Does this toilet seat make

On one of our potty stops while out yesterday this is conversation with Annabelle as it was my turn to sit on the potty:

Annabelle: You got a big hiney, Grandmomma!
Grandmomma: Thanks, Annabelle, I needed that.

I knew my tummy was big, but I didn't know my hiney was all that big. It must have been the toilet seat.

Tidbits

Around noontime we picked up Annabelle for an afternoon of just "us" time. Since Sophia has come into our family we haven't had as much time with just Annabelle. We started out eating at the Piccadilly.

On the way we cut through some back streets and suddenly Annabelle got excited. "That's where I went to the doctor!" she says. Then it hit me that we were indeed in the area of where one of her appointments for evaluation of speech therapy had taken place. We zigged and zagged around and since we obviously didn't go in the same way, things didn't seem quite the same after a certain point. But she was right, I'm sure, that it was the same place she had been earlier.

One conversation completely out of the blue with Annabelle, while we were eating lunch:
Annabelle: Molly cheers for Georgia. I don't cheer for Georgia. I cheer for Tennessee!

Grandmomma: Why does Molly cheer for Georgia?

Annabelle: Because she likes Georgia. I don't like Georgia. I like Tennessee. I want them to win. We (Daddy and Annabelle) watch football on t.v. We cheer for Tennessee!

Grandmomma: And why do you suppose Molly likes Georgia?

Annabelle: Because her Mommy and Daddy went to school there.

Grandmomma: And your Daddy went to...?

Annabelle: TENNESSEE!

Grandmomma: I don't like Georgia, either. I have to cheer for Tennessee. Well, sometimes I like Georgia...when they aren't playing Tennessee.

Annabelle: YEAH!

I have no idea what provoked that conversation. Georgia and Tennessee had not even entered the conversation. But so much for what thoughts run through her head.

I think she's quite good for a 3 1/2 year old when it comes to noticing direction and where she is. Really amazing to me. Of course she is quite the traveler so I guess that helps some..

And she has a good memory for other things as well. As soon as she had finished her meal she reminded me she wanted a balloon. The same lady almost always takes our tray and seats us. She always remembered to ask about the other two who were missing in the family, too.

But first, from the visit to Journey's End yesterday, she wanted to play a game of putting a small amount of food in her mouth while she had her eyes closed and she would guess what the food was. I was reprimended for not following Mommy rules for eating her food.

Annabelle: But you put too much food on my plate. Mommy doesn't put that much on it.

Usually Mommy puts a litte bit of food on her plate and requests that she at least try it and if she wants more she can have more. I'm accustomed to putting amounts of her favorite things on her plate in amounts I'm sure she will have no problem eating. That didn't work this time.

We did play our game for a few bites until she was all finished and ready for her dessert of bran muffin (the whole one she didn't want to share with me.) Then it was onto the balloon. And our kind waitress obliged by bringing her a pretty red one this time.

Since she had barely eaten the pile I had put on her plate we took the remaining food and beloved balloon home for safety and the food for her to eat later tonight. She asked that I tell Mommy not to eat the rest of it while we were gone so she could have it later. I doubt she ate it later, but that was her request.

Then it was on to Stone Mountain. She kept telling her Granddaddy he was going the wrong way. And he was because he had turned too early and we had to change our route. She knew this wasn't the way to Stone Mountain because Daddy didn't go that way. He takes her out there on Saturdays sometimes...enough that she knows her way....maybe. Every turn we made brought on the same statement. We weren't going the right way, Granddaddy. At one point she even reminded me we couldn't go that way because we had to stop by Publix to get some hotdog buns or some cereal or something to feed the ducks. And, of course, we didn't turn the right way to go into the park. She's such a little back-seat driver. When she drives she's going to have to be behind the wheel because only she and her Daddy know how to get there.

At one point I told her we were going to let her drive next time, to which she replied in a soft little voice, "But I'm not old enough to drive!"

After a few real life unintentional mis-turns and Granddaddy not following her directions we finally made it down to the lake for her to feed the ducks. Four baby ducks, or four young ducks I should say, and their Mommy attached themselves to us. We figured the biggest duck was "Mommy Duck" because she stayed right on them and she would quack her warnings out to the babies. I'm sure she was telling them, "Don't get too close to that little girl. You don't know if she's your friend or enemy. Stay back. Don't fight over the food. Let me have a chance for a bite of it." There were several other bigger ducks out wanting so much to be able to get their share.
Mommy Duck was determined they wouldn't bully her babies around. After she was more comfortable with us being around, she would turn herself around, duck her head low and she would fly out at the others, keeping them away from her babies and their feeding time.

Even the sassy Blue Jays were perched in the trees waiting for their chance to swoop down to eat their share. They got very few chances because those babies were on that food as soon as it hit the ground. We had to throw Mommy Duck her food above the heads of the babies.

A couple of times Annabelle apparently got a bit generous with the amount she threw and Mommy Duck grabbed up the big piece and moved down into the edge of the water where she promptly ducked her bill down into the water to make sure it was soft enough for her to eat without choking. Maybe she was teaching her babies a lesson or maybe she knew it was too much for her, but she did this several time. Quite interesting.

Granddaddy had just pulled our chairs out so we could enjoy watching the ducks and Annabelle when she decided she had to go potty. Since we didn't have the portable potty with us (one thing I had forgotten to ask for) we had to pack everything up and go back up the hill to the potty.
We had enjoyed the ducks already for a good bit of time, so instead of returning to the lake, she decided she wanted to walk down to the grist mill. Well, she thought she wanted to go to the grist mill. She really just wanted to walk along on the ledges and run ahead of me. She and I spent a good amount of time just running (that would be her, not me) along and just enjoying ourselves.I kept reminding her I no longer could move as fast as she moves. I was really afraid she would fall on the stone steps and get hurt, but she didn't seem to see the danger.

She found a bit of sand in one area and decided she needed to stop and play in it. She wanted to take her shoes off, but I discouraged that, so she promptly just pour the sand over her entire shoe, down into her socks and shoes. Uggg!

We stayed down there for a good while and then finally I convinced her we needed to move back up to where Granddaddy was waiting in the car. I never realized just how old I'm getting until I tried to keep up with her coming and going to and from that car. I was completely exhausted by
the time we got back to Granddaddy.

One other thought, when we pulled into the parking spot to go to the bathroom, beside us was a pretty little convertible, top down and all. She said, "I like dat car!" I'm sure she did and I'm sure that will be one of those things in life that will totally drive her Mommy to her wits end once she gets her very own convertible. She's already showing signs of being a wild woman in her future years.

The train came by while we were turning to go down to feed the ducks, earlier. She decided she was through with the ducks for now and she wanted to go down near the train tracks. She also stated she wanted to ride the train, but we talked her into waiting another time for that. She said she hasn't ridden on it before and I thought maybe Mommy and Daddy wanted to be there for that. She agreed.

She kept telling us we couldn't park in the parking lot near the train. We had to walk. Well, I can't tell you how excited I was about that. Apparently she was right. We never found a close enough parking spot for poor-worn-out Grandmomma to make the trip down to the train tracks. I was informed we could call Daddy. He knows where it is. Apparently everything about Stone Mountain is within Daddy's realm of knowledge. She said Mommy wouldn't know. Daddy would.

Before we left the park we made one final round to feed the ducks. Armed with one hot dog bun we started out for the ducks, but not before she wanted to share with me the special place she and Daddy walked.

Annabelle: I'll show you where we walk. (Annabelle and Daddy).

Grandmomma: I'm really tired, Annabelle, maybe next time.

At this point we were out of the car and she was headed toward the fenced-in area leading to the area where they walked. I followed. And, of course, she had to hug a tree. A small tree. For a picture to remember earlier years when she had hugged a big tree for a picture. This was her idea. On the way out I pointed out the tree I thought she had hugged when she was younger. She looked at it and decided I wasn't right. It was too big. I guess we'll have to pull out the old pictures to jolt her memory.

