it was so worth it

Hey, sis.  I suspect you're sound asleep as it's midnight on the east coast.  I just wanted to let you know that I ate a cinnamon roll for you.  I know how you're going in withdrawals. 

Mike makes a batch every year for Christmas.  It makes four pie pan sizes.  Some years they're huge, too big for me, but this year he really hit it on the nail.  I wasn't going to have one.  My blood sugar, you know.  But that would have been just plain rude not to eat one.  Disrespectful.  So I did.  And I can feel my blood sugar rise as we speak.  But it was so worth it.  Especially with that dabble of butter melted on top.  Oh.  So.  Good. 

It's going to be a long night.  I'm washing bedding....  This isn't something I would normally do at 5:15 at night, but Hunter had a little accident during nap time.  You would think I'd have learned by now.... and put a rubber pad underneath the kids during nap time.  But I don't.  Well, not always.  And especially not Hunter because it's been a long time since he's had an accident.  So the bed got stripped down to the pad and the comforters and sheets are being washed.   It's just that those big, bulky comforters take forever to dry.  You have to keep turning and fluffing them.  Well, maybe by 10:00, it'll all be done.

We had a good craft project day today.  On the spur of the moment, we decided to make gingerbread houses.  Okay, first off....this isn't something you do on the spur of the moment.  Had I given it any thought, we would have done the frame of the gingerbread house yesterday or the day before and let the frosting set.

OR.... here's an idea.... Maybe I should  have tried making one on my own before subjecting to the little kids to it! 

But they had a blast and put so much energy into it.  They really concentrated.

I felt horribly bad when the roof would slide off... or the walls would collapse.  But we didn't let it deter (Peeezzzzz nahhhhhhh) and I'd re-caulk it with frosting and we'd continue on.  I did find that putting a graham cracker on the bottom to kinda hold it all in place was a good move. 

All in all, it was a fun morning and I'm so proud of the little kids for sticking with it. 

Then when their moms came, and they rushed them over to look at it, you just knew how proud they were.  It's times like this that it makes babysitting so worthwhile. 

Hope you're having a good time.  N.

child labor

Dear Sir:

Thank you for contacting us regarding the recent accusation that we use child labor in our day care facility.  

Hunter, I told you we shouldn't have been jumping on the bed.

I can assure you that the children that are entrusted into our good hands and kind hearts receive nothing but the best treatment. 

Hunter, that thing isn't going to get you!

You're welcome to visit our day care facility any time you feel it's necessary to check on the welfare of these children.

You missed a spot, Hunter.  Then YOU do it, Ellis!

Please call before dropping by so we can ensure the house is in order.    

Sincerely,
No Babies Were Hurt Day Care

The clock says it's time to quit now, Hunter. 

What can I say, they WANTED to vacuum!

a glitter week

A note to my sister. 

Hey, sis!  Hope you're having a great time in PA with the kids and grandkids.  We had a busy week here. 

It started with baking some of Mike's favorite cookies.  The kids like to refer to them as "pa's special" cookies.  And they are special.  I bet you can never guess what the secret ingredient is.... 

Ellis is the more exacting of the two.  She's very attentive to detail and will take her time to get the right amount of dough on the sheet.  Hunter, on the other hand, believes Bigger is Better.  Especially when it comes to cookies, so why not just drop it all on top of one another.  

Last week was also a huge glitter week.  When it comes to glitter, Hunter is the King hands down!  This kid lives to sprinkle glitter!  I made some "frames" out of popsicle sticks for the kids to paint and glitter.  They had so much fun.  Did I tell you Bucky stopped by this weekend and goes, "yea, thanks for the glitter."  Ha!  But I know Bucky was impressed with them.  He just has to be the "tough" dad.  I put a picture of Avery in one, that Hunter picked out.  And another one of Josh, Shodie, Ellis, Kona, and Hunter--the one of them all on top of each other on the stairs.  When Hunter saw that picture in the frame, his eyes just lit up!   

How could I not share that with his dad?  And, what's a little glitter anyway.... :O  I just wish I had taken some pictures of them.  They really were so very sparkling. 

