Knowing Snow

 These kids have to know snow. I told this to Daba one day last week and Ola the next day we were winding our way up the mountain to see, feel, and throw the cold stuff.  We live in the desert, but are close enough to drive to winter in the nearby Catalina Mountains. A good storm had passed through the week before, so now was our chance.

Daba and I grew up in the Midwest so we both have happy childhood memories of snow, not having to deal with it as adults.  Kenzer and Brody have seen the flakes fall and then disappear quickly. This time we were talking big snow.

During the first part of our ascend up the road, the scenery stayed familiar---cactus, rocks, dirt and sun.  I told Kenz it's like going up in an airplane, and she agreed ooohing and ahhing at the cityscape far below. We were all smiles--- until the fog, something Nana (or Daba) had not planned on. The fog was actually the thick clouds that like to hang out over the mountain. They are beautiful seeing them from my front yard, but not when you are on a cliff in a truck with precious cargo. In the thick grey steam, Daba did an awesome job of assuring us that this was nothing! Nana wanted to turn around, but that idea did not go over well and besides there was no where to turn around.

Daba had the headlights and the blinkers on explaining that this way no one coming down the mountain would hit us head on. (Sorry, this didn't help my anxiety.) He watched the yellow lines and I watched the white one, that small curvy strip on the right side of the road that separated us from the steep cliffs below.  Kenz and Brod know me well enough to know I was scared, but both of them were on Daba's side, insisting that it was fun being in the clouds.

Just about the time I couldn't take it any longer, Daba said, It's getting brighter which means we are almost out  and Wella! just as he spoke the words there was light and pine trees and snow. And it was beautiful, absolutely breathtaking. 

Nana, those are Christmas trees! Brody exclaimed.  

Yes they are sweetheart, but they call them pine trees!

Noooo Nana, they are Christmas trees!

In Brody's way of thinking this is where they kept all the Christmas trees, and there were billions of them covered in clumps of white snow, happy giants saving Christmas until it comes back. 

The snow got deeper and we finally found a spot to unload our new plastic sleds.  Brody's dad was with us and I swear he thought he was in heaven, carving places to fly down the hills. Daba who kept announcing the temperature, now declared it was 29 degrees! But none of us were cold. We were having way too much fun.

I think the best thing about the day was seeing how adaptable the grandkids were. (Daba agrees.) They got right in the snow and enjoyed it as if it was something they did everyday.What troopers!

This is a day trip we are definitely going to do again, but only on a day with very thin clouds in the sky.

Feet Painting

Yesterday was like summer. It was nearly 80! I had a wonderful walk/talk with a nurse friend.  Nothing like blue skies, fresh air, and sun. Love that sun. Let it hit the granny, turn her skin a little pink. Not all the time, but sometimes, like yesterday.  When the real desert summer comes, I'll wear my hat and a little sunscreen.

 It's already Wednesday! On Monday, Kenz spent the night. Since it was an unplanned event we went to good ole Kohl's to get something for her to wear to school the next day. In the children's section, all the winter stuff was haphazard, hanging off hangars on the final clearance rack. No matter! She needed shorts and short sleeves! We ended up getting a head start on Spring with three pairs of shorts and shirts (all on sale too!)

Oh and little Brody was here on Monday. I have a suggestion for anyone who watches a three.

Get the Face Painting Kit pictured below.

This time Bro Bro wanted a boy and a girl!

I don't know why, but Brody thinks it's the greatest thing in the world. We used the paints on Halloween for Kenz (Princess Bride) and then she did my face, which I didn't like. I never say that about something she does, but I did not like what she did on my face. (I will show you.) 

Talk about an identity crisis. I had no idea what I was supposed to be!

The kit is best for small painting. The instructions and illustrations show you exactly what to do. 

