Tuesday 18 December 2012

Is it Christmas yet?

Wow, this grandma doesn't know where the time has gone the last few weeks, but it's hard to believe that a week from today, Christmas Day will be coming to an end!  On a brighter note at least we didn't miss it LOL!

I won't bore you with the details, but between this darn foot of mine (yes, it's still causing me grief...but I'm going for an MRI on Dec 23, 11pm), a bout of bronchitis, a couple days with the flu and numerous trips to Toronto, Niagara Falls etc, the big day has slowly been creeping up to me!

Thankfully all the gifts have been bought and wrapped, and I'm not worrying about doing any baking this year. We don't need it and don't want it hanging around the house.  We have managed to keep up with some traditions however, and that's much more important :)

A couple weeks ago, as I was starting to recover from the bronchitis, grandpa and I took the kids after school for a few hours on a Friday and we delved into a new craft. Dough ornaments!  Yup, we took the leap and with everyone's hands in the mix we came up with a few different colors....3 shades of red/pink green and Cade's favorite, orange....hehehe!
 
Getting the dough ready :)
 
Notice little brother is nowhere to be seen LOL!
He said he was not going to get his hands sticky...hehehe!
   
What fun we had...kneading, rolling, cutting with cookie cutters, coming up with different ideas as to how to decorate each ornament :)  I must admit the recipe made a really great playdough...much better than the bought kind...and I think grandma is going to make a batch the next time the kids feel like playing with dough :)
 
Mixing in their colors!
  
Their little creative minds took hold and before long we had two cookie sheets covered with beautiful Christmas ornaments.  They were a wee bit 'thicker' than they should have been by the time they added all the extra dough balls, ropes etc, and after baking for 4 hours in a low oven, it took an extra week to dry completely LOL!  We still have to add some Mod Podge and sparkles to them, but that's what we have planned for this coming Friday when we have them again :)
 
Baking...baking....baking.....
  
The following day it was Gingerbread House and Gingerbread Train day!  They did such a great job that grandpa told them he was going to get each of them a house to decorate by themselves next Christmas!  They sure were excited about that little tidbit....hehehe!

  Grandpa did a wonderful job with the icing. I think
he's been watching grandma doing all those cakes over the decades LOL!
 
Unfortunately we couldn't keep them overnight either night because I was still trying to recover from all that coughing I had been doing, and by the time grandpa left to bring them home, I was ready to crawl into bed LOL!

This past weekend, on our way home from a conference in the Falls, we stopped at our middle son's home to celebrate an early Christmas with he, his wonderful wife and our two step grandkids. The kids are spending this Christmas with their dad, so they won't be here to celebrate with us.

Friday night we took them out to a favorite Japanese restaurant....can we say stuffed?? LOL!  Oh my, that food is good....too good. Thankfully we don't have one of those restaurants near us....hehehe!

Over dinner we debated back and forth as to just when we should open gifts.  Worse than a little kid, I was all for opening them as soon as we got back from supper. The other adults all voted for the following night...both kids wanted that night just like me. Sooooo we got our way LOL!
 
   Brittney received her digital camera from us....she's in a student exchange program and will be heading to Germany in the spring, so needed a better camera for all that travelling.  We bought Austin a new lense for his new hobby, photography. He has a really good camera but had been wanting this new lense.  Along with a bunch of other goodies, they made out pretty good LOL! It sure will be a lot quieter this Christmas morning without them here though.

Grandpa and I received a GPS!  Holy smokes. Now grandpa has two women in the car telling him where to go and how to go there LOL!

Yesterday the girls and Cade came over for a visit with mom and dad.  I had been baking bacon to get it ready for the freezer for Christmas breakfast, but they all got into it and Grandpa had to go to the store to buy a few more pounds LOL! I must admit, it really was yummy :)

So, as we count down the final days leading up to the 25th, my list doesn't seem to be getting any shorter as I try to precook foods, or at least get them partially ready.  But, as with every year, everything gets done, everyone has a great time and everyone leaves stuffed on Christmas Eve. What more can we ask for :)

So probably until next week, have a wonderful Christmas everyone and please realize just how blessed you are :)

Grandma loves you
xoxoxoxo

Monday 3 December 2012

Happy Tears :)

You know how some days are just your regular days with normal routines, see the same people, shop the same shops?  Well, this past weekend was anything but regular.

Our youngest son, his wife and our two youngest grandkids came up for a visit. Their very first visit here. Long story...won't bore you with the details...but it's been a long time coming to this point.
 
   
They came here Friday evening for supper and we had a couple hours to enjoy the grandkids before they headed back to the hotel, then on Saturday we all went to grandpa's parents for another family supper. We were lucky enough that our oldest son, his wife, the girls and Cade were able to come for a couple hours too....as well as one of grandpa's sisters, Aunt Carole, and her GD Dakota.
  
 Four generations!
 
Such a special time for great grandma and grandpa to see their great grandkids playing together and getting to know each other. Great grandpa has lung cancer....he's doing very well...but at 87 years of age, who knows if he will ever get the chance to see his great grandkids together again. So yes, it was a special time.

We had a great time and hope it can happen again...soon!

Not too many days before the big guy gets here. Hope everyone is as excited as this grandma and grandpa are LOL!

Grandma loves you
xoxoxoxo

Monday 26 November 2012

Where has it gone?

The last few weeks I mean. Where has it all gone?  We're less than a month away from the BIG day, and panic is starting to set in.

I must admit that I've decided there are some things that just will not get done for this Christmas.  Mainly, baking. Nope.  Don't need it, no one else needs it or wants it and the last few months of being laid up with my darn foot, has made it impossible to stand and actually bake for more than a few minutes at a time.  It's hard enough to keep my weight stable while not being able to walk, exercise, swim.

Sooooooo...we'll be much "lighter" come January 1st next year....hehehe.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it :)

Grandpa and I have been away a lot the last few weeks also....3-4 days each week. So it takes me until the next business to gain some energy back....vicious cycle....but I do love to stay in hotels, even if I still have to keep my feet up :)

This past Saturday GD Hailee was going to the movies with a friend, mom and dad had been invited out for dinner, so Hannah and Cade were bugging mom to bring them here for a visit.  We're not used to going for a week at a time without seeing any of the grandkids, so grandpa and I needed our fix as well :)

There are the usual 'things' that need doing when they come in....especially at this time of year with their Christmas decorations just waiting to be moved around and played with. Not to mention taking the photo ornaments off our Family Tree so they could be photocopied....who knows why, they just love doing it LOL!

