Time for Grandkids

Just thought I'd post a few recent pics of the new grandson with my youngest granddaughter.

Although Brady adores his cousin Melody, he refuses to smile for the camera.  No matter how funny something is, when the camera comes out, the expression goes serious!  Mommy said he got that from Daddy; he hates the camera, too.

Brady had fun squirming around on Melody's lap.  Good thing it's a big chair.  She's only three years older, so he's a lap-full for her.

Just like big people, it melted her heart when he smiled at her. 

This is my favorite shot:

Seems they both really love to watch Dora!

...and each other.  

I simply must brag on the intelligence of Melody's older sister Grace.  Gracie is five and just finishing kindergarten.  I was trying to trick her last week, but couldn't because she's so smart!  She told me that she's not really smart.  I said, "Yes, you are very smart.  I bet you know the capital of Mars."  She asked, "Is capital the big or the little letter?"  I said, "The big ones."  "Oh, then 'M'."  Now, is that genius or what?

A Quick Update...

 I've been MIA again...  Last week I had a very sick granddaughter here for some TLC.  Today I started babysitting my new grandson, and also have the kindergarten girl for a few days.  And I still haven't started my taxes!  So don't be surprised if you don't read comments from me for a few days... or a couple of weeks!

I thought I'd take a minute to post a couple of pics to show you what I've been up to in my 'spare' time...

A while back, I shared my  drawing of a TV table I wanted Mr J to build.  Well, here's the almost finished product:

 

I'm really pleased with the way it turned out.  It's the first piece of furniture that Mr J has built.  I('m already planning the next.)  I still have some detail work to do...  The trim has carved detail that I am going to paint to make it stand out.  Of course, whenever I get around to that I'll post a pic.  

As you can see, it holds a lot of the kids' toys and games.  Videos fit nicely on the bottom shelf behind the wood boxes.  I found them at Michael's and painted them to match.   Now I have a handy place to keep my cameras, batteries and PC cables.  Plus, I finally have a little more space to display some of my  handmade gifts from the grandkids!

I bought two slipcovers last week... one for my FIL's ugly worn recliner and one for my over-sized, over-stuffed chair.  So I stripped the ottoman that matched the chair...

I've had it for almost 20 years!  It was due for a change.  It had a muted print with a pleated skirt.  When we moved the TV, we balanced it on here for a few minutes and now it leans to one side.  I'm going to take it apart and replace the uprights with a beefier size, but less of them.  I'm going to add a solid bottom and keep it open for handy storage for magazines or games.  It will be painted off-white to match the TV table.  The cushion will be covered in denim or tooled leather.  Haven't decided yet.  I'm thinking denim since I have two rectangular ottomans under the front windows that will be the tooled leather.  (I'm not a 'matched set' kind of person.  I prefer eclectic.)

Well, it's after midnight. the baby comes at seven, and the farrier is scheduled to come at eleven.  I think I'd better go, but first I'll share a video of the boys experiencing a bit of spring fever...

G'night all!

Adding a Boy to the Mix...

My grandgirls: Melody, Grace, Dani, Lexi

And introducing Brady.

The girls have decided that he's a keeper.

Stars of the Family

I couldn't resist sharing this video. I do hope the link works. My daughter posted this one on her facebook page. My two youngest grands, Grace and Melody, are performing their original hit song in a local pub they call The Basement.

The lyrics aren't quite as deep as Dylan, but for their age... Hey, they're having fun!

A Night for Stars

I have season tickets for LaComedia Dinner Theatre. This month's production was Annie, so I took Grand #1 Dani & #3 Grace with us. My best friend took five of her grandchildren. (She's braver than me... or crazier!) I reserved the front center table right off the stage. The kids love being right next to the actors. We changed seats before the play started. I sat behind some of the kids with Grace on my lap. She sat straight up through most of the show. Every time they finished a number, she would applaud with everything in her!


Dani had every actor sign her playbill. Here she is getting autographs from Annie and Daddy Warbucks.

