This cheese ball game was a big hit (huge exaggeration) with the campers.
Aria's role was to eat a pile of cheese balls. She was fine with that!
Cadence had fun playing with a story app on my iPad. Notice the diaper on the sofa. Oh, Granny.
Finn used his tech time for video games. Do you think our hard brown floor is funny? We put it in years ago when the dog (Sandy the Golden Retriever - we miss her) made a habit of throwing up on the carpet.
Finger paints!
Birdie plays t-ball! Batter up!
When we drove up to return the kids to their parents, campers zonked out!
It'll be a year or two before Atticus can join in. Don't you think his mama must produce rich and nutritious milk? He's not yet six months old!
Now I'm back to my every day doings. Peace for poetry and quiet for knitting. More owl making. Maybe some clothes sewing. Sorting and scrubbing. Digging and tidying the flowerbeds. July is real summer. Happy.
Oh, the weather is HOT here in Denver and Granny Camp is occurring mostly outside by the blow-up pools!
Here they are! Only Atticus is missing because he's staying home with his mommy. Grand number 9 is due in September, so she's with her mommy, too!
Finn is doing very well with his harem.
Just a little remembering. Last year I took my niece's old Ann out of a box and began revamping her for Amy's youngest daughter, Johanna. Remember how Ann sunbathed after her bath? Doesn't her dress look pretty hanging on the line? Oh, I do love Ann VERY much, in all shapes and sizes.
I'm having a bit of a quiet time just now. We decided that during Aria's (she's two) nap, the two "big kids" could enjoy an hour and a half of electronic game playing. That's it, though. So they are quite occupied and Granny is having a "feet up" and guzzling cold water.
I do love the daily routine with children. God's grace is sufficient and I am pleased that I can keep up the pace.
Time for a bit of doodling.
Sending huge LOVE your way and thanks for checking in on Granny Camp! (HUG and KISS!)
Woo woo! Hoot! Hoot! I find owl making very satisfying. I still haven't arrived at the perfection I'm going for (ha ha!). I'm not a good "stuffer" and placing the eyes and beaks isn't as easy as I thought it would be. I thought you'd like to see the two owls I've made in their "natural habitat" and then close up.
Below you can see the messy "owl making materials" that I found as I went through my meager fabric storage.
More owls to come! More mice and rabbits to come! And more stripey sweater knitting to come, too!
I've been thinking of fairy poetry, but I won't have the brain space to consider that until Granny Camp is over (coming up next week! Yahooooo!)
I found this annotated Secret Garden in the bargain stacks at the bookstore. Sadly, Frances Hodgson Burnett had a difficult personal life and dabbled in some funky stuff, but this story is so delightful. I do love Mary and the garden parts are the very loveliest.
Have you read The Borrowers by Mary Norton? They are little people that live in houses and survive by "borrowing" things from the big humans. It's delightful! There are quite a few books. I love them all. So, if you are wondering where all the paperclips have gone or why you don't have any bobby pins when you're fixing your hair in a fancy bun so you can go to the theater (ha ha!) it is because the Borrowers have "borrowed" a few of your things. You don't mind, do you?
Continuing with my fixation with fairies and other little beings, here is my twig lady. Have you read Miss Hickory? Oh, you must! She is the spunkiest little lady ever! She is left behind by her human family (usually they place her inside on the window sill when they leave for the winter). She is pushed out of her woodsy corn cob house and must figure out how to survive. It's very symbolic and lovely. My twig lady has a very shriveled crab apple face, doesn't she? Do you like her hat? I knit a tiny i-cord tube for her and she likes it.
Last year I made a twig fairy bed that lives over in Kelli's garden, but I started working on this clothes peg/popsicle stick bed, too. It will go in the chimney garden soon.
After exercise class this morning, I am off to gather things for Granny Camp (Monday is the first day of camp). We're having tiny swimming pool Olympics and a scavenger hunt. I need to scout out some crafts, too. This year Aria is coming (she's two) so we'll have more participants. Birdie, Miss Bug, and Millie Rose will join us, too. I hope Sam can come Monday as well. Only Atticus will stay at home with his mommy. I'll keep you posted!
It is VERY hot here in Denver. It's okay. It IS summer and summer is good, right? I made a dragonfly with a twig and two maple tree spinners. I saw this on Pinterest. Delightful!
Oh by the way, I've noticed that some of the blogs that I enjoy reading are hibernating just now. Do you need mini-breaks from your blog every now and then? Do you feel like you spend too much time with your fingers on the keyboard? Just curious.
I just finished reading The Book of Summers. I couldn't put it down, but it did alter my thinking a bit and sprinkle just a tiny bit of sadness into my heart. No more of that! I'm sticking to happy stories (I must say, it is very well written and has some lovely imagery).
Have you written any poetry? Drawn and doodled? Dabbled in a favorite story? You haven't grown up, have you? Oh, I hope not.
I wish you Saturday morning glow. Thank you for stopping by!
Yesterday, inspired by Janette I think, I went to the farmers market. I found rosy fruits! I ate a whole bag of Rainer cherries so they are no longer around for photographing, but look at the apricots and the peaches! The colors are holy, aren't they? Oh, to be the color of a soft fruit. Smile.