Cade came out of the bedroom/playroom at one point and said "we going to Pizza Hut for supper Mama".....I guess he and Hannah had discussed this matter, and he was voted to come tell me LOL!  When the time came to head out the door I used my grandmother's wisdom and told them they had to pee before we went or we wouldn't be able to go.

Cade was having none of it.  He said he didn't have to go and if he did he could go at the restaurant.  Well...here comes the wisdom part....I told him that he didn't want to do that because restaurant washrooms are dirty. Remember that :)

He did close the bathroom door and came back out a couple minutes later with his pants all crooked, so I'm assuming he did try. Hands washed, coats/hats/boots on we headed out to Pizza Hut.

In their discussions they must have decided that we would go to the local ice cream shop for dessert, but as luck had it at this time of year....brrrrrrrr.....the little shop was closed.  The next best thing would be Dairy Queen which is right along the way home.

Sundaes ordered, lots of napkins on the table, everyone getting a taste of everyone else's sundaes and there was happiness :)  About halfway through my Sundae I had to get up and headed to the little girl's room.  About 15' from the table I could hear Cade yell out something, but I didn't quite catch what he said.  I looked back and grandpa and Hannah were laughing their heads off.

Yup....remember what I wrote above about not using restaurant washrooms?  Well.....when I got back to the table I asked what Cade had said to get them laughing and grandpa told me that after I said I was going to the washroom, Cade decided to yell at me "the washrooms here are dirty Mama" LOL!

Thank goodness the place wasn't busy and one of the girls that works there who was having something to eat just a couple tables from us, had her ipod earphones in, so I'm hoping she hadn't heard Cade....hehehe! 

Yup....grandma's wisdom and out of the mouths of babes!  Sometimes these two things do not go together :)

The gang is coming over on Thursday for supper....we had to make a date because everyone is so busy all the time.  So this grandma is going back to gift wrapping.  See you guys in a few days.

Grandma loves you
xoxoxoxo

Sunday 4 November 2012

Ring, ring, ring.....

Yup...that was the ever familiar sound of the phone yesterday morning when our DIL called to see if we were busy :)  Hailee has two dance classes on Saturday morning and the whole gang was going to go in and then do some shopping.  Well, little sister Hannah and little brother Cade did not want to go....so what's the next best thing....hehehe...call grandma and grandpa to see if they could come over :)

They were dropped off around 10:30 and the fun began.  I was wondering how to keep them busy when it dawned on me...they could help grandma decorate for Christmas!!  And that's what we did. Two excited kids hurrying down the stairs, with grandma following, to the secret room under the stairs (sorry, no Harry Potter living under my stairs LOL).

The boxes kept coming and coming and coming....calling for grandpa to help carry the heavy ones upstairs to the living room....huffing and puffing as Cade would help grandpa by holding one end of each box as he backed up the stairs...hehehe....and Hannah proudly showing me how she could carry one all by herself because "it's not heavy grandma...I can do it by myself." And she did! Great job guys :)

Of course their little minds are like an elephants...they never forget LOL! So that means they knew exactly what they were looking for when it came to decorations. "Grandma, remember this....grandma remember that?"  And so it began.  Tops flew off the boxes and the search started for the Santa that climbs up the ladder. They had the ladder but where was that darn Santa grandma?? LOL

As another top flew off a box, and another, and another, all in search of that Santa, the living room began looking like a Christmas bomb exploded....hehehe!  Grandma tried to 'control' the number of decorations that were being put here, there and everywhere....when their attention would focus on something else they saw in another box.

Then pay dirt! They found the box containing 'their' decorations. Yes, the box of all boxes....the holy grail. Their decorations....little nativity people, lots of musical decorations with those little people that "skate" on the mirrored surfaces, the two story Christmas house whose front opened to music, lights and little things turning in circles inside.....it was all there. But where can we put them?  The little white cupboard that is home to these decorations at Christmas time was nowhere in sight. Grandpa came to the rescue...yipeeee! He knew exactly where it was. All was well with the world again :)

As soon as it was set up, Hannah started organizing...her favorite thing to do LOL...and they were all in place within a few minutes. Of course the 6 or so musical decorations that Cade had on the ottoman weren't enough and he let us know after seeing Hannah's set up...."I don't have any decorations" was his battle cry as he made a move to the white cupboard....hehehe!  Luckily we stopped him in his tracks and the focus was back on Santa....remember? The Santa that climbs up that red ladder...hehehe!

Back downstairs for another box and sure enough, there he was. Santa, just laying on the top of the decorations when we took the top off. Hurry up grandma and get him on the ladder.  Cade being a boy, knew all there was to know about hanging the lights up with Santa and turning the button on the attached sleigh to magically send Santa on his way up the ladder, and back down again.

So the fun continued and I told both kids that we wouldn't open any more boxes right then. We did have to leave some for big sister Hailee after all :)  Plus, next Sunday will be tree decorating time when all 3 kids do our main tree...yeah!

What's that? The phone was ringing again.  It was mom. She wanted to know if grandpa and I would like to go to the movies with all of you.  Grandma's back has been bothering her the last week or so and there's no way I could sit for a couple hours in a movie theatre. So the next best thing, grandpa was going to drive Hannah and Cade to the edge of town to meet daddy while mom and Hailee finishe shopping at Costco.

Well...Cade decided he didn't want to go to the movie....no way was he going to be talked into it either. He was determined to stay here with grandma, and grandpa when he got back home from dropping off Hannah.  So that's what he did.  After a couple bowls of roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy and carrots, we went to lay down on our big bed....grandma was hoping he would fall asleep as he'd been yawning a lot, but he didn't. We watched tv until grandpa came back.

They played for a bit and then Cade wanted more beef again...hehehe! Only difference being, after this bowl, he laid on the couch saying he was really tired, and within seconds he was out cold :)  Mom and dad called after the movie saying daddy would drop the 'girls' at home then come here to get Cade.