All the children did a spectacular job! The actor that played Annie is the same age as Ali. She was very poised and professional.

I couldn't help but think of another Annie... If you follow Jeff D'Antonio on My Life... lived my way, you'll remember his post on Katie playing the role of Annie. (If you don't follow his blog, you're really missing out.) Anyway, every time Annie sang 'Maybe', I thought of Kate. I don't know how Jeff held up through the emotional performance. If you don't know what I'm talking about, grab a box of tissues and read up on his story.

A great time was had by all! By the time I took the kids home and picked up Ali (she went to a swim party today) it was almost 11pm. Ali curled up in the car with a pillow and left me alone on the forty-five minute country drive home to contemplate how truly blessed I am.

...and they're off !

This weekend, while Ali is at home doing things with her soccer team, her sister Dani is visiting us. Yesterdays storms prevented much outdoor activity, but today is bright and sunny. After church Dani wanted to ride Maggie. Her is a rare photo of her slacker face. (Comedian Tim Hawkins says it takes more muscle to frown than smile, so smiley people are slackers.) Usually Dani is wearing what she calls her default face... This photo is proof that Maggie does know what the word whoa means...

Since it had rained over two inches yesterday, we had to stay in the back pasture that is already destroyed. Good thing! If it hadn't been for the rain, they would have probably been in an open area outside the fence.

I led Maggie out of the paddock to the grassy part to let Dani mount up. I envy how easily these young girls can pull themselves up onto this tall thoroughbred. Dani has a smashed toe and can only wear flip-flops right now, so she had to ride barefoot. Not my top choice, but barefoot is safer than flip-flops. Unless they're just walking in the round pen or being led by me, I usually have them wear a helmet... But it's Maggie, right? She's so gentle and sweet, and at 28 isn't really in a hurry to go anywhere.

After I watched her circle and stop several times, I was confident that Dani could easily handle Maggie. I went in the house to get my camera. I didn't want to be gone too long, so I went out the bedroom door near where Dani was riding and walked over to the fence. It was wonderful watching her trot and circle. It was a little hard for her to post with the sore toe, but I think she did great. I love watching Maggie trot; Her long, slender legs are so graceful. As you can see, I shot these pics and video from outside the electric fence.

My camera shut off at this point The batteries were too low to take any more video, so you'll have to take my word for what happened next... Well, I'm not really sure what happened next... Either a wild spirit horse possessed Maggie or a horse fly bit her on the behind. Whatever it was, it scared the bejeebies out of me! Papaw had just come back outside and got to witness it too.

All of a sudden Maggie took off like the racehorse she used to be! I screamed instructions to Dani, but she was doing the best she could to hold on for dear life! I screamed at Maggie to whoa... Remember, she knows what it means. I could see the devil in her eyes as she stole my firstborn grandchild from my sight. She barrelled down the straight track and headed for the gravelly paddock. It was a nightmare! My heart raced as I ran toward the barn, screaming Dani's name. Maggie and Dani disappeared behind the run-in shelter, still going full-steam ahead! There's only a few feet on the other side before the fence closes off the paddock. My best hope was that Maggie would spin and toss Dani off into the manuer pile. Not a happy thought, but at least it's softer than landing on hard packed clay and gravel. I was in a panic!

Then I heard her voice... that tiny, soft, delicate voice I love saying, "I'm OK." Then she appeared... still on Maggie... walking back toward me with a huge smile on her face! It was one of those smiles you see on people as they exit the latest thrill ride at the amusement park. Her legs were trembling as she led Maggie back to the barn door. I laughed and asked her if she was done riding for the day. She laughed and said, "Yeah, I'm pretty tired now."

Horses & Chickens & Kids, Oh my!

Yesterday was wonderful, despite having to deal with the nursing home issues mentioned in my essay's blog. I thank God for the good times that balance out the bad.

