2nd time around

My mother's heart missed little bodies snuggling on my lap.  I missed seeing the little face asleep in my arms.  The heavy limp weight that confirmed sleep had finally taken over.  Eye lashes so long they brushed against the softly rounded cheeks.  Is there anything softer than the chubby cheek of a baby?  The gentle little breaths in my ear as I carried them on my shoulder to their bed.  They need so much attention for that very short few years.  How was it possible that they had already grown?  I missed them so desperately.  My heart ached.

Then came the Grandkids!

I have been blessed.  I have two new little bodies to love.
I know all too well that I have to cherish the fact that they need me so much.  This grandma's heart loves each new milestone.  I also know it won't be long before I have to "steal" kisses that I lavish so easily now.  I want to remember each new thing seen and learned. 

I love to watch when Mr. Man pours the water over his own head now.  He used to be so afraid to get any water in his eyes. 

 

 

Can you hear him "roar" in this picture?  I promise you he is.  He was very proud of himself for pouring water all over his head.  It might have been a little bit of a squeaky roar but it was a loud and proud one.   

 

Later that evening I introduced him to a new movie, The Princess Bride.  He loved it.  He has several favorite movies on CD and assumed that this movie was also available when ever he wanted to see it again.  PaPa fixed that.  He went to Walmart and got him his own copy.  We watched it again Sunday morning. 

He likes the pretty princess Buttercup of course.  BUT he really liked the "Man in Black", Wesley.

His Mommy is so very good and found him a black mask and tied on one of her head scarfs so he could also be the "Man in Black".

He makes a most handsome hero.

I love that little face.

 

 I am so very lucky that little Alex lives close to me.  I get him as often as I can.  Why OH Why do I have to work for a living?  Why can't I be a stay at home grandma?  We took him shopping to Walmart with us this week.  It was the first time since he has mastered the skill of sitting up.  That meant he could sit in the buggy and not in his car seat. 

So many things to look at!

I think I need to get a shopping cart cover.  He could not be convinced to quit mouthing the handle.  I am not much of a germaphobe but I have seen some of the people that shop in this store.  Some of them are our worst "customers" at my job and it isn't the thieves as much as the dope makers that I am worrying about.  Those are so very dirty people!

Here is the little guy showing off his new skill.

 

He still isn't quiet crawling.... he is doing a really good at scooting across on his tummy.  Good thing too since I haven't finished baby proofing stuff yet.

 

I think because I have already "lost" my children to adulthood I am enjoying the grandsons being little so very much.  I love being a grandma.

 

Blowing through the cob webs

My fondest childhood memories of summer were the few we spent at Grams' house.  Our main play ground was the creek at the end of Grams' street.

We lived at the creek.  We made forts, dug tunnels in the huge sand pile, and played hide-n-go seek in trees all along the creek.  There was about an acre of land covered in trees and we had trails woven all through them.  The trees and thickets were so thick you could strand on the trail right around a bend and couldn't be seen.  It really was a great place to play hide and seek.  My brother and his friends made dirt bike ramps all through the trails.  I can still hear the sound of their bikes launching in the air and landing heavily.  They were all so very cool with their spray painted bike frames and chromed monkey handle bars.
 
We left the house as soon as we could in the morning and didn't come back until it was time for lunch.  I don't remember being horribly hot much either.  I do remember freezing when I walked in to Gram's living room.  She had a window AC unit and if I close my eyes I can still see her sitting on her couch right in front of it.  Her crocheting or knitting project in her lap, one foot tucked up under her and her needle/needles flying.  I have never seen anyone knit or crochet as fast as she could. 
After dinner I used to sit in the middle of the street and soak up the heat radiating off the black top.  The warmth felt good after being inside in the cold air.  The road was full of bubbles from the heat and I loved to pop them.  I can't imagine me allowing either of my girls sit in the middle of the road for any reason when they were growing up.  If a car came speeding down the road I am sure they would not have been able to see me easily.  I guess it is a good thing that road was not a busy one.
  
All three of us slept in the back bedroom.  Grams had a full size bed that Lisa and I shared and Danny slept on a twin.  The only other AC unit in the house was in the back bedroom and Grams would turn it on after she tucked us all in.  I remember keeping the covers pulled up so that I wouldn't get cold.

So many good memories from my childhood have something to do with Grams.

This is her holding my oldest daughter, her first great grandchild, the day she was born. 

I miss her.
 

Keeping me busy!

He is eating baby food and lots of it.  So far he has had rice cereal, green beans, peas, carrots and squash.  He still makes faces at the green beans but he eats them.

 

Once his tummy is full he is ready to play.  His PaPa got him a walker and he loves to play in it.  His little feet just touch the floor and it won't be long before he is racing around the kitchen and dining room.

 

After playing hard he does have a few cranky moments. 

 

A bottle and a little snuggle fix him right up.

 

 

A short nap and he is right back to smiling and playing.

 

He is so close to crawling.  He gets up on his hands and knees and launches himself forward.  I figure by next week I will need to baby proof any area that he will be able to reach.
Too soon he will not want me to snuggle him to sleep.   He is already so heavy that I have to prop my arm up on the couch.  I am so glad he lives close enough that I get to spend lots of time with him. 