One more thing while I'm blogging. Kenz is sellling Girl Scout cookies. Did you know the troop gets to keep some of the money for an activity? Her troop (I love when she says that word) is going to Disneyland. No set dates yet, but getting to go on a trip surely would motivate a gal to get out there and hustle. Here's how she pitched Nana. She made sure I had descriptions of the cookies. How bout two of each box, Nana? Of course!

Cheers to painting and cookies and February!

New! I like New!

New Year ... new things to do!

Here's a brief sketch of Kenzie's (age 9) current life activities...Montessori School, After School Spanish, Soccer (All Stars),  Piano lessons,  and Sunday School.  Oh and Brownies Group! Am I forgetting anything?

When she is at Nana and Daba's she's writing stories, reading, putzing around.. looking at the stuff Nana has nooked, or like yesterday she did an art project and began the makings of a collage.

I took this one in the car yesterday and she took the one of me  on the side bar.   First pictures since  Christmas. The first pics in the NEW year.

When Kenz is with her dad she's watching sports, walking the dogs, watching daddy cook dinner or reading. With Mommy she does homework, plays board games (Rummykins, Apples to Apples, Headbanz and others). She also watches some TV and  plays the Wii games (tennis, bowling, Michael Jackson dance).  In her room she plays Barbies, American Girl dolls and music on her CD player or MP3. She keeps her room nice and neat, folds her laundry and just about everyday writes in her journal about the very things I've mentioned above.

What an incredible girl she is! I love the fact that her life is full and meaningful. She has good friends at school and although there are the tensions between girls at this age she is quick to forgive and move on. Yesterday when I picked her up from aftercare (oh yeah another activity) she had good-bye hugs for just about everyone on the playground. She is tall and strong, beautiful, healthy and smart.

Brody had to say good-bye to Santa, but guess what! Christmas is coming again this year. Yeah Nana, we are going to have Christmas again!  He loved loved loved the whole holiday season!

And Brody (age 3) is a busy guy, too. He 's in preschool two mornings a week.  He still  has a couple of half-days at Nanas. We play puppet show, read books, take walks, play matching games, color, paint and all that fun stuff. He likes to ride his bike here and at home, go to the park with his parents, play computer games and go to the Movie Theater. His parents told me he sat through the Chipmunk movie and a couple others during the holiday season.  He wants to take Nan to the movie. "What movie you wanna see Nana?" Oh what a cute, smart, happy, calm boy my grandson is!

So that leaves one more person I want to tell you about. Me! I am working three days a week as an RN in a Rehab hospital. For exercise, I am working out a the gym once a week.  My body builder son is giving me some coaching on proper form and I am using the principles in the book Body By Science.   I am also doing some day walks (the weather has been awesome), reading, resting, writing,  and eating dinners with Daba. The highlight of my week is my new writing class... for Poetry and Fiction writing. I'm loving getting the motivation to write and write and write....


 So excited about the new year ahead!  I hope you are too!  Happy New Year!

Annual Musts

I cannot believe how fast the year went!  Today I had my annual eye exam.  There is some law somewhere that requires contac lens wearers to see the Optometrist once a year. The visit then allows  a purchase of a twelve month supply of contacs.  I felt like I was sitting in that chair, getting the puffs of air in the eyes (to check for glaucoma) a couple of months ago, but my chart showed that it was December of 2010.  At least my eyes didn't change this year. They see the same.

The days speed by, too! It's dawn, then it's dusk, then it's dark.  I've heard 'old' people say this happens. I'm feeling it! I remember when a year was a long stretch of months ahead. Without a doubt my years supply of contacs will be gone before I know it.

Christmas day... has come and gone.  I think it's smart that we start getting ready for the holidays right after Halloween instead of after Thanksgiving, like in the olden days.  Nowadays, everything moves so fast...

Kenzer is almost as tall as me! 

Brody had a blast with the inflatibles!  He absolutely loves these things!

What a nice Christmas we had! This year we went to my son's and daughter-in-law's house. (Thanks guys!)  Daba still did the cooking.  He made the best prime rib... ever.  Our same gang was there again... my niece Lara, sister-in-law Rita, Nana Sandy, Gabe (Kenzie's dad), Shelley, (Kenzie's mom), Mike (my son) and his wife Jodi. And the stars of the show... of course... Kenz and Brody.