Let's see....  it's been cold.  Really cold.  We still have lots of snow on the ground.  Frozen to the trees.  Everything is pretty right now.  Maybe we'll have a White Christmas.  Love you.  N.

blueberry boy

Dear mom: 

Today I had blueberries for lunch.  They were good.  Ellis didn't want her's, so I ate them.  They were good too.

Love, Hunter

out of the mouths of babes

We're having The. Most. Incredible. Fall. A typical Fall season starts in August when the weather changes from "okay" to cold, wet, rainy, windy, dark, and dreary. It's the beginning of our winter. For whatever reason, this year we're not seeing it. We've had 10 days, maybe 2 weeks of this incredible sunny weather. Not too hot, not too cold. Just right.

According to the weather service, Juneau is 10 degrees warmer than normal. Instead of temps in the 50's, we're still in the high 60's. We're not having the wind or the rain. We're just enjoying the sunshine.

The grandkids were outside today playing in the sun. Butt naked, of course. Keeping clothes on these two is next to impossible. They don't care what the weather is doing. I fixed a picnic lunch for them. As I got ready to set the plates down on the tablecloth, I noticed one corner was all wet. I asked, "where did this water come from"? And Ellis patted her behind and goes, "my butt." Out of the mouths of babes....

Later! Nancy

flour child

I love cooking with my grandkids. The biggest problem I find is that both Hunter AND Ellis want to help. At the same time. Last time we tried this, they were both on the step stool, one got pushed by the other, and Hunter went falling straight backwards to the hardwood floors. From standing on a step stool, two steps high. The thud was horrible. He cried for 20 minutes. It was more than I could handle.

Now, only one grandchild can help at a time.
Last week Ellis and I made banana pancakes for breakfast. She was standing on the step stool, waiting for directions.

Or so I thought....

It would appear that while I was getting the pan hot on the stove, she was thinking Krustez was pretty good to eat.

By the time I turned back around, here was Ellis, covered in Krustez mix and ready to put another handful into her mouth.

Keep in mind, it was just Krustez at this point. Dry flour. No liquid.

You would have thought one handful would have been enough for this little girl, but she grabbed another handful and stuffed it into her mouth. Just a handful of dry powder....

As the saliva mixed with the flour, we had a gooey, gummy mess. But she didn't seem to mind. She just kept eating Krustez.

Later.... Nancy

day care fun

I have to admit that when we first started babysitting grandbabies over two years ago, I thought we were crazy. Okay, I still do.... but it's getting a little easier. The babysitting part is getting easier. The days are still really really long. But we're having fun with them. Avery (almost 8 months) has just started crawling and, naturally, she navigates to the opposite side of the room that her toys are on.... And thank goodness for hardwood floors.... I can't even imagine throw up on carpet....


And Hunter and Ellis are just adorable. There's no getting around it. Hunter is the focused one, loves to play with Legos and can put a 60-piece puzzle together as good as Grandpa. Ellis, would prefer to sit and have a conversation. Which we do. Then we laugh. So, yea, it's getting easier in the sense that we can now have conversations with them, reason with them (or sometimes beg with them), play with them, and laugh with them. And laugh we do.

Like today, Ellis (almost 2 years 4 months) was spinning and spinning around, going, "grandpa, I make you dizzy!" But, of course she is! Then, for no good reason, other than she was spinning, she goes, "put your seatbelts on!" Huh? Okay.... Then there was something about Disneyland.... Maybe she's starting to plant the seed....


Yesterday we strung beads and made a necklace. Ellis, in her grown up little voice goes, "This is so BEEEEUTIFUULLLL!" Yes, it was. Her little fingers worked hard to get those beads on the string.


Today is puzzle day. Well, every day seems to be puzzle day. Now, call me prejudice, but I think it's pretty amazing that Hunter (not even 3 yet) can put together 60-piece puzzles. Just like that. As Ellis will say, as she's jumping up and down while clapping her hands: "Hunter is AMAZING!" Yes, he is.

It's especially fun to see how these little people care for each other, take care of each other, and look out for each other. Yea, they pick on each other, and there's the shoving, pinching, and biting. We won't mention any of the other stuff that goes on here.... but it's part of being Two. But in the end, when they put their arms around each other and each say "I'm sorry.....", it's just about the two nicest words in the dictionary.

Later, Nancy

friends

We took the grandbabies for a ride to Eaglecrest yesterday.

Things got awfully quiet in the back seat....

