The Magnificient Seven

My Kenz has reached a milestone. She is seven years old! She has graduated to the 7-14 size section at Kohls, Target and all the other girl's departments across the land.  She is a first grader, no longer a preschooler and not yet a middle-schooler. She is learning to ride her bike w/o training wheels and she can TIE her shoes.

She loves to imagine crazy situations with her Barbie dolls. Yesterday the King and Queen were coming for a visit. They arrived on an invisible magical carriage. The others were lined up, decked out in the latest Barbie fashions, even the Hannah doll who bolted out a song for the royal couple, "The best of both worlds."

Kenz has friends she cherishes. One of her best friends names is Cherish and Riley and Adrianna and Gezana and....

Kenzer is full of spunk. She loves to play hide and seek, color, paint faces (thanks Ant Jean, great gift), read chapter books and watch her favorite programs. One of her favs is the Golden Girls. She likes the old old lady Sophie.

Kenzie girl likes movies that aren't scary and Vanilla milk with whipped cream from Starbucks drive-thru.  She loves her family and family get-togethers. She adores Brody and her little cousins on her dad's side of the family. She loves loves loves her Nanas. She has three of them. And she also loves her two grandpa's. Everyone was at the birthday party. We went to PUMP IT UP, a jumping castle place. She sat in the Queen's chair and opened magnificent gifts from her classmates and relatives. She beamed... but then again she is always beaming.....

It's wonderful to be SEVEN!

Lonely Doll memories

I  saw the pink checkered cover in a quaint little toy shop in a upscale mall. It was in the window tucked behind a big box of Tinker Toys.  "Oh wow, I remember that book," I said to my son. We were having an outing with Brody. "We have to go in and get it."  The store was small and the stroller barely fit around the Tommy Train Table or wooden kitchen set-up where a toddler was cooking dinner. I pulled out my credit card and paid 8.99 with the tax.THE LONELY DOLL was published in 1957. The story and the photographs are by DARE WRIGHT. I was two years old at the time.

Later in the day when I read it to Kenz, she asked me why the pictures were all in black and white. I told her I didn't think they had color photographs back then. (Can you imagine?)She loved the little teddy bear, who befriends the lonely doll.  He is so cute Nana.

One rainy day, Mr. Bear, his dad, leaves Little Bear and the lonely doll, Edith, alone. The two are not happy about this. They find a closet and a dressing table where they write on a mirror with lipstick. MR. BEAR IS JUST A SILLY OLD THING! They are having fun until they see Mr. Bear's reflection in the mirror. He is watching them. "I may be a silly, Mr. Bear answered , but I know when a naughty little girl needs a spanking."

Oh dear... I'm thinking to myself when I read it to Kenz. I don't remember this part.  Even the word spanking seems so foreign. It almost seems... wrong.  Time out might have been more appropriate. Spanking  though,  was an accepted way to disipline children way back then, before time-out, before explanations on why they made the wrong choice. But, I'm sorry, I have a real hard time with spanking, even the word seems to be.... dated. I don't know that hitting someone is the answer. There is  a biblical mandate, a proverb that says 'spare the rod, spoil the child.' Still I would like to interpret rod to mean time-out or maybe extra chores, or a holding back of a privledge. For as many times that I read LONELY DOLL in my youth, I don't remember being upset about Edith  getting a spanking from Mr, Bear. He wasn't even her parent! I know some people believe in spanking their children. If that is what they truly believe is the best thing for the child then that is their perogative.

I like books that I read a long long long time ago..... I know they open doors to my long ago childhood.  This one however held a surprize, a long forgotten memory.  The pink checkered cover does bring back an immediate soul response.... it was a book I spent time with, maybe on a rainy day when I was feeling lonely.

Put It On The Blog

I didn't know what a blog was until...umm... three, maybe... four years ago.  Kenz is turning seven and she is well-acquainted with blogs and a blogger (her Nana).  Brody's mom is also a blogger. She blogs about Brody. We are both braggers, I mean bloggers of our interactions and reactions of grandmahood and motherhood, respectively.