Our family has well-established annual traditions. Last Christmas we did the same format. Rita's for Christmas Eve.  Then Daba makes the Christmas dinner. Not only did we do it this way last Christmas, but every Christmas since 1990, after Daba's mother passed away.  She had Christmas at her house for many years.

Sort of like a contac lenses exam, there is some law somewhere that says... our family must gather at the appointed times, eat wonderful treats, exchange gifts, eat a nice dinner, play with the new toys (this year was Wii games). Traditions are essential. My children wouldn't know any different. They never had a year without the tree, the presents, the family, the Christmas dinner.  Now they are passing these traditions to their kids!

Time may be slipping away, but it's good to have a way to package it up and experience it the same time, same station year in and year out! Variations on theme are of course just fine.  It's the doing of something, anything to mark the holidays that help us to stop the clock for a moment and see things in a new light!

And a good time was had by all!

Winnie and Tigger were at the neighbor's house last year. Brody was thrilled that they came back this season! 

                                

This Old Box

You do realize that some of these boxes are ancient? I was talking to myself while unloading the contents of the green plastic containers onto the kitchen table. I've had more time to do this lately. That is, talk to myself. Brody's other grandma is in town. And like Santa Claus coming to town... she and Bro Bro are off on a sleigh ride enjoying each other's company.

This leaves Nana Connie in the step house doing something she is very good at.  Daba calls it... fimble-ling. I call it putzing or puttering. Sort of like fluttering, too. I flit from one thing to the next. (Brody probably learned some of his behaviors from me. See my recent post IF YOU...)

Anyhow, this morning, there I was studying the ornament boxes. You know the ones I'm talking about.  The ones you find... after Christmas... lying around the house or tucked under the tree, days after the presents have disappeared. These are not trash!

An old Steve Madden slipper box and a Mikasa stemware box with dividers!

A whole year has gone by and once again I am delighted to see my ornaments and the odd boxes keeping them intact. I am particularly fond of the Raggedy Ann box. You know this was something I bought for Kenz, I told Daba, who was now nearby cooking us some peppers and scrambled eggs. He didn't care about the box. He doesn't get it.  An old box to him is well... nothing to write home about. (And he'll probably think I'm nuts when he finds out I am blogging about them.)

Believe it or not, the cellophane on Raggedy Ann is intact. I turned over the box to check the price.  Aha! Now I remember where I bought it.  It wasn't in a big box store, but at a real toy store, one that several years ago went by the wayside. The tag is bright orange. It was eight dollars and fifty cents. Knowing me, I must have bought it on sale.

My Raggedy Ann box is not ragged. The doll, however, is long gone. Kenz was a newborn when I gave it to her, nine years ago. Ann didn't make it through my daughter's own move in 2009 and she may have even disappeared long before that. But hey, I got the box. I love the box. I have others, too. They are keepsakes of the traditions. They have purpose. They have storage rights. Since this will be the first Christmas in our apartment after living in our house for 28 years, I may be more sentimental than usual. The boxes and all the trimmings survived the shuffle! They weren't sold at the yard sale or donated to the Salvation Army.  They have arrived again this holiday season ready to give branchfuls of memories.

I have the Precious Moment box (and the ornament) Ant Jean gave us in 2005. I also have the box for the cactus ornaments I bought for my sister Joni.. gotta be... a decade ago. I remember I couldn't send them to Denver for fear they'd break, so I mailed them in different box. The Dillard's  cactus box is just sturdy enough to hold my mirrored disco balls. Dillard's Department store is gone too! It became Macy's, but in between it was some other store.

 I'm grateful for the little treasures that follow us through our lives.  My Christmas stuff is exactly as it was last year, even though so many things have changed...

And now, let the moments of joyful preparation continue...