Grandma Julee's Childhood Bathrobe

When I was a little girl my Uncle Tommy was in the Navy.  On one of his trips to Japan he brought this silk bathrobe with gold embroidery back to me -- and, yes, I saved it all these years.  Ruby loves to wear "house coats", as she calls them.  It is charming to me that she fits into this and enjoys it as much as I did as a 5 year old. 

 

 

Complete with a dragon on the back!  

Yertle The Turtle Game

 

When I was a little girl I got this Dr. Seuss game.  Today I got it out for the twins to play.  It's a game of balancing the Yertles on a spinning platform.  Amazing how games that are really really old can still be fun today. 

 

We managed to get all 15 of them on several times, before then came tumbling down.  

Ru's Pedi Toes!

 

 

I kept asking Kristin to send me a photo of Ruby's pedicure, but she forgot.  So today while they are at my house, I snapped this.  She insisted her Softie be in the picture too!  Those are quite some toes, Miss Ru!  

Rainbows

 

Tonight I have the twins over at my house for an overnighter and I will keep them tomorrow, since this is Spring Break and they have no school.  We were watching a Cat-in-the-Hat show and it was about rainbows.  They were talking about the colors in a rainbow and the fact you can't catch a rainbow because it is just light. 

Then God put this glorious one right above our house -- it was completely arched over with brilliant colors.  For a short time a very pale double rainbow was in the sky, but it left before I could snap a picture.  Ruby called it

"Twin Rainbows!"   

Closet Singer

Yesterday Kristin found Ruby sitting in her closet, singing songs from Frozen. 

 (does she really have little skulls on her pants?)

Daddy Did!

I was fixing tacos for the twins the other night.  They were commenting about how good my tacos were, but that they really liked their mommy's tacos, too. 
"Well, kids, guess who taught your mommy to make such good tacos?"

"DADDY DID!" 

(ouch!) 

Question? ? ?

Yesterday I picked the kids up from school and took them to their home.  As Ruby was taking a bath she asked me, out of the blue. . . . . . .

"Grandma, what stones  do wedding rings have to have?  Do they always have to be your birth stone?"

"No, honey, you can choose whatever stones you want.  Most women have diamonds."

"Grandma, when I get married I'm going to have rubies in my ring!  Do you want to know who I'm going to marry?" 

"Why yes I would!" 

"I'm going to marry Clay!" 

(Clay is a very sweet boy at their school who isn't as high-energy as some boys, like Carson for instance!) 

 

 



St. Patricks Day Dash

Adidas is a sponsor of the St. Patrick's Day races in Portland.  The kids, along with their friend from school, did the dash -- Kristin said Carson wasn't even winded.  She thinks that maybe next year he will be ready for the 5K.  Ruby was a bit overwhelmed, I think with the crowds, and announced that next year "I'm going to be a watch-bird!" 

 

Bradan is one of their friends from school and also in Ruby's swim class.  

 

Don't miss the goose who photo-bombed this shot!  

 

Great job kids!  

Tooth Fairy

Carson was pretty excited about getting a visit from the Tooth Fairy.  He did have a concern that night --   

"What if the Tooth Fairy is sick?"  (ahh, sweet boy!)

The next morning he was thrilled to show his parents - --

"The Tooth Fairy left me 4 cash monies!"    (it was four $1 bills)



Save Money

For the last two years Kristin and I have taken the twins to Palm Springs during Spring Break to my time-share condo and had a fabulous time.  The twins speak about it all year long.  This year we made the decision to not go for financial reasons.  Yesterday when I was with Kristin and Ruby going to her swim lessons, we were discussing Spring Break.  I told Kristin I would take one day off work to help watch the kids. 

Ruby said "I want to go to California!" 

Kristin said  "We need to save money so next year we can go to Disneyland!" 

Ruby replied  "What is  save money?" 



Swimming Lessons

A little swimmer in the making! 



