MOLARS!

Ruby had been complaining that her teeth hurt, so last week Kristin took her to the dentist, fearing cavities.  No cavities -- she is cutting her 6 year molars, top and bottom.  Poor thing -- we forget what teething feels like after they get those initial teeth.  But Lil Ru is teething, again!  Carson hasn't even lost one tooth yet (but one is loose), and here she is getting molars. 

Takes after her Auntie Kat -- a LAND SHARK!  

Vintage Kristin

I love coming across pictures of Kristin that remind me so much of Ruby Grace.  Here is Kristin at 3 1/2 as  Raggedy Ann for Halloween.  I see so much of Kristin in Ruby that sometimes it makes me take a second look. 

 (Notice that her hair is in high-up pig tails and is still hanging down long!  Ruby definitely got her mother's hair.  She is already talking about growing her hair long for Locks of Love again) 

 

Why Daddy?

Priceless! ! !

 

"Buddy, that's a really great question to ask your Daddy.  I sure love you!"  G.ma Julee

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

This is one of the favorite songs that the twins ask me to sing to them when I'm putting them down for nap or bedtime, especially Ruby.    It is to the tune of the Marine's Hymns -- "from the halls of Montezuma ......."

 

God's LOVE is like a circle

A circle big and round.

For when you see a circle

No ending can be found.

And so the LOVE of Jesus

Goes on eternally.

Forever and Forever

I KNOW that HE LOVES me! 

Silver Thaw

SILVER THAW

noun

• a glassy coating of ice formed on the ground or an exposed surface by freezing rain or the refreezing of thawed ice.

 

I have heard about a "silver thaw" but never really experienced it like this before.  After all the lovely, VERY light snow that fell over 3 days, it is now completely in-crusted in ice.  If you look closely, you can see hundreds of little icicles hanging from my house and the windows on the back side are completely opaque (like a bathroom window).  

 

My car is a little iceberg -- completely coated in ice. 

 This is the pussy willow tree in my backyard that had already started getting the little pussy willows on it.  Sure hope freezing them doesn't cause them to fall off!  

 

Guess who doesn't like to go potty outside on the ice?  I had to stand outside for 30 minutes this morning to encourage Snowy to relieve himself.  He was scared to death and each time he got ready to go, he would slip and slide and stop.  I don't know how dogs do it that live in Minnesota or Alaska.  I guess they are used to it, but Snowy sure isn't. 

SNOWY DAY IN OREGON

The snow finally caught up with Oregon this week.  It started on Thurs, and schools let out at 1:00.  It continued through the night, so that schools and many offices/businesses were closed down, including mine, on Friday.  It  was gorgeous Friday morning which allowed for lots of fun play, shoveling, sledding, and there were even people cross country skiing down streets in downtown Portland (I saw on the news).   Carson and Ruby were out at Grandma Carrie's, where they had about 10 inches (more than me).  What a fun day they had, making memories that will last a life time.  Thanks to Grandma Carrie for all the great photography and videos. 

ENJOY

 Not many hills near where Grandma Carrie lives, but who needs hills when you have a Grandma who will pull you or Grandpa Ray's tractor pulling you? 

You will notice the two dogs (Sonny & Zipper) having a blast as well!

 

 



Cute Words

Yesterday I picked the kids up from school and took them to their home.  During dinner Carson was munching on a kiwi and must have found something a bit hard that was white (probably part of the kiwi).  He took it out of his mouth and said
 "Is it my tooth?  Did I lose a tooth?" 

"No honey, it isn't your tooth!"

He is so eager to lose his first tooth, since sister has already lost two. 

 "Grandma, my friend at school told me that if I go to the refrigerator and get out 3 carrots and eat them, then my tooth will come out!" 

"Buddy, your tooth will come out when it is ready!"

 

About 20 minutes after I had put the kids to bed, I hear one of them coming downstairs.  Carson came down with both of his blankets in tow and said "Grandma, I didn't tell you good bye and I might not see you again!"  (Ah, great excuse  to get up!)  We hugged and I took him back up to bed, where Ruby was sawing logs.  He said to me

"Grandma, I hope you have a good day at work tomorrow at the doctor's office.  Grandma, do you get to play with the doctor's instruments?" 

"No, honey, I take care of their money!" 

Oh my gosh -- that wasn't the response he was looking for.  It completely caught him off guard, as if I said something like "I take care of the doctor's pet alligators!"    I guess he didn't think that doctors and money went together in the same sentence --  Why yes, they do! 

 

Katharine stopped by to pick up something from me while I was at Kristin's since she works about 3 miles from there.  She has been fighting a cold so I told the kids they couldn't hug her and I also told Kat she couldn't really stay.  Ruby was in the bathtub, so Kat poked her head in the door and greeted her.  Ruby began kissing all up and down her own arm and then flung it towards Kat. 

 "Here is a whole armful of kisses and smooches!" 

SO CUTE!  

Making Valentines For School

I found a really cute idea in a children's magazine about making Valentine cards for their class.  I got a package of 36 crazy straws and we made heart-shaped cards to attach by punching holes in the card and fixing it on the straws.  The cards say

"CRAZY 4 YOU"

 

 

In the photo below, Carson is actually instructing his  Mommy how to put the cards on the straws  "Mommy, you have to put the heart on the longer section of the straw!" 



  All the "kids" got in on the action. 

 

Carson asked if he could write  "Cars"  on some of the cards, since that is what a lot of the kids and teachers call him.  So cute! 

 

It was a full afternoon.  After making 30 crazy straw cards, we baked cookies, using the new cookie cutters that Aunt Stephanie gave Carson for Christmas -- a train engine, race car and airplane.  He did a great job. 

 

  Ruby frosting the cookies.  

