Summer, Is that You?

It seems every year I find May more of challenge. Added to the usual craziness, my mind can't shake this week last year, when things went so very wrong with my sister. I've kind of been a weepy mess. 

Some weeping was joyful however. Bean came to pre-school at my school and this year Giddy-Up was able to attend the last 9 weeks of the year.  His program was so adorable. He had some work to do as they sang songs the others had been doing all year long.  He knew every word and every sign!

 I so wanted this experience for him because of the love this special teacher shares with every child.

 Handy Man and I have spent all the rainy days spring cleaning inside

 all the dry days working outside.  I spent most of last weekend cooking and Memorial Day the family came to celebrate the day and Handy Man's big "60."

 A little Pixie peeking in the chicken pen to watch her big sister play with the chickie girls.

In a very unusual turn of events, Drummer Boy did the creeking. The Gramerly was too tired.

 

A little swingin'.

 Some time on the go-cart.

Lots of laughs and good food and sunshine, for which I am most thankful!

I have no picture evidence of the musical, camp, awards, field day, graduations, etc., etc.

The May Mountain Experience of 2016 is officially in the past!  

Thank the Lord I survived, with a little help from Handy Man, Aunt Tish and Missy Bugg, Andrea and Arie who all pitched in remove every last piece of everything, including the tape on the wall, out of my classroom and into the gym-done.  Now my hardest job will be to try and forget for a few weeks that it all must be hauled back and put away, ugh.

There were lots of leftovers from Monday, so Rae came back out on Tuesday after  my school day.  I had to run to the store as I had not purchased cards for graduation.  I am always looking for a reasonable water gun. One that holds enough water for more than two squirts, that can be filled by a four year old and can be squirted and easily carried by a two year old.  I've bought lots of water guns, but this, from the Dollar Tree, met every criteria.  I think I will buy a case.

 Wednesday was finishing the last of the classroom move.  Thursday came with that strange but delightful feeling of no one shoving me in the back.  Handy Many and I trotted off to the library where I filled a very large canvas tote with books of all kinds.  He had never been to Stream Cliff Farms, as I kind of consider it a girly sort of place. I asked if he was up for a wee road trip, so we were off.  I've wanted a passion flower, and it took us about twenty minutes to untangle the one I wanted, of course it did.

 We enjoyed a yummy lunch in the tea room.

 Experienced a little wine tasting, then didn't quite beat the storm out of there on the way home. My, such torrential rain!  Home for a nap and library books!
They announced in church last week that Catholic Charities was having a Refugee Fair on Friday, so why not?  I really love the opportunity for my wee folk to experience people who might be of another color, or wear a different type of clothes. What a little doll baby.

 Dancing and face painting-

 And lots of colors everywhere-

Giddy-Up asked us to come by his house and we could.  The remainder of the day was spent in the yard, planting some goodies from Thursday's excursions. 

I remembered to turn the calendar to June today, but could already tell that my summer has arrived. I do love these quotes though-

Choose your roads wisely and be sure of few of them are dirt.

Play Outside

I meant to do my work today-

But a brown bird sang in the apple tree,

And a butterfly flitted across the field,

And all the leaves were calling me.  Richard Li Gallienne

I hope something sweet is calling you today!

Holy Hikes

Our church joined a national hiking organization where you take church on the trail.  We had our first hike last weekend. It turned out that Rae needed me to care for her boys while she and Michael began the process to be foster parents.  At first I thought of not going, but the boys are used to hiking in the woods and it occurred to me that I didn't know when people from church would ever meet my grandchildren, so I decided to take them.  I invited Bean and Bugg to go along as well.
It was quite cool and misty, but unless there is a layer of ice on the road, I generally do not change my plans based on weather.
It was lovely, mostly.  Mr. Smiley was not keen on walking in the cool damp and needed to be held and carried.  While I love to hold him, he sure gets heavy after a bit. I packed lots of treats and hot chocolate for the road.

 Bean had never met these folks before, but you would never have known it.  You stop three times for a devotion/prayer/meditation, the third one including communion.  At the first stop, the pastor asked someone to read and Bean volunteered and did a great job.

 Missy Bugg was indispensable , keeping up with Giddy-Up and here is showing him where Bean is reading.

 Giddy-Up was leading the pack to the communion spot when he came up out of the woods to this lovely scenery.

 He exclaimed, "Look, I led us to the most beautifulest place.

 The birds were swooping down and around here and he was mesmerized.

 Later he discovered lilly pads, and because that is Miss Bugg's name, he instructed her to take a picture of them.

 I'm glad we went.  I like church on the trail, a lot. Next up was Bean's baseball game.  How happy was I to have a place to plunk my little mister that wasn't my hip?

  That's right Bean

 Bring it on home!

Long Time No See

Gee, April 29th I was last here.  May pulls me in so many directions.  School obligations are amped up, I want so much to be outdoors playing in the dirt, and so many outside activities to choose from, baby chicks to tend and on and on.
Mother's day came and went. I visited Mom on  that Saturday, took her breakfast.  She's thrilled to be back in her apartment and three tests indicate the evil UTI has retreated and we pray it stays gone.
On Sunday, after church, the kids all came for dinner and play.  Rae took me to see the new Jungle Book.
Jungle Book was my first movie/theater experience, brought to me on my birthday by Kaye and remains my favorite Disney movie.  The visuals were amazing, but I was surprised at how dark it was.  The old one remains my choice.
I was treated to a pre-show Man Cub party by Ol' Mother Hubbard.
My goodness- looked exactly like something I might do.

