Surprise Vistor

Wow, three Playdates have already come and gone. The summer is flying by at an alarming rate.

We enjoyed the company of a surprise visitor yesterday.  My mom, Grannny Wandy, came to spend the afternoon playing. She and Aunt Lois enjoyed each other's company, as well as all the grand and great grands.  I was telling Aunt Lois that she should start saying nursery rhymes with Giddy-up. She shared one I'd never heard that went something like this.

Dandelion, oh Dandelion, what do you do all day?

I sit in the sun until the children come to play.

And what do you do when the children come to play.

Wait till they hold me in their dimpled hand and blow my hair away.

I love it! What a lovely verse for picking and blowing "wishies."

Mom certainly enjoyed her turn with our new little blossom.  I suppose I'm prejudiced, but I think she is such an adorable little dolly.

This was the first Playdate Auntie SuZQ was able to make and we were happy to have her back.  She brought along our summer prince charming, Big Al.  Gee, a year's time and he's gone from a big playful kid himself to a more serious young man looking at colleges and planning his future.  It was fun to talk college with him.

 And finally, another appearance of the beloved mint tea.  Auntie SuZQ brought it last year on a whim, not having any idea what a loyal following the tea would acquire.  They've asked about  it every Playdate.  While I can make it, I preferred to have it be her speciality.  They stood in a line, filling cup after cup, until it was all gone. The whole gallon.

I'm loving that they start to bring their own new hobbies and crafts to share at Playdate. Bean has developed a fondness for crafting animals from balloons, and shared his new love with his cousins.

 My new Gramerly helper, Ms. Bee, brought some scrap cloth for the little ones to make a sachet to hold mint leaves.

Still, the old favorites hold their appeal.

Creekin'

Catchin'Releasin'

 I loved to swing Bean, then Bean loved to swing Miss Linee, now Miss Linee enjoys how much Giddy-up loves the ol' Blue Dolphin.

And could there be anything more exciting than feeding the chickie girls?  Yes, there are four new chickies in that pen. It is very crowded because chickie holding requires sitting so they don't fly out of the pen, or accidentally get dropped.

Grieving the loss of the world's sweetest neighbor to the big "C."  Turning around to give a big shout of "Hallelujah, Praise the Lord," for the news that my friend Dave's cancer was in fact, Cat Scratch Fever. Rejoicing with them in such uplifting, relieving, blessed news!