Cade was not happy....hehehe...he wanted grandpa to drive him home, and he started pouting when we said that daddy was coming to pick him up. As normal, the grandkids rule the roost, and Cade got his way. Grandma called daddy to tell him to stay home....grandpa was on his way LOL!

So, another surprise visit, and a productive one as well. Thanks for helping with the decorations guys!  There will be more to come next weekend.

Grandma loves you
xoxoxoxo

Thursday 1 November 2012

Booooooooo......

Yes, it's that time of year again where not only do the ghosts and goblins make an eerie appearance at our doors, but so do the frankensteins, princesses, clowns, firefighters and everything else that we can think of, follow in pursuit of the goodies which people hand out on all Hallow's Eve :)

I have to admit with the weather we've been having from the remnants of Hurricane Sandy, grandpa and I weren't sure if we should even put any effort into decorating the driveway this year. When the rain seemed to stop around 1:00 yesterday afternoon we decided to make a start to see if we'd get rained on. Surely once we started bringing everything out of the garage, if it were going to rain on us this Halloween, then that would be the time, right? LOL! Wrong!



Grandma can't say it was a nice day, but at least the rain, snow and very strong winds held off for a few hours.  A couple hours later, grandpa and I were done with the driveway, and even though it didn't extend all the way down the driveway as I've been known to do...hehehe...it still looked great! Yes indeed, this grandma couldn't disappoint the neighborhood kids....this had to be done LOL!


The only thing we weren't too impressed with was the temperature. It was c-c-cold this year. In all my 61 years I can't remember it being that cold....brrrrrrr...on a Halloween night. Even the ever loved fog machine was having a hard time staying warm enough to spit out the fog. It's actually a good thing that there weren't as many kids as we had hoped for, because it gave the fog machine some time inbetween to get warmed up :) Grandma even wrapped it in a towel to help it warm up quicker LOL!

Having prepared for over 70+ treaters, and only getting 37, there is a lot of goodies left...all bagged up and nowhere to go. Well, nowhere to go except in a big trash bag and into the big freezer downstairs. Now I'm not saying it will all make it until next halloween....I mean that's a whole year away you know....and a girl (guy) sometimes need a little something sweet/salty to nible on, right? LOL!  At least all those calories are not sitting on the kitchen table where access was way too easy for us, and there will have to be a really good excuse to walk downstairs to the freezer to open that trash bag and root around for what we want and risk breaking a tooth on the frozen treasures :)

Grandma came inside just before 7:30 to warm up, and the phone rang. Perfect timing :)  It was Ryan....he was asking if we still planned on coming over to see the kids. I suggested we wait until today to head over as it was getting late and the kids were tired.  When he asked the kids there was a unanimous 'noooooo'.....they wanted us there then...well, at least they wanted the goodies they know grandma always buys for halloween...hehehe!

I went outside to tell grandpa that we were heading over to see the kids, and we did something we have NEVER done before in our lives....we left all the decorations, lights, and two big bowls of goodies all set up!  The question in both our minds was "will everything be okay, and will one kid come along and take all the goodies?" LOL!

We were pleasantly surprised when we pulled back into our driveway about an hour later. Everything was still where we left it, and the big bowls of goodies had a little less in them, but just a little.  Whomever came along while we weren't home only took what they expected to be given, and left the rest for anyone coming behind.

With a sigh of relief I started to think why we had such distrust in the neighborhood kids. Is it because we only hear bad stories on the news about young people these days?  Whatever the reason, we were very happy the our neighborhood seems to still be "okay" :)

We started taking the decorations down and a teen girl came up the driveway but was going to turn around and leave when she saw us dismantling everything.  Grandpa told her to come back and gave her a bag of candies...and she was the one who was pleasantly surprised.

I do have to say that when we drove over to the kids we were quite surprised ourselves at just how few people even had pumpkins outside to welcome the wee ones to their door.  Even on our own street there were very few lights on, and even those that were on had no decorations at their door. Maybe it's just the kid in me....hehehe....I love to see the reaction of the kids when they walk through the lights and fog. And even more surprising, there was only one young boy who was afraid to walk up the driveway this year. The poor kid didn't think he would get any candy and was surprised when grandpa told him to wait while he brought him a bag of candy and a bag of chips.

All in all it was an uneventful Halloween....thankfully....with the bright spot of the evening being spending a bit of time with the Girls and Cade :)

 
Grandma loves you
xoxoxoxo

Sunday 28 October 2012

Where has the time gone?

Grandma is running a little late with her posts lately.  This week was a big day for our grandson Cade....some may say it's the major step, going from a "baby" to a little boy. This grandma has to agree I'm afraid LOL!

Not only did he start school this September, but he turned FOUR this week! Yup...4 years old. No more baby close by....he's a big boy now....and was he excited LOL!

When grandpa and I drove up to their street we saw the kids at the playground two doors up from their house. Daddy was with them and they all came runnin up to the car. Cade got so excited that he started running home to beat us...hehehe....and as we pulled into the driveway we could hear him at the front door of the house yelling "mama and buppa are here" LOL!

He was chatty, happy and running around on pure adrenaline I think....hehehe!  He wanted to take it all in, and was SO good when it came to not touching his corner of presents until it was time to sit and actually open them :)
  
 
The Birthday Boy!
 
Grandma had worked on his cake, trying to incorporate everything he wanted...Spiderman, Mater, Lightning McQueen. This cake had to incorporate it all...and I think I succeeded :)  I even tried making spider webs from royal icing....and it worked. Although Cade felt kind of bad when he tried showing me the exact spot on the chocolate house roof that was going to be his...hehehe...and one of the webs shattered. It didn't matter at that point....pictures had been taken, and he was able to munch on the pieces of web, so everything was okay with the world :)
  
   
Mom had made a delicious spaghetti/ceaser salad dinner for everyone and we all dug in. Then....drum roll please...it was time for the cake. And not surprisingly, the kids all wanted the chocolate house and tree!  Hmmm...I think I have to rethink all these big cakes I've been making if the important people only want chocolate LOL!

And our little Hannah isn't the only 6 year old who doesn't like cake....two other kids at the party do not like cake! Imagine that! Hannah has already put in her order for her next birthday....a big chocolate house and a tree LOL...no cake!