On the way back to the car at the end of the day she said, "Grandmomma, do you think you and Grandaddy can come back and get me tomorrow? Maybe for three hours." (At least it wasn't her usual favorite numbers of 28-now-27!) Of course that made me feel good because she had enjoyed her time with us.

Finally we were on the way home with a tired little girl in the back seat. She kept rubbing her eyes and she had started coughing. That started up while we were walking down near the grist mill. She said, "I think I'm getting sick again."

She really wanted to go to sleep on the way home, but I didn't want to mess up her bedtime this late in the game so we engaged her in a conversation about what the Mommy Duck probably said to her babies when she was quacking at them.

Annabelle: What do you think she said to them, Grandmomma?

Grandmomma: Don't get too close to her. She might want to grab you and eat you!

Annabelle: What else did she say, Grandmomma?

Grandmomma: Don't be greedy!

On and on this conversation went. After exhausting all my thoughts on what Mommy Duck would/could have said/thought, I asked Granddaddy what he thought Mommy Duck had said. He thought for a moment and then said,

Granddaddy: She probably said, You better eat all your dinner. I'm not cooking again today.

Now, where did that come from? Out of the mouths of three and a half year olds and Granddaddys...

When we had talked earlier about whether she was ready to go home or not she had said, no, she wasn't ready, but then finally she said she was ready. She wanted to go home to see Mommy and Sophia.

Every good thing has to end eventually. And it was a good day for all. That's all that counts.

Ambitious

I've wanted to change the heading to my blog for a while and couldn't get up the courage to do so, until now. I decided if I could make my mini-scrapbooking cards, I should be able to do something with it. So, since I was awake at 2:00 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep I decided to attempt to tackle the job to see if indeed I could do it.

I was a bit nervous because I was afraid I would do something to erase the entire blog and I would be really hurting because I would miss my previous thoughts.

I get a kick seeing a cute 3 year old covering her little face with cake batter while licking the mixer spatula clean. And I managed to steal the most recent one I've seen of the new little two plus month old Little Princess #2 from her Mommy's blog. I found one of The Analyzer reading his book out in the park while they were on their six-week vacation to New York last summer to meet up with friends they made when they lived in Jersey a few years earlier. He's grown quite a bit, but I still love the picture of him. Little Free Spirit assumed the role of Harry Potter in the picture of him. This was made around Halloween this past year. Isn't he adorable in his glasses. He doesn't really wear them in real life, but he's still a cutie. And Beautiful Blue Eyes is simply cute as a bug in a rug while he tries to dig a hole to China when they were at the beach early part of summer last year. I could have chosen a few of this little mess because he is a clown, but I liked the beach pose best.

I have to revert to old pictures sometimes because I can never get their cute little faces if I really want to take one of them.

I am still being a bit conservative in what I add such as I haven't figured out how to add the papers along the side and I haven't figured out how to make my writings move on the paper below, but who knows, someday I may even tackle something like that.

Maybe, but I doubt it, I might just change the pictures before the kids reach high school or graduate from college. For now I've quite pleased with myself...Simple and all.

But it certainly took me long enough to get this much perfected to the point I was willing to post the header. I know it's not really perfect, but for me it is just fine. Many hours early this morning and all day today produced these results. Oh well.

I did leave out one of the girls...Sophie the doggy that belongs to the boys. Room was very scarce, so somebody had to go and it was Sophie the pup, not Sophia the baby girl.

Gotta write about it

About three weeks or so we were visiting the girls at their house. Mommy had decided she needed to break out a bathing suit. Since she had only given birth a few short weeks before, she was skeptical about how she would look in her bathing suit. Apparently she went up into the attic to find the previous one she had stored up there. At least I thought that was what it was, maybe not. That's not important. She was just in the attic for something.

Annabelle comes running into the living room and says, "Grandmomma, I think you need to write about that!"
What was I to write about? Mommy had hit her head on a rafter or something and Annabelle thought it was very funny. I'm not sure what salty language Mommy used, or if she did say anything at all, but Annabelle thought it needed to be documented.

One time several months ago, and before Sophia, I was trying to give her a choice of pictures we would work up and I would make into cute 5 X 7 mini-scrapbooking pages to cover special things or pictures we had of her. As I was writing down the particular number of photos (which, I might add, was pretty much all the pictures we viewed!). somehow I got side-tracked and didn't mark down one she thought was worthy of scrapping. I had told her earlier where she could look to see the number of the picture on the computer. I hadn't written down the one she "liked" and after telling her I didn't know if I had written it down or not, when I came back to my notes I found little scribbling just below the last number I had written down. She was determined I would not miss one of her favorite pictures. Apparently she didn't find a number on my list that matched the computer. So funny.

Does any of this tell you which way our conversation goes when we're around her? Write it down, write it down, write it down.

Got it right

Tonight the girls, all three of them, had dinner with us. This was the conversation about what I served:

Annabelle: Grandmomma, you fixed the right chicken tonight!
Grandmomma: I did?
Annabelle: Yes it is my favorite!

That was nice to know I had pleased my sweet granddaughter.

And what kind of chicken did I fix, you ask?
It was Barber Foods, Creme Brie and Apple, filled with Brie, cheddar, & Mozzarella cheeses, sliced apples and cranberries.

It just happens to be the favorite of her Grandmomma, Granddaddy and now her Mommy as well as Annabelle. You just can't beat it. But don't go stealing it from my stores. I could only get it from Sam's for the longest time, and only there around Christmas time. And, not all Sam's stores carry it. It was a seasonal item from them. Why? I have no idea. It is sooo good.

I bought up a bunch of it at full pice at Sam's when it came out Christmas this past year and then found it at a much reduced price just as the season was closing out. I went back to get more (yeah, I'm greedy, but I love what I love) and someone had wiped out the whole case! Someone was much greedier than I because I would have left a little bit. But Publix has started stocking them in a two-piece package. I bought several when they had them on special recently with a coupon from Barber. The woman who helped me find them told me if they kept selling them they would keep stocking them, so it makes sense to me to keep buying them. Some Publix stores were more difficult to find them in because they apparently had already sold out or were close to it by the time I got there.

One of these days I am planning to work up my own recipe, casserole style, using what Annabelle calls "Nonnie's Chicken". It just takes time and for me to be in the mood, plus cooler weather, for me to spend my time one it, but I'm telling you folks, I will make myself independent of that company one day!

Until then, we'll keep trying to buy them at the best price possible.

I have to agree with Annabelle, they are the best!

Like Mother, like Daughter

Yesterday we joined my sister and her husband for lunch at Journey's End for a great buffet and to celebrate his 80th birthday. We were joined by Mommy and the two little ones in the family.

As Annabelle returned to the table with her Mommy, she slipped and fell into a chair hurting her little head but mostly getting a bad burn on her knee as result.

While trying to comfort her (after Mommy, of course) we were discussing how it had happened.
I pointed out to her that the round rug under the table and protruding a little outward was how she tripped. There was a rectanglar rug that she had stepped off of and the round one was just a bit over the top of it.

She wanted to immediately correct the problem, but I convinced her it would be fine that way.
She listened to me and left the rug the way it was...until we were ready to leave. She didn't forget what the problem was, however.

I looked down and there on her little wounded knee she was trying to correct the situation...and she didn't stop until she did. She promptly re-arranged the rug to correct the situation. Only I saw her because Mommy would have had a fit had she seen her on the dirty floor.

Now I'm wondering how many elderly people are going to trip over that rug because she re-arranged it for the restaurant. I guess they would fall either coming or going, so I didn't try to rearrange it. At least they won't have a plate full of food when they fall.

I see so much of her Mommy in her sometimes, it's frightening, but I have to snicker because it's so much funnier now than it was when I was trying to raise such a little perfectionist. Now I don't mean I was trying to raise her to be a perfectionist, I was just having to raise the little perfectionist she was determined to be.

