Girls Grown Up

Meet Sara and Evie. They are my Grand Nieces daughters of Gail and Paul. For several summers now I get to have my home girls spend a week or so ( without their parents). We get to swim. play Rockband, and have mini spa days. Sara has her permit now and gets to drive her parents about. It's crazy how fast kids grow up. Our time in the pool has evolved from learning syncronized swimming routines to talk about girls stuff. Funny how carefree kids are all of a sudden hurdled into grownup girl stuff. Boys, mean girls and future plans. Each of the girls battling their own demons with different perspectives. It was a hard time for me, I remember it well and thinking back it's some pretty hard stuff. I was a chubby girl who had crossed eyes. Talk about a double whammy. The crossed eyes were really hard as both boys and girls teased me. But the weight, that crappy weight thing. It's something I continue to fight today. Sara, the oldest is a bit quiet, a deep thinker I believe. She's funny and very smart. She has a trainer, she's lost weight and is feeling fairly confident ( as much as one can at 15ish). Evie, soon to be 13 also lost weight this year. She also developed a big allergy to seafood much to her family's horror, they can no longer eat at seafood places. She's got the eating thing down pretty good. Lucky her, now she only has to deal with the mean girls. Crazy how girls can have so much power. Evie cares too much what others think. Hopefully soon she'll gain the confidence her sis has. I am absolutely crazy for these girls. Time marches on tho, and with that are the changes that come with it. Soon Sara will get her drivers license. BOO HISS because I know what happens after she gets her license......the dreaded job.....and no more time for me.......................................................

Kids of Summer

Say hello to Haylen and Cole. They are grandkids #4 &5 in the line. These are the kids that get to hang with me for a week + after their parents leave. They are my chance for "do overs". When Kate and Dan were small - this age I was too wrapped up in other things. Not work related but extracurricular. I mean really it would have been nice to be a stay at home mom, but, insurance is a high priority. Anyway I was into volunteering at that time and in between that and trying to keep house I didn't get to play too much.

Haylen is like a 4 foot piece of velcro. That kid sticks to me like glue. She's up for anything with barely a complaint. I had the opportunity to sit next to her on her first ever big peoples ride at 6Flags, it was Batman and I can still hear her scream. I was abit afraid that I would lose them at the park since I haven't been around little ones for years. NO problem that kid was next to me the whole day, well that week for that much.

Cole is 9 and with that age comes all the boy stuff. Dead things, blowing things up. Blood and gore it's all cool for Cole at this age. I think he worries too much. Unlike his sis (who lives just for the second) Cole is thinking about the future. He likes old Metal Music won't have much ok anything to do with the Jonas Bros (I'm secretly glad about that). I learned one thing about him. DO NOT let him talk you into playing battle on GH. He knows the cheat codes and it's almost impossible to beat him then, but I did once. It took me several times and when it did happen I did gloat. He had it coming. He a really neat kid and after you answer the million questions and he just starts talking well he's a sweet kid.

They call me the fun Grandma. Cool huh! They have a bunch of them but they call me the fun one. Another Grandma said it's because I don't make them mind the rules. Rules are for later right now all I want to do is play.

The Men of Summer

Here are the men if summer. Well anyway some the guys that hung out in the back yard this past July. It's funny how when your younger one appreciated the 6 pack abs. I always found my self looking at thighs, I guess I am a leg girl. Was anyway. Now I find that I prefer to chuckle at old men with jiggly pecks. You've seen them they can be found out in the yard, working wearing jeans and no shirt. God love them they are so darned cute. Now don't get me wrong, just the sight of LLCool J can bring me right back to the warm fuzzy feeling described in an earlier post (see Neil Diamond).

On the left in tank is son Tim, The boy in white is Grand S Cole, kid in green is a neighbor, skinny guy is Zack (friend of Dan), the guy in blue is my big bro Ken and in front is son Danny.

Well I am off to deliver another wedding yipee skippy. More Men later!!!!! Teri

Better Phrasing

OK in retrospect I believe i used the wrong word in describing July at our home. The word hell is synonymous with really bad stuff. That is not the case at all. It wasn't even hot here. It's fun, wild, loud, very loud and crazy. But bad it's just not. gaday ya'll Teri

Gee It's Great to Be Back

Ok, it's been over 6 months since I wrote. I took many MANY pictures each one thinking I can't wait to blog about this but Valentines Day came along with several other events. Gosh just where do I start. I think I'll just pick a pick and begin. And there you have it numero 1. This pic was taken July 5th. Here in Cornland July is known as hell month, because for one month straight we have family here. The guests vary, in age and quantity but nevertheless we are booked.
From the left daughter Kelly and then, grand d Tia, the little blonde is grand d Haylen, then me with last but not least daughter Audi.