All in all it was a very fun evening. Sad in one respect that our "baby" was no longer that, but happy to see what the next stage of his little life will hold.

Grandma loves you
xoxoxoxo

Sunday 21 October 2012

Another Yawn......

Thank goodness yawning keeps you awake LOL!  Grandpa and I had a great 24 hours with Hailee, Hannah, Cade and even daddy!  Yes, Mom had a girl's party yesterday afternoon, so the gang moved in for the day and a sleepover.

Unfortunately the big guy, who has been on antibiotics for Croop for a week, ended up getting sick with a high fever/vomiting.  He looked so pitiful :(  You know Cade is sick when he refuses to eat spaghetti, or popsicles.  We have no idea what's going on, especially since he's on AB's already.

The girls were a little upset thinking it would stop us from going out for supper, but daddy graciously said he'd stay home with a sleeping Cade on the couch, so grandpa and grandma could take the girls out to eat....but not without asking if we could get a couple pounds of wings for him!

Hailee kept going on and on saying she was hungry and when could we go to eat. Truth be told, all she was in a hurry to get to the restaurant for was the ice cream they serve with kid's meals for dessert....hehehe...and they even put both caramel and chocolate syrup on hers!  Yummy!!

Cade did have a bit of joy before getting sick though. Grandpa had ordered him a school desk and chair just like the ones they have in school.  We have one for each of the girls, and poor Cade was feeling left out by having to sit at a princess table and chair to "work" LOL!  He was so excited when he came in and kept telling daddy to come look, come look.

Grandma took Hailee to dance for a couple hours and while we were gone Grandpa took Hannah and Cade to the Dollar Store....Cade had to get some school supplies for his desk, and Hannah went just because she loves the Dollar Store...of course, not coming out empty handed LOL!

Mom decided to come over to sleep as well so daddy went to pick her up and Cade wanted to sleep with her in the bottom bunk.  I had picked up some Advil for him before we went out for supper, but his fever was still acting up during the night :(  Hannah wanted to sleep with daddy downstairs because she never gets too, and Hailee slept on the foam mats beside the bottom bunk.  Grandpa smiled at me and said "I think we got the better of this deal" LOL!
 
At 5:30 this morning I heard the pitter patter of little feet come into our bedroom and a cute little voice saying "hi Mama"! What a great way to be woken up :) He put his juice on the nightstand and I slowly lifted him up to the heights of our new bed LOL...no easy chore. We don't call him Tank for nothing...hehehe! I swear, I'm going to need a ladder before long to get up on our new bed LOL!

After snuggling in for a couple minutes he sat up, looked around and asked where Buppa was. I told him he was downstairs exercising so he asked for his juice cup and slid off the bed, going to find Buppa, but not without grandma following close behind to make sure the lights on the back stairs were on. The last thing the poor guy needed was to fall on top of everything else :)
 
This morning he didn't want mom out of his sight, so daddy took Hailee to Mass with her papers that she needed to work on for her 1st communion that she will be making in the Spring...after we had green pancakes for breakfast that is...hehehe!

So it was a busy 24 hours, and grandma is still yawning...hehehe!  But I wouldn't trade it for the world :)

Grandma loves you
xoxoxoxo

Saturday 13 October 2012

Flying trapeze....

Wow!  Wow, wow, wow....that's about all I can say after seeing the Cirque du Soleil performance on Thursday night in Toronto. My DIL, Hailee, Hannah and myself had a girls weekend away and we went to see "Amaluna"! An experience none of us will soon forget :)  I have a feeling another Cirque show will be in our future at some point!
 
View from our Hotel window!
  
We drove to Toronto early Thursday morning and had tickets for the 4:00 p.m. performance.  We thought it would be better to have an early time than wait until 8:00. The girls wouldn't have been the only tired ones by then LOL!
 
   The Cirque tent!
 
And I think the part of the evening the girls liked best were the taxi rides LOL!  One taxi to the theatre for the performance, another afterwards to the Old Spaghetti Factory in downtown Toronto (another first for the girls), then another back to the Hotel.  Hailee especially seemed to enjoy this mode of travel for some reason...hehehe...and wanted to take another taxi on Friday morning!
  
  
Waiting for supper to come :)

Speaking of Friday morning, we had told the girls we would take them to the CN Tower, neither had been. Mom was a little down after speaking with a very tearful Cade the night before and decided we should head straight home in the morning, so told the girls they'd see the Tower their next visit to Toronto. 
   Mom and Hailee overlooking the City :)
 
Unfortunately that didn't sit very well with Hailee :(  She started to have a melt down and went on and on about how she keeps being told 'next time, next time' when it comes to the CN Tower :)  Sooooo grandma suggested that instead of going out for breakfast, we could use that time (and probably less) to go up to the Tower, look around, take a few pics and be on our way.
 
Okay....all grandparents know there is just about nothing we
grandparents won't do for our grandkids, right? LOL!
Laying on the glass floor in the CN Tower was bad enough,
but making this picture public, with gravity taking
it's not-so-nice toll on grandma's face, goes above and
beyond any grandparent's duties LOL! Yes, looking through the glass
floor some 1500 feet above the city of Toronto just does something
to a person's stomach...and face LOL!
Ahhhhh.....gotta love those grandkids :)


Well, that idea didn't sit very well with Hannah LOL, who for some reason did NOT want to go up in the Tower.  We had no idea why she felt this way and when we questioned her as to why her response was "because". Boy, did she cry. After finding a parking spot we walked across the street to the Tower, towing a crying/upset Hannah along with us.
 
 The closest that Hannah got to actually
being on the glass floor LOL! Hailee was
really into it though by the time we left :)
 
I'm not sure what she thought it would be like going up to the top of the CN Tower, but hopefully now she realizes that it wasn't that bad...but during our 45 minutes at the top of Toronto, she wouldn't smile or even look at the camera.  Definitely had a pouty thing going on....just like her Uncle Warren used to when he was little...hehehe!

After spending time at a shopping Mall on the way home both girls fell asleep for a couple hours and were suprised when we stopped for a bite to eat...at McD's!  Wow, another surprise. A once in the blue moon treat for the girls...hehehe!
This was more to Hannah's taste LOL!
 