I have no doubt her Mommy would have done the same thing at that age.

The teacher

Sunday, Granddaddy and I took care of Annabelle while her Mommy and Daddy had a little free time to go to a final class they had preparing for Beebow. After they returned we were sitting around the table and Annabelle apparently didn't appreciate us spending our time talking to each other so she set about her own little way of making sure she was in the conversation.

She and I had spent some time earlier playing with some freebie booklet she had received from Highlights. We were trying to find the mitten, hockey stick,paint brush etc. and a couple of other games in the pamphlet. She had just retrieved it from our house, but while it was there Granddaddy had apparently tried to find some of those items because he said to me, "Those are hard to find!" Anyway, the following is basically what happened and the expressions she made as I remember them.

Annabelle: Does anybody want to play this game? Raise your hand if you want to play.

Finally after feeling sorry for her because nobody would volunteer, one of us raised our hand. She would come over and we would find the missing item, then we would go back to talking, until once again she got our attention and on and on it went. She is not one to be ignored.

Annabelle: I'm the teacher. Does everybody know the rules of the game? Does anybody not know the rules?
If anybody wants to play just raise your hand.

To this, I raised my hand and waved it. She walked over to the table beside me and in her most authoriative little three-year old voice she informed me:

Annabelle: Grandmomma, just raise your hand. You don't have to wave your hand. Just raise your hand. I can see it.

After being appropriately disciplined by a three-year old, she and I played for still another look and match. Then on to the others. Someone asked her if she wanted to play the game, also . This is her reply:

Annabelle: No, I'm the teach-er (with a little emphasis on 'the teacher').

There were probably more things she said that just about left us rolling on the floor, but this were the gist of what I remember. Mommy, feel free to add your comments on what she said.

I really don't know where this sassiness came from at such an early age, but she's certainly practicing her skills for her future profession of becoming a teacher. I'm glad I don't have to go through anymore school days. I don't think I would survive being in that teacher's class.

But she's just so doggone cute, I just might enroll in her class. If I survive the years until she becomes on.

The taste of a three-year old

Monday,March 8, 2010

Today was one of the nicest days we have had in a few days so Annabelle's Mommy invited us to go to the zoo with them.

In the middle of busy traffic, headed through downtown these are some of Little Princesses' comments:

"I want a car just like dat one! Right dare. Da one without a top. Will you get me one Mommy?"

Indeed there was a young girl/woman driving through the crowd of cars with the top down on her convertible. (I told you it was a nice day!")

Annabelle's Mommy told her she (Annabelle) would have to work and save her money so she could buy her own convertible someday.

Little Princess has her dreams. Guess that's the reason she always wants to get out of the buggy when she's shopping with Mommy. As she says, "I need to get out so I can look for pennies!" Yes, we must start with pennies. It's truly a good start, especially when you're only three and are limited in good paying jobs.

Keep saving Sweetie. Maybe, just maybe, your dreams for a convertible will come true. Although I'm not so sure I really want to see you behind the wheel of a convertible.

From 15 months to 8 years in no time flat...

Saturday, February 27, 2010

This second grandson of mine has changed in so many ways I can't even begin to list them. But for his birthday, which was a few days earlier, he decided he wanted to cook a spaghetti meal and he and his Mom sent out e-invites through the internet. Their first try and apparently it was a success. First time I had received one, but it was a fun invite.

The invite indicated he would be cooking and serving a meal for us in honor of his birthday. What a unique idea! As I said, he's only an eight year old. He would be cooking spaghetti, a tossed salad and a birthday cake!

His Mom said the night before she had sat down with him and made up a grocery list of all the items he would need and they made their trip to the grocery store, shopping for the necessary items. He even thought to include a bouquet of flowers to add to the main dining table. Mom said she had not thought about the flowers, but he did.

On Saturday he began his meal. He made a beautiful tossed salad loaded with pretty, healthy vegetables. He cooked regular spaghetti noodles and also some whole wheat pasta. And with limited help from Mom (she added the heart on his frosted cake) he prepared a beautiful yellow cake with chocolate frosting as the topper for his dinner.

As he greeted us at the door his words were, "I'm so tired!" I'm sure he was indeed tired. He had spent his day preparing a spaghetti dinner for us.

I was able to snap a few pictures of him enjoying his plate of spaghetti, lighting the candles on the cake and the final picture of his completed birthday cake. There just isn't room enough on the space I had to include a couple or more cute pictures I had. These were the cutest telling the story.


The 15 month old pictures came to mind when we received the invitation, so after the dinner I had Granddaddy pull the 2003 pictures from archives and I made a couple of cards from the pictures. I loved the picture of spaghetti draped over his sweet little foot and had to use that picture somewhere on one of the cards, but I loved the cute pictures of his sweet face and had to use those on the card background as well.


On the bottom pictures, third one over there is a strand of spaghetti draped on that sweet little left ear of his. His left ear...look closer.


Who was supposed to be watching this kid that night? Just let him play in his food without stopping him at all. But he was quite cute, I have to say.

I reminded his Daddy of his cooking experience with Boy Scouts when he was about eight years old. He had to prepare a meal for a badge. He did remember and said he could also get credit for a badge in Boy Scouts. He certainly deserves his badge. He did a great job.

The Three Little Pigs

December 17, 2009
The Three Little Pigs:

These are a few of the things that happened as Annabelle was reading the tale of The Three Little Pigs to me today. (I believe you could keep this child occupied just reading books all day long to her. She loves her books and never seems bored. She has managed to find books I don’t even remember I had, and both of us have enjoyed them.

Annabelle: “Grandmomma, let me read this book to you about The three Little Pigs. I will read it to you and then you can read it to me when I ask you to.”
Grandmomma: “Sounds good to me.”
Set up of scene: Annabelle, with book in hand, was sitting on the floor in front of Grandmomma, who is sitting on the sofa. She opens the book and turns it towards Grandmomma, library, story-telling time style. “The three little pigs. Once upon a time there were three little pigs. Wait, wait, wait Grandmomma.” She waves her sweet little hands in front of herself to show me she wants me to stop listening for a moment.

Then she heads for the door. “I need to get some more babies to listen to the story.”

Back she comes with Curious George, a stuffed and pretty good-sized monkey I had bought from Macy’s when the second oldest grandson was little. Annabelle and I had shared a few books earlier this morning with Curious George including one she had checked out from the library. We thought George might like to hear some of the stories that had been written about him. When she returned from the back, she lifted big George up to put him into my lap. With that precious little giggly laugh she has, she says,“He’s a big guy, isn’t he Grandmomma?”

Back to her position on the floor, and me holding Curious George safely in my arms so he can also listen to the Three Little Pigs.

Annabelle: “The Three Little Pigs. Once upon a time there were three little pigs…wait, wait, Grandmomma, we need some more babies to listen to the book.” Back to her room to find some more willing participants in our story time. She returns with one of her Mommy’s old Pound Puppies from years ago, as well as a teddy bear I had given her earlier this year. (The one that wasn’t her favorite, but she could tolerate it at Grandmomma house.) She carefully arranges them in my arms next to Curious George and back on the floor, once again the story continues.

Annabelle: “The Three Little Pigs. Once upon a time there were three little pigs.” She looks around to make sure the children were behaving and listening to the story.

There is still something wrong with the babies and it is bothering her. “Grandmomma, wait, wait.” And she gets up from the floor, walks over to the critters in my arms and says, “Puppy Dog’s e-ah is in Coo-ris Jaw-ji’s face. He can’t see me.” She rearranges Puppy Dog’s ear so Curious George (who really wasn’t complaining) could see her as she continues her story.

Have I ever mentioned this child comes from a family of at least two women perfectionists, well at least her Mommy is a full fledged one and Grandmomma was one before marriage dashed her dreams of perfectionism. Add two kids to that and dreams really were smashed. Wonder where she possibly got this tendency?

