Babies!

Last week was Spring Break here in Oregon. Addison and Drew's mommy took a couple of days off and we planned for a week that was a bit different - one that involved Drew's first overnight with Gran and Grandpa!


Briana - my d-i-l - thought it would be nice for her to have a special day to devote to Addison - the first day just for him since Drew was born last June - and I thought it would also be nice to have a chance for Drew to spend the night. Funny how it all works out sometimes!

Jim and I were very excited to have a baby in the house again. It's been so long since Addison and Ada were all cuddly and needed holding, and we both have missed that. So, I dusted off the Pak-n-Play, picked Drew up, and off we went!


She's a very good baby, and enjoyed having new sights to see and new things to explore. She had a bit of a cold and woke up a couple of times during the night, but always went right back to sleep. Needless to say, Grandpa and I thoroughly enjoyed having her over, and hope we can do it again soon!


Oh, and Addison had a glorious time at Oaks Park with mommy and daddy!


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We then had the joy of having Ada with us on Friday and after dinner we all went to the hospital to welcome our latest addition to the grandchild team, Felix William!


Isn't he cute?

The Annual Christmas Tree Purchase

Last year, Jim & I took Addison and Ada to cut the "family tree" for Christmas and had a great time. So we thought we should make it an annual event and arranged to have both kids this afternoon. Since both toddlers are now in preschool, and both Jim & Addison are moderately ill (I'm just barely recovered), and with the cold weather and the early onset of dark... well, let's just say a trip to the tree farm wasn't in the picture for us. So we went to a local stand where organic produces is sold year 'round and where the trees come direct from the farm and made our purchase.

The kids didn't give a hoot that it wasn't a "real" tree farm - they explored and played and just generally had fun. After we took the tree home to put in water until Sunday's tree-trimming event, we went out to dinner - but not before Ada and Addison played "Tackle Grandpa" for about ten minutes and spent some time on their rocking moose and rocking horse.

(Prior to getting the tree, we kept them occupied with "Little Bear" on t.v. If you have a toddler and don't know about "Little Bear," you're missing a good chance to garner a little free time for yourself! There are some episodes on YouTube and it also runs on a cable channel called "Noggin." Just be careful with YouTube - there are idiots out there who will sexualize anything they can!)

We then went out for dinner - when we have Ada, dinner is always Mac & cheese. The girl really loves it! Afterwards, we looked at the lights, then I brought Addison home to bed and Ada stayed with Grandpa. She'll be with us overnight tonight and we'll see the local family on Sunday for tree decorating.

I love the memories we create with these two - memories for us and for them.

We return now to our regular programming...

With all the excitement over the election and the things I was involved with in the preceding days, Halloween was almost overlooked!

We did have a lovely time with the kids. Ada spent the day with us, then Grandpa got her dressed in her costume and we took her trick-or-treating to the neighbor's house before her mom picked her up for the evening.

She was a cowgirl, replete with the cute outfit Jim got for her when we were in Taos last Spring. She had also worn this to the rodeo in May, so it was really special that she got to wear it again before she outgrows it - and it's close! Her "horse" was made by her mom's grandfather, and her mom and Uncle David played with it when they were kids. I do love those memorable things that are passed on through the generations!

She's just so darned cute, and her Grandpa is so proud of her.

We had a "shift change" that evening after Ada went with her mom and dad and Addison came to spend the night with us.

I picked him up at home after he had been with his parents and Grandma to a party and brief trick-or-treating. Here, he shares a candy bar with his Grandma. (Both of his grandmothers were dressed as witches, poor boy!)

Addison was dressed as Winnie the Pooh, and was just as cute as he could be! His mom even painted his nose so when his hood was off, he was still a willy-nilly-silly old Bear!

After I brought him to our house, we made the rounds of a few of the neighbors where he added to his "stash."

So even though the post is late, the Halloween memories are good, and still vivid in minds and hearts!

Grandpa's Darling

Jim leaves to go deer hunting early tomorrow morning and will miss not only his birthday, but Ada's as well. She'll be two on Friday; he'll be some outrageously large number on Monday!

So last night Ada's mommy and daddy (Jim's son and d-i-l) met us for dinner so we could have an early family celebration. Jim had bought a set of matryoshka (Russian nesting dolls) while we were cruising in Alaska just for this event. Ada has a very orderly mind and manner, and in no time at all had mastered putting them back together (with only a very little help from Grandpa).

I do love to see Jim with Ada. She is his only grandchild, and they adore each other. When Grandpa is in the room, Ada has eyes only for him, and he for her. Jim and I were already seated when the kids arrived and Ada was a tired girl, having not had a very good nap yesterday. So although she wasn't her usual smiling, bouncy self, the minute she laid eyes on Grandpa she made a beeline for him, climbed up in his lap and gave him hugs and kisses. It was a beautiful thing to see.

Everyone should have at least one person who adores them, no questions asked. Clearly, Grandpa and Ada personify love and devotion!