Friday, February 23, 2018

THE "UN"-INVITATION

For those of you that have
kids or grandkids,
you will likely have had an experience
like this!

Quite a while ago
when the kids were here for 
a snow day
SWEET CHEEKS
told me excitedly that on
the last Friday in February
her class was having 
A SPECIAL PERSON DAY.
Nana, she asked me so sweetly,
Will YOU be 
MY SPECIAL PERSON
because you are my 
MOST SPECIAL PERSON?

With a melting heart I said:
YES!

Later the next week, after school,
she called to remind me and to ask me
once again...
Nana, Will YOU be my SPECIAL PERSON?

With a smile on my face, of course I said:
YES!

Five mintues later the phone rang.
Nana, It's SweetCheeks.
Nana, You don't have to come to 
school next Friday for 
SPECIAL PERSON'S DAY.

Why not? I asked.
Well, because Uncle Ryan said he 
COULD COME AFTER ALL!
So- I am NOT invited anymore?
Yeah....you're not invited.
Thanks, SweetCheeks!
You're Welcome!

I'm thinking of showing up anyway
with a TREAT.
We'll SEE who is the most
SPECIAL PERSON then!
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Monday, February 19, 2018

BANTERING WITH BRIGHT EYES-A NEW FEATURE

I am going to do some 
short little snippets of 
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE KID
every once in a while called
BANTERING WITH BRIGHT EYES.

Probably everyone has one
REALLY FUNNY KID
in their family
OR
you know someone that has 
THAT KID.

Ours used to be 
SWEETCHEEKS
and many of you followed along
and laughed at her antics.
SweetCheeks is STILL funny
but on an "older kid" level now.

Well, THIS KID, is 
JUST AS FUNNY.
Here she is after cutting her bangs tight
to her head in front.
Yep--she is THAT KID!

She is not as DROLL as SWEETCHEEKS
but she is funny in a different way.
Smart beyond her years.

We were visiting this past week.
She was rubbing Papa's (MyHero) head
and looking at it.
He just got a haircut and it is
VERY SHORT!
I did NOT have my camera so missed
the photo op--but you will get the idea.

So-Here is 
CONVERSATION #1!

She climbs up on Papa's lap and is
rubbing his head.

Bright Eyes:  Papa- What is wrong with your head?
Papa:  What do you mean?
BE: Look at your hair!!!! (laughing)
Papa: What's wrong with my hair?
BE: It's all spotty and missing in spots  Why don't you just shave your whole head? That would look a LOT better, Papa!
Papa:  My hair is just fine, Bright Eyes!
BE:  Wait- Let me get you a mirror! (as she runs off to get a mirror from her "princess kit")

Thanks for humoring me by reading this.
While I am doing these to give you a smile 
for the day I am also doing them so that we
have a record of 
THINGS SHE SAYS.

Have a wonderful, wonderful week!!!!


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Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

VALENTINES DAY CRAFTING WITH KIDS-A TUTORIAL -NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART

Well, you started all this-
You seemed to ENJOY the previous post about
The Three Bears Cereal Tutorial!

So- I dug another post out of the archives
to share with you.
Grab something with caffeine because
you will be tired when you are done reading this.

Step One:
First you must hang a banner inside 
so the grandkids
will know which holiday they 
are celebrating.

Just a word of caution..
If you hang one
that looks like
the one below..
SOMEONE
(who shall remain nameless)
will be sure to ask..
IS HIMS NAKED?

Your reply should be
Absolutely..
That is why he is
carrying an envelope.
This is sure to produce
a giggle from at
least 2 or the 3 grandkids.
The third one doesn't giggle.

She doesn't giggle 
because she doesn't
"get it".  

She is trying to figure out 
where HIMS got that big of an envelope.


Step Two:
You must lay out supplies.
These will cost somewhere
in the neighborhood
of $459.00...and....
after you buy
ALL THAT STUFF,
you will realize that you have
forgotten at least one or
two crucial supplies..
Like...
Elmer's WASHABLE glue. 
Lord help you if you buy the 
regular Elmer's glue
because it will NOT be pretty!


Now that you have
your supplies home
and have signed the bank loan
to cover the expense..
you must lay out the goodies...
Lay them out nice and neatly..
Sigh over the paper-Oh So Sweet

Step Three:
HANG A FLAG OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR.

A cute little cherub flag
to greet them with a smile.
Isn't it perfect?
Love Mary Englebriet's flags.
Then they arrive bringing presents.
Bringing PRESENTS?
PRESENTS FOR ME?
Yep-these are for Nana..
and they made them all by themselves.

