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

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

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

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

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