Kenzie's mom is a Facebooker. She has several albums of fun stuff/times and some prize pictures of the Kenz.  Sometimes Grandpa Daba will read the posts and look at the pics on our blogs. He is not however, crazy about blogging, neither is he a fan of Facebook.  "I don't why you would want to share your business with strangers," he remarks.  He does know that 'the business' I share is limited. I am not one to air the laundry.

Blogging for me is not a means to an end. It is an activity that I find relaxing. It is the ultimate in self-publishing, it's free and no one is looking over my shoulder saying things like that's boring, or that won't work or people will not be entertained. It's my words (and photos) on my time for anyone who wants to drop by for a visit.

I have a few people who do, by the way, visit my blog. There are actually more than a few. There are enough people stopping by for me to know... I am not writing to the air. The Sitemeter, which I installed over 365 posts ago reports that I have had 12,941 Page Views. (That's not counting my visits)  The average number of visitors I have daily is between 12 and 20. Yesterday the BY LOCATION tab reported visits from faraway places, namely Belgium, Singapore, Australia and Japan. Many of the visitors land on my page after Googling something to do with children, grandma's or one the many activities I've written about.  In that sense, my blog is a bit generic. My family member from around the country visit, but rarely leave comments. Comments haven't been reflective of the number of people stopping by, although I cherish comments. I have made friends with some of the people on my sidebar. I visit their pages to see what's happening in their worlds.

The  picture below is a snake that Kenzie made at Montessori. Before she showed it to me she said, Nana I have something for you to put on the blog. She usually doesn't tell me this unless she likes what she has made. Many of her creations over the last few years were posted without her permission, but I don't remember her ever opposing their placement on my little spot of the big blogsphere.

I sewed the snake by myself Nana, it has PINTO beans in it. My teacher had to help me with the tongue and she did some of the stitches.

I like Kenz's snake. I like that she likes it.

 I like that she wants me to put it on the Blog.

I propose a toast

(with my morning coffee)

Clink!

To Blogging!

Halloween is a treat for grandmas

How adorable is this little giraffe?

Good Witches of the WestCousins trick or treating. Look at Dad's flip flops. We had very mild weather and a FULL Moon. Brody's trunk was his bag for his treats. I wonder what was going through his fourteen-month old brain when all of a sudden people are dressed funny and walking up to houses and getting candy from a funny person holding a big bowl.   And why does grandma have that big tall silly hat on?                                           

Baby on a Broom

Remember the old-fashioned Halloween Carnival at the grammar school down the block?  On the night before Trick or Treat day each classroom was magically transformed into an exciting chance to win something.  Although you could still smell the chalk dust, there was not a desk in sight. We were thrilled with fishing ponds, cake walks and toss games. There was a  long line to get in the spook house where the big eighth graders were in charge of scaring the younger kids. The cafeteria became Hot Dog Cafe where families gathered to eat dinner before hitting the bake sale for a taffy apple, pumpkin bread or a gooey gooey black and orange cupcake concoction.  The  EXIT door of the cafe was open and in the grass was the Dunk the Principal booth.  You had to have a strong arm and a sharp eye to hit the target that would lower a man or a lady sitting above a big steel bucket into the icy water. You also had to have a lot of tickets. By the end of the evening you would be searching the orange ticket-covered floor for  ones that hadn't been ripped in half. Your face mask was dangling in your hand, unless you were a cat or something that was drawn on your face. The goldfish you won would be sploshing around in a plastic bag, next to your bag of goodies filled with wax Dracula fangs, plastic ring spiders, Smarties and candy corn.