Finally, she has everybody arranged just perfectly and the story must go on. Down on the floor, position resumed, book turned towards her audience,
she continues:

Annabelle: “The Three Little pigs. Once upon a time there were three little pigs.” pause…pause…)”Grandmomma, you’ll have to read it to me now, because I don’t ‘member the rest of this book.”

That’s perfectly understandable because I have at least three or four different versions of The Three Little Pigs and this one was one she hasn’t heard quite as often. But she did read it as far as she ‘membered.

This is one of those instances where I couldn’t stop the event for pictures or I would have missed the pleasure of seeing what played out in a little three year old girl’s head. I loved every minute of seeing where she would take me next . Since there were no pictures of all of us when it happened I’m including pictures of the inanimate participants, made, of course, after it was all over, which means she and I are not included.

Everybody enjoyed Annabelle’s, as well as my final reading of that particular “The Three Little Pigs.” I probably enjoyed her version most. It’s a wee bit difficult trying to read a book upside down with monkey fur in your face.

The picture of her at the beginning was made with her in a pretty little nighty we had found that had belonged to her Mommy when she was much younger. Annabelle had gotten her bath and she wanted to wear that nighty because "It's so pitty!" so I allowed her to wear it for a while.

Not so good...

Annabelle spent Saturday night with us while Mommy and Daddy went out on a 'date night'. They don't get a chance to do much without their little tagalong, but this was planned months in advance when her Mommy had bought tickets for Annabelle's Daddy's father's day surprise for an up-coming event.

During the night I awoke to the sounds coming from the baby monitor at my head. "I need you! I need you!" Those were words I didn't wait to react to. I flew into her room to check on her. She staggered to get up onto her feet and was ready to get out of bed. I picked her up and instantly knew she wasn't feeling well. She was so hot, literally from her head to her little feet. It's not unusual for her to feel hotter than I expect her to, so since she was at this point, wide awake and laughing at different things that had happened, I asked her if she wanted me to sleep in the big bed with her. Of course, she agreed.

It's hard not to carry on a conversation with an almost three year old when you're moving them from one place to the other, so I broke the cardinal rule set by her Mommy, and found myself quite engaged in conversation somewhere between 12:30 and 1:00. I thought we should go back to sleep, but she was wide awake and chattered away for at least an hour. But at least she seemed to be feeling better and not quite so hot.

When I remembered Mommy's rule and fell silent, she finally went back to sleep. By then I was wide awake, feeling of her to make sure she wasn't getting too, too hot again, listening to those sweet little snores she does and has since birth, and even snickered at times when I heard her at one point say to someone unknown to me, "Tank Coo!" as she accepted something from someone in her sleep. She talked in her sleep about other things too, but I don't remember exactly what. That was the funny thing she had said.

Of course, while she slept, I tossed and turned, finally getting up to play on the computer and back again. The last time I saw the clock it was 6:17. Sometime after that I was awakened by "I want Mommy!" I explained to her she would see Mommy later and asked if I could do something for her. Finally she said, "Can we get up now?" This was approximately 7:05! And we did get up. She played for a while and then we went to eat at Granddaddy's favorite place for breakfast...Hardees. She ate a fairly good breakfast and laughed and acted almost normal again.

Since she had so little sleep during the night, Mommy and I decided she needed a nap, so I put her down after the usual stories and songs and a piece of peppermint candy as well as three M & M's to take care of her trips to the potty where she had earned them.

She slept for almost an hour and woke up crying. I could tell she sounded like she was trying to get her breath as in coughing, etc. so I went in and got her up. We didn't make it to the bathroom before she threw up on the floor. I put her down and she flew across the hall to the bathroom. She lifted the toilet seat and leaned her little head over and threw up. It looked like blood. I began to worry because she had been so hot last night. I washed her little face with a wash cloth and told her to hold on, I was calling Mommy. Mommy had planned to work at the office because she and Daddy both have been slammed with work. Mommy immediately said she was on her with. I checked Annabelle's temperature with a thermometer this time and it was 101.8, orally. I called Mommy and told her to bring some Tylenol and since she had been so hot last night and still now, she might need to give her some.

While I was trying to take care of this business on the side (Granddaddy had gone to meet her Daddy at Home Depot to pick up a steel door to put on my laundry room) she was still trying to finish her throwing up episode at the toilet. After standing for a few minutes with her head hung over the toilet, she reaches over for her little step stool she uses to climb up onto the potty. Instead of climbing up onto the potty, she pulled it over and sat down on it in front of the potty. I certainly never suggested it, but she had felt so rotten, and since I was on the phone with Mommy, she figured out what to do all by herself. She was sick. Too sick to stand. Solved problem by
herself. There are somethings that you can see the humor in even when one you love is very sick, if you just look.Even though it was a sad, sad thing it was so cute she had figured out what to do.

As she and I waited for Mommy, I told her that I would take care of her until Mommy got over here for her. She listened as I told her I would care for her and then she said, "Me and Mommy were both sick the last time!" To which I reminded her, Yes, and I had taken care of both of them then. (More her than Mommy. Mommy had to fend for herself that time since Annabelle was my top priority.) This had been many, many months ago since they had been at our house and the two of them were sick at the same time. Her memory is something else.

Mommy came and took Annabelle's temperature the way she takes it and it was 101.9. This was after I had been washing her face and body off with a wet cloth to try to help break the fever. Mommy gave her some Tylenol and she was playing around feeling a little better, but not really up to her old self. She was so very, very pale. Mommy talked her into the two of them going on home.

Work Deadlines or no Work Deadlines, sometimes Mommies and only Mommies are what they need to recover.

Hope you feel better soon, Sweetie. I love you, All the way to the Moon and back!

The Country Mouse and The City Mouse

When Annabelle spent Saturday night with us, she and I went through the ritual of reading books, singing, etc. before bedtime. She loves some of the small, thin versions of some of the classic tales and could read them over and over again without tiring of them.

The Country Mouse and The City Mouse was one of her choices for the night, this time. As I began reading to her, she stopped me, hopped down and flew out of the room. I was completely surprised, since I knew she was enjoying the book. But I waited, because without a doubt there had to be logic behind the leaving.

She re-entered the room almost as fast as she had left it, with something clutched inside her little hands. She carefully placed it into my hand and said, "Dare, Grandmomma." She had brought me the computer mouse from my computer. She had remembered seeing it when I had moved it earlier in the night. Everybody needs a Country Mouse, a City Mouse and a Computer Mouse when they read a good story!

It never ceases to amaze me just what is going on inside that sweet little girl's head.

Feel better soon, Sweetheart, Grandmomma's missed you! Captain D's is not the same without you. Your Great Aunt, Great Uncle, Granddaddy and Grandmomma all said so. It's all just a dull meal without you to entertain us!

Little Attitude

So, tonight was the first time since I broke my shoulder and another bone or two since Annabelle has spent the night with us. Mommy and Daddy had a date night that didn't include her. It was planned at least four months or more ago, so I knew I had to get over this shoulder mess by this time, at least enough to handle Annabelle. With Granddaddy's help, of course.

She's always a pleasure to take with us. She never complains, she just goes where ever we go and if we say she needs to stay in the car this time, she does and if next time she can get out she also does.

She was her usual squirmy little self tonight at McDonald's, but while she had to go potty a big group of people came in and occupied the spots next to us, therefore keeping her more confined. Thank goodness for small blessings.

She was cooperative during our final runs of errands and then it was back to the house for some playtime. She loves playing on the screened in porch, then we went inside for a few things to entertain us there. I had bought some Tangrams which I introduced her to for the first time tonight. She loved making the different shapes with them and when she was finished I mentioned to her the different colored zipper represented the color that held that particular color shape so she could put them back in their right bag. Being the little renegade she is, she didn't want them put back into the bag they were supposed to go in, so she changed the color bag and the color shape into different ones. Just because she could.

