Over Keyed!

 Last Tuesday, we got the call from the VW dealer...

My car keys were done and I could come and get my car!

If my arthritis wasn't so bad, I would have done a happy dance.

Sad part was I didn't have anywhere to go...

Mr K didn't have a key to his car, but he could always find places to go...

I considered renting him my key to his car... 

On Thursday, I took Locklan and Teagan to visit Henry and Luca!

Oh my goodness, Henry was so happy to see them he kept hugging them and giggling.

Luca got plenty of attention...

I didn't think Locklan was ever going to let him go!

I finally got them all to sit pretty still...

Every time I look at this, my heart sings!

Oh my, grandma life!

Lots more going on but I have things I have to get done before Mr.K and the dogs get up!

Scraps of Life...

 Just some bits of this and that from the past week...

Photos the kids shared, things I did...

Places my brain went...

First off, I'm in up to my wazoo with my mom's estate.

So many things to do, questions to ask, STUFF to deal with.

I remember that for the past ten years, each time I visited my mother  she tried to give me things out of her house.  I usually refused, saying I had more than enough STUFF at my house already.

Now I see that it would have been easier to take the contents of her house piece by piece than to deal with the whole mess at once!

I'm learning...look out kids!

It's been difficult working on the legal stuff.  I've known my attorney for for than 55 years.

He was a fuss budget in junior high and has only gotten worse.  We're both old and cranky.

I think he should have retired years ago...just kidding, Stephen!

Of course, there was my Tuesday dinner with Locklan.  Wouldn't miss it for anything.

I try to find something to play while we're waiting for our dinners.

This week it was dominoes!

He loved it and took the tiles home to play with his mom.  

He claimed he usually won but occasionally Teagan won.

Yesterday afternoon, the kids stopped by for an afternoon visit.

Within minutes, they gathered furniture from every room to set up their theater.

They took turns as master of ceremony and performing.

Teagan danced, Locklan sang.  The big problem was that when Teagan was Master of Ceremony, she would introduce herself, introduce the performers and thank everyone for coming.

That included going out and hugging everyone in the audience which included 3 bears, 2 cabbage patch dolls and a few stuffed animals.

She's amazing...

We had fun but I was beat after all that excitement!

I was happy to see Andy helping put my house back in order!

Tony sent me this...

Brothers having lunch?

Last night, he shared this...

I think they like him!

Wow!  That was a week!

Next week I get my second covoid injection, Mr. K has had both of his...

And (grandma) life goes on!

~SIGH~

Grandma and the Cricut

 I've had a vinyl cutting machine of one brand or another for 6 or 7 years.

I really didn't use them much until grandkids came along.

I did monthly baby shirts...

birthday shirts...

And even holiday shirts...

(the shirts were good, the kids were not)

Henry's dad (Tony) is a Nationwide agent.

Henry is obsessed with Nationwide.

He even tells the knock-knock joke:

Knock-Knock

Who's there?

Nationwide

Nationwide who?

Nationwide is on your side.

Mindy and I were talking,

she thought Henry would enjoy a Nationwide shirt.

Like this?

He was delighted.

So was Luca...

On Sunday Tony and I were talking about Blue's Clues.

Henry loves it and while he was napping, Mindy made him 'clues' out of construction paper...

That gave me an idea...

A Blue's Clues shirt.

Oh, yes, he's playing golf with MeMaw's walking stick!

Don't stand still, MeMaw will probably decorate you.

~sigh~

Grandma Life!

We Got Some!

 We got snow!  I love snow!

First Andy and Ashley came over to use my front yard...

And then decided to be more adventurous and headed for the state park...

First Mr. K thought he'd shovel out the drive...

But he quickly realized he'd have to get out the snow blower...

Yes, he's wearing shorts and tennis shoes without socks...

Henry loved it...

In fact, last night Mindy sent me a video of Tony,

wearing pajamas and a winter coat, pulling Henry up and down the sidewalk

on his sled...

Catherine sent me this picture of Michael...

I kept looking out at it...

All I could say is it's about time!