All in all we girls had a fantastic time and grandma looks forward to the next time we can enjoy a couple days away together...without the boys. Remember...girls rule LOL!

Grandma loves you
xoxoxoxo




Monday 8 October 2012

A Happy Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend...

Wow, we had a super Thanksgiving weekend surrounded by two of our three sons and their wonderful families.  A lot of turkey, potatoes, gravy, veggies was had by all, two days in a row at different houses, a delicious brunch served up at our oldest son and DIL's place on Sunday morning, and we can't forget all those calories in the pumpkin pies with real whipped cream....hehehe...or the annual pumpkin cake that grandma made for all to enjoy :)

We started out the weekend on Friday afternoon when Hailee, Hannah, Cade and Hailee's best friend Olyvia came over after school to help make those very pumpkin pies we got stuffed on LOL!  They happily took their individual pies home to enjoy after supper :)  Warren, Cindi and the kids drove up on Saturday along with the german exchange student, Sara, who has been living with them for the last 3 1/2 weeks.
Hannah and Cade :)
   
Olyvia and Hailee :)


We had our TG supper on Saturday afternoon...turkey, ribs, lasagna, coleslaw, potatoes, gravy...lots of gravy LOL, veggies, cake, pies and of course blue jello for Hannah who doesn't like cake :) To say we left the table anything but stuffed would be a lie.

Sunday morning we headed over to Ryan and Angele's house for a delicious brunch that she and her mom put out for us....yummy. Surprisingly, even though I was full and didn't think I could eat another bite, I did do justice to the great buffet spread...hehehe!

Completely exhausted we came home for a couple hours before heading out to great grandma and grandpa's house to visit with family from out of town. Once again, a big turkey supper was served....not sure who was more stuffed, the turkey or grandma LOL!

Meatbird Lake!
 
I must admit, this grandma didn't think it could get any better, but it did....oh yes it did! Grandpa and I went out to my old stomping grounds...a little mining town that no longer exists. We like to walk around the old roads at least once a year, talk about how we met, how could all the houses actually fit along those grown over streets etc. Then we went a few miles down the highway to Meatbird Lake...local swimming hole....and where he and I got engaged 41 years ago while he was still in University.

Unfortunately, while laying patio stones in the backyard one weekend a number of years after we were married, I wore down a claw on that beautiful ring, lost the diamond, and didn't realize it until we came in the house late Sunday night. I wanted to dig up the patio stones, I was so upset :( I quietly placed the ring in it's silver ring case and then into an old jewel box....which ended up in the garage for decades.
Grandpa was cleaning out the garage this Fall and came upon that old jewel box, with the silver ring case and found the poor diamondless ring.

How did this TG get any better today? He proposed to me once again at Meatbird Lake, and put my same diamond ring on my hand...claw fixed and a new diamond in the setting! Can we say tears flowed?? LOL! In an instant it brought back the previous 41 years and I once again felt like that 18 year old girl who placed that wonderful ring on her hand for the first time! Gotta love that grandpa of yours :))

My very special, beautiful engagement ring that
means the world to me!  If anyone were to offer me
a ring that cost 100 times as much, it couldn't mean
more than the ring bought with so much love all
those many years ago :)
 
 
Hailee, Hannah and Cade, as well as some friends, went to a Pumpkin Patch today about an hour away.  They called on their way home while Grandpa and I were out doing out reminiscing. They said they were coming over for supper and ordering pizza. So within minutes of getting home we heard little knocks at the door.  All excited for my surprise that I told mom about on the phone when they called....hehehe!  After all the hullabaloo settled down, this little voice piped up saying "can I see your ring mama?"  Cade sure is a thoughtful little guy and will definitely get his hearbroken at some point of his life. But hopefully his thoughtful ways won't leave him...for very long LOL!
 
Like I said, a Thanksgiving to remember!
 
Grandma loves you and only wishes all my grandchildren they can find as much love and happiness in their future lives as grandpa and I have :) xoxoxoxo

Tuesday 2 October 2012

Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer....

....are long gone for another year :(  Yes, the intense sun, heat and at times unbearable humidity are gone until next summer.  However we can't really complain because we've had a wonderful Indian Summer for the last couple of weeks, and we're quietly hoping our Autumn weather holds out for a couple more months.

The girls, Cade and mom were here for a sleepover on Friday night.  Daddy was out of town on business and mom doesn't like to stay alone :)  We decided to go out for supper, and each adult even got to share a dessert with one of the kids...hehehe....yummy! Hannah is the adventurous one with food so she just had to try my French onion soup and she loved it!  I think next time she may get her own bowl :)  Mom left for Volley Ball when we left the restaurant and we all came home to play, have baths and get ready for bed.

While we were playing in the bedroom our little Miss Hannah looked at me and said "grandma...the world will never run out of people, right?"  She surprised me with this little tidbit, and I said she was right....but wanted to know how she came to this conclusion.  She said "because babies are being born all the time." Yup....for a six year old she knows exactly how the world works LOL!

Family, ancestors and anything that goes along with that are something that has been important to big sister Hailee for a couple years now. As she and grandpa were laying in bed before she fell asleep she asked him about God :)  Grandpa told her that God was always 'there'.  She wanted to know who the first people on earth were, so grandpa explained that God made Adam and Eve. Hailee perked right up and said "well that means that everyone in the world is related then!  Another smart little girl....hehehe! As he tried to explain it further she said "really....grandpa, I'm only 8 years old...this is just too much for me to understand." LOL!  What a great way to fall asleep with such grown up questions on your mind :)

Yesterday afternoon the girls and Cade came over  for a couple hours. Grandpa and I were working outside to take advantage of these last few nice days for yardwork before the white stuff flies, and the kids helped us do what needed doing. They loved asking grandpa for stuff to throw into the back of the truck, knowing he was going to the dump today...hehehe!  The girls gave up quickly after checking out my recycle box for things they could get creative with, and an egg carton was just the thing to get them into mud pies.  Cade however just couldn't stop helping grandpa. He's such a great little helper :)
Ahhhhh.....best buds!
 