I gave Maggie a few days to settle in, but yesterday I brought out her old saddle. I was going to sell it since it didn't fit my other horses. Maggie has extremely high withers (horsey tech) and I had to shop for the right fit. I kept putting off taking the saddle to the tack shop. It's been three years and the saddle is still here. I guess somewhere deep inside I knew she'd come home.

She's a lot taller than my other horse and I always mounted her from a rock or fender... whatever was handy. I had taught her a cue that swung her around beside whatever object I chose to climb up on. She has since forgotten the cue, but I will refresh her on that later. I walked her over to my sitting rock in the iris bed. I tried cuing her but she didn't understand what I wanted. She ended up swinging around in the other direction, her hind feet stepping into the irises. As graceful as she ever was, she walked back around out of the flower bed without so much as a bump to a blade. She knows where her feet are and steps ever so carefully. I don't know of many horses that could walk through a flower bed without doing at least a little damage. Hubby came to the rescue and coaxed her to sidestep toward the rock. It felt good to sit astride her again. She's got a super easy walk and trot. I have never used a bridle and bit to ride her... Only a halter with reins clipped on. She doesn't need anything more. I've ridden her in traffic, on trails and the bike path that way. She's what horse people would call bomb proof.

Maggie is buddy sour already. This is when horses don't want to leave their pasture mates; They keep turning back to the barn. She refused to go across the creek, so we ended up walking in lots of circles. (It's kinda like a horsey time-out - they hate little circles) We rode around the front and side yards. It felt like coming home. The memories had become so faint, and now here I was... I'll never let her go again!

Ali wanted to ride her. She had never shown much interest in the horses, and since they had busy soccer schedules, hadn't spent a lot of time learning about them. For her, a ride meant being led around by me. I had other plans.

Maggie is extremely easy to handle and I trust her. She is not the kind of horse to take off on you. I kept her lead line attached where I could reach out and grab it if needed. I told Ali to mount up and handed her the reins. It took her a bit to find the gas peddle. You can see a video clip of her ride on her blog. Let her know you've visited...

Well, the chickens got evicted! FIL got tired of waiting for them to go out on their own and tossed every single one out the door. They really loved their day outside and seemed to adapt well. Here is a short clip of them running away from me:


Our four laying hens always return to their coop at dusk. All Hubby has to do is go out and shut the door so the critters can't get to them. In the morning he opens the door for them to come out. They go back in to lay their eggs in the nest.

We've read and now know it's true... You must let a chicken find it's own way out if you expect it to find it's own way back in! So after a really long day that began at the hospital, and was about to conclude with a campfire, here we are crawling around in chicken poop grass with a flashlight gathering over fifty chickens! The people steps going into the house are just stacked cinder blocks. Some of the chickens decided to roost inside them. Luckily my hands are smaller than Hubby's. It's not easy retrieving chickens from cinder blocks!

Hubby's fishing net made the job a lot easier. He could net four or five at a time, since they like to huddle. I would take one at a time from the net and carry it to the door of the house. Surprisingly, they were very calm as I cradled them against me. I expected squawking and flapping. A few of them sat in the doorway letting me pet them before joining the other rescued birds in the corner.

Too bad I don't have an infrared video camera. I'm sure the scene was quite entertaining!

Tonight the hens went into their small coop while all the young chickens were still out. Hubby waited patiently, and soon they started heading in on their own. All except one. Hubby says he was pretty fast too! Good thing he's got the net.

A Ray of Sunshine

Sometimes people comment to me that they don't know how I do it... I've got a lot on my plate, it's true. But my life is overflowing with blessings. Just when a big bump in the road comes along, there's always a little extra sunshine streaking down on me to balance things out.

My daughter and her family, and my step-son and his wife came over for burgers and dogs tonight. Just what the doctor ordered...

Farm update

All's well that ends well. Isn't that what they say?

The farrier made it over today, so both horse have pretty feet. Buddy's cracks aren't too bad. His front hooves are excellent! Hopefully, he will remain barefoot this summer. So, not much damage done by waiting an extra week. Plus the extra length gave Sadie a little extra snack! It's her favorite treat. Yep, she eats the hoof trimmings! No wonder she's overweight.