 

Carson knows how to get to my heart -- he said to me a few weeks ago "Grandma, you never serve us pizza when we come to your house."  So I ended our day with one of my famous home made pizzas, to which the kids announced
"This is the best pizza ever!" 

GRATITUDE

Saying "Thank You"

I have been pleasantly blessed lately by the prayers of Carson and Ruby at the meal table.  They both love to pray before we eat, and sometimes forget that it is OK for someone else to say a blessing and will even have a fuss if they can't have a turn.  (we're working on that!)

 I love that they both seem to be filled with GRATITUDE when they talk to God.  Their prayers before meals usually consist of first thanking Jesus for their Mommy and Daddy.

 Thanking Jesus for their other family members and asking Him to keep them safe.

Thanking God for the roof over their heads and the food on their table (even asking Him to make a delivery from the Organics-To-You truck to the homes of people who are hungry, because they receive a delivery every week at their home).

 Thanking God for their beds and blankets to keep them warm. 

I love that they thank Jesus for "all the people who take care of us." 

 

When the twins are at my house for an over-nighter, I usually take time to trim their nails.  I was doing that with Carson on New Years Eve and he very spontaneously looked up at me and said

"Thank you Grandma Julee for always cutting my nails!" 

(Ahhh, it gave me tears in my eyes to hear his sweet gratitude!) 

 



Holidays

The last time Ruby was at my house, as we snuggled together in my bed in the morning hours, we were having a discussion about holidays.  Miss Ruby LOVES holidays and was asking me what the next holiday was going to be. 

"Well, honey, that would be Martin Luther King Day"

(I was sure their school would have the day off since it is a legal holiday and they would probably be talking about it in school as well.) 

"What's Martin Luther King Day, Grandma?"

"Well, honey, that's when we celebrate a great man named Martin Luther King who did a lot of good things for his people, the black people." 

"Oh! What's the next holiday?"

"That would be Valentines Day"

Ruby loves Valentines Day and we spoke about how we made their Valentines last year and how they each received a little mailbox full of Valentines from their friends at school. 

 

Apparently the next day Ruby was having a similar conversation with her momma about what was the next holiday.  Kristin said
"I think it is Valentines Day".

"Oh no mommy.  It's. . . . it's. . . . it's. . . . (Kristin could tell Ruby was thinking)

"It's when we give a big party for the black people!" 

 

I LOVE IT. . . 

PINK

Ruby asked me today if I would make the blog PINK.  Over the 5 years I have had it many different colors and designs, but this is the first time I made it PINK.  But for her, anything! (once)

Enjoy PINK. . . .

HAPPY NEW YEAR

We are having our second annual New Years Eve at Grandma Julee's house.  After having "Taco Tuesday" for dinner, the kids enjoyed watching Charlie Brown's New Years Eve show.  Below Ruby is so delighted when Woodstock began whistling so Peppermint Patty could ice skate.  You can see the shear delight on Ruby's face. 

 

And before we headed to bed it was the annual bang pans outside and yell

 HAPPY NEW YEAR! 
(even though it was only 8pm, it was midnight somewhere in the world!)

Ruby wanted the smallest pan and the biggest spoon. 

Carson chose tongs to bang with.  

 

Now how does one bang with tongs????

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR NEIGHBORHOOD! 

 

One story from Auntie Kat and it was off to bed. 



American Girl Doll Store

Here the girls are at the American Girl Store.  Ruby picked out Caroline and Emma selected Kit.  It was ironic because Caroline has long hair and Kit has a short bob, which is opposite from what the girls have themselves.  Those dolls were so special, that they went every where with them while in Seattle. 

Ruby asked her mom if she could take her satin pillow to Seattle, but her mom said she could take the satin pillowcase and put it on one of the hotel pillows.  That was the first thing she did when she got to the hotel.  (I believe this is her very first time sleeping in a hotel!) 

Out to Mexican food for dinner, with their dolls, of course.  Ruby even gave her doll some chips! 

I warned Kristin that I thought Ruby slept like she did as a child -- all over the bed.  The hotel room had two double beds for the 4 of them.  Megan was very used to sharing a bed with Emma and had no problems.  Kristin, on the other hand, got a taste of what she gave to me as a child.  Ruby was all over the bed and all over Kristin.  At 11:00 PM Ruby announced as she was tossing and turning . . . . . .
  "I miss my brother!"   At 1:30 AM, Kristin finally made Ruby a bed on the floor. 
I had to laugh at Kristin's text message to me very early Monday morning
 "I could use a space needle size coffee this morning!? 

Some cousin time in the morning before they started their day. 

 Their view of Seattle from the Westin Hotel.  Ruby said they could see the Space Needle too.

 

Coloring while they patiently waited for breakfast to be served. 

 

BREAKFAST  -- yes, Miss Emma ordered pasta with meatballs! 

Ruby was happy with pancakes and eggs. 

 

Next it was off to the big Ferris Wheel at the waterfront in Seattle.   It's called GREAT WHEEL.  

Waiting in line, Ruby wasn't too sure about it.  Emma had been on before with her Daddy.  Turns out, Ruby LOVED it. 

I wonder what was being whispered!

"Grandma, we even saw Bainbridge Island!"

Next it was off to the mall and a hot cocoa. 

What could be more fun than playing in a dressing room while Mommy tried on clothes at Nordstrom?  The mirrors provided lots of entertainment (or the 5 year old in the mirror, I should say!)

Silly  girls. . .

 

 Yeah, Miss Ruby, you are a head taller than your cousin -- and probably always will be.  (don't miss the fact they are sharing boots)

Such a fun girl's trip with the cousins. 
Sorry there were no photos of Megan -- she must have been busy taking them. 

http://www.americangirl.com/stores/location_sea.php
(American Girl Store)