Valentine Decorations- My Two Sweethearts!!

"Who wants to see the Valentine Decorations???" was all it took to get Logan and Louise running for the box in the dining room. These two are my most enthusiastic decorators, and of course they really can't remember them from last year. Everything coming out of the box is so exciting and so new to them.
They each had their favorites and sometimes found it hard to share.

And of course there was a mishap or two. But it's worth it to let them get excited and learn to handle the decorations carefully (well, most of the time) and to help clean up when we need to!!!

Their favorite was putting the hearts on the Valentine Tree! They were both so careful, and worked cooperatively!

These are my Valentine Sweethearts! Next week we're going to do an art project! Creating Valentine cards.....do you think they're ready for that??? Am I???

My Muffins and Tea Boys

Carl and Gus spent an afternoon last week with me because Louise was sick and Jenn and she needed naps! This Gramma needed some fun with her "big boys"...so off to my house we went! We had just read a story about the "new age Red Riding Hood" where her Grandma opens a bakery and Granny, the wolf and Little Red run the place. The book shared the special recipe (with its very own "secret ingredient") for Granny's Muffins. So Carl, Gus, and I got busy sifting, stirring and spooning muffins. Gus was in charge of WET and Carl in charge of DRY. When we finally got them together we had a wonderful batch of muffins ready to go into the oven.

Grammas have the wonderful advantage of Tea Parties with their grandchildren. Not too fancy, but just right to practice some table manners. We set our places in my new heated porch and soon were enjoying our Kid Tea (as Gus named it) with special Granny muffins. The tea cups and plates belonged to their Great-Grandma Florence....so this was a very Special Gramma Tea!

I'm Coming Back!!

Yes, after almost a year's break from blogging, I'm going to hit "Re-Start" and get going. It's not that fun things haven't happened with my grandchildren...it's that I just couldn't fit in the time. Not sure what all was going on...But it's 2010 and it's starting all over again!!

I might just do some review posts from last year. Of course I have wonderful photos of all the fun times I've had with the 6 wonderful kids that call me Gramma!! And this year will mark the addition of 2 more...baby BOYS!! More about that later.

So if you've been checking back and almost given up on me--keep trying and you'll see results!! 'Coz this gramma is "back to Blogging!!"

Breezers, sticking, Zamboni, boards, a puck...I've got it!! It's hockey vocabulary and yes, I'm now a "HOCKEY(grand)MOM"!!

This afternoon I met Natalie as she got off the school bus, helped her with an afterschool snack, and packed up the car with a H-U-G-E bag of equipment and 2 hockey sticks! Off we went to the arena for her game. Exciting time watching the girls run around giggling and jostling before they got ready. Suddenly 12 squirrley 10 year old girls headed for the locker room and came out as hefty, stick wielding players on ice. The transformation was amazing! How did these cute little pony tailed girls become hard charging skaters? Their ability to skate, stick, drop, and recover after flying into the boards amazed me.

I froze my 'buns' sitting in the stands. I could see my breath as I sipped my coffee. Gloves and a hat and I was still cold! And I'm talkin' INDOOR hockey!

An hour later these bulky fireballs on blades emerged once more in pink parkas and tassled snow hats from the locker room. Natalie's team won 7-4.

I gave her the choice, and we headed for her favorite....Burger King. Was she hungary? You bet!! Did you know the BK serves Mac'nCheese?? We got back home in time for her mom and dad to return home. Great experience for Gramma...and a super fun time with Natalie!

Mr. Potato Head

Our Mr. Potato Head collection has a new fan! Logan was here for a sleepover and I figured it was time to get the box out. He loved them! Suddenly he was so ver interested in eyes and ears and arms and feet! He figured out quite quickly how to change them around and try out new identities. He must have played at the coffee table for almost an hour. We've got several potatoes plus a carrot and a corn. I remember my own Mr. Potato head set...we had to furnish our own potato. Yikes! Yuck! Fun! REAL POTATOES!!! I like to have kinda crazy toys the little ones ask for when they come. I'm sure Logan will be after "Tato Head" in the drawer the next time he's here!!

The Three Musketeers

We had "the boys" here tonight...the "Three Musketeers"! Carl and Gus were having a sleepover because mom is out of town, and Logan joined us for supper and the evening. Of course it was so much fun, and busy every minute! As always, the big bin of Legos needed to come out. Even Logan is now old enough to play with "little Legos".

And after supper there were Valentine cupcakes

and reading "Where's The Mouse??" with Poppa

Logan went home at bedtime...but Carl and Gus stayed awake awhile reading their new Valentine books with their new booklights. Who can possibly tell them they need to go to sleep? How cute is this??

Sugar Love

This year it was Hearts and Sugar sent off to our families for Valentine's Day. I've decided that sugar cookies are by far my all-time favorite cookie on earth, and I LOVE decorating them for holidays!! This year I got a little carried away with the decorations...but I was really having fun!! It's just another form of artistic expression!

Then there were the homemade Kaluha Truffles that I tried for the first time this year. They're a keeper! Cute baskets? huh? Gramma's love keeping their eyes out for something that will be fun!

So a stack of cookies and a basket of 'truffle-love' to all of our Valentine families!! And some Valentine love left for Grams and Poppa, too!!

