While I've been gone......

Well, it is time to get out the AED and see if I can't jolt my poor neglected blog back to life. Most of you know that in 2012 I was blogging via Facebook, for all intents and purposes. That seemed like the easiest way to keep Amie up on what her family was doing while she was in Kuwait. But Facebook is somewhat limiting for those as long-winded and verbose as myself, so here I am back at the blog, as Opa and I continue to forge our post-deployment path through life.

Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that we are on a post-long term-deployment path. I am still having mini deployments for Oma duty. I went to D.C. back in January when everyone was having the flu and Amie was trying to get some house work done before she had to go back to work. When at home I tried to get down to see Anna and the kids as much as possible. I went up to Greenwich for a few days in March to help Joshua and Tara get ready to move to their new place. In April I spent about 11 days in D.C. while Andrew was in California and Grant had ear infections. I was home for two days, and then I left April 20 for Atlanta to visit Marge and Liz (my sister-in-law and niece) for the weekend, and then to spend the rest of the week with Joseph, Alicia, Wyatt, Vivian and Micah.

 

This is Marge's guest room. I love the classy black and white color scheme. She and Liz

always make me feel like I'm at a luxury spa when I stay with them!

 

 

Each of the kiddos got to stay home with me one day, and I really enjoyed spending the time with them and getting to see their personalities unfold. Opa came down on Thursday (the 25th.) It was good to have him there to enjoy the visit. Both kids stayed home with us on Friday. There was lots of playing in the sunroom and basement. While Viv napped in the afternoon, Wyatt and Opa had some quiet time together on the pull-out sofa bed in the basement. Wyatt never acutally slept, but he snuggled quietly under the blanket while Opa checked his ebay bids on the tablet.

 

Little Miss Viv has lots of energy.

 

 

Wyatt played with his castle for several days. The room at the front is where

Thomas the train took his naps.

 

Wyatt sure looks like his daddy did at the same age.

 

Miss Banana Face

I cooked supper each evening so that Joseph and Alicia wouldn't have to worry about that after the long commute home. During the course of the week we consumed strawberry shortcake, rhubarb-strawberry custard pie, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter chip cookies, roast turkey and mashed potatoes, spaghetti, "hot dog cupcakes" (Wyatt's name for the corn dog bites I made), and burger bake. The cookies were so popular that I made another batch Sunday afternoon.

In between all the cooking and playing I crocheted a T-shirt dress for Viv. If you like numbers, you can ponder the fact that the skirt alone took more than 225 yards of thread. I found that a little ibuprophen does not go amiss after an evening of holding fine thread and a small crochet hook. The finger joints are not as supple as they used to be. But the results made it all worth it. Viv looked pretty as a picture all dressed up like a little berry for church on Sunday. Unfortunately, there is a corrolary to Murphy's Law which states: If a toddler is going to have a completely unexpected bathroom accident, it will happen when she's wearing a new dress to church, and there are no clean clothes left in the van. Someone managed to find Viv an emergency outfit to wear the rest of the morning. It was just big enough, but not any more than just. And she was still cute.

 

Strawberry Shortcake

On Thursday I took Micah to work so that I could use his car to go to the grocery. I met him uptown in Roswell for lunch, and then I took in a couple of antique consignment stores. As Micah and I walked down the street, we talked about how Roswell was a completely different world than what I am used to. Just as we walked by the parking lot of one antique mall, Micah pointed out an Astin-Martin waiting while its owner looked for bargains inside. Little things like that remind you that you are worlds away from Bradford, Ohio. I had never seen an Astin-Martin anywhere (except for James Bond movies). And I sure don't see them when I go antique browsing in Piqua or Greenville.

So now I cannot only drive around suburban Woodbridge, VA. I am learning to navigate in Roswell, too. So far only baby steps, but I am learning to recognize where I am when someone else is driving, and to know where they are going to turn to get certain places. If they could only throw in a horse and buggy, and the occasional John Deere tractor, I'd be right at home.

Opa and I got back to our little world around 10:30 this morning. I had to drag poor Opa and Micah up at the awful hour of 5 am to get us to the train station on time. I hope Micah thought the pie and other goodies were worth the cost. When we got home we found Opa had some new arrivals in the barn. Two little goats, a boy and girl, were with their mommy, snoozing with full tummies. The grass needs mowed again, and I have flower beds to work on and laundry to do. So the rest of the week will be busy. TTFN!

 

New Kids on the Block

 

Sweet little face

 

Mommy Face saying "No Paparazzi!"