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I have a taste for Swedish fish.  I love those red gummy candies. I love them so much that I eat them all the time. 

I had my little bag opened, when my grandchildren asked for a piece.  I always share with them.  I loved the look on their faces when they tried it.  They instantly smiled and asked for more.  I usually have sweet things around the house so they always ask for something.


Isn't that what a grandma is supposed to have in her house??

I pick Josiah up from school once a week and I don't know how it started but we went to the store and I picked up some Swedish fish.  I was also getting something else at the time and since the stores have those temptations at the check out line I decided to get a little bag for Josiah.

The following week, he asked if we could get some Swedish fish and I said sure.  So now every time I pick him up, he asks me and I always say yes.  It is our thing.  I love our little routine. The last two weeks he has asked if we should get Pappy some candy.  Isn't he sweet for sharing?


Not the healthiest treat but it is something I look forward to doing with my Josiah.


When the weather gets hot, we will be going after school to get the Rita's water ice Swedish fish flavor!!!  I hope he likes it too!  If not, I will doing two trips.


 Yum yum :)


Sweet-Tooth Abbie

Halloween 2011

I would say this is a little late in posting.  I was looking at some pictures and I had to write about it before too much time has past. 
This will occur more often and I probably will be posting Christmas items in July.  (insert laughter).

Some of my grandkids came to my house on Halloween.  I look forward to to seeing what costumes they will be wearing.  The theme for this year was The Wizard of Oz,  at least for half her kids.

Cowardly Lion - Jackson looking so cute in his lion outfit.

I love his little tail!

Miss Olivia was Dorothy. 

Josiah was Wolverine. I guess it is as close as you can get to the Scarecrow, if we were following with the theme of the Wizard of Oz.

As I look at this picture, the costume says a lot to me.  First, he wore it to school and you can tell.  Second, I loved touching his muscles.  Josiah was well padded.  He would pose for me.  Cutest thing.

Third, this brings back memories of when Denis, my youngest, wore a similar costume.  He didn't have padding but he loved to act like Wolverine.  He would pretend his fingers were the blades and even make the sound effects.  I have a video of my boy in a preschool play.  Always brings tears to my eyes.  How fast time has flown by.

Jesse was wearing The Lobster.  It is the first costume that was worn by Josiah.  Everyone of the kids have worn this little red number.  Unfortunately, Jesse fell asleep quickly after arriving my house and I never got to take the picture. 

On this night, Donna Marie and company arrived and took off to grab their loot of treats.  Bill went with them.  Bill loves to walk with them as they get candy. I like to be home and give out the candy and see all the costumes. There were some cute ones out there.

I think it was about an hour or so and they came back and started to raid their bags. 

My Miss Olivia looks beat.  Poor thing she worked hard for that candy.  Walking and trick and treating all over the place earning poops a little girl out. 

Happy Halloween!

Homework Revisited

I pick up Josiah once a week from school.  Today, Donna Marie asked me to do homework with him because she had a lot to do tonight.  She was planning something for her husband's birthday and she wanted the kids to help her with making the cake. 


I was a little hesitant.  I am not the parent.  I am the grandparent.  I am supposed to be fun one.  Let them play with the toys. Easy and not demanding and to spoil them rotten.  I think it is written in a grandparent handbook. I take this very seriously.


I am also supposed to get my kids to roll their eyes, when I let their children run amok.  I am supposed to hear "you never let us do that or eat that when we were young." That is so correct!  I was your mom not your grandparent.


Josiah and I came home and I fixed him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  He was hungry.  I let that slide down his belly before we went to the dinner table and started the homework assignment.


I have said this before,  I do not think 5 year olds need homework.  I think kindergarten should be like an intro to school.  Simple.  Learning the rules. Getting used to the environment.  I think it is too soon to be bogged down by homework.  My angel had a lot of homework!


He had to write a few words 3 times each. Josiah had to write the numbers 1-20 one time each.  He forgot to bring his composition book so Bill made his own lined paper for Josiah to use.  We didn't have loose leaf.  It worked out quite well. 


What I want to know is, what happened to coloring and story time and playdoh?  It is still learning with no intense writing. My kids had a great time when they started.  Very little homework and it was only for a few hours.


The children in my area now go for the full day.  I think it is a bit of an overkill.  They have school work and learning all day and then to continue at night.  I know they want our children to be more competitive but this is ridiculous.   It took us an hour to do homework and I was beat.


