Tales of a Shoebox Princess

Jim and I had Jackson and Emma for the weekend. It was good to be up close and personal grandparents for three full days. Boy, they were full days. Jim and I did nothing else but tend to them. Even sleeping was weird because we went to sleep knowing the baby would get up in the middle of the night at some point but we weren't sure when. It's weird to always be on the lookout. It's been a long time since we've had a baby wake us up. And it's been a long time since we've had to focus so much attention on children. It was a reminder of what it was like to be a young parent, only we had old people bodies to use instead of young people bodies. Not complaining, though. I'm glad we said we would babysit. It was almost tough to hand Jackson and Emma over to the other grandparents for the next three days, because I was pretty close to deciding to adopt them because they are just so darn cute. I enjoyed hearing Jackson say "Hi Gramma" at random times. I al...

Matt has been busy with school and robotics. For not seeing a lot of him, I was able to take lots of pictures. Here Matt is working on a project for "A Tale of  Two Cities" for English class. It's a guillotine made of yarn. A most ineffective guillotine, if you ask me. The finished guillotine. He says there is symbolism in the use of yarn and the colors of the yarn. It looks like a dream catcher. He got 28 out of 30 on his presentation, and apparently the teacher said he's good at BSing. I asked him why the teacher said that and he explained that his project broke during the presentation and he found a way to incorporate the breakage into his symbolism explanation.  Matt poses for the camera before his band concert the pre-band concert grimace You can never get a good picture of a short trombonist. You can only see half his head.  The Wind Ensemble plays "Godzilla Eats Las Vegas." This is either the third or fourth time I've ...

First big crossing off of something on my celebrating 50th year list: going to the Como Park Conservatory. It's a gloomy, foggy, misty Saturday in Minnesota, but the conservatory was a day brightener. The tropics room was nice and warm too. Before we went to the conservatory, Jim picked out a cafe for breakfast (which turned out to be more of a brunch because we got there at around 11), Key's Cafe. Jim had a Mexican omelet and I had Eggs Benedict with a side of avocado. The place was packed. While we waited, the staff put out samples to keep us happy. I had a delicious bite of cinnamon roll, and Jim tried the gingersnap cookie bite that was offered. The food was good, but they forgot my avocado and we had to remind them. But it was still good. Then we had only a mile or so from the cafe to the park. I had gone on field trips in elementary school to the Como conservatory, so the place has changed. Lots more has been added. But the part I remember is smaller that it was last ...

It's quiet again after the college kiddies left. Big news, Hayley is engaged! She has grown up quite a bit capability-wise since she left for college, but it's still weird to have many years of memories of a little girl coalesce into an adult that is independent and different that what you might have thought she was going to be. Anyway, we like Austin a lot and they seem to be happy together. (We also knew it was coming) Hayley is bleaching Katie's hair in prep for Katie eventually dying some of her hair purple. I like seeing my children do things together. Sleeping Emma Sleeping Jackson Sleeping Granddaddy, sleeping Emma, and sleeping Jackson The work-in-progress stage of my Tom Servo ornament. I have since finished cross-stitching it, but I guess I didn't take a picture. Magic Mittens I finished knitting Grandchildren in the kitchen Sleepy Emma Magic is trying to tell me to give him more food. He looks like he...

But I have to post something. All 5 kids are in Minnesota, the last college kid arrived from Korea on Friday. The house seems smaller, even smaller than it did when all of them were kids and lived here permanently. But that's ok. We still manage to eat, sleep, talk, watch movies, do laundry, laugh, and hang out so house size isn't that big of a deal.  all 5 babies home. We are playing games on the TV. JackboxTV thing that Jimmy has. I like the drawing one the best.  I put out a plate of cheese and crackers after church on Christmas day, and the kids make short work of it.  Matt and his robotic arm.  Hayley brought home a face mask for me to try. It effected great beauty on my face, but I didn't really get the hang of plastering it to my face with minimal wrinklage. I think my face is too short. Hayley fared much better.  Christmas day was less relaxing than I like, mostly because it fell on a Sunday and I am the ward music director, and I ...

Hayley's home!  When we got to the airport, we asked which door she would be at, and she said 3. So as I got to baggage claim, I watched as door 1 went by, then 2, then 4.... No 3! I parked the car by door 5 and sent Paul and Jimmy in. She had mistaken baggage carousels for doors and was down by door 6 (which was by carousel #3). But all is well, we've had breakfast at IHOP (she missed breakfast foods while in Korea) and we are home now, and she is using a normal shower for the first time in 4 months. There she is! The boys were a big help with the luggage Happy to be in the USA Breakfast!!!

I didn't take many pictures on my birthday. Not of my cake, not of my husband making the cake, or of the two children of mine who were around. Instead, I took selfies with the cutest lil' munchkin I know: my granddaughter. That's what was important on my birthday. I took a video of my grandson playing with my nativities, which was adorable, and I would post it, but this template and the saved videos on my phone don't get along. Since this next year of my life is my 50th year, I decided to make a list of things to do to celebrate being on this earth that long. My list: 1. Visit my sister who now lives in Memphis. We will go to Graceland. I'm not an Elvis fan, but if you go to Memphis to visit, you go to Graceland. You can't go to Memphis and NOT go to Graceland. 2. Go on a hike, possibly along the Mississippi River. I have a book that lists 60 hikes within 2 hours of the Twin Cities, which I will use to choose where I go. 3. Tour the James J H...