She had taken one that we called a pie (really it was a triangle shape) in for Granddaddy to 'eat'. Granddaddy asked her what it was. She came running back into the room with me pretending to cry. "Granddaddy didn't know it was a piece of pie!" says she. Sometimes Granddaddy just doesn't see things like Annabelle and I do.

As we put them away for the night into their big plastic container, she took the lid and turned it first this way (wrong way, of course) and said, "Is dis right?" Then another way which she knew was wrong and we played this game throughout every possible way it could have been wrong before she hit the right spot. She knew, she knew what she was doing! This is a game for her. She just messes with your mind, she thinks. I have no doubt she knew which was the right way to begin with. She's just challenging you. Pretty smart, I think, if you ask me.

Mommy said she probably would need to go to bed early, so we started around 7:45. It was around 8:30 before I finally got her into bed. It really wasn't her fault, though. We did our songs, (one was Mommy's song because she didn't remember the words to it and I certainly didn't know it, so it must have been Mommy's song), our books to read, our peppermint patty, our juice and water and then I sent her to go potty and then to brush her teeth. All had gone just fine until the teethbrushing episode.

Part of me said, "Remove her shirt before she brushes her teeth." The other part apparently wanted to live dangerously and left the silly pajama shirt on. Yep, by the time she had finished brushing her teeth she had wet the entire front of her pajama shirt. No problem, I thought. This would be a good time for my new dryer to jump into action and show just how fast it could dry that little shirt. I sent Granddaddy in to throw it into the dryer. After a few minutes it still wasn't dry. Then I took matters into my own hands and threw in a dry towel to help absorb the moisture. That didn't help. After probably 10 minutes or more of trying to dry that silly shirt I gave up. It had letters saying 'sleepy head' on the front and those letters had no intentions of drying tonight. So, I did the next best thing. I scrounged through her bag and found a bright lime green one. Bright enough to match those pajama pants I thought. I came toward her to put it over her head and she promptly says, "Grandmomma, that doesn't match!" "What?" Again she said the same thing. At this point it was so funny I had to laugh at her to her face. "Little attitude!" I told her and pulled that lime green top over that cute little head and left the room. It's dark when the lights are out, Annabelle, it doesn't matter if they don't match. Believe me! It won't bother me half as much as it bothers you, really it won't. Good night, I love you!

I do love you and unless you do something to change my mind before your Mommy and Daddy come to get you tomorrow, I'll still love you...all the way to the moon and back. And that's a long, long way. They even have to go on rocket ships to get there and back.

Hope you had a good time, Mommy and Daddy. And don't forget to bring my camera back tomorrow. You can download the pictures before you leave home!

Nice try, kiddo, nice try!

While we were at Captain D's I leaned over and whispered to Annabelle and said:
Grandmomma: I love you!
Annabelle: I love you!
Grandmomma: I love you more!
Annabelle: No, I love you more!
Grandmomma: NO, I love you more!
Annabelle: NO, I love you more!
Grandmomma: I love you all the way to the moon!
Annabelle: I love you all the way to the moon!
Grandmomma: I love you all the way to the moon and back!
Annabelle: No, I love you all the way to the moon and back!

On and on we went playing this little game. One trying to outdo the other. This reminded me of the little story about 'How much do I love you', which I love so much maybe because my then college-aged daughter, Annabelle's Mommy, bought the big hard-back version for me for Mother's Day or my birthday, I can't remember which. I think it had just come out around then or maybe had won a big prize for childrens books. It quickly became one of my favorites. She knew it would.

And, Miss Annabelle, since I have the last word on this here...I love you all the way to the moon...and back many, many times.

I hope this will become one of your very favorite books in the future, too.

Wednesday, while we were returning to our house from Captain D's, from the back seat the Little Princess set forth her ideas for what we would do when we got home.

Annabelle: "Grandmomma, when we get back to your house, after we play with the ABC's, we can watch a little T.V.!" And there was a devious little look on that sweet little face.

Umm, I don't think so little one. Your Mommy doesn't look too kindly on "watching a little t.v." Once we got home she never mentioned it again. She found other things to play with.

Nice try, anyway, Sweetie.

At least someone feels sorry for me

As I have had to add different things to my routine to strengthen my shoulder and arm, I have shared them with Annabelle. I've encouraged her to do the things I know she can do. Yesterday as Granddaddy, Mommy and I were still eating our meal, I noticed Annabelle standing over at the wall. She was slowly doing my wall walks walking like a little spider, up and down. She also likes using the ball, pushing it up and far as she can and back again.

I saw her using my tubing as she tried to exercise her arm by pulling it back and forth, only she didn't exactly have it down right. She would turn it loose and let it fly back against the door. That one and the others can be kinda a problem. I understand how she can get confused. She also does her counting as she exercises. So cute. May you never have to use the exercises in real life form, Sweetie, but my bet is the odds are against you making it as many years as your Grandmomma did before she broke her first bone. Grandmomma isn't exactly excited about trying to break another one, either. It's way too much stress and pain for an old woman like me.

Annabelle also loves showing me she can pick up a two pound weight in each hand and heist it over her shoulder. She really scares me because I am so afraid she will fall backward and really injures herself.

She loves using my squeeze balls but mostly she likes for those to be made into babies. One day I picked one up and squeezed it out of shape and she told Mommy that Grandmomma had messed up her baby and wanted to know why I had done it. Simply because I didn't know it was her baby, maybe???

Next I will have to show her how I have to use a towel to pull my left arm behind my back and up my back so I can hopefully get that shoulder/arm behind my back as far as the other one. That's going to be the bugger out of all my therapy, I'm afraid. I don't look forward to the next few weeks forcing that arm behind me, but it's pretty essential. There are times when I need to use it. I will continue to try and I know Annabelle will be right there feeling sorry for me and helping keep up my spirits as well. I need all the help I can get.

Just the bare-bottom facts for you

Mommy had given permission for Annabelle and me to watch a few cartoons while she and Granddaddy were working on putting new flooring down and re-hooking the dryer vent in the utility room. (I still say Granddaddy is being babied way too much for my broken shoulder, but I guess he figures if he can milk it for all it's worth, why not?)

Annabelle watched a few of the Jon and Katie Plus 8 before she became antsy and had to move on. She decided to search through her little bag of supplies I have for her to use for her hair when she comes to visit. Well, inside that bag were a couple of boxes of bandages. She had to pull them out to examine them more closely and wanted to know if they were hers (after all they were in her little bag.) So she proceeds to open the box and spread them all over the floor in Annabelle fashion. She decided she wanted one on her body somewhere, anywhere, so since she had a mosquito bite on her back side I pasted one over the injured spot.

"I go show Mommy," says she as she flies to the utility room before I can remind her Mommy was on the outside of the house pushing the dryer vent back into the house. Not to worry.

Into the utility room still shouting, " Mommy, Mommy, I need you, Mommy, Mommy, where are you? Mommy, Mommy, come see!" When she realized Mommy was at the hole in the wall, so she dropped to the floor onto her tummy and scooted her little bare-bottom over as close to the dryer hole as she can get. "Look, Mommy, look!" Then her Mommy saw the bandaid on her cute little bare bottom. Mommy couldn't miss it. She was on the ladder and at direct eye level. "I see! says Mommy.

Granddaddy reminded me of this little episode at lunch today when we were talking about things she had done yesterday. He said he wished he had the camera handy when it happened so he could get pictures. The movie camera would have been best to capture this moment in her life.

Why was she bare-bottomed, you ask? Just because she's Annabelle and she can be bare-bottomed. Also when she goes potty, it's fun and easier to drop your panties and leave them when there's no one handy to pull them up.

Just ignore me...

Annabelle was chattering away, as usual, and her Mommy didn't quite understand the message she was trying to get across.

Mommy: "What did you say, Sweetheart?"

Annabelle: "Nothing, Mommy. I just talking to myself."

And she even answers herself...when she's talking with her Little People! Hmm! You also become a large part of the talking Little People because she loves to hear others 'make 'em talk.' While you talk you can just see her absorbing everything you say.