It brought up anxiety of needing patience and to constantly repeat myself and to guide the child.  He didn't want to do homework.  He wanted to relax and have fun with his toys.  I don't blame him one bit.  He did a great job and I wanted to treat him with something sweet.    I


I gave his this candy. 

It lights us when you hold the pumpkin shaped candy.

It was fun but it tasted awful.  Josiah ate it .  blah.  It tasted more gum paste than sweet.  I guess kids will eat anything as long as it is candy. 


I'll have to make sure to have extra special treats, if I have to do this again.  I am no hurry to do this again.

Not a Substitute Abbie

Soccer Days

Donna Marie asked me to help her on Saturdays.  She has a few of the kids enrolled in extra curriculum activities.  Josiah is on an All sport clinic and the first sport is soccer.


We walked to the field while she went inside with Jackson for swimming lessons.  Donna Marie said Jackson screamed for the first twenty minutes and slowly got used to it.  He likes the baby pool but was not happy being in so deep so hopefully he will lose this fear.


Donna Marie lived at the pool when she was little.  She reminded me of a little fish.  I am so happy that
she is doing this for the kids.  I want them to be open to many experiences in life.


Josiah was a little shy as were some of the kids. 

The instructor did a very well with the kids and had them do some stretches .

She had them do running drills.

 What made it funny was the fact she told them to run to her and they and they did.  They all crowded around her.

 She had to say more clearly that she wanted them to run to the line she was on.

She taught them to dribble the ball. 

Donna Marie and Jackson met us on the field when they were done with his lesson.  Jackson looked tired.  Screaming his head off can do that to a person.  He likes the Kiddy pool but not the big pool.  He started to warm up on the last 10 minutes.  Jackson watched his brother practice while holding a soccer ball.

 Jackson was going eww his feet just touched the wet grass.  I love this boy!

After the lesson, it was the parents turn to play with the kids.  Josiah enjoyed this. 

Good first day!
 


Soccer Grandma Abbie

So it begins

I have started to preparing for the most amazing august.  I have the diapers,extra towels, and drinks.  My family is here from Peru.  I will be seeing them very soon.  My daughter will be celebrating her birthday.  My grandson turned five years old.  Or as I would like to say a whole hand full.  I have to baby proof my home. 

Sean and his family will be visiting us.  S wanted to spend the rest of her maternity leave with us.   I am so honored for her to choose to do so. I am looking forward to helping them as much as I have helped my daughter.  Trying to cram in so much in so little time.  I can't wait to get to hold  my Liam.  Hopefully I can contain myself until he and Zoe get here.   I have a lot of love that has been bottled up for them. 

Since they will be here almost a month, I want her to roam without fear of hurting herself or breaking something. I do have a lot of knick knacks.  I won't be with her most of the time. I have to work and my son won't know where there is potential or hidden dangers. This way she will not hear the word no all the time. She will be free to roam.  Peace of mind is what I am going for.

My house is starting to look bare.  It reminds me of when my kids were little and they would rough house and things would break.  So rather than keep yelling at them and waste money, I just stopped buying things and waited until they were older to resume the decorating.

I am exhausted.   It sure looks different.   My mom may not be happy with this impression I will be making.   If I have to decide between the safety of my granddaughter vs the first impression for relatives, my grandchildren will always come first. 


I had to clean my boy's room to make way for all of their belongings.  Denis, my youngest, helped me quite a bit. He helped me dodge anything that would incriminate my son.  I didn't want to shatter my illusions of my perfect angel.  I have heard stories of what young men can have in their rooms.  I didn't want to tempt fate.  Not that I had anything to worry about.  ewww and hmmmm and hahaha

They have plenty of room for their things. All it needs now are  occupants.  I am so looking forward to seeing them. 

Patiently Abbie

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A whole Hand

My first angel, Josiah.  He turned 5.  Five years ago, I saw him being born.  I was one of the first to see him.  The most incredible sight to ever see.  Tears of joy flowed like a river down my cheek.  The love that boy.  I feel such a connection with him.  Pappy and I went to see him to celebrate his birthday.

One thing my mom always told me, when my kids were little, was with a birthday always provide a small present to the other siblings to lessen the jealousy factor.  I have carried on tried and true with this idea.  I gave a present to Olivia and Jackson first and then the main ones to Josiah.

