RANDOMNESS #1 - I AM WOMAN, HEAR ME ROAR... (OR SQUEAL AND CRY LIKE A BABY AS I CRAWL UNDER THE HOUSE DURING A RECENT SNOW EVENT IN GARDENDALE) - You probably don't even remember this now, but let's go back a few days to January 6 and January 7. We had our first snow/ice/sleet of 2017.
Fun fact for you...
Mike has never been home during a "snow event." He has a job which requires his presence if workers cannot come in because of unsafe roads. That being the case, my kids have always been stuck at home with me during snow days, and while I am a hoot to be around at any given time, I have never been comfortable driving around in icy/snowy/sleety conditions.
In other words, we have no hills to sled upon, so our snow days tend to turn into snow hikes, watery snow ice cream, the occasional snowman making and more Netflix/hot chocolate/board games than is recommended by the Surgeon General of these here United States.
The guilt has been pretty bad these past 25 years or so.
However, this year was going to be different. Roxie was the only "kid" at home, and at 20 years of age, Netflix/hot chocolate/board games are not necessarily "the most boring things on earth."
And, of course, at 55 years of age, I call the above activities "a normal Monday in January," so I was also good to go.
Things were going well. Roxie and I had decided on our activity list (see above), our snow event attire (plaid flannel pajamas) and when we would break from the aforesaid activities for showers.
My shower time was approximately 10:42 a.m.
Roxie's was sometime between noon and midnight...
Maybe.
I know what you are thinking. We are like the same person!
At 10:41, I headed for the shower. I turned the shower on so it would warm up before entering (as is my practice), and I heard nothing.
Nada.
Nary a drip.
Hmmm.
I had let the sink and shower drip all night long to avoid frozen pipes, but it appeared when I got up around 7:00 a.m. for various and sundry reasons, I had turned them off and crawled back into the bed.
Almost four hours later, those pipes were frozen.
And I was in trouble.
I called Mikie, and he told me what I already knew.
I had to crawl under the house with a flashlight AND hair dryer AND extension cord...
Believe me. If you have known me five minutes (OR LESS) you would know the above is NOT in my skill set.
Diaper changing, picture taking, big gold van driving, ice coffee drinking, soup making...
Those are the things in my skill set.
They aren't very useful in a real emergency, but then again, NEITHER AM I!
Upon crawling through the tiny door leading under my bedroom/bath, I was not afraid of snakes, spiders, scorpions or other small woodland animals. I knew it was too cold for them. All I was going to have to deal with was a little dirt and discomfort.
Or so I thought.
Shining the flashlight ahead of me as I got ready to crawl, the only thing I could see was a wall made up of millions and millions of spider webs.
I kid you not.
In fact, it looked like the spider webs were somehow part of the underpinnings of the house.
I looked around the yard, found a stick, and while holding the hair dryer cord in my teeth, a flashlight in my left hand, I twirled the stick in front of me.
(Not unlike the cotton candy man or woman at a carnival or fair.)
I twirled and twirled and twirled and the webs twisted around the stick.
After seven or eight twirls, I was clear to crawl one or two feet.
It was a slow, slow process.
And this is a long, long story...
If it's okay with you, I will finish this in a day or so.
It's not exactly a cliff hanger since you already know I am not writing this blog from the crawlspace underneath my house.
Or am I?
RANDOMNESS #2 - Here are just a few more pics of our new grandson. The first two (and the big one at the top of the blog) were taken by the hospital photographer, and I snapped the others over the past 22 days here and there.
If anyone wonders, he looks exactly like his Uncle Payton to me in this pic...
Which is not a bad thing at all! Handsome young men!
We love this little guy SO much!
RANDOMNESS #3 - Tuesdays with Judith - I try to get Judith on Monday afternoons, and she spends Tuesdays with ME. It doesn't always work out, but when it does, I am a much happier camper the remainder of the week.
On Monday nights, we eat dinner, get a bath, play with toys and she enjoys some "alone time" in her Book Nook Corner.
Then she and Pop watch The Uh-Oh Show (more commonly known as America's Funniest Home Videos) and they both fall asleep.
I take a pic and put her to bed...
And then I put Pop to bed.
Tuesdays can consist of anything, but nine times out of ten, if the weather is cooperative, we head to a local park.
On this particular Tuesday, we had some chores to do before going outside.
I am a HUGE proponent of water play...
Inside, outside, on the deck, in a puddle.
Water and kids go together hand in hand (along with constant supervision)...
And this dishwashing activity lasted 25 minutes which is almost unheard of in Two Year-Old Land.
I was the one who finally made her stop!
We found ducks on our outing at Black Creek Park.
A good Nana B would have focused on the granddaughter and NOT the ducks.
I was obviously NOT a good Nana B on this particular day...
But don't the ducks look fabulous?
Quotable Quotes - "Some days I wish I could go back in life. Not to change anything, but to feel a few things twice." Anonymous
Pinterest Stuff
Gummy Worm Object Lesson
Sweet v. Sour - You will need both kinds for this one.
1. First read Job 20:14. “Yet his (the godless person) food will turn sour in his stomach.”
2. Next show kids life with God. Read Psalm 119:103. “How sweet are your words to my taste, O Lord.” Explain when we don’t live by God’s laws, but by our own, life can feel sour. You have no hope, no faith and no one to help you.
3. Ask the kids to taste-test the worms. Which one is sour? Which one is sweet? Which one do you like best? Which kind of life should we want to live? Why?
Make this short devotion your own. You can add different sour foods to the mix (sliced lemons or limes, for example).
The same can be done with the sweets (honey, grapes, another favorite candy, etc.)
Also, a good time to have family object lessons like this one is right after you finish a meal together.
Smooth transition!
Have a very good week, my friends. I will talk to you soon!
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
P.S. So this happened Saturday afternoon...
Mike and I gave Josh, Courtney, Judith and Roxie circus tickets for Christmas. The original plan was to give everyone circus tickets for Christmas, but I knew the circus was NOT age appropriate for Austin, Melia AND the new babe.
Don't worry, I'll tell you about their Christmas present in due time!
And I'm hoping they will have a happy selfie to share at the end of their "gift," too.
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