I love snow!

Today we're heading to Tony and Mindy's for brunch.  It's 22° out there.

Compared to what we've been having, it's a heat wave!

Stay warm.

Not Sure What to Call This...

As usual, Christmas at Redsock Mama's house was unpredictable to say the least.

Michael and Catherine came first, bearing gifts.

Henry got a drum!

That wasn't bad, it had a pleasant sound but since my tree was on the clapper...

Yes, it was off and on all evening!

Teagan and Henry, who are best friends, shared!

It was a musical evening...

The little kids got slide whistles...

Locklan got a harmonica...

He loved it!

Then he became a one man band!

He also got a watch and announced the time every two minutes!

I got Teagan a 'dancing dress' and ballet shoes...

Every time someone asked her to twirl she did...

complete with a 2.5 year old's version of an arabesque.

But the best part was Grandma Jan's special gift...

I decorated 5 gallon buckets...

I made one for Henry and one for Locklan and Teagan...

And put 50 indoor snowballs in each...

How long do you think those snowballs stayed in the bucket?

It wasn't the kids, it was the adults!

I didn't get many pictures because once those snowballs started flying,

I was laughing too hard!

Seriously, I was not looking forward to Christmas for the first time in my life...

But I prayed that I would be okay,

and I was...

Everyone was out of here by 8, they predicted freezing rain and snow,

and we got it.

On Friday, Ashley sent this text:

In case anyone is wondering, we still have ballet shoes on

and we are still using the harmonica and 

announcing the time every minute!

Mr. K and I planned to sleep in and stay home on Christmas...

I didn't sleep in but we did stay home.

But it's all good.  Back to reality soon.

 

Read Me a Story

Last week Mr. K and I were invited to have dinner with Tony and Mindy

and of course, Henry!

After a delicious dinner, Henry got out the books...

First I had to read a book about hockey...

Then Pappy had to read The Hungry Caterpillar which I think Henry had memorized.

He is so smart and so funny...

Grandma Life, I love it!

I did find out how to keep Teagan and Locklan busy...

I gave them each little lighted magnifying glasses.

Locklan dragged a stool into the middle of the living room

and kept finding things to 'investigate' 

It kept them busy for at least 20 minutes.

Considering they are 2 and 5, that's amazing!

And of course, there is always Teagan's hair...

~sigh~

Did I mention that I love being a grandma?

 

Let's Clean Up!

 I know that I have so much to talk about

but I'm still playing 'catch up' after being out of commission for all that time...

But I want to keep in touch, and I want to share my family...

Now I don't know if you know, but I'm a Norwex junkie!

Just before Ashley was going back to work and I was going to watch Locklan

My neighbor introduced me to the products that would clean your house with just water...

No Chemicals!

I fell in love.  I had a crawling baby...I didn't want chemicals on the floors!

It took a while, but little by little Ashley fell in love with them too.

She's now a consultant, which means we own at least one of everything they sell...

But seriously, after 5 years...

She posted these photos...

Now I don't know about you, but if I found a 'magic' cloth that would make my kids want to clean...

I'd buy two!

Seriously...

My boys were very helpful around the house.

Once, when my dad was in the hospital, his pastor said the would stop at the house for coffee.

Before leaving for the hospital, I wrote a note for the boys...

"Pastor Jeff coming.  Please do not leave your dishes in the sink."

That afternoon I came home to find the sink full of shoes and the dirty dishes on the floor beside the back door...

Kids...and you were wondering why I stopped at 4?

Okay, time to get busy...

Love to all...

Busy!

 So much happening.  Not today, but in the next few weeks.

Tomorrow the guy is going to come and pressure wash our house.

He will be there at 9AM so we have to move everything off the patio.

Easy for someone half our ages, time consuming for us.

Yesterday the guy from Bright Covers came to double check all measurements

for our new awning.  I'm so excited.  Can't wait to see that Sunsetter gone.  

I have hated that thing since half way through the first year!

Yesterday morning I got a call from Locklan.  

He wanted to tell me that he didn't feel like going to school.