I know these carnivals still happen in schools and churches. I haven't been to one in a few years though, and they might be a bit more sophisticated.  Last night, six-year old (almost seven) Kenzie, in her cheerleader costume went with her other Nana to a Halloween 'carnival', a family time, in of all places... the grocery store.  When I went to see her when she got home, she was out of costume except for her pig tails. Through her sniffles (she's getting over a cold), she was so excited to tell me about the experience.  Nana, we trick or treated around the store and guess what, I was number 10 on the cake walk!  I didn't win but someone next to me did. I even decorated a cookie with frosting! She then emptied the grocery bag she was clutching. There wasn't an overload of stuff, but a few choice candies and plastic toys. And Nana, look what I won when my fishing pole went behind the box. Was it on a magnet? I asked. No Nana, on a clothespin. (She knows what a clothespin is?) She showed me her winnings including a pumpkin puzzel with tiny balls that roll around in hopes of landing in the eye sockets. She then ran and got me the picture she colored. So simple, a baby blue cat witch holding a pumpkin. It kinda looks like your baby cousin Brody, I told her.  Nana! I was going write his name on bottom but I colored over it in orange cause I didn't know if you would think so like me. 

On my way home I got to thinking how Halloween can be so innocent and so sweet. Tomorrow on the real day, Kenz is planning on being a witch. I am also going to wear a witch costume, one that her mom had from last year. We are going to be twin witches, Kenzie likes to say.We will trick or treat in a neighborhood where the houses are close together.  There will be some scary stuff out there, but we will keep it simple and fun, going from house to house with our flashlights, filling our pumpkins with surprizes to take home and examine. I can't wait!

Greeting the Season

Today in the desert we woke up to very cold air.  I took these pictures yesterday when it felt like spring. Brody is missing his morning yard time, but we have to wait till the sun warms things a bit.  Kenzie has a little cold or maybe allergies, hopefully. She stayed home with her mom today.

It seems that the week proceeding Halloween is one that usually brings big changes in the way of wellness and weather.

Anyhow, I was remarking to Jodi when she dropped off her Brody this morning that today feels like the beginning of the Christmas season. I almost feel like putting my Christmas tree up... now, because I know the next two months are going to evaporate as the season swishes by like a windstorm. 

Typical for Today

 Last night Brody's parents went out to dinner. When they got back to collect their boy, his mom asked me a question that sort of made me think a bit. And that was, "So Con, what's a typical morning with Brody like?" 

Without thinking about it, my immediate thought was ...none of my days over the last year have been 'typical'. 

 The first year of a child's life is so full of changes, it seems that whenever you turn around, it's a new stage of development.  This changes routines or at least shifts them a bit.  Since I didn't want Brody's mother to think I am totally schedule-less or without some sort of predictability (she's knows I'm not) I came up with a little outline of the morning, but here's a more detailed one that I  also want to share with my readers. Mind you... this is typical of today....

Here goes.  Thirteen-month old Brody gets here at 7:30 AM three mornings a week, or at least that is Mommy's goal.  As soon as I see my grandson's face I am happy he's here, no matter how tired I am.  I can say this for grandpa too, who lights up like a twinkling Christmas tree.

The first thing Brody wants to do is go down the hall and point to the the pictures of the people hanging way up high on the wall. Everyone, including his mom, is "DA-DA."  After picking him up to examine the faces of my children when they were in grammar school and Grandpa when he was six months old (a very strong resemblance to Brody) he goes back down the hall to look for our dog, Cody.

Brody can say the word dog perfectly. He says doog (as in cool). He gets excited to see the doog and runs  to him to pet him or tease him. He likes to take the dog's toy bone and run with it.  Grandpa and him then get into a lively teasing the dog game. They all have fun for about ten minutes. Then it's outside time with grandpa.

The three of them are out the door and right over to the orange tree to pick a green ball.  Brody loves this.  They find a good one without any bird poop on it and Brody helps to pluck it off. Today it was nice enough, cool and refreshing, in fact just plain wonderful, that I had to get out there and play a little ball in the grass with Brody. Grandpa washed down the bricks and areas where the doog pees, then went inside to finish making the breakfast I had started making for the boy.