Take your medicine

It appears we all have areas that are fragile.  The difference is how we live with it.  Good or bad, or some of both.  This was written over several weeks.  The misuse is sad.  The ones taken that don't work are heartbreaking. 

A pill to kill the pain.
Another to make you smile

One to help you sleep
Are your muscles tight
Some poison to kill the evil C
Do you need help staying level

Little but strong to smooth a beat
Or is your pressure too high
One to stop the newest bud
Or another to help it grow

Something to wake you up
Anything you want to forget

Do you need help with the sweet
Is your problem paying attention

Are your eyelashes too short
Some mold to stop the germs

Take your medicine
It is a miracle

You can live forever
If you can swallow it

Almost always a lie
and only temporary


I wrote this a year ago.  I didn't post it at the time.  A few weeks later I edited it and for some reason still did not post it. 

Here it is now. 

Drying out

No storms Saturday!  The sun shined all day long and there was a nice breeze blowing.  It was a beautiful day to be outside. 

It was perfect weather to open up the windows and air the house out.  We spent the afternoon cleaning out the shed and putting up shelves.  I pulled out a few boxes of the girls old toys and looked through them.  I cleaned the lids up and packed them all away.  I am waiting for a Granddaughter to put these toys to use.

The Cottonwood tree in the neighbor's backyard was spitting out fluff everywhere.  It was the only thing that this spider was catching.

Shy loved being outside with us all afternoon.  She chased bugs for hours.  That is what she is doing in this picture.  Nose down and looking for flies to hunt.  She does pretty good catching them in the house but outside is a little bit harder of a job. 

She was so worn out that she barely moved around the house last night.  She is slowing down and has problems getting up and down when she has played too hard.  I am trying to prepare my heart.  For now, she is still my youngest daughter that never left home.  She had no desires to stretch her wings and try the world with out me.  I try to remember to be patient because there will be a day when she will no longer be under my feet or laying right in my way. 

Oklahoma

Oklahoma in the spring time can be beautiful.  Everything waking back up from the cold.  I love seeing things turn green again.  Seeing the grasses carpeted with the colors of flowers makes me itch to get my camera and take pictures.  It has been so hot and dry the past two years that most living things outside have just wilted.  It didn't seem to matter how much water I put on the back yard.  Day after day of 110 plus heat with no rain was just too much. 
This spring has been different.  It has rained and rained.  The storms have been awful.  So many tornadoes.  The weather was bad last night and again tonight.  May has been wild in Oklahoma.  As I mentioned in my last post my hubby's hometown is Moore, OK.  It was hit hard. 
More than 30 of our Owasso Police Officers responded over several days.  They helped search buildings, stood at assigned posts and handed out supplies gathered in Owasso. 
The town was hit again tonight with more damage.  My heart goes out to all of these families.  I know our family that live in that area are frightened.  The are also very sick of the sight seeing public.  If you aren't there to help please stay away and let these people try to get on with their lives. 

There are lots of photos.  I only posted a small portion of the photos that the Officer's took.  As you look through them notice how many flags are displayed.  How the families show their strength and courage are evident in many of the pictures.  I had to smile at the garage sale sign. 

Each house was a home.  Each vehicle was the transportation to work and school.  Some lost everything but each other.  Others lost more. 

 

 

 

 

On a lighter note......

As I am writing this there is another storm in the area.  I am glad for the rain after the past two summers but because of last week's storms and tornados it would be nice if it was JUST rain.  Several of Owasso Police Officers responded to Moore, OK to assist.  They took lots of photos while there and I will try to put a blog together later and share what they saw.  It is horrible to see.  That is my Hubby's home town and he still has lots of family there.  They all made it.  I know stormy nights like this will make them all worried for a long time. 

 

On a lighter note.....

 

Our last trip to MO was fun, fun, fun.  We went with Cohen (and his Mommy and Daddy) to Silver Dollar City.  Cohen loved the rides.  His Mommy showed him how to raise his arms in the air on the rides and he grinned the whole time.  He crawled all over the 3 story kid play area and the slide.

 

 
He also loved the splash pad.  His Daddy and I laughed the first time he bent over and stuck his face right over the water jets.  He knew what he was doing.  He waited and waited for the water to splash him in the face.  He danced all around the whole area and put his face over several jets.  He was soaking wet by the time we coaxed him away.  He had the most satisfied look on his soaking wet face. 
Sometime after noon Cohen must have realized that it was past his nap time.  He was so pleased to be able to skip his nap he broke out in a little song.  "I don't have to take a nap today!!!!"  He had all of us laughing.  He played so hard and wore himself out.  We figured he would sleep all the way home but all he did was take a short nap in his stroller on the way out.  Once he was in the truck he was wide awake and talking my ear off all the way home. 

I almost forgot! 

Cohen also rode the BIG water slide with his PaPa, Mom and Dad.

 

Can you see his little head peeking out from behind his Mom?  He wasn't afraid to look. 

They all got soaked!

I wish we lived closer.  It is so hard to wait weeks to see him.  He is growing up too fast.  He barely fits in my arms anymore.  AND then, only when I can talk him in to giving me a hug.