Mom even packed them each a lunch so they decided we'd have one more picnic to say goodbye to summer and welcome Fall.
 
Grandpa had put all the outdoor furniture away already, so he went to the garage and brought out the carpet that is usually in our gazebo and laid it on the deck.  As the kids dug into their spread, grandma went in the house and quickly made something for grandpa and I to eat. I mean if we're going to have a picnic we do need something to munch on LOL!

Luckily I didn't forget to bring juice boxes for the kids because as they saw me coming all I could hear was "grandma, we're thirsty"....hehehe! I think they were so keen to eat quickly because mom had brought some Girl Guide cookies for dessert LOL! They could hardly wait to get into the box and weren't too thrilled about eating their cucumbers and fruit first :) But they did.

As they got back to their mud pies Hailee uncovered an earth worm, so the hunt was on...."grandma, can you help us find more worms...we want to put them in this bowl?"  So off we went, hunting the back yard for more earth worms....needing my "strength" to turn over logs, big rocks, planters, anything that may be hiding the coveted earthworms LOL!

After finding a few I figured it was time the kids actually touched a worm without being squeamish....grandma thought they were going to faint, but after much talking, hand holding and one ear piercing scream from Hailee, the girls each held a worm and realized that all they did was tickle....no, they don't bite girls LOL! Cade....No, I don't want to hold a worm Mama...hehehe!
Hehehe....Hailee's face says it all!
 
Hannah made sure she found a 'baby'
worm to hold. No big juicy ones for her LOL!
 
 
Ahhhhh...what a great way to spend a beautiful Fall afternoon. Not only enjoying the weather but also the memories that will take us through the frigid, snowy months that are coming :)

Grandma loves you
xoxoxoxo

Saturday 15 September 2012

Made My Day....

The hours and hours of trying to keep busy the last few days by crocheting the outfits for Hailee, Hannah and Cade's favorite toys, was more than worth it this morning when Hannah and Cade came over for a visit :)  They absolutely loved what grandma made and it makes my heart sing.

Hannah said "wow grandma, these are really neat....can you make me another blanket, and a sling like Hailee has for her tiger?" LOL!  Cade piped in with absolutely needing a blanket for his little teddy so her could cover his face if he gets cold, and we couldn't forget mitts either!

When grandpa was driving them home he said Hannah kept saying "grandma is really good...she can make anything." So I think we'll just let her believe this for a little while.  Don't want to burst her bubble at such a young age LOL!

They got home just in time to meet Hailee after her dance class, grandpa said Hailee was sooooo happy with the little red outfit and sling for her Tiger.  He said her eyes got big and she was amazed, especially when he told her that if she wanted anything else, grandma would make it for her :) She was so interested in the outfit that she didn't even have time to talk about her dance class LOL!

So needless to say I've been crocheting up a storm since they left...one blue blanket on the agenda, as well as matching mitts....and we can't forget a pink skirt for Hannah's doll LOL!  I haven't spoken to Hailee yet, but not doubt she'll have other plans for more crocheting too :)

Grandma loves you
xoxoxoxo

Wednesday 12 September 2012

Chain 1...Slip stitch....

Anyone familiar to the world of yarn will know that this grandma is working on crochet projects. Actually I haven't done any crochet work for a very, very long time, and more than likely would not have picked it up again had it not for the need to be off my feet for a few weeks.

I decided to start with an outfit our our 6 year old granddaughter's doll. Hannah LOVES dolls/babies of any kind, size, shape or color LOL!  And by LOVE, I mean LOVE. She wants nothing else for Christmas, birthdays etc, and she takes such good care of them. Treating them like real babies :)

So we stopped in the other day and I measured her favorite doll and told her I would crochet something for her.  She had no idea what I was talking about, but told her she would see what I meant when she saw the finished project.  The only stipulation she had was that any pants I made for her dolly, had to have feet attached...hehehe!  She said the little socks/botties that come with dolls, always fall off and get lost, so grandma had her instructions....pants with feet LOL!
 
As promised below, I finally finished the "projects"
and am posting pictures.  Hannah's doll is all set
in her two piece, with hat outfit, and a matching
blanket.  Notice dolly's left hand...or at least her
left arm, minus hand...hehehe! Mylo chewed the
hand off when he was a puppy, so grandma
crocheted a "bandage" to cover the gapping hole!
Hope Hannah likes it!


I picked up a few balls of yarn earlier in the week, but didn't get too many in case the crocheting flared up my arthritis, but after shopping for more today to actually finish a couple projects that are just a bit short, I wish I had bought much more. They didn't have any of the colors I had bought the other day...nothing...nothing even close!

I quickly picked out yarn that would compliment what I've already started, plus a few large balls of other colors to keep me busy over the next few weeks.

A couple days ago the grandkids dropped in for a visit...Hannah all excited to see the outfit I was working on for her doll, and right behind her both Hailee and Cade trying to get my attention..."Grandma, can you make an outfit for my tiger...grandma, can you make an outfit for my little teddy?" LOL! They each tried to be the loudest so I would do theirs first...hehehe!
 
Can't forget Cade's tiny teddy bear.  I thought instead
of a blanket for him, I'd make a "sleeping" bag! The
bear and bag fit perfectly :)
  
Hailee chose bright red and white for her tiger....and we can't forget to make ears on the "hate" :)  Cade decided he should have red also for his little, and I mean little, teddy...and he wanted me to assure him that HIS would be done first LOL!

  It's kind of hard to see what this looks like, but
the tiger does have a slip on hat, complete with ears
as per Hailee's request...hehehe!  I added a little
fringed edge on the vest portion....and below you'll
see the "sling" I made for the tiger to rest inside.
This way Hailee can carry her tiger with her
everywhere she goes!
 
   
Today our DIL and Cade dropped in to pick up a queen bed that we're giving to big sister Hailee, as we're finally getting a new bedroom set....a grown up set as I refer to it LOL!  So Cade came in and spotted all the different yarns I picked up and he changed his mind as to the color red for his little teddy.  He decided on two different blues and a cream color :) 

So once all this crocheting is said and done, this grandma will take pics to show everyone...but don't expect to much. I'm working with no patterns here and just winging it LOL!

We'll see you on Friday night for a few hours.