Bups and Dorks

"Bups and Dorks" (or as Louise says...Bupths and Dorks) is the new game she created from the detergent cups and wine corks that Poppa and I have been saving. I find it amazing how much fun kids can have with things that aren't purchased as toys! She and her two brothers were having a sleepover with us while their parents had a sleepover somewhere else. It was an early Valentine for them....and a wonderful 24 hours for us!

Even Carl got into a round of Bups and Dorks with Louise. I think there are many variations on this game and we're likely to see it again!!

Notice...I've added COMMENTS to the end of my blogs... feel free to click and comment or send me a note!!

Chinese New Year SOUP

We never need an excuse to get together...but it's always more fun to schedule our monthly SOUP night with a theme. We were still in the range of Chinese New Year, so why not?? The little ones love knowing that it's "lucky" to wear red and have learned about red envelopes. (they have $$$ inside!) Of course I love an opportunity to set table and decorate as well as find a soup or two to fit the occasion. I got out the paper lanterns, gold and purple table runners and perched a bowl of manderin oranges (for luck, of course) as a centerpiece.

Tonight it was Hot and Sour Chicken Cabbage Soup and Sizzling Rice Soup. Both received rave reviews and are on the "make again" list. We also had egg rolls and Chinese Salad with oranges.

We had coloring pages to keep the kids busy until it was time to eat.

And Jenn made her fabulous Red Velvet Cake, which we decorated with New Year's candy package wrappings from the Oriental Market. It was a belated birthday for Ron, and the cake was really fun and festive. Happy Birthday Kung Pao Ronny!!

I think everyone...the big kids and the little ones...always enjoy when things are special....when get-togethers become an EVENT!! And I get my energy from creating them. It's always been my belief that you need to "Make Memories" because they don't just happen!

Pizza Nite at Gramma & Poppa's

We had two of 'our' families over for dinner tonight, and decided to let Logan, Sammy, and Natalie make their own pizzas instead of having what the adults were eating. They thought it was great fun!

Logan was quick to catch on to patting his pizza dough into a little pie.....

and then Poppa helped with sauce and toppings. Natalie was an "old Pro" at this!

And Sammy was really proud of her creation!! Great success!! And we found out that this three-some can have a great time together! Logan can certainly entertain the older two girls, and he loves to follow what they're doing.

A New Combo: Logan & Louise

What a darling two-some! Cousin time for Logan and Louise. They're 10 months apart, and at 20 and 30 months old, they really enjoy each other's company!! They have the same interests here at Grandma and Poppa's house, and we all had a wonderful time on Sunday night. J & R took "the boys" to Children's Theater, and we were 'on' for having Louise. What a great opportunity! We asked K & A if they'd like an afternoon and evening to themselves and suddenly we have the Cousin Combo!! I'm "Meema" to Louise, and "Erma" to Logan. I love it!!!

There couldn't be anything any cuter than the two of them checking out the fish.....

Or playing with the bughouse....

They get along so well...and were so busy jabbering with the people in the dollhouse!

Louise is totally amused by Logan.....

And he's not always sure what to think....

But they share their snacks

And eat their dinners

And they both love doing puzzles! Here they are, in their jammies....(well, in the wrong jammies since I grabbed the wrong diaper bags!) It was a very fun and busy evening.

Remembering Christmas...

MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS 2008

Christmas 2008 wonderful!! Lots of family and friends. Many opportunities to spend time with the grandchildren, children and eachother. It seems like it was the most wonderful combination of Holiday elements from Thanksgiving all the way through a peaceful New Year's Eve. And here I am...one month has gone by. I've created a collage of the Christmas Season. Just a new way to preserve the memories. It was tough to choose just 16 of the best! (Click on the montage to enjoy it bigger!) But here it is: Christmas birthdays, lefse making, tree decorating, the manger, gingerbread houses and a dollhouse, Christmas cookies and abelskiver!

Meema's Little Helper

Louise spent the morning with me today and we got busy sorting and folding some bags of Great-Grandma Florence Jacobson's fabric stash. She was quite the little helper! Florence has been gone for about 7 years now, but she would have loved watching Louise today! Louise seems to be especially attracted to animal prints, flowers and the color pink! Could it be that much of Grandma's material was just that?? Nonetheless....Louise loved wrapping teddy bears and herself in all the pretty fabric.

Was that a cardinal I saw in the window?

"The Puzzle Princess"

At 20 months, Louise has taken a very serious interest in puzzles. She loves them!! She loves to say "puzzle" and she loves to do them. She was at our house today so her mommy could do some shopping...and she entertained herself for a really long time doing all the wooden puzzles we have. Not only can she find the right spot...but she jiggles them around until they're in place! (and then applauds appropriately!)

Poppa was at her house the other day, and after she took him on the tour of her room to see all the puzzles, she proceeded to dump 5 of them out and then put all the pieces back in the right places! Grandchildren will never cease to amaze me! They're even smarter than their parents! Aren't we lucky??

Playing Elves for Santa

One of our exciting and fun projects this year was creating a townhouse dollhouse for Louise out of a CD shelf and wood scraps. Chuck and I had a great time figuring out how to keep it simple and fun for her. I think she loved it!

This is the interesting furniture created from scrap hardwoods.

Painting on some finishing touches on Christmas Eve.