The hay was bailed today. Seemed to be plenty dry. Hubby ended up buying another parcel too, so he and his son put up 240 bales tonight. With a second cut, we will have plenty of extra hay... Enough for Maggie, too! The goats don't eat much and we've still got plenty left from last year to do the summer and fall. We'll probably end up selling some. This is an old picture, but that's about 100 bales... just to give you an idea.

If Hubby's not aching too bad tomorrow, we'll go get Maggie! I'm so anxious to see her. I'll have to remember to record the introductions when she meets Buddy. I'm sure that Maggie will be her usual Alpha mare! I remember when we temporarily housed my daughter's gelding... He couldn't blink unless Maggie told him it was OK! I love watching their societal roles evolve.

I was fortunate to miss the hay tonight! Probably would have been tough on my breathing anyway. But it was the BIG BIRTHDAY PARTY! Gracie's 5th, complete with fireworks and a very special cake! If I don't make the trip tomorrow, you'll be reading about it on my essay's blog. Everyone had a great time.

Ali is staying home with her family for the long weekend and won't be back until Monday evening. I'm going to take advantage of the time and hopefully ride, plant and write! I may have a whole week's worth of posts!

Oh yeah... the chickens are still inside!

This week on the farm...

We've had some fun and some not so fun days. Ali's 5-yr-old sister Grace came home with us Monday night. One minute they are so loving and kind to one another; the next, I want to shoot them! Fortunately, they've both had more fun than grief. They had planned on swimming non-stop, but the unseasonably cool weather dropped the bomb on that.

We did make it down the bike path today. It was Gracie's first time. Usually, that's an activity we save for the older girls. It's hard for the toddler bikes to crank out the necessary RPMs. Plus we have to go out on the highway to get to it because there is no bridge over the creek that cuts the woods in half between the house and the bike path. It's almost a half-mile trek round trip to get to the road and back down our gravel lane. They found a creature (dead butterfly) to take back and show Papaw.

Our big discovery this week is that the big sitting rock in the iris bed makes a perfect stage for impromptu performances! All you need is a push broom to amplify your voice and a sister with a couple of garden stakes to keep the rhythm.

Mommy came and got Ali tonight to give her a hand preparing for tomorrow. They are having a BBQ to celebrate Gracie's birthday (officially last Sunday) and the 4th.

Last week we had so much hot, dry weather. It was great for the farmers trying to get in their hay. Not so for us. We buy most of our hay from a neighbor two parcels over. He had arranged for the same guy to cut it that cuts the field beside us. Apparently, there was a communication problem because they only cut the field beside us. The guy finally returned our neighbors call and said he would cut & bail this week depending on the weather. I think he meant, "If it's too bad to do anything else... "

The weatherman forecasted rain. He didn't use the words slight, scattered, spotty, chance... He said there would be rain. So the guy comes and cuts the hay. Now the hay is raked into wet piles on the ground. This is not good. For you that are not country folk, would you leave your wet laundry in a heap? It molds.

It sprinkled some this morning, but I think we may be in luck. The guy turned it over to let it dry some more, and they may be able to bail it Saturday. I'm hoping they didn't ruin the hay. We won't buy wet or moldy hay. Barn fires are serious business and horses can't eat moldy hay. But even if they salvage the crop, it's still a bummer for me... Saturday, I was going to go pick up Maggie!

Even though I'm sad for my friend having to give her up, I am getting excited to have her back. Since neither my friend nor I had anything planned for the 4th, Hubby and I were going to drive up that morning to pick her up. If they bail the hay Saturday, we have to stay home and get it in the barn. I could take the trailer myself, (they probably wouldn't miss me in the barn) but hubby will probably need his truck to pull a hay wagon. So everything's up in the air!

