Spring Break with Grandpa and Grandma

My mom and dad arrived Good Friday, in time to eat supper with us. I'd anticipated them arriving in time to eat with us, though I didn't know what time, exactly (and they have no cell phone to call us), so I'd made burrito filling in the slow cooker. Easy to make, and good for eating at pretty much any time, once it's done. It is so easy: Put any kind of meat, a chunk of pork or beef or some chicken, along with a jar of salsa, and two cans of beans. You don't have to be precise with the amounts, just make it look right to you. I usually cook the meat until I can shred it, then add the beans to cook some more. It's easier to shred the meat without the beans in there.

The big kids were SO excited, knowing Grandma and Grandpa were coming "any minute". I think they waited at the window looking for them for probably an hour. They'd leave for a short time, then come back and wait. Austin made his bunny ears at school, and Lauren found hers in a cupboard. Sure enough, Grandpa and Grandma arrived while the kids were on the lookout! All of a sudden, Austin said, "They're here." And the funny thing was, after waiting all that time by the window, none of them moved too fast to open the door and let them in! Crazy kids.


All the kids got lots and lots of play time and attention from Grandpa. They all had several coffee times with Grandpa and Grandma. Grandma and Grandpa drink black coffee, and the kids got brown coffee: coffee with lots of milk and plenty of sugar.

Lauren would sit in the little hallway outside the bathroom whenever Grandpa or Grandma were in there with the door shut, singing a little song to herself while she waited for them: "Open the door, and you can get it!" "Open the door and you can get it!" Over and over she softly sang that song until they came out!


Monday morning Austin woke up very unhappy, not feeling well at all! His right ear that bothered him Easter morning was hurting again. As it so happened, Caroline's 9-month check-up and shots were scheduled for April 13, so I just took Austin in and had him checked then. Sure enough, he had an ear infection. Since he'd just had an ear infection (but in his left ear), and had had 10 days of Amoxicillin, starting March 24, he had to have a different antibiotic, Azithromicin this time. Austin was miserable all day that Monday, but the antibiotic kicked in pretty quickly.

One of the days I was out watering the seeds we planted (they're sprouting now!). I'd set Caroline on the grass to watch. She is fascinated with those Easter eggs so I gave her some to play with. My mom and dad came out too.

Bailey had to visit Caroline.

Another day we had a reluctant princess. Lauren had got out the dress-up clothes and tried on every princess costume, but that was it. On one went, and off it came, in a matter of minutes. Julia insisted Snow White needed her red headband and gloves to complete her look. Princess Lauren didn't like that plan. Julia used to dress up and play for a loooong time, but Lauren isn't as into it as she was. However, Lauren plays with her dolls and toy kitchen more than Julia did.

We had babies being diapered. The real one and the one who's real to this mommy, Abigail Dumpling Baby, she named her baby this day.

I helped Austin build this giant, sprawling train track. He'd drawn a track layout that we loosely followed. Our future architect?

We had a strange character visit (picture 1). We had a sawdust catcher assist Grandpa in making a doll bed (picture 2).

Several weeks ago I mentioned to Julia that her cousin planned to buy an American Girl doll with her own money that she was saving, from birthdays, holidays, etc. Awhile after that, maybe even a week or two later, Julia told me, "I have money. I could buy a doll with my own money." And sure enough, she did have money--two kitty banks and one bunny bank stuffed full of money she's received for birthdays, holidays, from the tooth fairy, found on the ground... All the checks she's received we've put in her investment account, but this cash was money she's gotten for other various circumstances. Plus, Brian and I agreed we needed to start paying her an allowance. So she had that money. She counted her money a few times (because the total was not always the same ;) ), and had a little more than enough to buy an American Girl doll and its accessories. You save $5 if you buy them together.

Julia's favorite American Girl is Josefina. Her second favorite is Felicity. Since she got Josefina for Christmas, she bought Felicity. Felicity arrived April 8, and Julia was SO excited! She gave Lauren the book, since Julia already has that book. You can't buy the doll without the first book in its collection--a way for AG to make even more money, I'm sure. Lauren was thrilled, absolutely tickled pink, to be given that book, but mostly to be included in Julia's world. Lauren says she's saving her money for a Kaya doll. Keep saving, little girl. ;) As Austin told her, "Wauren, you might not get Kaya for a long, long time. You might not get Kaya until you are 8 or 9!" But Lauren is not to be deterred. She insists she is saving her money for Kaya. She's looked at those AG catalogs with Julia and wants that Kaya doll. :)

Anyway. Julia said Felicity needed a bed. She said Josefina does not; she sleeps on a sheepskin. I suggested, that maybe Grandpa could build a bed when they came. And, sure enough, Grandpa did. Julia chose a four-poster style bed, with a canopy. Tuesday Grandpa and Grandma planned it out, and we shopped for wood and screws for it. We also stopped at the quilt shop in Pismo Beach, for Grandma, but Julia and I picked out some fabric for bedding for Felicity's bed. We all went to Carl's Jr. for lunch. That afternoon my dad started making the bed.

He worked hard and long on that bed, and finished it late Wednesday afternoon. My mom had to make an emergency trip back to the quilt shop in Pismo Beach right before they closed, because we'd not figured enough fabric! It was kind of hard to figure when there wasn't a bed actually made, and we were kind of in a hurry the first time. When she had all the fabric, my mom started the bedding. She sewed a mattress, pillow, canopy, curtains and bed spread. It turned out really cute! I still need to paint the bed, and cut some ribbons so Julia can tie back the curtains. She wanted curtains that could be shut at night, because that's what they used in colonial times to keep out the chill. :)


Thursday was spent packing up and getting ready to leave for our trip to Yosemite.

At breakfast Saturday we had to wait quite awhile, as the service was slow! We were all talking, and not paying a whole lot of attention to Lauren. Suddenly I notice her siphoning water out of her drinking glass with her straw, then letting the water drip on the table. She'd wipe the water with her napkin, then put the napkin in the glass...just fiddling around, bored. I told her to stop that (!), and gave her a little notebook and pen from my purse. Grandma asked to draw something or look at the book, and Lauren told her, "You can't have this because you didn't put your napkin in your cup!"

My mom and dad left to drive home Saturday morning while Brian took the big kids swimming in the hotel pool. I stayed in the hotel room packing up and watching a house show on TLC while Caroline had a nap. They all stayed in the pool over an hour! We checked out of the hotel, then took them to Oakhurst's city park.

Sweet little Caroline was so happy to get to swing. She's a big kid, too, after all. :D

Little Swinger, and Lauren up on the play structure. Typical stance of hers, here, walking/standing with one hand tucked in the back of her pants. Oh, what goes on around here!!

One of the afternoons during the week, my dad was sitting on the couch with Julia, Austin, and Lauren surrounding him. They were talking about Easter, and the real meaning of Easter. The talk went on quite awhile. They talked about sin, and Julia quoted one of her Awana verses--word-perfect, with reference. She said she might not have been able to remember the reference if it hadn't been for all that quiz practice. After several minutes of talking about sin, and Jesus dying on the cross, and how we need to be saved, they were all quiet, just sitting with Grandpa. And Lauren pipes up, " Can we pay now?"

I think that took Grandpa a little by surprise, "You want to pray now?"

More quiet. And Lauren says sweetly, "Can we pay now?"

Somebody interpreted for her, "Can we play now, not pray!"

My mom and I got a kick out of that, listening in from the dining room. It was like Grandpa thought he was doing his Bible study, he'd given his talk and then they were going to finish it with a prayer. That's what you do, after all. Except Lauren wanted to play. ;)