A few minutes of pep talking and he was fine.

Yesterday Teagan had her first Kindermusik class.  She loved it!

She called it school and danced around the house to show us what she could do now.

She stayed with us while Ashley ran errands.

She's a hoot.  She kept putting a pair of pants on her head and shouting, "Can you hear me?"

I rode with Ashley to pick up Locklan after school.

Locklan was so happy to see me.

Ashley dropped Locklan and me off at my house.

Locklan and I had a dinner date.

We went to his favorite restaurant, the Chop Shop

 so he could get macaroni and cheese with bacon.

I didn't realize he was such a flirt.

This restaurant has an open kitchen and we were seated next to the dividing wall.

He asked servers what their names were,

Told one that he really liked her hair 

and commented that one of the cooks with long hair and earrings was a guy!

All that chattering and he managed to join the clean plate club!

I have such fun with this guy.  We're going to do this more often.

On the home front, Mr.K managed to make a burger and not burn the house down...

And I slept good last night!

Stay safe!

Tuesday?

 Normally my Tuesdays are busy and tidy.  

First thing, the lawn guys come and do magic on our (probably never recovering) lawn.

Then, about when they are pulling out, the cleaning crew shows up.

I spend the time while they are zipping around downstairs, right up here, either at my sewing machine or my computer.  Again, very tidy timing

Then, at precisely 1:00, every other week, I head to the nail salon to have my claws primped.

Dinner is usually something simple and then by 8:30 or so, I facetime with Henry and fall asleep.

All neat and tidy!

Yesterday, the lawn guys came...they were here 21 minutes and when they left, the lawn looked presentable.

When they got here, I headed up to piece some quilt blocks.  I found some Halloween fabric in my stash over the weekend.

I chain pieced the whole time they were here...

without bobbin thread.😠

Then the cleaning crew called.  While I was on the phone with them, Mr. K let the dogs out.

They cleaners would be late, They always get here by 9:15,

They weren't going to be here until 1:30!

Then pandemonium struck...

They guys came to fertilize the lawn.  Coop up the dogs.

I headed up to fill the bobbin.

I got ready to head out for my nail appointment.

I reminded Mr.K of two things.

1.  I had two prescriptions that needed picked up

2.  Instacart was delivering groceries between 3 and 5.

I double checked my appoinment card.  Yes, it was my usual 1:00 time.

I got to the nail salon and Kimmy, my gal, looked confused.

Yes, I had a 1:00 but she forgot to put it in the book.  Could I come back at 2:30.

It's times like this that I am thankful that I never leave home without my Kindle!

I did wander into Michaels for a spool of fall ribbon.  The first I have been in a store since March.

I spent $40.

Called Mr. K and suggested we eat out.  He agreed.  I was starving!

Nails done, I stopped in to see Teagan and Locklan for a few minutes,

we made arrangements for me to spend time with the kids today.

Got home, Mr. K had lined the groceries up on the counter.

I made coffee and sat down to read the paper.  It was now 5:30.

I asked about my prescriptions.  Mr. K looked at me as if I had grown another head.

He jumped up and headed out the door.  He forgot.

We finally got to the restaurant at 7:15.

ZZZZzzzzzzzzz  by time I got home...

Got to face time with Henry...

Henry, like his father, is obsessed with golf.

Keep in mind, Henry is 20 months old...

And this is what he does when he is not doing this...

Yes, he's at the driving range.  He's using one of Tony's clubs that Tony cut down to size.

I do have the cutest video, but can't get it to upload!

Okay, it's 5:53 AM and I have a 6:AM limit.  Time to get things done..

Here's hoping for a calmer day for me...

And a great one for you!

The Grandest of Grands...

 I know I've been AWOL for far too long.  Soon, I'll talk about it.

For now, let's talk about my grand grands!

Locklan started kindergarden...

Teagan came to spend the day with Grandma...

Henry  went to the driving range...

AND...

Henry made this announcement...

He's going to be a big brother!

All that and some crap is filling my life...

Missed you guys!