I'm just wondering what the backseat conversation will be if Mommy is ever pulled over by the police, because Mommy can really become quite 'into' talking herself out of a ticket with the pretend Little People policeman. She's had plenty of warnings and tickets from that little guy. I hope Annabelle never gets to share Mommy's conversation with that pretend policeman, with a real life. I'm sure Annabelle can give him quite an earful, and I suspect she will help Mommy get a real ticket!

While the other three of us were trying to eat our dinner, Annabelle decided she needed to hide a thin book she had talking Mommy into reading. She slid it between the table top and the fold down leaf. The perfect spot until she tried to get it out. She ran around looking for her little pink knife to try to dislodge the book. In the meantime I had reached under and pushed the book back to the front. She was still trying to find her little pink knife when she came back into the kitchen and found the book in view.

Mommy told her that I had pushed it out for her. "How'd you do dat, Grandmomma?" I told her it was through magic. She was still puzzled and wanted to know how I did it? Some things are better kept a secret, especially a table leaf that folds down.

Later, she found the little pink knife on the floor in a place she hadn't looked. In that sweet little voice that has so much expression she said, "Dare it is! I was just looking for that dat!"

Annabelle was so full of different things that she said and did yesterday, but no book, no pencil, no record. She was a full participant in our conversations, though, and kept me laughing at just how smart she is when she enters our conversations.

It's amazing how one little tiny being who, less than three years ago, couldn't talk, walk, or do much of anything but breathe, sleep and cry, and now has advanced into the beautiful, intelligent little human being she's become. She's such a clown, she's full of entertainment and wears us all completely out with her antics. But, I think we'll keep her.

Annabelle with her peaches

If you click on the picture I think you can at least see the pictures at a larger size. You just have to scroll over and up and down to see each of the pictures. Yes, that is a bottle sitting next to her tray, but no, she doesn't use a bottle. That's her baby doll's real bottle which has to be filled with real water. She's never been a bottle girl. I think Nonnie gave her this one to use with her dolls when she was at her house one day recently. She loves her babies having the real thing. I can understand that. I would have loved that myself when I was little had I had such available to me for my dolls.

This layout was just an experiment to see if I could download one since I couldn't change the settings to make it small enough to transfer. After a couple of tries looking for the correct version, I finally succeed with this one.

Just had to add a picture of something that happened while I was out of commision. These pictures were made two or three days after I fell. Broken bones haven't stopped me so far from getting pictures of that sweetie. They may be a little blurry, but they would have been anyway, had I had both hands/arms available.

This was one of my first layouts since I broke my shoulder and arm bones. I had great desire to use my recuperating time in a constructive way, but my shoulder and mind had different plans.
I didn't make the layout several days after the accident. The layout was made a couple of days ago.

My sister and her husband gave Annabelle her very own peaches to enjoy. You can see she was enjoying them. I've also made another couple of her and Mommy making a peach cobbler so her aunt and uncle could also enjoy the remaining one with her. That's for another day, maybe.

This method was a new technique I learned from a lady who sends me her tutorials over e-mail and after a couple of tries I finally found a way to do it to suit my sometimes bouts of perfectionism. I break the bank sometimes just having copies printed until I get them like I want.

I'm amazed at how much the brain cells died and I forgot what I had learned in making my layout. I guess I was using them to recover, but I've been stretching them the last few days and even though I've been very aggravated at times, I'm beginning to remember a lot of the things and learning some new problems that I've managed to create.

Annabelle's Mommy and I had signed up for another course on line, and I was really looking forward to it, but alas three days before the class was to begin, my central vacuum cleaner hose and I had a disagreement about how much work it was going to do. I was nice, I didn't scream at it, I just suggested we get an early start to the day while Granddaddy was still asleep. I really wanted to get out somewhere and make some pictures of flowers or something. It was having none of that. If Granddaddy could sleep in why did I have to be an old fuddy dud and insist on starting the day early? Guess who won? It turned into a great Python and after body slamming me to the floor it immediately settled down for a very long nap, leaving me in pure torment.

I don't argue with him anymore. Granddaddy is in charge of wrestling him within my reach and recently I just started tackling the job of vacuuming once more, but only after the snake is within my safe reach and control. I always warn Granddaddy, though. That thing is vicious! And evil!

It's amazing how much pain just running a vacuum can cause after you've broken a bone, but I've tried to be stubborn like my Mama and not let it get the best of me. Almost six weeks have gone by and I still haven't completed the on-line course. I've enjoyed watching Annabelle's Mommy post her new found talents occasionally on her blog.

Oh, and forget all that hogwash about having a telephone close by or your cell phone on you at all times, blah, blah, blah. I was very close to a telephone but there was no way I could have reached those few inches up for that telephone with that broken bone. Another one of those, you have to be there and have it happen to you, moments. And the cellphone would have been shattered to pieces, so it would have been no good. I have no good advise on how to handle such a situation. I can only tell you how to prevent it. Don't mess with a python vacuum cleaner hose at 8:00 in the morning! Especially after it says, "NO!"

Granddaddy took very good care of me, however, after about a two-week period we were both getting tired of this arrangement. I definitely don't have patience for such. Certainly not the six months (yes, months) the doctor said it would take for it to heal completely. I had other things to do, other plans made and it didn't include six months or even six weeks of recuperating. I guess I found out differently.

It's hard having to depend on someone else especially when you have to have them assist you when you bathe and the ultimate frustration may have been having your spouse roll your hair. Remember, a girl has to have her hair washed and rolled to be able to face another wee. To me, it was a very simple process. Part the hair, roll it up. To him it was something he had never in his life dreamed he would ever be called upon to do. It was as though I had asked him to do the most difficult thing he had ever attempted in his life. The look on his face was really pretty pathetic. I had to feel sorry for him. He didn't cause this but he was having to pay for it just as I was. But I am so thankful it was me and not him! I wouldn't wish that on anybody but certainly not him.

Some asked me why I didn't get it done at the beauty shop. There was no way I could have had them wash my hair. That would have been much more painful than the way we did it. Those sinks are hard enough to tolerate under the best of circumstances, but not with broken bones!
So you do what you have to do. You wash it with one hand and hope for the best.

It took a lot of determination on my part and there was one week when I had to have him hold my bad shoulder up so I could reach the back side and the other side. Then the next week I would prop my shoulder against the wall to help me reach the back side. You certainly get creative when you have an emergency.

My aunt got the biggest kick out of my story about the hair rolling and said she wished she could have seen pictures of him rolling my hair. I assured her we were both so frustrated with each other that had I had a camera in my hand, I might have conked him over the head with it. Well, I might would have, I said. I didn't say I did or would! Just might. And there were the cooking lessons, washing clothes, etc. No, it was no vacation for me, I promise you.

I was so thankful my doctor had told me how to help relieve some of the pain when I asked him on my second trip in two days after I fell. I was still on meds that Friday when I asked him. He immediately said, "Recliner! Sleep in the recliner!" I never would have believed sleeping in the recliner would have made such a difference. I never would have survived this whole episode without the recliner. I slept in it for probably almost four weeks. I've just returned to my bed and though it still hurt like heck, it felt some better, not scrunched up in the confines of a recliner. But believe me, I am so very thankful for recliners. Who could have known that sleeping in a bed, your arm would feel like dead weight. Not me,but it surely does. I hope this is the worst I ever go through. A broken wrist is easy compared to this.

The doctor said my break was one of the most painful breaks you could ever have. He gets no arguments out of me. He said in his short life (he's just a little middle-aged baby) he has had shoulder breaks on both sides, so he knows pain. He's had other breaks to, so he would know.

I am also thankful for what my son-in-law calls Physical Terrorists. I am glad the doctor referred me to them. I'm not sure how much I would have been able to use this side had it not been for my PT. He has helped me through lots of painful treatments without killing me. I still have a ways to go, but I am very happy it has come this way, so far, so good.

