Not the name of a children's book, but we did have to say goodbye to the two maple trees in our front yard. They got a bug last year which was all over our neighborhood and we treated it last year, but they didn't make it through the winter. Those trees are 21 years old and it is sad to see them gone.
photos coming after Gary sends them to me.
Sunday, May 19, 2019
Overnight Guests
Jessica had her birthday on Wednesday (and got to spend the day at a Sexual Abuse of Children Conference--happy birthday to her.) Anyway, they celebrated on Thursday by bringing the kids up to our house and going out for a dinner and movie (well, they tried to go to dinner but after waiting at IHOP for about 25 minutes they were told that they really didn't have a cook, just a waitress trying to cook until a manager arrived in a hour--and she didn't know how to cook what they had order, but they loved the movie they went to.) Because it was going to be a late night, they decided to spend the night so the kids could get to bed around the right time.
Now the only flaw in this program was that I had to get the four kids to sleep. Gary had a dinner date with his mom and sister and Jena is great for playing with kids but not for helping put them to bed. I finally was able to rock the two girls to sleep in the rocker in the guest room only to realize that there was no way--holding both of them in my arms that I could put them into the port-a-crib. It is tricky to put one down that low without waking them up--two would be impossible. So I got "stuck" rocking them for about an hour thinking that if they were REALLY asleep I could figure out how to put them in bed.....then it got very quiet in the game room. Liam, Jena and Zander had been playing the whole time very nicely. You know how it is with moms, you can usually hear if things are going well in play, but silence is dangerous. I then tried to lay one of the girls down which led them both to wake up---so we went out and saw the reason they were quiet. Grandpa had arrived and they were all watching TV together. Darn--two babies awake after a one hour nap--instead of sleeping through the night. I took the opportunity to put the boys to bed and walked back and forth in their bedroom holding the girls and singing to all four of them until they had settled to sleep. Then back to the rocker and holding the girls trying to get them back to sleep. Carter fell quickly asleep, but Alex was in a playful mood and for about 10 minutes we chatted (quietly) back and forth while Carter slept. Jessica and Elessia came and saved me after another hour of rocking and holding these two sweet babies. What a lucky grandmother am I?
Friday was a crazy day for me so we didn't have much time for anything more than pancake breakfast and some brief conversations here and there. The boys had a great time playing even though it was a rainy day, so I think they felt like they had a mini vacation as well. Fun times.
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Carter |
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Alex |
Now the only flaw in this program was that I had to get the four kids to sleep. Gary had a dinner date with his mom and sister and Jena is great for playing with kids but not for helping put them to bed. I finally was able to rock the two girls to sleep in the rocker in the guest room only to realize that there was no way--holding both of them in my arms that I could put them into the port-a-crib. It is tricky to put one down that low without waking them up--two would be impossible. So I got "stuck" rocking them for about an hour thinking that if they were REALLY asleep I could figure out how to put them in bed.....then it got very quiet in the game room. Liam, Jena and Zander had been playing the whole time very nicely. You know how it is with moms, you can usually hear if things are going well in play, but silence is dangerous. I then tried to lay one of the girls down which led them both to wake up---so we went out and saw the reason they were quiet. Grandpa had arrived and they were all watching TV together. Darn--two babies awake after a one hour nap--instead of sleeping through the night. I took the opportunity to put the boys to bed and walked back and forth in their bedroom holding the girls and singing to all four of them until they had settled to sleep. Then back to the rocker and holding the girls trying to get them back to sleep. Carter fell quickly asleep, but Alex was in a playful mood and for about 10 minutes we chatted (quietly) back and forth while Carter slept. Jessica and Elessia came and saved me after another hour of rocking and holding these two sweet babies. What a lucky grandmother am I?
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Liam |
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Zander |
A Simple Piece of Paper
The funny things that I have saved over the years! I found a weekly program from RS in the Victoria Ward (Hong Kong). Nothing remarkable--just the meeting, the lesson, the songs, and the announcements of the upcoming events. I took this (poor) photo of it and tossed it. I guess at some point I felt like I needed some of these reminders of my life in different times and places. I have a couple of boxes and stacks of photos that someday I need to organize and make meaning of or otherwise, my children should just toss it all when I die, because it won't make sense to anyone else.
But sitting there looking at these old things from past years created a serious reflection time--bits and pieces of my life, some things that I had forgotten--all came flooding back. I spent the raining afternoon (while recovering from a violent stomach bug which left me no energy to get done any 'important things' that afternoon) reading old letters and notes, looking at photos, and just remembering! What a gift it is that simple things like a program or photo or letter can take you back to moments in the past!
Hopefully the blog will do the same for my children and grandchildren when I am not here. There is power in remembering--people who love us, sweet moments of kindness and service, moments when the world was perfect and gorgeous, and even when our hearts were touched by sorrow. Remembering can make us better in our human-being-ness!
Like the song from "Coco"-- "Remember Me":
But sitting there looking at these old things from past years created a serious reflection time--bits and pieces of my life, some things that I had forgotten--all came flooding back. I spent the raining afternoon (while recovering from a violent stomach bug which left me no energy to get done any 'important things' that afternoon) reading old letters and notes, looking at photos, and just remembering! What a gift it is that simple things like a program or photo or letter can take you back to moments in the past!
Hopefully the blog will do the same for my children and grandchildren when I am not here. There is power in remembering--people who love us, sweet moments of kindness and service, moments when the world was perfect and gorgeous, and even when our hearts were touched by sorrow. Remembering can make us better in our human-being-ness!
Like the song from "Coco"-- "Remember Me":
Though I have to say goodbye
Remember me
Don't let it make you cry
For ever if I'm far away
I hold you in my heart
I sing a secret song to you
Each night we are apart
Remember me
Though I have to travel far
Remember me
Each time you hear a sad guitar
Know that I’m with you
The only way that I can be
Until you’re in my arms again
Remember me
Remember me
Don't let it make you cry
For ever if I'm far away
I hold you in my heart
I sing a secret song to you
Each night we are apart
Remember me
Though I have to travel far
Remember me
Each time you hear a sad guitar
Know that I’m with you
The only way that I can be
Until you’re in my arms again
Remember me
If you close your eyes and let the music play
Keep our love alive, I'll never fade away
If you close your eyes and let the music play
Keep our love alive, I'll never fade away
If you close your eyes and let the music play
Keep our love alive, I'll never fade away
Keep our love alive, I'll never fade away
If you close your eyes and let the music play
Keep our love alive, I'll never fade away
If you close your eyes and let the music play
Keep our love alive, I'll never fade away
Remember me
For I will soon be gone
Remember me
And let the love we have live on
And know that I'm with you the only way that I can be
So, until you're in my arms again
Remember me
For I will soon be gone
Remember me
And let the love we have live on
And know that I'm with you the only way that I can be
So, until you're in my arms again
Remember me
Songwriters: Kristen Anderson-Lopez / Robert J. Lopez
A Auntie-Scarlett moment
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