You think, "maybe they fell asleep...."

So you turn your head to see what they're doing.

And they're holding hands.


Just sitting there, in their car seats, miles apart, holding hands.


Watching the world go by.

Content to be best friends.


How precious is that?

chef in training

Isn't she so adorable.... my little granddaughter....


In her little red apron from Williams Sonoma....


Yep, we'll be baking sugar cookies before the holidays....

Bon Appetit! I can hardly wait to try some of these make believe muffins! Nancy

no babies were hurt....

Are you looking for a new Day Care Provider?
Look no further!

No Babies Were Hurt is Juneau's Premier Day Care Center.
We specialize in babies under 18 months.

We provide excellent care.
We're a grandma/grandpa team with 98 years of child care experience between us.

We study the ABCs, 1-2-3s, and Coloring101.

We teach the basics of cooking. With meal time, comes lessons on selecting heart healthy foods that you might find in the pantry, and eating etiquette.

All babies get a well-rounded meal. Unfortunately, they only get one meal each day due to the unfortunate state of the economy.

Play time is a huge part of the day when babies get to climb over the dogs, climb furniture, and master the stairs.
We also provide toys that encourage mental and hand/eye coordination.

We give music lessons to those musically inclined (for an additional fee) and reading lessons to those advanced one year olds.

We believe that fresh air is important to the well being of all children. Regardless of the temperatures outdoors.

Although we encourage the freedom of speech and movement, and encourage laughter and silliness, we pride ourselves in having "eyes in the back of our head" which allows us to stop inappropriate behavior before it begins.

If you would like your baby to part of this incredible environment, give us a call today.
We're experienced and affordable!
1-800-NoChildWasHurt

Disclaimer:

This is my granddaughter, Ellis. Isn't she a cutie? She's 9 months already!

This is our bedroom window. And that bright light? Sunshine!

Disclaimer: No babies were harmed in this activity..... I don't think....

Okay, let me back up. Anyone who knows Juneau, knows we don't get a lot of sunny days. Juneau is, by nature, a dark and dreary place most of the time. But when the sun shines, it shines bright and it's gorgeous outside. As is evidenced by the bright light coming through the bedroom window.

Yesterday and today have been absolutely beautiful, sunny days. A bright blue sky. A few white clouds. The snow sparkling. It's beyond words. Okay, here's the setup: One baby, one window, blinds that are shut. Grandma has little Ellis in her arms as she goes to open the blinds. As the blind goes up, and the sunshine finds its way underneath the blind and peaks its sunny face into our bedroom, it's getting brighter. And brighter. AND BRIGHTER. The brighter it got, the more Ellis snuggled her little head into my shoulder. TA DA! Finally the blind has been lifted and little Ellis screams! "NO!!! WHAT IS THAT BRIGHT LIGHT???!!! MAKE IT GO AWAY!!!! IT HURTS!!!!" as she quickly snuggled her face into my neck. Afraid to look. Afraid of what else was to come. Poor little girl. She's been scarred for life. I'm sorry but I laughed so hard. Mostly because we've all felt that same horrific feeling, wondering what the hell is that??? as we shield our eyes from the hurt, the pain, the brightness. Anyway, maybe you just had to be there....

We headed out early to do errands today. The "usual" stops--Costco, Walmart, Fred Meyers. I took this picture of the ravens outside Costco. I thought it was pretty funny. This isn't a large tree, actually quite small to have so many ravens sitting in it.

In my younger days, I used to throw out old bread products (bread, buns, crackers) but then it dawned on me a few weeks ago..... what if I saved it all and fed the birds with it. So that's what we do now on our day off. We take all our discarded bread products and go to a parking lot and distribute it to the Ravens, Seagulls, and Eagles. It's like the horror movie, the Birds! All of a sudden, dozens and dozens of these gigantic birds all descend on our car! Flying over us, landing on us, circling around us! It's a frenzy! We're fearful for our lives. For our own safety. So we quickly roll up the window and skedaddle out of there. Okay, when I say "we" "we" "we", I mean "me." My husband is an accomplish but only as the getaway driver! God, I'm so pathetic. I need a hobby. Or a new life. Oh, wait, I do. Facebook! Gotta go and see what's new there! Have a great evening!

follow up

I was caught off guard yesterday when my little grandbaby came with his momma. My blog post got stopped quick as a wink and I hit that publish button so quickly I didn't even have time to do spell check! Usually I go back and fix some of my ramblings and make sure all the spacing is good, but not yesterday. I had more important things on my mind for sure. We even got to watch him for a bit while his momma went grocery shopping! He was sleeping when he got here but I managed to wake him up in the tradeoff.... oops.... When Hunter arrives, he has a habit of staring at you for the longest time, an intense stare, and then he recognizes me and coos and smiles. I know you! he says. Just way too cute.