Our horses were due for their farrier visit last week. Hubby's gelding has drier hoofs than my mare's, and we've had trouble in the past with them cracking. It was a long battle to get ahead of the problem, but finally his feet were looking terrific. Then our farrier got hurt. He called last week, the day of the appointment, to tell me that he would call back later. His back went out and he was headed to a chiropractor. Well, that was last week. We've heard he's working, but he hasn't returned our calls. And now Buddy's hooves are looking ugly. So far it's just chips and surface cracks, but if we don't get something done soon, we'll have to start all over.

That about sums up the week... Oh, except for the chick report: Nothing to report. The big green yonder is still far too threatening to venture out from the coop. Maybe tomorrow...

Didn't see that coming!

I was just sitting here waiting for my chicken video to process. I thought I'd browse through some old blogs I posted on MySpace, curious to see what I thought was worth posting then...

I came across this one from April of 2007 (I didn't realize I had been blogging that long) and thought I'd share it with you.

ain’t it funny how time slips away a.k.a. All My Chins

I was looking at a picture of me holding my grandbaby when I saw IT! Or THEM! The CHINS! OMG! I remember seeing a chin like that before. Actually it was the "before" on a plastic surgery show. I can't remember how much they said it costs to correct it.

I'm not really a vain person - ask anyone who knows me. You should see how I've had the nerve to appear in public. No biggie. And I'm not one of those people that looks first at how I look in the picture. Well, at least I wasn't. I wasn't really checking out my appearance this time, but THERE IT WAS! When did that happen? OK, I know it's been there a while... But really, when did it happen?

I remember looking in the mirror and seeing this young woman contorting her face to apply stain in an exact manner. It wasn't there then. It came while I wasn't looking. If I had never stopped primping and painting I would have seen it coming and maybe could have headed it off. I got busy with life... too busy to keep guard over my youth.

I remember being able to sit on the floor. I remember I loved to sit on the floor. Now I would love to be able to sit on the floor. Truthfully I still can sit on the floor but I'd love to be able to sit comfortably on the floor for as long as my grandkids would like me to sit on the floor. I'd love to be able to get up from the floor without using furniture.

I remember what it felt like to run without pain. I didn't need arch supports. If I was having so much fun I didn't want it to end, it didn't. I more than once stayed up for three days because an old friend came into town and we wanted to make the most of it. I remember not worrying about getting something done on time. If I had until tomorrow, what was the rush? I remember when my baby was born. She was sooo tiny. She depended on me for everything.

I just figured it out! It's her fault. When she stopped needing me to sit on the floor, to run with her, to stay up for days taking her temperature, to spend time playing when there was work to do... that's when it happened! At least that's when it started. I gotta go warn her.

Taking the plunge!

Well, the pool is finally clean enough to dive in! It's still a little cloudy, but there's no green in sight! Plenty good enough for us. The water should be ready for company by Monday. These hot days have made the water temperature perfect without having to put on the solar blanket.

When I first retired 3 years ago, I babysat for my grands for a few weeks. I got one of those little $10 pools for them to cool off in. They had a blast! And they didn't care how dirty the water got!

Ali, she's going to pay you back for that!

I told you so!

G#3 seems to be getting the best of Ali here!

I told Hubby I wanted to buy a real pool. When my daughter was young I had one of those 3' deep ones that come in a box from the box stores. They don't cost much to buy or maintain, and are the perfect size to float around in on a hot day. If you knew Hubby, you'd know that it would end up beyond that...

He declared that if we were buying a pool, it would be big enough for his 6'5" frame to swim in. (He is the small one in the family.) So we ended up with this monster that comes up to my armpits! I hate all the upkeep, but I'm glad he convinced me to get it. We've had my daughter's whole family and his son & DIL all together, splashing and having fun! Worth every penny and every minute spent working on it! I wouldn't trade those memories for anything!

G#3 2007

Ali and I practiced our 'routines' today in the pool. We do these handstands and back flips, then spring up in a big Olympic style finish with our arms in the air. She scored a 9.8 on the back flip tonight... her best ever! We also do synchronize swimming. Yes, we are talented!