I miss playing with my sweet baby girl. She has shared my frustration at times, too. She has tried so hard not to hit my arm and was upset when she thought she had. I had jumped because I was afraid she would hit it and on an occasion or two she did bump it, but she didn't now it. I couldn't make her feel that awful over something she couldn't help. She's about as ready as I am for me to get well.

One day she wanted to show me "her pictures" and wanted to sit with me to look at them. She ran from one side of the recliner and the finally in total frustration she almost cried. She said, I want to sit up dare with you!" I made room for her on my 'good' side and we both enjoyed the pictures and each others company.

Maybe soon I'll feel like posting a few more of my blogs I was trying to bring up to date. But then, I may just get bogged down in doing more layouts.

But for now, I'm just happy progress has been made and I'm on the mend. And my sweet daughter took care of me as well. She prepared lots of good food that kept us nourished, even though she did run out on me one time for several days to go on vacation! Can you imagine?
No, I appreciate everything she's done for us. I don't know what I would have done without her.
She's a good daughter and I hope she's rewarded in the future with an equally good daughter should she ever need her. I'm counting on it, for her sake.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009
While on the way to our favorite Wednesday spot, Teddy fell onto the floor in the back seat of the car. To stop the onslaught of the melt down I knew was coming if Teddy stayed on the floor. This is the thanks I got for my efforts:

Annabelle: Why did you do dat, Grandmomma? Why did you pick Teddy up off the floor? I can do it myself with my legs.

And she showed me exactly how it’s done, successfully, I might add. Nice trick you’ve learned there, Annabelle. It keeps me from breaking my back twisting around to pick up Teddy.

At Captain D’s since Annabelle loves her dippy sauce, which can be anything from ranch dressing, tartar sauce or packaged butter, she cracked open a package of butter and dipped her trees (bunches of broccoli which she has stolen from my plate) into the butter. When she ran out of broccoli, and I had already finished mine she decided it’s not good to waste the remaining butter. She covers her tiny little mouth and nose with the container as she tries to lick the whole thing clean. Anyway, while trying to clean out the container with her face she got butter all over that sweet nose, mouth, cheeks and chin.

She was sooo funny. She had fun. And Grandmomma had fun making pictures. Kids can really be quite amusing if you just let them do harmless things and not worry about whether they will grow up to be adults who will embarrass themselves at that important job interview. Chances are they will outgrow most of it by the time they need to, but oh, how much entertainment they can provide us just on an everyday basis if we just stop and watch them. I guess that’s the joy of being a grandparent. As parents, we worry too much about making sure they are guided in the right direction that we miss the best parts. But luckily we are redeemed when we see life through the eyes of our smart, precious grandchildren. We have been blessed four times over and each is very different from the other, so we have much spice in our lives at this time, and we are so thankful for each of our grandchildren.

On a recent day when I talked with a neighbor, she and I were talking about Annabelle. I had told her we were keeping her overnight, and she referred to her as our Little Blessing. She has used this little expression before and I have to agree with her 100%. She is our Little Blessing or Big Blessing. She came at a time when our son, daughter-in-law and the three grandsons were leaving town for bigger things. Two years can be a lifetime when you don’t get to see the grandkids you’re accustomed to seeing frequently. She didn’t replace them, no one could but she certainly helped make the change just a tiny tad easier to handle.

On the way back to our house we usually pass this certain restaurant. A few weeks ago when we passed by I showed it to Annabelle, pointing out the mouse on the sign. The name of the restaurant was Chuck E. Cheese. Today as we neared the spot she proudly proclaimed, “Dare’s Chuck E. Cheese!" or more like Tuck E. Tease! I shared the story with her Mommy later in the day and she found it pretty hard to believe she had recognized the place and knew it by name. She said Annabelle was really tiny, like two years ago or more since she had been to Chuck E. Cheese for one of her cousins’ birthday party and there was no way she would have recognized that sign from being there.

I explained I had told her once on a prior occasions it was Chuck E. Cheese. She certainly has an excellent memory to have pulled that out of her hat at this time. There had been several weeks' time since I had told her because we had eaten at other Captain D’s or she had been on vacation, etc. She’s just a very careful listener and she observes everything.

I have been making mini-scrapboook pages to scrap little events in Annabelle’s life. It’s easier than making 12 X 12 pages, cheaper to print up, easier for Annabelle to hold while looking at them and just fun little card-sized pictures to share with people who love her as much as I do. If that is possible!

I had packed the scrapbook books for Annabelle to entertain herself while we were in the restaurant waiting for our food. She wanted to look at them in car, so I showed them to her and let her hold them. She loved looking at the pictures of her and most recent new friend, Annalee as they shared time together on vacation this year. This is the conversation from the back and front seat regarding those pictures of the two of them.

In a laughing and sometimes giggling sweet little voice:
Annabelle: I see me and Annalee!
Annabelle: I see another picture of me and Annalee!!
In an effort to attempt to teach her a little bit of proper grammar, (yes, I really do know a little, I'm just always so busy trying to document things I get a bit slack, so quit being so critical!) I made the following comment:

Grandmomma: Annalee and me. Pictures of Annalee and me.
Annabelle in an excited little voice: Where? Where? Grandmomma? I don’t see you and Annalee!

So much for trying to teach a 2 ½ year old the importance of putting someone else before yourself.

And to show you a bit of her creative side: I had bought some of these foam kneeling pads for the two of us to use either at her house in the yard while playing in the sandbox or at home while sitting on the floor and one was still in the back seat of the car. Of course she found it and asked that I remove the plastic from it so she could use It as a lapboard to put her Teddy and other things on while we traveled. It did make a pretty good little lapboard because it is soft and safe for riding in the car and a nice size as well. That little mind doesn’t stop working and I hope it never will. She’s got so far to go in life, it would be a big shame and loss if she ever stopped exercising that little brain.

The Pillow or The Piddow
For some reason over the past week I had decided Annabelle needed a pillow for her bed. It may have been prompted by her asking for a pillow in her pack and play when she spent the night last week. I only had a nursing pillow I had bought a long time ago thinking it may come in handy somewhere down the line for a good neck pillow. It was an older version and not one of the soft wrap around type her Mommy used when she was a newborn. I gave her the pillow because it too up less room in the small space and it was the smallest one I had. She slept all night with it in her bed.

I think she’s had it in her little brain since she and Annalee spent part of their vacation together and Annalee had one of her own cute little My Little Kitty pillow. Annabelle had to settle for a place mat she spread on the floor. I think she has been sort of envying her new little friend’s pillow. She needed her own.

I had seen them at Sears last week and kept putting it in the back of my mind thinking I would go back later and get one for her. They had them buy one/get one for $4.99. I could get on for her to keep at home and one to keep at my house.

In yesterday’s blog her Mommy mentioned that Annabelle wanted a pillow in her bed with her before going to sleep late. She had given her one of her big pillows, but Annabelle had abandoned it before she went to sleep.

This reminded me I needed to check into finding her one. Actually I was reminded yesterday as we walked through Sears and saw the regular sized pillows, but no child sized one, and then her Mom wrote the blog and it stirred my memory.

This morning when we went over to pick up Annabelle for our lunch date and day together with her, I suggested to Granddaddy we should maybe stop by the Sears close to us since that is where I found them before. I had planned to take the camera in with us and let her pick her pillow out of the travel sized pillows. I just wanted to make sure they still had some before we made the trip out here, kid in tow just to be disappointed. After a good 20 minutes wasted trip we found they had no more. Why couldn’t I learn my lesson and just buy the things when I found them? If I didn’t like them I could always take them back.

We decided we would go by the Sears nearest to them to see if someone had put them somewhere else. I really wanted those cute pictures of her picking out her much desired pillow! Camera and Toddler in tow we headed for Sears. Into the store we went, hopping between Grandmomma and Granddaddy, jumping like a jumping bean, then onto the escalators with Grandmomma and Granddaddy helping her on and off, to the bottom floor and the coveted pillow.