I also gave him a container of mini m & m's.  I know it is bad and what was worse when he opened it the contents spilled everywhere.  It gave me a chuckle.  Olivia was only to happy to help. And by help, she helped herself to what she found and put them in her mouth. 

Jackson loved the balloons that Josiah received.  Jackson was very happy and twirling himself around and around, while the other two were very busy playing with the gifts they received.  I guess with all the suger they had from the candy, they decided to start chasing each other thoroughout the house.   Didn't take any pictures of that. They would have been all blurrs.

I enjoyed holding Joaquin.  He greeted me with the best smile.  Thief of hearts that is what he is.  Though I gave him mine so willingly.


I assessed my situation and decided that it was time to leave.  I left mayhem in my wake.  My grandchildren were happy.  Isn't that the job of grandparent to spoil the kids?  Josiah wanted me to stay.  It was hard to say no but I did need to leave.  I told him he had to have dinner. I knew if I waited any longer the situation would turn ugly.  My daughter was already giving me the look.


He gave me the biggest hug and that is how I helped him celebrate his whole hand age.

Mayhem Maker Abbie


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Josiah's First Step

Family day at Josiah's new school.

I can't believe my little angel is going to kindergarten.  

Donna Mare asked me to join her for the festivities.  It is brand new bilingual charter school.  The first for this state.  It was hot in the hall of the school due to all the people and this ridiculous  heatwave.
We stood in line for him to get his passport and his school list.

 

Josiah got his picture taken and he had to get his passport stamp with each place he visited in the school. 

 

He met his first teacher .  I cant tell you her name but she was very nice. 

He had to go to the library the nurse the technology room music room.  Getting his stamp along the way.

At the end of the tour, we went to the gym and they got some pizza and water ice.  They played and even got their faces painted. 

What a great school!  I am so excited for him and my daughter entering a new phase life.  Olivia was just as excited.  People have commented, if they are twins.  They are so close to each other. 

Josiah will start writing.  When did that happen?  When my kids were entering school all they needed were folders, crayons, and scissors.  Now they need composition books, pencils, and etc.  I don't know I think it is too much for kindergarten.  Aren't they just to learn the rules and structure of a school environment? 

Who am I am just a grandparent. Times have changed.  My grandson is more than ready.  Maybe its me that is not ready to see him become a school aged child.  Josiah is after all my first little angel.

  Abbie's New Mantra


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Summer Day

A gorgeous day to take the kids to the park.  It is my last day of helping my daughter.  I wish I could financial keep taking half days at work but bill collectors don't appreciate not being paid on time.  They tend to get testy and like a scorned lover they turn mean and start sending letters and phone calls increase in volume.  I have been around the block and do not want that again.

I took my angels to a park right up the road from their home.  It is lovely.

It has two sections one area for the older kids and another for the 2-5 year range.

The variety of things to fully engage a child was amazing.  Different types of ladders.  Lets just say it has been a couple of decades since I have taken little ones to new park.

The park I have in my neighborhood is the standard I am used to seeing.  Swings, slides, and jungle Jim.

Their park had a sandbox which they loved.

They took off their shoes and went in.   I have a thing about sand boxes.  I looked in it to make sure it was safe.  I didn't see any debris. I tried to hold back my OCD.  The crazy thoughts kept creeping up.  Cat poo, bacteria, disease, trash needles, dead animals.
It was taking all I had to not scoop them up and give them a bath in hand sanitizer.

My Olivia loves her swing.  I pushed her on one for at least 20 minutes.   There was a swing called a Jennswing. I have never seen one. I saw an older child in it.  As I am pushing Olivia, I see Josiah get himself into the Jennswing and strap himself in.   He looks at me with the biggest grin and asks me to push him. 

I get closer to him and I see that this swing has to be for a disabled child.  I thought that was wonderful.  All children, no matter what disability, should enjoy the park.  A child should know what it is like to have the wind blow on your face while you are on the swing.  It is the closet to flying.  I looked around to see if anyone who truly needed this swing was waiting in line for it.  I would have taken Josiah off the swing immediately.  

 I gave Olivia a turn. 

  

 We were at the park for at least two hours.  On our way to the car, we saw a little insect.

  They didn't see at first.  I had to point it out to them. 

Olivia is always the first to try and get up and personal.  Josiah is a watch and see kind of guy. They were so intrigued by it. I explained why it is called a Praying Mantis and why it is a good bug to have in the park.  They enjoyed seeing it.

A nice way to end a day at the park.

 Lovin' Abbie