Ali's finally old enough that she gets I do not want to stand there and count all day. She always asked me to count how long she stays under or how many somersaults she can do without stopping. We'll never get ready for the competition that way!

Off to college...

I can't believe I'm already sending a grandchild off to college! Yes, Ali is in college this week. Well, not really IN college, but AT college. There are 3 universities within 15 minutes of our farm. Cedarville University is a Christian college. They offer a special soccer camp for kids, and I enrolled Ali.



Ali loves soccer and plays for a select team starting this year. The season just ended for her semi-select team. The coaches for the select team saw her play and recruited her. She is hoping for a college scholarship someday.



The summer camp is only a day camp for her age group. I drop her there by 9am and pick her up at noon. In between the coaching and the practice games, they have a lesson. They tell them a word of the day, based on Christian values. For example, yesterday's word was commitment. They stressed the obligation you have to follow through when you sign up for a team.



She is having a great time and making new friends.



Yesterday I took Ali to her counseling appointment. They were very pleased with her progress. She truly seems to be a different person now! But he explained, as we have, that she always had this incredible person inside; Now she can let the world see her! He enjoyed hearing that she had a blog based on this change, and liked the name change thing too. Here is a link to the blog about her condition, and here is one where I talk about her new blog site. For those who are interested in her story, please visit her blog From Lexi to Ali with Love and leave her an encouraging comment.



Her counselor thought she was doing so well on the farm and with the new medicine that she doesn't need to see him for a month! She was going twice a week at first. She is proud of her accomplishment. I am proud of her!

My New Husband...

The last twelve hours have been a joyous ride! (miracles-do-happen) The baby news sure helped my dry-eye problem and helped loosen my sinuses! Just what the doctor ordered ;)



I've already contacted Hubby's ex about our joint shower. She replied with smileys. Of course, I posted the news here and a link on Facebook. Oh no! I forgot MySpace. Be back in a minute...



OK, I'm back. Sorry, had a couple of comments to read. Anyway, back to Grampa...



Since we are a middle-age hook-up, I never got to experience Hubby's new daddy days. I'm beginning to think it was probably a lot more emo than the new daddy days I had. He is funny! You know, that cutesy funny that you don't expect from 'that kind of guy'. Oh, I know he's got that soft side. It shows with our four granddaughters. He loves them more than life itself, but those are 'my' daughter's children. He loves my daughter too, but it's just not the same. I was a gramma when we met. He had his children at an older age (not much) so his son Tim was just graduating high school about the time Grand #1 started school. By the time Tim married, Grand #2 danced with him at the wedding reception (and had a serious crush on the groom.)



Now it's 'blood'. That little boy that followed him around with the plastic mower, is becoming a father. And I love his reaction! Last night he was in the living room watching his MAN shows when I came out and mentioned her 'positive test' blog. wanna-hear-secret So there we were, both of us wiping our eyes again...

A little bit ago, he came in, sat down and said, "Good thing I got five of those coin cards," with a mile-wide grin. He has been saving coins for the Grands and, believing this would happen soon, started one for Baby Isabella/Brady too. Last night when the lottery numbers came on the local news, he declared that we needed to win it to help start a college fund. (Better be a big jackpot. That makes five college funds and counting!)

Yes, it's going to be a wonderful seven months!

gone in a moment...

Like most girls her age, Grand #2, my eleven-year-old granddaughter, is crazy about High School Musical. She even has two pink, fuzzy, HSM throws - one at home, one here. She has T-shirts, posters, etc. So last year when I made my reservations for my season tickets at LaComedia, a sorta-nearby dinner theater, I bought an extra ticket for her to go with my BF and me to see their production of High School Musical. She adores my BF and was really looking forward to going... just us three ladies!
When I made the reservations, I didn't realize the date I picked was Mother's Day. Sadly, my BF's children made plans for her so she couldn't make it. Hubby wasn't up to sitting for that long with the physical impairments he's suffering lately, so I decided to take Grand #3, the almost-five-year-old, with us. She is also a big HSM fan.

