Tuesday, January 4, 2011

When Grandma Comes To Town

Oh me, oh my! My Mom has spent the last few days with us and I've been lost in all the fun and have become delinquent in blogging. My apologies.

My boys are always over the moon when they hear Grandma is coming. Once she's here, they ask several times each day if "she will still be here when we wake up?" In other words, they don't like it when it's time for her to go and they treasure each day she gets to stay and play.

Grandma has fresh energy and fun ideas when she comes, which is perfect for the tired and dragging Mom that I oftentimes am. 

She lets the boys help make cookies (and also eat lots of them!)...
... she reads stories (and uses many more silly voices and expressions than I do).
It's been Grandma's job to dress Annalyse each morning, which is really not a job but more like a joy. Grandma has fun looking through hangers of little girl dresses and choosing one each day.
This baby doll looked darling in blue - enormous bow and all. I sent this picture to Grady in Atlanta and he became "that" Dad who showed anyone and everyone who would look. A proud, proud Daddy for sure.
 
Not too bad for a self-portrait. Don't tell my husband that I couldn't figure out the timer on my camera. He'll roll his eyes and make fun of me, so let's just keep my lack of technical know-how a secret between us, okay?
This is one very happy Grandma, and these are three very blessed kids. I know they love their Grandma for all the fun that she is and I pray that they learn to love their Grandma for the wonderful and godly person that she is.
School work and crafts... Grandma helped the boys with all of it. Patience oozes out of her. I have bits and pieces of patience, but somehow she has infinite amounts. I gotta get me some of hers...
Now, I interrupt this all-about-Grandma post to inform you that Annalyse is growing like a weed as well as losing her hair at an exceptionally fast rate. It seems her cheeks have filled out so much in the last couple of weeks and that the fuzzes of hair on her head are getting thinner and thinner.
Despite these, um, cosmetic challenges, she is one cutie-patootie to me. And to her Dad. And to her Brothers.
One morning, after reading lots of books and doing several pages of school work, Grandma decided we needed to get out of the house and do something fun to while letting energy out. What better place to go than where "A Kid Can Be A Kid"? (Actually, I can think of several places because I really do not enjoy Chuck E Cheese, but maybe that's because by boys don't want to play endless rounds of ski ball with me.)
The boys ran from one game to another...
... and Annalyse just smiled and went along for the ride.
Grandma helped with video games...
... and with driving a race car, that is, until she started to feel nauseas and had to call it quits.
Grady Lee was pretty proud of himself for "going all the way to the ceiling all by myself this time!" In fact, from the top, he yelled across the room to Grandma to "look how high I am!" Grandma, with no inhibitions either, yelled back that she was very proud of him. I'm so glad we could share this memorable moment with everyone else in the entire place.
As fun as Chuck E Cheese was, the fun didn't stop there. No siree! Grandma also treated the boys to a day at Discovery Place Kids.

We spent the most time on the firetruck. In fact, when another little boy climbed on and sat down, Micah looked at my Mom and said, "That boy is on our firetruck and in my seat." Say what? Your firetruck and your seat?
 
After "putting out lots of fires and helping with important emergencies," Grandma showed the boys how to deposit and withdraw money from the bank. I'm pretty sure the boys only cared about the money tube that raced up and down when they pushed the button.
 We also sent time buying groceries...
  
 ... doing tricks on the balance beam...
 ... climbing the rock wall...
 ... collecting eggs on the farm...
 ... making lunch in the cafe...
 
... changing the tires and exhaust pipe...
... making waves across the lake...
... and building with an indoor crane, playing in water fountains, racing cars, and choo-chooing trains. After three and a half hours of non-stop fun, we called it a day and headed home. Actually, I called it a day and decided it was time to head home before one of my boys had a meltdown. Despite being obviously tired, they both wanted "to stay and keep playing for five more minutes."

And now, kids are napping. Grandma is reading and sipping tea. I'm blogging and gulping coffee because I'm tired and should be napping but want to feel like I've accomplished something so I'm on the computer instead.

Oh yeah. And Grandma is also doing my laundry. And she mopped my floors. And she vacuumed downstairs. What a woman...

6 comments:

  1. Tyler was looking at your blog over my shoulder...these were his comments,
    "Grammie's are better than friends!"
    "Wow...they had ALL that fun."
    My thoughts exactly. So glad Grammie is here!

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  2. How much fun! What a blessing your mom is...so glad you are able to have this precious time.

    Annalyse is beautiful--in all colors.

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  3. Your mom truly is an amazing lady...and I think the apple doesn't fall very far from the tree! I love ALL of the great photos! The one of Annalyse in her pretty blue dress all smiles is TOO cute! I'm sure Grady got lots of "awwwwws" from showing her off! Discovery Place Kids seriously looks SO fun & I love how your boys dive into each & every station with equal glee...fire fighters, egg pickers, rock wall climbers & boat captains (that photo is too cute!) So glad that you are having a wonderful week! Enjoy!

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  4. Oh yes, I love her! This is THE EXACT kind of grandma I am going to be....and my children cannot wait :)
    Your pictures are beautiful (and so are you!!) I love Annalyse in her blue dress...an angel.

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  5. Wow...you guys have had some CRAZY fun over there. Your mom is AWESOME and I know you are enjoying having her here.

    Oh, and Annalyse did look darling in her blue dress!!! I seriously could just eat that girl up. She's so...........CUTE!!!!!

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