Grandma loves you
xoxoxoxo

Thursday 6 September 2012

He Did It....

Yes he did!  Cade went off on the school bus this morning with big sisters Hailee and Hannah to start the next chapter in his young life, Junior Kindergarten :)
 
  
 

Was he happy you may ask....well, he appeared happy with the pictures taken at the bus stop, standing with his sisters, walking up the stairs on the bus...then...then...that picture in the school bus window may be blurred, but you can definitely see that big smile he started out with is no longer there, but a kind of scared, forced little smile is on his face instead. I'm sure he was thinking "but mom, you're not coming with me?"
 
 
Will he remember these feelings in 20 years...likely not....but will grandma remember the look on that little fact peering out the bus window, you bet LOL!

Ahhhhh ....just called home (after supper) to check on our little monkey, and mom said he did VERY well. The teacher said he was smiling all day and didn't cry once....yipeeeee! This makes grandma and grandpa very happy, and relieved...hehehe!

Now I can sleep tonight :)

Grandma loves you
xoxoxoxo

Tuesday 4 September 2012

First Day Of School - 2012

Another summer gone and another school year beginning!  How is it that no matter how much time you think you have once school is out for one year, and before the next year starts, that it's never enough time? It always amazes me at how quickly those summer weeks disappear into a soon to be distant memory, as the nerves of a new school year begin.

Who will be my teacher, will I like them, will they like me, will my friends be in my class, do I have the right clothes on, is my lunch okay...in the minds of wee ones these are all very important questions :) And they're very important questions in the minds of grandparents as well. 

It's funny how we gave these questions a fleeting thought as we were rushing our own children out the door that first day of school each year....but....when it comes to our grandchildren, well, it's different!  We grandparents have been there, done that decades ago, and we only now after all these years can truly appreciate what these simple questions mean to a child. 

School is their life while they are in the classroom. It's important to them to have answers to all these questions, sometimes before school even starts.  A disappointing answer to even one of them can mean the difference between a good year, or a bad year. Not a good way to start 10 months of school.
  
The "happy" crowd. Even cousin Isabella was there
to enjoy it all. It's her first day of Grade one tomorrow
too, just like Hannah :)
  
And so it was last night as we went over to our oldest son and DIL's for the last 'summer' supper.

Grandpa and I are in Toronto today until the weekend, so we weren't able to be there as the girls walked to the bus this morning, questions in mind, friends at their sides, wondering...wondering...wondering.

The obligatory pizza pan oatmeal cookie was also in tow as we went for supper, as well as a jello "pie" for Hannah who was exactly 6 1/2 yesterday. Hannah doesn't like cake...imagine a 6 year old who doesn't like cake LOL...but she does love jello. Red is her favorite...with whipped cream rimming the pie plate and a big whipped cream 6 1/2 in the middle.

She just had to sit on grandpa for her
picture...hehehe! Happy half birthday Hannah!
  
Now if grandpa had his way the cookie would not have been eaten last night...hehehe....but would have been sitting on the kitchen counter until the girls came home after school today.  But, it's a good thing grandma was around....there is no way we were leaving for Toronto today and not have a piece of that cookie....LOL!

As usual supper was delicious, then it was time to dig in. The jello pie disappeared in no time flat after Hannah said she wanted the "6" and Cade said he wanted the "1" (1/2).  The extra cream I brought along went well too...hehehe!

Next came the cookie....mom I want that piece, mom can I have that part...LOL!  It disappeared just as fast as the jello, but mom was able to save them each a piece for their lunches today, with Cade continually piping in "moooommmmm can I have a piece tomorrow....mooooooommmm" :) :)

It was fun, it brought back memories, even with the tears here and there that were coming from the kids at various times after supper....the nerves were tense, the unknown for them, exactly that...the unknown. It's a scary day when you're going into Grade 3 and Grade 1...and even scarier when you're just starting JK!

Cade doesn't start until Thursday, but he's already saying he doesn't like school LOL!  If he only knew what a long road he has ahead of him...hehehe!


  And we can't forget our middle son Warren who is
a teacher and heading to Grade 4 this morning, as well
as our Step-Grandkids Brittney, grade 11...and
Austin heading into a very scary year as well, grade 9!
Good luck guys, I know you'll do well!
 
So here's to another fantastic year for all 3 of them, that they learn as much as they can, enjoy the time with their friends and even more so, enjoy the time they get to spend with mom and dad after school.  They aren't going to realize just how important those after school hours are until they are older...much older...perhaps even grandparents :)

Grandma loves you
xoxoxoxo

Saturday 1 September 2012

Labor Day Weekend....

Yes, all good things must come to an end...and so it is with every summer.  I know any school aged child will especially tell you how fast the summers go by, but they're not the only ones. Us grandparents feel the same....LOL...however, the moms and dads out there may have a different viewpoint on that one.

We were lucky enough to have the girls and Cade over yesterday for a sleepover. Hannah kept asking how many more sleeps/days until school started. I'm not sure if she thought grandma was fibbing, or perhaps I'd change my mind and say she had more days than the last time she asked LOL, but she didn't like my answer each time.

I do remember well how I "hated" Labor Day Weekend when I was younger.  The thought of having to go back to the grind of school and all that it entails, was more than I wanted to think about...and I did not want to give up the free time of summer...playing outside from morning until night, sleepovers with friends, using our imaginations to take us far away, "raiding" a neighbor's garden of strawberries :) It did go too quickly.

Then as a parent with 3 sons of our own, I also dreaded Labor Day Weekend.  I was one of those oddball moms who did not want our kids to leave home and go back to school. I didn't sleep for the whole weekend, dreading how I was going to miss the boys....and I must admit, I felt bad for them having to sit in school all day....hehehe!

As soon as mom dropped off the kids yesterday afternoon, they wanted to eat. She told me they wanted Nachos for supper, and had brought over the nacho chips and shredded cheese.  Well there was no way to convince them to wait until supper. They said they were hungry and wanted to eat NOW :)

So, nachos it was!  Have to admit, it's been a long time since I've made them and they were really good :)  Good choice kids, good choice :)

Our neighbor across the street has a great apple tree and he was quite excited when he knew the grandkids were coming over. He wanted them to come pick apples...he even had baskets for them to use :)  The girls didn't seem too interested in picking apples but Cade wanted to go over, so Grandpa and he went on their way.  About two minutes later, Hailee got all upset because she said "but they left without me...I wanted to go too."  I told her that they were just across the street at Mr. Bob's house and she could take Sparkles and head over too.