I came close to chucking the whole plan! Grand #2 can be a difficult child and this weekend she tried to break her record on how many times she could get in trouble. She pushed me to my limit and I finally told her that I was seriously thinking about leaving her at home because I truly do not believe in rewarding bad behavior. She adjusted her attitude just enough...

We had perfect seats! We were center stage, one level up and one table back from the stage. She had a spectacular time! The tuxedo-cloaked host had fun teasing her and even gave her a sweet, faked-for-the-camera kiss on the cheek.
She got autographs from over half the cast while I snapped photos of her with the stars. One of the ensemble members was in a local university's production of 'Children of Eden' with her last year. He, along with some other members of the cast had already headed back stage by the time we got through the line on the right; so the host-with-the-most took her program backstage for some more autographs, including the guy she 'worked with' before. We were probably the last patrons to leave the theater. #2 was quite happy as I jumped on the interstate and heading to their house. This was a magical night for her... so far.

We got to their house well past bedtime. Both girls were bubbling about the show. #3 laid claims to the new 'boyfriend'. They were far to energetic to be sent to bed!

Then Mommy had to relay the news... It seems that sometime over the weekend, Ruby, #2's guinea pig, had expired... kicked-the-bucket... DIED!

All the excitement that had filled the room seconds before instantly vanished. She only got to bask in the magic of the evening for the twenty-minute drive home. Life is so unfair.

me too...

A popular theme I found in blogs today, was parents contemplating the way their children were growing too fast, leaving the nest, flying past milestones...

I can really relate. It's been on my mind a lot lately. My daughter has four girls, spread out in age from fourteen to two. The fourteen-year-old used to think I was neater than sliced bread. I was the world's greatest Nana, and I have the letter to prove it! Now, I sometimes embarrass her. The two-year-old just thinks I'm fun to play peek-a-boo with. The four-year-old has become very possessive over my attention as the baby vies for it. (And I love it.) But it's the eleven-year-old that my thoughts have been dwelling on lately...

I usually refer to her in my blogs as #2. #2 can be difficult at times. She is one of those children that you don't always know what she's feeling. As outgoing as she is, she can be quite introverted. Sometimes she's hard to get close to. Though she can be distant, there are times when we are extremely close. She loves to sit on my lap and have me scratch her back. (Truthfully, I think she'd sit on anyone's lap for a good scratch.) But the very best times we share are in the bathroom. (Nothing weird here folks, so don't get crazy on me.)

#2 is the one who is always particular about how her hair looks and if her clothes fit right. She puts great thought into her accessory choices. She loves to have me help her with her hairstyle. I guess almost everyone enjoys having their hair brushed by someone else. We take great care in selecting just the right perfume for her to wear. When she stays with us and takes a bath or shower, she likes me to pamper her like a princess. At home, there is too much going on with four kids for her to get that special attention. Mommy's goals are to get the kids to the point where they don't require assistance in the bathing and grooming department. So, starting when she was young, she loved the special 'salon' treatment she got from Nana. When she would shower, I would scrub her back for her. I would wait outside the shower door, and when it opened, quickly wrap her in a bath sheet before she got a chill. I gently combed out the tangles in her long wet hair and then dried her hair for her. I sometimes even referred to her as 'Your Highness' as though I was her hand maiden.

Now she is eleven. #1 was starting to develop at that age, but #2 is quite a bit slower in that area. I'm glad. When she spent the weekend not long ago, she wanted to take a bath in my whirlpool tub. I added foaming bath salts. She wanted me to shampoo her hair as she leaned her head back under the faucet. I happily obliged.

I know it won't be long before she is repulsed by the idea of her Nana running her bath, washing her hair for her, or waiting with the towel. That will be a major milestone for me... it will mean she has grown from being my little princess. No matter how many times I tell her she will never outgrow my lap, I know in my heart that time is very near. I hope that I can find another way for us to have that close one-on-one time. At least there are two more waiting in the wings...