Yes, they thought they did have some more left, back in the far corner. Off we go, camera ready for those special photographs and an excite 2 ½ year old finally able to pick out her pillows. She thought she was only getting one; she didn’t understand the meaning of buy one, get one. She posed occasionally for my shots. More than usual.

Of course I was carrying the first digital camera we bought a hundred years ago when they first

came out, so it was hard to get my shot before she moved, but I think a lot of them came out alright. Why did you take the old camera, you ask? Well, I have been known to be asked not to take pictures inside a mall since 9-11 so I wanted to be a little lesson conspicuous by carrying the smaller camera. Did I say how much I wanted those pictures. The employees were pretty cooperative and didn’t ask me to put the camera away as my sweet little darling plopped her two pillows and two covers onto the counter for Granddaddy to pay for. She was beaming from ear to ear. $4.99 for two pillows and $2.69 each for to pillow case covers wasn’t too shabby for the beautiful look on that little girl’s face. May you have sweet dreams tonight and every night on your new pillow, Little Princess. You are so worth it.

Favorite words of Annabelle today probably were:
“I do!” with different expressions each time she said them. She’s practicing for saying those big important words in about 16 or 18 years.

She’s one stubborn little girl as she tries to move the step stool from its designated spot into the kitchen area so she can help Grandmomma “wash da dishes.” “I do it by myself!” she announces as she gently pushes me way from the sink and holds that sassy little hand out to keep me from moving forward again to help her as she puts water onto her napkin to wash the dripping watermelon juice from her face and hands.

And with each little piece of watermelon I put in front of her as she watched me cut up the big watermelon she says, “Tank ooo, tank ooo, tank ooo” over and over and over. So sweet.
When she saw the watermelon seeds on the counter she asks “What’s doze” and I tell her they are what make new watermelons if you plant them in the ground at the right time of the year. “Oh,” she says. Then as she picks the seeds from one of the pieces she says, “I help you. I pick da seeds out of dat one, Grandmomma!” When we put them in a bag and Granddaddy put them outside for the critters, she asked what we were doing with the seeds. I told her we were putting them out there for the birds and other critters. “Why?” So the birds and critters would have some good, sweet watermelon to eat as their dessert.

Oh, how I hate those watermelons with seeds in them! I usually avoid them like the plague, but I really wanted a watermelon to share with Annabelle since she loves them so much. And those seeds kept Annabelle entertained for as long as I needed.

More thoughts:
Around Easter time I had bought a little chicken that lays eggs (bubblegum). I thought Annabelle would enjoy watching the hen “lay” her eggs. She found the little chicken one day recently and we pulled her out to play. I wasn’t sure we could persuade her not to eat the eggs, but she did a good job of ignoring them. Besides she needed something for the chicken to lay. We did lose a few of them. Some of them scattered under the sofa, making friends with the dust bunnies hidden from sight, some disappeared underneath the recliners and others just managed to disappear like the proverbial socks that are lost in the washing machine each week.
We were down to about 5 today until some just happened re-appear out of nowhere until we finally ended the day with around 11 or 12 and her favorite one, purple had re-appeared also.
She loves purple at this point in her life. Anything purple, Annabelle will choose! When we were checking up on some paint yesterday I found a booklet on purple and I picked it up just for you, Annabelle. You were so thrilled to get it and we packed it with your stuff to take home. You showed it to your Mommy and laid it down and promptly left it behind. I’ll save it for you for next time. At least you know Grandmomma thought about you when she saw your favorite color.

You also left behind your red calculator Grandmomma got for you, too. You were so busy showing it to Mommy and letting her know you had your very own calculator that you forgot it, too!

But she did remember to take the bag of cotton candy I got her. Mommy asked me if she had told me she wanted cotton candy. I told her she had not and asked her why she thought she had. She said when the two of them were looking at pictures from the circus we went to earlier in the year, Annabelle had told her Mommy, “I didn’t get any cotton candy!” That had been an almost promise that Granddaddy would get her some cotton candy when we go to the circus. It turned out the cotton candy was way too expensive for melt in your mouth instant satisfaction we had decided not to get it.

But Annabelle, you got it today, sweetie. And you asked if you could take it home with you and, of course, we bagged it up and you took it home. A dollar spent at the Dollar Tree made you very happy.

It made you remember to pull out the little Fisher Price Circus or County Fair toy I had bought earlier for you. It was your idea to open up the cotton candy and enjoy our day at the fair. And we did as we put pieces into our mouth and waited for it to melt! I didn’t have to suggest it. Was I surprised? No, not really because you’re pretty good at thinking things up to do.

I love standing in the background and listening to all the interaction you have between you and the toys you are playing with. If I could, I would just sit and listen, but that isn’t your idea of fun. You would rather see my interaction, but yours is always cuter! I only do it to watch your face as you react to whatever goofiness your Grandmomma can think up.

Airport Park and Picnic with Annabelle

Thursday, May 28, 2009
Annabelle’s Mom called to see what we were doing and if we’d like to join the two of them for a picnic at either the park at the airport near their house or at McDaniel’s Farm near ours. Annabelle finally chose the airport park near her house after we had made plans to go to McDaniel Farm.

Granddaddy has been working on painting the ceiling to the carport and he was still working on it and wanted to complete taping around it so he could work on it later. But, of course, he was all up for taking a few hours out to spend time with Annabelle and her Mommy. I was so surprised! Not!

We packed our picnic goodies and were just getting ready to pull out of the driveway when her Mommy called to see how far we were on the way down. Annabelle was refusing to wash her hands despite threats we would stop our picnic at the park and not come down at all. When she was given a choice of us staying home since we were still at home. The little stink told me, “No, don’t come.” She stuck to her guns, but we headed there anyway. Mommy finally had to pick her up and use Mommy rules before she got to go to the park. She is one stubborn little kid when she wants to be. She had shown that to me yesterday when she refused to finish her dinner and get some Bugles treats. She called them Doritos.

Just as we were pulling off the expressway her Mommy called again to tell us she was almost there. Then she realized she had left her part of the picnic at home on the counter. We offered to go by there since we were closer, but she wanted to turn around and go back for it. So, we continued on to the park expecting a miracle for us to continue on this picnic.

We were able to get the table set up with her favorite Snow White/Disney tablecloth we have been using on some of our picnics. It was a little brisk and the sun decided to peek out but we were underneath a nice covered top of steel. Granddaddy met them at the parking lot and escorted them in. We had a nice picnic, but not before Annabelle spotted the pools of water trapped underneath the picnic area. She tromped through those puddles, back and forth, back and forth in her tennis shoes. But she had loads of fun!

She played on the playground (after being slicked up with sunscreen) for quite some time. She rode the planes which were the little back and forth see saw type things. She piloted the plane sometimes and invited Mommy to pilot it at other times as she became the co-pilot. Then she moved over to the “castle” as she called it. The Castle became a bus which she also collected the money and drove across the city, with Mommy as it’s only passenger. Sounds about as efficient as our federal government, doesn’t it? But she did try to get her second passenger on board, namely me, but I told her it was very difficult for me to climb those steps and if I fell and got hurt that would mean I wouldn’t be able to spend as much time with her as I’d like.

She did get to swing in the swings as Mommy pushed her up to the sky. She didn’t let a little (really lot, lot, lot) of hot sun keep her from enjoying her day at the park. We stayed there for a good while, while she changed from fun thing to another.

I know she was very tired and exhausted when got home for her nap in the afternoon. And probably when she went to bed, too, if she wasn’t too hyped up.

We left them around mid afternoon and back home for Granddaddy to start his work again. And I could work for a while playing around trying to figure out PSE 5. It’s getting a little easier for me since I bought a very expensive book over the internet. It just seemed to help make some of the things clearer so I could finally have a light bulb moment. I’m certainly not the expert I want to be, but I’m getting there and it’s more fun with each new thing I learn new.