Fun times!

Big Life

Isn't life big sometimes?  April and May are more crowded then December around here.  There is so much stuff on the calendar and then always some unscheduled thing gets thrown in, and I just have more on my plate then I can manage well.

For years and years we had no spring birthdays at all. It was long stretch till Handy Man's end of May celebration.  Then, the last four Gramerlings came one after another in a three week period, so we've been celebrating birthdays like crazy.

Giddy-up turned five and was most excited about his new ride.

Our little brown eyed Buttons turned four.

Oh, my where is our Baby Mr. Smiley, who is soon to be two?

And look at our least Pixie who is one today!

 Rae's new place was fun inside and out.  We treed some interesting creatures.

Mom's part time care taker sadly lost her son, and has been gone to Oregon for two weeks, so Saturday was my day.  Mom came to the party for about an hour and a half and is enjoying pancake number four here.

 

Though we gave a stubborn UTI our best effort, after two oral antibiotics and ten painful injections, it continued to rage.  They will not do IV meds in assisted living, so on Tuesday we had to move her to the nursing facility until she's had ten days of the new treatment.  I look around and wonder if any person who is old and unable to manage their own full time care had any part in the decisions made at these places. Her room is tiny, she has no recliner type chair, they not only had no meds ready for her on Tuesday evening, but none Wednesday morning either.  I'm not allowed to shower her there, so I told them we'd just have bird baths and they aren't allowed to shower her either.  It is a sad place. She hates it, says it is the worst place she's ever been in. 

So, in addition to birthday fun and Mom not-fun, I've had ISTEP and baby chickens and a big yard and lots of other stuff.  

Friday finds me tired, but hopefully, I'll be in a better, more rested frame tomorrow.

We Lived

Rae and her crew are all moved in to their new place and we came through a month of togetherness relatively unscathed.

A fenced yard, praise the Lord! I pray mighty angels around this little house to protect sweet boys who love, love, love to be outside.

A visit from a little friend girl.

 I am a people person, especially my own people.  I come by that honest. My mom has not spent one day since Auntie G-Lou died without Terri, a kid or  a grand kid showing up and lives in fear of a day without us.  I'm just a better me in a village, so I enjoyed having so much company this past month.  I don't really have a great house for multi-family living, so my usual chaos was increased about three fold, but we all knew it was short lived and just moved and stepped over it.  That Mr. Smiley is the cutest, funnest, grabbiest little one I know, and he left whatever might have been straightened, completely disassembled in his wake.
I can honestly say I didn't do much other than cook, empty and fill and dishwasher and play with wee folk. For the most part, their wish was my command.
They were always ready to see Pappy and for him to sit so they could maul him awhile.

 It seems collecting eggs never gets old. An egg hunt every day.

 "Hode you," with upraised arms I can't resist.  I hadn't actually planned for pepper in this mango salad, but my plans frequently morphed into whatever grabby hands plans were.

 Mr. Smiley was in a fever induced slump on Easter Sunday, but looked just as adorable the following Sunday with his handsome brother.

 This boy loves some crafts and was excited to see how to make his own bed buddy sock warmer.  Here he is stirring his choice of essential oils into rice.

 So cute and functional too.

 Every warm day found us at the creek where rock skipping is practiced.

 While here,  he joined preschool where I work and will finish the year there.  I will love getting to see them twice a week.

 I was never a Pez fan until Bean came along.  The little figures are awfully cute and I would tuck one in my pocket when I visited him.  Needless to say he's long outgrown checking my pockets, and the little figures wound up in my kitchen window and all the wee ones since have enjoyed playing with them.

When I pulled away Sunday, with Giddy-Up waving on the porch, knowing he'd be heading out to his new place when his brother got up from his nap, I cried all the way to church.  You would think they were moving to Botswana.  

Any of my three kids would move to Botswana or wherever I think.  They don't have that same love of all their extra people being close.  They get that from the Handy Man.  Me.  I want them all under my feet.  Even when it is craziness all around, inside me is calm.  I am seriously in the minority in my own family and have never quite been able to adjust.   Of course, this is on mind since that is most and longest  time I've ever had kids back home.  It makes me understand my Mom a bit better.  She has lived in lots of chaos in many forms, but she preferred whatever was happening to nothing happening. She had seven kids and has often said she would have been happy to have seven more. Trust me, there are some days I wish there a few more of us.

So, the move left me and Pap with colds and spring cleaning to do.  I was glad for this week off and while I hate cleaning all day by myself, I appreciate it being done.  I've enjoyed some good times with friends for lunch and have read and read and slept in a bit. 

I've inherited Rae's moving boxes, as I learned that I have to pack up my entire classroom and move it out and then move it back in before I'm back in  the class at the end of July- blek. 

Our spring break will end with another (hopefully) last winter interlude.   Good thing I didn't pack all the warm clothes away just yet.