 Next stop is the high chair, the same one we used to granny nanny Kenzie. Brody ate some Trader Joe organic ABC pasta, green, yellow and orange, and a few bites of some sweet Cantelope from Sprouts. Grandpa tossed him a couple bites of toast. He enjoyed his breakfast, as Grandpa played the Claw game (I'm going get you) ... between every bite... making him laugh when the monster grabbed his foot. Grandpa loves when Brody laughs. The child has a magnificient smile... his whole face smiles... especially them big brown beautiful eyes..  

Out of the kitchen and into the playroom. Brody cruises his toys while I cruise my e-mail. This doesn't last long though, because he wants to be on the computer, too. He wants to watch Cebu, from Veggie Tales. I had it on my blog in March and he's addicted to it.  OK we'll watch it one time!  After dancing to Cebu, it's walk time, my favorite time.

 Out the door we go into the beautiful blue sky of October. Brody loves this, too. We walk for about thiry minutes. He doesn't make a peep. He watches the scenery go by.. listens to the birds and feels a little breeze on his cheeks. I have him guarded from too much sun with a blue baby blanket. Brody falls asleep on the way home. I lower the stroller into the recliner position, put my phone on mute and walk slowly... listening to my footsteps and the wheels crunching the pavement.

When we get inside the house, the doog sometimes barks or grandpa's phone rings or a truck roars by and Brody wakes up.  Today he did not wake up. He is getting some good Z's still in the stroller, which is exactly why Grandma is writing this long post about our 'typical day'.

When sweet boy wakes up we'll hang around the playroom, then my room, reading books and exploring, until I'm ready to go to the store.  Brody goes along with me and is always a great companion. He probably gets tired of my kisses as he sits in the grocery cart, but I keep us moving along, so he doesn't get antsy. Oh, he's up! Time to sign off.

If your'e a granny nanny or a grandpa nanny or just babysit occassionally, I'd love to hear a slice of your day. Send a comment.

Naps and Nurturing

I was just browsing Oprah.com and took a quiz to find out what's me? I ranked high as a Nurturer.  I already knew this about myself, because afterall, I am a nurse and... a Granny Nanny.  What I need to be reminded (and this was in the answer) is to not say 'yes' to things I might not feel like doing. Also, to take care of my spiritual, emotional and physical needs before nurturing all the nurturerees (my word) in my world. The yes is happening... this week... with ta-da.... the additon of two half hour sessions with a fitness trainee. My daughter and I signed up together on the buddy plan. She is mom to Kenz and has decided she needs to do this to take better care of herself. Massages, walks, and some alone time.... everyday... are other ways this Nana revives herself.

I took the picture of Brody (above) just as he was about to doze off  into motion-driven dreamland. I used to drive Kenz around to take a nap, almost on a daily basis.  I promised myself I wouldn't do it again with Brody and I haven't succumbed to it (yet.)  I walk him to sleep in the stroller, but I won't waste 15 dollars worth a gas a week just to squeeze in a nap.  Brody, however, will almost always, without fail, fall asleep if we go any further than fifteen minutes from home in my car.  I've learned over the last year how to ever so carefully lift him out of the car seat and put him in the stroller in the reclining position so he can catch a few winks, while I shop around. He usually wakes up half-way through our outing or when I'm tucking him back into the carseat. There's a science to all this and I must say I'm pretty good at it.

It's been said that grandmas are moms with lots of experience! We can also get better at taking care of ourselves, wit a few reminders now and then.

Kenz's Ladder

Look what crawled up on my desk, right on top of my current read Ladder of Years by Ann Tyler.  It's an egg carton/pipe cleaner spider that Kenz made at Montessori. The other night  Brody and I attended the school's open house along with Kenz's parents.  Brody immediately became a Montessori kind of kid and got his hands and mind wrapped around as many materials as he possibly could. Kenz showed us The Money Box, where the children complete units on coin and paper money value. She then showed us the Pin Maps, which are very cool.  She found the Europe map and showed me Italy. The room was full of parents and children, most of whom were on the floor absorbed in learning games and puzzels.  Montessori kids don't have desks.  They set up boundaries when they put their materials on low- to-the-floor tables or on their personal rugs.  I went to pick up a Pin Map off a table and Kenz stopped me, Nana we don't touch anyone else's things that they are working on.  I like this.  It gives the children freedom to feel that they can wander and then return to what they were doing without having things missing or disrupted. They are also taught from the get-go to put away what they are not using and to finish one project at a time. On the way home Kenz told me "Nana you have to spend a day visiting to learn more about our school."  Sounds like fun to me!