It's still snowing.... We're supposed to get another 8-18" by tomorrow. January snow was below normal with only 23" accumulating. I guess I'm surprised it was even that much.


I bought the cutest little towels from Shabby In The City yesterday. I love shopping on-line! It's such a perfect marriage for people like us that live a somewhat secluded life with limited shopping options. They're made from a vintage embroidered table scarf....two hand towels with a pretty crochet border. Only $7. I can hardly wait to get them. You have to be johnny on the spot though with some of these blogs shops though because items go so quickly. Too, because of our time difference in Alaska and most of ya'll (four hours behind you), it could be practically noon before I get around to shopping.

Anyway, I love the little flowers and can hardly wait to see them in real.

I've also been doing some on-line shopping for the baby shower. I talked a bit about my favorite little grandbaby yesterday but neglected to mention my most favorite little granddaughter is still on the way. A granddaughter! Oh, the fun we're going to have! So I'm planning my daughter's baby shower, with the help of her best friends Jerusalem and Tanya who have access to more resources than I do. The color theme is pink and brown polka dots! It's going to be so cute! But since it's going to be a couple's shower, I had to think of a theme that wasn't too cutsey and girlie, yet sophisticated and fun for Tracy, with a hint of masculinity in it for Adam and his friends. A huge order! April 5, 1:00 p.m. if you're in the neighborhood :)

Tomorrow is Super Bowl and although I am so not a football fan, I do love the food! For my famnily it's all about the food! We usually invite some friends over but everyone's sick this year and I really don't want them here if they're sick because my grandbaby may be here. Too, I may not have time to visit with them if my grandbaby is here.... So we'll have plenty of food and if anyone shows up, I'll be covered.

Have a good weekend!

being a parent

Do you remember how you felt the moment you carried your new born into their new home? Or the moment you put them down to sleep for the first time in their bassinet? Or the first time you had to wake up in the middle of the night to feed them? We think we'll remember these moments and the feelings generated for a lifetime, but we don't always. As the years pass, so does our memory. I wish I could remember the exact moment I brought my daughter home, but sadly, I don't.

As our children grow, they say their first word and take their first step. We don't write these most important dates down because we're certain we'll remember this moment for a life time. How could we not?! But we don't. We grow older and our memories fade....

I wish I could have been a little bug inside my son's home last night as they returned home with their new little bundle. Who carried Hunter inside? Where did they first set him? How did Kona (their dog) react? Did he cry? Did he look in awe at his new home? Was he warm enough? Did they pick up on the sign that he was hungry? I know they all laid down to nap, but who woke up first to the sound of a crying baby? And how long did it take before they realized it was their baby making that noise?

Today is a brand new day. The first day of the rest of their lives. The kids are back home, with their new little baby. All on their own. It's no longer just about themselves. They are now responsible for a new life, one that is totally dependent upon them. For every, single basic need.

I hope the kids are never too proud to ask for advice or help. I hope they know that there's no such thing as being a perfect parent; we all made mistakes. I hope they understand that their most important role as parents is to provide love and a safe home and environment. I know, without a doubt, that both kids will be great parents. You could just see the love oozing out of them. And watching Michelle hold little Hunter, you'd think she had been practicing that moment all of her life. It came so natural for her and she didn't appear nervous or apprehensive at all.

