. And certainly don’t believe they will all behave as requested. Goodness, no. Just line them up, let them go crazy and hope for the best. (I wasn’t supposed to be in this shot, but Guini wouldn’t let go and when Guini wants to give love, that is when you will receive it – it is all on her timetable!)
God willing and the creek don’t rise, I will get my Christmas cards out say…next Tuesday???
Tooth Fairy Re-emerges after Many Years of Unemployment
Gavin’s mommy.
December 1988. Stephanie was 6 and we left her and her two sisters (Tredessa 5 and Tara 9 1/2) home alone for a few minutes while we picked up some church supplies for the Christmas season. Wal-Mart was 5 minutes away and it was a small Nebraska city. I wouldn’t try this now, so don’t call Social Services on me, people. They were given strict instructions and told to behave.
We get to Wal-Mart and call home to check on them and are informed by the very responsible and afraid-she-might-be-in-trouble Tara that Tredessa and Stephanie were jumping on the bed and Stephanie had hit her head on Tredessa’s noggin, knocking her tooth loose.
It was very upsetting. Rushing home I am thinking, “Oh no. We have to save the tooth. Oh poor Stephanie!” But it ended up being a bottom tooth and when we investigated closely, she already had her first “grown-up tooth” coming in. Tredessa’s head was a blessing in diguise.
Having 5 kids in less than 7 years, can I just tell you we kept the Tooth Fairy veeeeeeeery busy between 1985 and the early 90’s? Then? We had to give her a pink slip.
The grandbebes enter their tooth-morphing season.
Gavin is a man after my heart. He loves to work and work hard. He spent 4 hours one day last week shoveling snow. His neighbor paid him $2 – for shoveling at his own house! But he thought it was worth that! After the Harvest Fest he dumped his huge candy haul on the floor and said, “I have to organize all this candy, Nonna!” Organization is key for Gavin, a red-headed first-born. Case-in-point, he had just organized the kitchen pantry that afternoon, emptying it of all its contents and carefully filling it back up.
So no surprise that this very detail-oriented and hard-working, freckle-faced kid only had that loose tooth for 2 or 3 days before it came out. He is very consistent and organized that way.
Love you, Gavin! Congratulations! Be sure to tell the Tooth Fairy that prices have gone way, way up since December of 1988!…Love, Nonna
Scenes from a Good Summer ~ The Grandbebes
Ode to Summer, for I simply will not acknowledge an autumn which does not truly begin until the Autumnal Equinox, on the 22nd day of this month sometime in the late afternoon. Yes, school is back in session. Yes, the nights are cooler, some mornings even crisp. But I must sing of my love for the summer until the last verse fades softly, for it is hard to bear the end…
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.” ~John Lubbock
Gavin.
Gavin toyed with an Edward-do, a la Twilight (the movie), before settling on a mop-top later in the summer. He is such a sweet, freckle-faced kid. He turned me into Nonna 6 years ago this summer. This summer we went to the nursery together and I helped him put together his very first, very own planters of flowers and tomatoes (a passion we share). He changed my life forever.
Hunter.
My little inquisitive, curious, talkative, adventurer, Hunter, will be 5 soon. He questions everything, knows something about all topics and is growing like a weed. This was the summer I had to make a lot of deals with him to get photographs. If I take one of him, he gets to take one of me. He is the perfect mix of both his mommy and his daddy and he always asks me, “Did you miss me while I was gone, Nonna? Are you so glad to see me again?” I so did and I so am.
Guinivere.
I call Guini my flower girl. She loves beautiful blooms and picks them every chance she gets. She likes to play “flower shop” when she comes to visit. She is quiet, but decided, mysterious and cuddly – but you have to be ready to drop everything for the magic moment, for it can be fleeting. We hang out, she’s my girl.
Gemma.
This was the summer of Gemma in the quinitessential yellow sundress. It matches her vibrancy and her spirit. I wanted one just like it! She is hilarious and she is two. She is very good at it. But she is also very helpful. She sunscreened herself before outings, or during “naptimes” or whenever she could – a lot! She’s my little “sweet petite,” who cannot keep her jeans up since she started wearing big-girl undies!
Averi.
Averi-baby is on the run. All. the. time. Except when it is time to eat. She and I share that hobby! From certain angles, I feel like it’s the early 80’s and I’m chasing Tredessa again. She loves to wear (and break) my reading glasses and when mommy and daddy go somewhere, she asks me, “Where’s mama? Where’s Rocky?” Every now and then while we are running around the backyard together, she will stop and tell me the most hilarious story and uproariously laugh at her own joke. It cracks me up.
These are the 5 smile-bringers of my summer. Of my life. I don’t deserve them, and yet they are here. And all they do is bring me joy.
Related post: Scenes from a Good Summer ~ Heaven Fest