By the way I recommend Ann Tyler's novel Ladder of Years. (Thanks sister Jean) The cover says that it's A New York Times Notable Book. It was written way back in 1995. The main charactor Delia has a whole world inside her head, like most of us. Tyler is very good at spilling details on the page.

Step Downs

Nana and Daba's house has these little step downs that I need to learn to maneuver.

If I hold on to the wall, it might help me to get down without falling boom!

Grandpa Daba is standing next to me and he's ready to catch me.

I can do it... I can step down....... all by myself. I go slow. I feel for the floor with my toes.

Hey people do you know I have been walking for a little more than a month?

I look so cute, because I am a little chunkin! I make everybody smile just by walking across the room!

Charming!

This is day three back from my trip to Tuscany. I went with my brother Joe and a group of David Whyte poetry fans. Not only was the countryside incredibly serene and inspiring, but so were the daily sessions listening to the poet. You can Goggle him to learn more.

This was my first trip to Italy and hopefully, not the last. The place is a paradise of hospitality. We stayed in an ancient farmhouse dating back to 1427 that has been converted to a hotel. It's located 15 kilometers south of Florence. No two rooms are alike. They are simple and elegant, with tile floors and antique furniture. The suites have kitchens that come equipped with Italian coffee and Espresso makers. The grounds are high on hill and hiking to the small town near the bottom provided for exhilarating views, woody scents and huge breaths of clean pure air. We had perfect weather with several chances to don an umbrella while carousing the small shops in the skinny streets of Florence and Volterra.

The Italians eat good food. They eat only seasonal vegetables and many raise they own pigs and goats for meat and cheese. At one Ristorante, our group devoured the ensalde so quickly that the owner had to go out to the garden. He brought back two large cabbages, then shredded and tossed them in his delicious green home grown olive oil. Imagine how great it tasted with a slice of ricotta cheese and a glass of Chianti made from grapes in the nearby vineyard.

Charming! This is the word that sums up my experience of Tuscany. I will be digesting the trip for months to come. I love my Tuscan napkins and have already tried a few recipes from my new cookbook that was a gift from the author who was one of our guides. Check back to my blog in the days to come and I'll post a few of my favorites.

Now, back to my espresso.

Ciao!

Nana In Nonna Land

The card from Kenz (above) was on my desk when I got home from Italy. I was gone for about two weeks. Kenz and Brody both have made subtle, wonderful changes. Brody is steady on his feet and Kenz was excited to read to me from a Mary Pope Osborn Chapter book. She had two of them and had read the first one. "I'll let you borrow it, Nana, so you can read it, too," Of course, I loved hearing this.

Italy is beautiful. I kept my eyes open for Nonnas and Bambini. The country has a love of children, a dedication to them. The Nonna pictured above gladly let me photograph her and her granddaughter. What I saw beaming in her eyes was the same joy I have in my heart for my grandchildren! She was shining in the quiet afternoon sun, right after a siesta. Love them siesta's!

I love September. It's always been my January. What a special time! The grape harvest is flouishing across the countryside and I am refreshed and ready for the holdiay months ahead. Nothing like a getting away from it all! It's the wine of life.

Brody gave me the sweetest, cuddliest hug when he first saw me. He's saying a few words, but his favorite is Hi! He is my Italian heartthrob!

Ciao!

Walking Before His First

Brody started walking about ten days ago, a few weeks short of his first birthday. We are all so proud of him, but he just might be the proudest one of all. He is true to the name toddler. Not a tea-toddler either. Grandpa says he walks like he just finished a fifth of gin. Oh! Grandpa, you are so funny! And Brody you are so Cute!

Happy Birthday Kenzie's Mom