Inside are beautiful little
hearts made with love..
One from Ria.
Two from Lulu...
and one from SweetCheeks.
Of course I must put them all on..
I pick up SweetCheeks...
What does this say, SweetCheeks?
That's jus' sumbuddy ehlse's name
on there...Doan't pay eny
attenshun to the name...
just putt it on..
Whereupon I am informed
by Lulu that
"I told SweetCheeks
NOT to give you that one".
Whereupon SweetCheeks says
NOAH.YOHU.DIDN'T.LULU
an' I dohn't care cuz I am ghiving
it to her enyways! PFFFFFT!
I start the legal paperwork
to change my name to Allison.
Great.. We are off
to a nice, calm start...

Now where were we?
Okay..girls..
Let's get started...
WHO WANTS TO MAKE A VALENTINE?

Everyone's hand shoots into the air.

In short order everything
 looks like this.....
All three girls are
Busy-Busy-Busy
Lulu made this-
 Ria loved the self-stick hearts...

SweetCheeks has changed into 
her 3rd Princess outfit and has busied herself
making th...........
Oh, Dear Lord In Heaven...
While I was refilling my coffee cup,
pray tell WHO handed HER 
the glitter?

There is glitter glitter everywhere..
On the floor and on the chair..
In her mouth and on her hair....
I could go on and on with the
rhyming thingy but I'm afraid
the Dr. Suess police will get me.


An especially nice touch? 


The globs of
glue that dropped here and there
and shine brightly up
from the chair...and the table...
and the floor...and the countertop...
Did I say floor? Ah..yes...
and back to the glitter...
Nothing like glitter on the floor
that can be tracked from
room to room..
Leave NO ROOM untouched
seems to have been the motto
of the day.
I decide I need a bathroom break
to dispose of the 3 gallons of coffee
that I have downed in an effort
to keep up with this
CRAFT DAY WITH THE KIDS.
Lo and behold,
in the small reading nook
(where the old steps used to be)
I SEE THIS!!!
How did all these books get off
the shelf and on the floor?
I ask ever-so-sweetly-
between slightly gritted teeth.
Uh-oh---Here it comes...

Welllll...says SweetCheeks..
Ria toohk a few books off
the shellf and then I helped her
and taked the rest offf..and
we jus' put 'em there for now.

Yeah? Where do you think
you're gonna put them later?

Wellll...It was Ria's idea.
I dunno how they gonna
get bahck on the shelfs.

Hmmmm...I dunno where YOU'RE
gonna go either if you guys don't put
these books back.
All too soon-
hahahahahahahaha
the day ends and we clean up the
mess, they put on their matching
dresses that Nana bought them
 and they get ready to go home.
As you can plainly see 
SOMEONE has been so overworked
she has collapsed in a heap
using her sisters as pillows.
These little girls are big girls now...
but I love them as much as I did 
when they were little like this...
even more...

Kind of bittersweet to look back on 
these special times.

I may invite them over to
do this again this weekend. 

If you don't see me by Monday
I will be glued to a seat somewhere
in the house.
I hope it is in a chair in front of
the computer.

Edited to add:

MyHero reads my blog and says:
 You SPENT $459 ON THIS STUFF?
(Sheeez...don't ya know a joke when you read one?;>)
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Monday, February 5, 2018

REMEMBERING MY BROTHER CHARLIE---REST IN PEACE

I can't believe that it has been
FIVE YEARS
since my brother
CHARLES WILCOX
passed away.
You can read that story here

I remember him like this...
on the farm...
feeding the turkeys....
When he was older one year he
pumped them full of BBs to round them up.
My mother found out on
butchering day.
She sold turkeys to the nearby farmers
for Thanksgiving dinner-
but not THAT YEAR!  lol
So--the kid WASN'T perfect!
But then he grew up
and had a family...

Shown here with his beautiful daughter
Sarah and her baby.

He was just the nice guy that you thought
would always be there.
He was "that guy" that everyone liked-
kind and generous,
a good dad and all around good guy.

The phone would ring and he would say
"Hello, Sister Dearest"
That was his take-off of 
MOMMIE DEAREST
-don't ask-although 
 I never did hit him with 
coat hangers---
A ring with prongs?  Maybe!

So, today, I will think fond thoughts about him.
I will smile at some things 
and tear up at some memories.

I only had one sibling-my brother.
I was lucky because we were never estranged.
I just want to say that if you have a 
strained relationship with a family member
try to rectify it before it is too late
PROVIDING THEY 
ARE NOT CRAZY PEOPLE
because you never know when 
time might be up for you or them.

My brother went from  diagnosis to death
in a few hours and had never really been sick.
You just never know.

I hope you all have a beautiful day.
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