As I walked by the stalls I heard, "Mrs. M!" A boy from my school was working behind one of the tables. So cute. He sells flowers with his grandpa! I had to buy this flat of white petunias, didn't I? Twelve dollars for all the four-packs! Score!
My poetry magazine came yesterday. I like it so much. One of my professors from my last college introduced me to this magazine. I like all the ads for low-residency MFA programs. I'd like to play around with THAT! Maybe some day.
New titles! My favorite: Cupboard Full of Coats. I have no idea what the story holds, but that's a great title. I bought a novel at the grocery store titled The Book of Summer. It's very nice so far, even though it is a little over stocked with similes. Ha ha.
Well, I must say that with the abundance of words for the taking, THIS sweet book holds the TRUE words and the BEST words. Look at some precious words here. "The earth is filled with your love, O Lord." That's SO true, right? Looking out my window today I am feeling loved by the green maple trees, the wind dancing with branches, a dog on a red leash following her person, and I smell that light scent of cool morning air, the smell of love. Oh, yes.
My good daughter-in-law made many owls for Aria's birthday party over a year ago. She gave each cousin an owl. When I am at Kelli's house I find the owls and place them on the shelf above the fireplace, because I love them so much. Now I have the pattern so I might make an owl or two today. I do like owls, don't you?
So, Sunflower Face, I hope the sun shines on you today and maybe a very red little ladybug bestows a kiss on your cute ear!
Oh! You should see my twig lady! Her face is so shriveled! Stay tuned!
Cherries by moonlight, anyone? The birds and squirrels are having a feast in Kelli's backyard! You may come over and pick some. Please make me a pie.
Wouldn't you like a pair of these? I found them in Miss Bug's closet, caked with mud. Into the washing machine they went and now look! So pink!
We made cookies after breakfast (still in princess nighties)!
After that the bow heads did a little swinging.
Tonight after the girls went to bed and while I was sitting downstairs in the quiet living room I heard, "GRANNY! GRANNY!" I thumped upstairs to learn that Birdie had yanked out yet another one of her teeth! What to do? What to do? Kelli will be back tomorrow. I think the tooth fairy will have to arrive a day late. What do you think? I could have Bill run to the store in the early morning. I think the tooth fairy that services this household brings gifts not coins.
So I think I'll have some milk and go to bed. Someone told me it's relaxing. This same someone is a cuddle bug and likes to nuzzle. She also dips bananas in barbeque sauce intended for her chicken. Sometimes she bites her sisters' toes. One more morning to lift her out of her crib and hug and kiss her sleepy little face. Granny is a very nice name.
Mommy and Daddy are having a great time in NYC, taking in the sights and shows. After the girls talk to Mommy on the phone they say, "I miss Mommy. I like her." When we use Facetime to talk, Miss Bug is the first one to say, "Hi, Daddy!" They're so cute. Last night Birdie got mad at me because I held her back so Miss Bug could go up the stairs first and because she had a big day at a birthday party, she was tired and grumpy. "You didn't let me win!" Finally after saying, "I don't like you anymore and I like Mommy but NOT YOU!" she calmed down, apologized, and wanted a story. Whew! Mommies work so hard.
I found a pinny in Kelli's pantry. Here we are reading The Twelve Dancing Princesses AGAIN. We all look a little weary, don't we? Do you see Miss Bug's lambie? It was one of my clown puppets for my birthday party Pom Pom clown jobs. Missy found it in our basement closet and has loved it ever since. She's such a nice girl, helpful and smiley.
Bill's pushing Millie Rose in her pink swing. She likes to swing very high!
I've been chasing her around quite a bit. It's a waste of time to sit down. I've been standing at the ready, leaning on the counter. Even though she is only 17 months old, she obeys. If I say, "No Millie. Stay here." She does!
She wants to do everything the sisters do.
I slept in Birdie's trundle bed the first night and I got up to talk to Kelli for a minute. Birdie took my phone and took about 100 blurry photos of herself and one clear photo of the doll her Auntie April made her. Isn't she so cute? April made one for each of the girl cousins (and that's a lot of girl cousins!)
Birdie went to a beauty shop birthday party yesterday and had her hair braided and nails painted. The party wasn't until the late afternoon, so from 8:00 am on, she asked, "Is it time for the party?" Today is Father's Day and Grampy is taking the two older girls to the movies during Millie Rose's nap. Did I say Millie Rose's nap? I meant GRANNY and Millie Rose's nap.
I have an hour before the good mornings begin. I am going to have another cup of coffee and say my prayers.
I remember when our kids were small, I made a lot of lists. Not "to do" lists that involved housework. I knew what I had to do every day, but I made lists of bigger jobs like sewing, improving bedrooms and other rooms, and I always listed "do crafts and art with kids" because that was the hardest to get up the gumption for. Mommies are tired and always on the go. Field trips and games are the icing on the cake, aren't they? The day-to-day doings are what define the family. I applaud the homeschooling moms. My kids would not have learned much, I fear. We did do a lot of reading and riding bikes, but how do the homeschooling moms do all the rest? Please tell!
Thank you for checking in on us! I have the fancy camera here now, so I'll try to take some more photos.
Have a lovely Sunday!