We are a very lucky melding of three families into one. The kids sometimes refer to me as the ESM ( evil step mom). It's funny tho as I kinda like the "tough" reference. The grand D's call me GT, or Grandma for the little one. It's cool they all like me and I like them too.

For 7 or so days we drink like fishes, swim and play full contact keep away in the pool. We may be getting too old for the game tho, the bangs and bumps are harder to mend from and this year I tried to fold my Grandson Cole in half (not the way mother nature intended). He survived tho after a respectable mending period and I am happy to report that he doesn't hold a bit of grudge

After the grownups leave then the 2 youngest grand kids stay for a while. Now that's fun and exhausting as I get to be a kid too. Not a lot of rules to be followed except for one Don't make me sad. Explanation : If you fight it makes me sad, If you don't pick up after yourselves that makes me sad you get the picture. We had a great time and now I have graduated to the hard level on Guitar Hero it's good to be a kid again.

Nothing Like a Snow Day

Look what I woke up to last week!!!!! It hardly ever happens here but alas! SNOW! Everything had snow piled up on it. These are not mushrooms but leftover sedum blooms. This picture was taken about 4:30 am as the girls and I headed out for our am walk. Well it was at that moment I decided that in lieu of walking I would get my exercise by cleaning the side walks. The weather guy said it was 4 inches, but, my broom stick said at least 6. So I began the job by looking for the shovel. Down here in Illinois land they refer to shoveling snow as "scooping" snow, isn't that sweet. Through the house and to the basement I go, looking in the corner where the long handled tools are kept-no go. I stood in the basement trying to go back, way back to the last time I had seen that yellow beast, think, think where the heck is it???? The last time I recall using it was in the spring to "scoop" up piles of leaves. Can't remember the last time it was used for snow removal. Well I found a long rubbery thing that I use to clean the pool, some people use it to clean floors, I like it better for the pool, anyway back up the stairs and to the porch. It worked great for the porch-sidewalk not so much. I was able to peel away a trail to the car and a small path for the mailchick. It was later as I was shoveling out the flowershop when it dawned on me where the shovel may be. I picked up the phone and dialed Danny, hey Danny- where ya dreaming about me around 5 am I asked? No mom, are ya sure? no, I don't think I dreamed last night. Well Dan I said I was out side trying to clear the snow with the pool cleaner, have any idea where the shovel is?????????? Now my beloved Mom, always used this phrase " Wait until your kids grow up" I thought she was referring to the trouble I caused her, Kate and Dan didn't cause too much trouble, that's not what she meant. I got it ma, you mean they'll "borrow" stuff and you don't know it's gone until you need it. Miss you Ma. Again you were right.

Oh Say Can You See.......Not so much

Over the new years holiday and in between funerals Poppy and I took a little trek to the Iowa boarder to visit family. Imagine just 4 hours away and within 17 miles were our kids Tony (#5) his wife Heather and our newest baby Leah and my niece Gail and her family. It was a wild fast trip lots to do and see. The bird is not Leah I guess you knew that ( we have a new computer, can't find the right pic, downloaded what I thought was Leah awwwwwwww you know the rest).

I'll digress about the eagle a bit. Remember years ago they were put on the extinct list? Well not so anymore. Apparently they roost along the missasip during the winter. The fishing is good for them and well they like it. The Brown's ( Heathers M&D) live on the Mississippi, you can almost drive a golf ball in ALMOST. With my new camera I tool several pics. They are as thick as thieves there almost look like a flock of seagulls in areas. They are pretty cool. Last time I saw that many was on a trip with my little bro Kevin back when Kate was a baby. It was strange timing to see them, and remember Kev as this week it was 16 years ago he died. Miss you Kevin.

The next few entries into the blog will be like a Freshman Comp final. I can't tell which pics are what in the new harddrive, anyway I'm going to post a mystery pic then tell ya'll about it. TTFN Teri