Ruby has been attending a swimming class (sans Carson) and has made huge progress.  When both kids were in a class together, they played off each other's fears, and wouldn't put their faces in the water.  Now Ruby is all about putting her face under and loving it.  She is in a group with 3 other children from her school, so feels very comfortable with them.  And the teacher is wonderful -- so patient, but keeps control of the very active boys.  Kristin's thought was once Ruby learned, then when Carson saw how well she was doing, he would have to learn -- because he wouldn't let her one-up-him!  (It may work)

That's Ruby jumping off the side and under the water, while the boys watch her.  Her teacher is under with her. 

 

Ready - Set - JUMP.

 

"HEY teacher -- forget about the kid on the steps, and watch Ruby!"

RED LETTER DAY FOR CARSON!

 

Yes, he lost his first tooth!  While eating dried cherries at school for snack, out it came!  He was thrilled, to say the least.   The teachers sent it home in this baggie.  (Oh, by the way -- he wears that hat almost non-stop!) 

 

LOVE YOUR NEW HAIR CUT, TOO, BUDDY!  

Ru's First Pedi

Ruby's first pedi! 

(Gosh, I think I was 50 before I got my first pedicure!) 

One very happy girl.

 



I believe she earned it -- they have been keeping a chart for the kids to help with  chores and getting ready for school, brushing teeth,  no whining, etc.  Ruby wanted a pedi for her treat. 

She earned this pedi. 

 

Two Different Starts To Morning!

1)  Carson wakes up and says "Let's start our day with Yoga!" 

2)  Ruby starts her day by hiding all her long pants behind the dresser because she doesn't like wearing them -- wants to only wear dresses or skirts to school.  THAT doesn't go over well with her Daddy and Ruby turns into
 (and I quote her Mommy)

 "a hot mess!" 

 

Good morning children. . . 

Court-side Blazer's Game

Yesterday afternoon Kristin was offered 4 tickets to the Trailblazer's basketball game that night.  They were court-side seats, so they couldn't turn them down.  The kids felt very special to be at a big game like that. 

 

Obviously very laid-back during the game!  

 This shot shows you how close they were to the action!  

Church At Home

Because of the ice storm at my house on Sunday, I decided to not go out to church.  The twins have been to my church numerous times and really enjoy going with me.  Because of the bad road conditions,  I announced that we were going to do church at home......... after all, I had been a Sunday School teacher many years ago. 

I decided to teach on the story of Zacchaeus and read that to them from their children's Bible.  Carson was a bit distracted from some new library books he wanted me to read.  But we sang songs, told stories, prayed and when we were almost done,

Carson said "Is church done yet?"

Hanging Out at Grandma's House

I had the kids over this weekend for a sleep-over.  Sunday morning we woke up to another silver-thaw, with ice covering everything.  We decided to stay home from church and stay warm and safe inside. 

 The two photos below are rather amazing -- and a FIRST, I think. 

I was putting on a show for them to watch while I fixed breakfast, and when I turned the TV on, it was playing Mister Roger's Neighborhood.  I didn't even think that show was on TV anymore.  When my girls were young, they didn't like that show.  I wasn't going to leave it on, and Ruby even said "I don't want to watch that."  But before I could change the channel, both kids were mesmerized, so I kept it on till the end.  It kind of made me laugh because I'm sure their mommy would not ever put that show on for them. 

 Some things never grow old, I guess. 

 

 

Carson made a giant creation with all of the same type of blocks that Aunt Stephanie got for the kids.  Some were kept at my house and some at their house, but since Carson has so many Lego's at home, they brought these blocks over to my house.  He had fun building this tall ramp for his monster truck to fly down.  

 

 

I told Ruby that when I was 5 years old and then when Auntie Kat was 5 years old, we were both taking piano lessons.  I would love for Ruby to take them as well, but the piano is at my house and it would be hard for her to practice.  Maybe someday. . . .