I'd like to introduce you to Hunter James. Isn't he beautiful? I can hardly wait for the moment I get to see him next. Maybe this afternoon? Maybe tomorrow? We visited at the hospital for a short bit yesterday and I took the plunge and held him for a few minutes. Yes, I was nervous! What if I forgot how to do it? It's been 24 years after all! Or what if I dropped him? But once I had him in my arms, I really didn't want to give him back. I just wanted to sneak off to a corner somewhere and cuddle him and tell him all about myself and all the good things we had in store for him. The special cookies that will always be waiting for him, the treasure hunts we will go on, the baking we will do, the bugs we will catch. I just look at his little face and my heart melts.

new beginnings

Today I became a grandma. To say it feels great is an understatement. There's no words to explain how I'm feeling right now. I guess a mix between wanting to cry and cry! Yet I've not even held my little grandson in my arms. Nor have I given him any smooches. I was given an opportunity to hold him, but declined. I wanted little Hunter James to enjoy the love and security in the arms of his momma and daddy for today. There will be plenty more days for cuddling. I did talk to him though. Got close enough so he could smell all the sweetness and goodness that comes with baking sugar cookies all day! As the days and years go by every time he gets a whiff of baking, he'll have fond thoughts of me!

I know my son will be a good father but when I walked into their room today and saw him holding his precious little bundle, just grinning ear to ear, I knew, without a doubt, that this child will have an everlasting impact on my son's life. It's funny how babies do that.

Besides that, today is my 100th post!

Little No-ah* and the circle of life

Today is the baby shower for my first grand baby! My husband is a huge Mariner's fan (Seattle baseball) and he picked out some cute little Mariner clothes for our first grandson the last time we were in Seattle. Because I love musical stuffed animals, I found a darling little musical moon that plays Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. So cute. The time is getting near.... November 26.... and I'm getting more and more excited.

I'm happy that Little No-ah* will have all of his family nearby. My kids weren't so fortunate and if I had it to do all over again, I would definitely have moved closer to family. I'm afraid they missed out on so many family gatherings and don't have the same memories and family ties as other children who are raised among their families. You see, when I followed my boyfriend to Juneau over 35 years ago, I didn't know a soul here. This was his adventure and I was just in love, tagging along.

Juneau is an interesting place. It's where all the misfits go! Most of us are transients that live here; we've come from Down South to get away from something or another; maybe we're looking for something. It's a town of friends who take care of each other. Once here, it captures your heart. It's a place like no other place. The beauty. The wildlife. The way of life. Our circle of friends were our family and we celebrated every holiday and special event together with our kids growing up with their kids. This was our family.

But hindsight is 50/50 and I know now that friends can't replace your real family permanently. We can make new memories and have special relationships with friends but it's our family history and family traditions that we carry with us as we get older. It's what we pass down to our children. I don't have the same stories to hand down to my children (or my grandchildren) as do other members of the family because I wasn't physically present, participating in the gatherings, the laughter, the daily contact. This is my regret.

So here's Little No-ah*. He'll make his appearance soon with all his family nearby. And then, this summer, my other little grand baby will be born. They are the beginning of a new cycle of family traditions and memories to hand down to their children when they're grown. Stories to tell of sleepovers with cousins and Christmas Eves spent with Grandma Norton and Christmas Days with Grandma Vuille; days spent fishing with Grandpa and how all of their family was there for every birthday. Little No-ah will have memories of which grandma had the cookie jar filled with his favorite homemade cookies and which grandma took him ice skating. He'll grow up as part of the family and not just a visitor from Alaska a couple times a year. I am so thankful for Little No-ah and Tracy's baby because they are bringing the true meaning of family back. They'll be able to pass on old traditions and old memories passed down through the ages, but also be able to share new memories and new traditions. The circle of life.

So that's all I wanted to say today. If you have chosen to move away from family for whatever reason, or if you don't stay in touch with family, take a minute today to pick up the phone and call or even write a short note. Nothing can take the place of family.

*Little No-ah is not his real name. But because my kids couldn't come up with a nickname, I had to make one up. You can't say "is IT kicking yet?" or "is the baby doing good?" Bucky said every time Michelle says "no," she added an "ah" to it. So there you have it. No-ah. Besides, I like the name!

I know this is two posts in one day but I forgot to write about it in my first one, and then decided it was too important to include in a tourist post.

We learned yesterday that our first grandbaby is going to be a boy! That Michelle and Bucky are five months pregnant already! That everything looks good; all the parts and pieces are there.

And today I learn that my daughter, Tracy, and her husband, Adam, are also trying to have a baby!

Life is good :)

P.S. For some reason today, I can't add titles to my posts. Are you having the same problems?