  

 
Didn't take them long to come back, each with a basket full of apples! They were so excited and wanted to go back. After seeing their stash of apples, Hannah decided that she wanted to go with them this time.  Hailee was trying not to laugh when she told me as she was picking an apple from the tree, another apple hit her on the head...hehehe!  Have to admit, grandma did laugh LOL!

Grandpa got out big bowls and had them separate the apples from the good ones and the ones that had "holes" in them.  Thankfully they didn't ask what the holey apples meant...hehehe...or we never would have gotten them to eat apples ever again!
Thanks for the apples Mr. Bob :)
  
I'm having a problem with my right foot/leg and have been told if I don't want to end up disabled and using a cane, that I have to stay off my feet for a few weeks and take meds to help with the problem. Cortisone shots are coming in a couple weeks.  So Grandpa said he would take the 3 kids into town to have supper at McD's and play in the play area there.  Surprisingly, none of them wanted to go.  They said they wanted to go to DQ. Hmmm...gotta wonder if it really was the food they wanted more or the fact that dessert was right there as well LOL! They even brought grandma something back to eat. Thanks guys!

More play time then bath time.  Hannah and Cade wanted bubbles...lots and lots of bubbles....so I put the air jets on and it didn't take long for them to overtake both kids. They had a ball laughing and wanting more and more bubbles!
And yes, Cade IS standing up in the tub LOL!
Hannah is under there somewhere......
 
Hey, there she is!
 

Before we knew it it was quiet time. So once pjs were on it was time to sit on the couch with their snacks. They were all out at 9:30 and this grandma wasn't far behind them.  All slept really well until almost 8:00 this morning!

Unfortnately grandma couldn't stand on her foot long enough to make the big batch of crepes that I make whenever they sleep over, so they made do with porridge and cream of wheat. They were so good in understanding that grandma has to "baby" her leg for the next few weeks, and there will be plenty of time for crepes when I'm better.

Dad and mom came to pick them up around 10:30. They were heading into town for the Rib Fest....sounds yummy, doesn't it!  They left Mylo and Ally here to play in the back yard with Sparkles, and will come to pick them up on their way home.

All in all, a great start to the last long weekend of the summer!  So yes, all good things may have to come to an end, but grandma knows that even more good things will come along once school starts :)

Grandm loves you
xoxoxoxo

Monday 27 August 2012

Yeah....they're home!!!

Well it was a nice weekend...a quiet weekend...an extraordinarily long weekend...the gang was gone for four long days, and although it was nice to relax and catch up with a few things, it really was "different". Who'd think that 4 days could be so long...without the phone ringing and a tiny voice on the other end saying "grandma.......can we....."...LOL!

But, all is well. We were Skyped when they got home tonight just to say hi, and to thank us for the clothes they bought at Vaughan Mills on the way home from the Falls this afternoon.  Grandpa and I are going over tomorrow for a visit and to see the stash :)  We can't wait!

Until tomorrow!

Grandma loves you
xoxoxoxo

Monday 13 August 2012

And he's off......

To new adventures, new friends, not knowing that this day will change his life forever.  As I type this I have many tears coming from my eyes.  Our little grandson is spreading his wings....is he ready for the cold, cruel world that awaits him?

Yes, I do realize that we all have experienced this BIG day in our lives, and yes, we all survived, but for some reason I have more of a grandmother's need to protect this little one....protect his innocence, protect his kind nature from the reality that we all know, kids are cruel.  Will he be hurt emotionally....of course; will he be laughed at at some point...of course.  It's the circle of life coming around.

This grandma isn't ready for it though.

Grandma loves you.
xoxoxoxo

Sunday 12 August 2012

Run....run....kick hard...atta girl!

I'm assuming from the subject line you can guess we were at soccer playoffs this weekend LOL!  Yes, in the rain, cold north wind and just plain miserable weather.  All was fine though!  Hailee's team didn't do as well as they had hoped for, but just look at the trophy they all got for doing their best!!



Even little brother Cade received a trophy for the "one" game he went too....hehehe....if you remember, he did not like soccer...at all.  But he was soooo proud of the trophy and said he was putting it on his dresser :)


Mmmmmm....yummy pizza to end the year!

And just have a look at this!  When we arrived home from the last game, grandpa took all 3 kids into the garage to look for daddy's very first soccer trophy!  Imagine that....we kept the trophies from all those decades ago LOL!

What goes around, comes around :)

It was also a busier weekend than grandpa and I had planned.  Hailee was going to spend the night with us alone....then it developed into an "I want to go too, I want to go too". So yes, we had all 3 kids overnight. They were soooo tired from the wind, rain and running around that when we got home from Hailee's last game, it was bath and pj time!  It didn't take long for them each to fall asleep....well, except for Hailee....hehehe....she and I watched Hoarding, Buried Alive and even at the young age of 8, she couldn't believe that people lived like that.

There were tons of questions as to why, where do they sleep, where do they eat, where's the kitchen, where's the bathroom, why does she have to get dressed out in the driveway....you get the picture LOL!  I didn't think it would be so difficult to explain to an 8 year old how people like this are "sick" and need help. That it's like an addiction and they can't help it.  I did my best, but she went to bed, I'm sure, realizing that what mom is trying to teach them about keeping their rooms clean etc, is a pretty good idea LOL!

It was orange pancakes this morning...yeah!!  Mom and dad made it to the championship round in their golf tournament yesterday, so were playing at 11:11 again today.  They came to pick up the kids a little after 9:00, but after she and daddy ate some breakfast, the kids didn't want to leave...hehehe!

Mom said that they'd better ask grandma, and the response was "it's okay, she'll say yes" LOL!  So yes, they stayed until almost 11:30 then grandpa took them home, but not without a stop at the Dollar Store first for more rubbery creatures like worms, dinosaurs and spiders LOL!

All is quiet for now, but until the next visit.....

Grandma loves you.....
xoxoxoxo