Easter with Jake and Claire

Claire and Jake's Easter picture. Jennifer and Jeremy took them to a photographer in a mall, which was close to a pet store. The pet store was "renting" rabbits. Pay $40, take a rabbit, and if you don't want to keep it, bring it back for $30 refund. So they rented a rabbit for the photo shoot. Pretty clever idea all around, I think.

The Saturday before Easter Mimi and JanMa visited the twins for lunch and Easter egg hunt.

The twins sat in booster seats for lunch. Mimi had brought each twin a chocolate Easter bunny. Although hesitant at first, the twins quickly decided they liked the taste. After a few bites, the bunnies were put away for future nibbles.

JanMa had prepared 2 dozen plastic eggs filled with goldfish, teddy grahams and a few with chocolate. Mimi hid the eggs outside while the twins were getting chocolate cleaned off their hands and faces. Then outside for the egg hunt.

Mom and Dad helped the twins with their egg hunt, and they quickly caught on. Claire managed to get one egg open and Jake helped her eat the goldfish inside. Jake loved to shake the eggs and hear the rattle sound.

The twins had Easter buckets rather than baskets, which I think is a terrific idea. They like carrying buckets around and putting stuff in them, plus they will provide some fun in the wading pool.

Mimi and I headed home after a few hours so JanMa could catch a nap during the afternoon. I hope the twins had one too, and their mom and dad.

Early Easter with John and Taylor

The weekend before Easter, Mimi and I drove to Dallas/McKinney. I was babysitting John and Taylor Saturday night, then we would visit again on Sunday and Tuesday. The rest of our visit in Dallas included spending time with Diane and her family, including watching old videos of Blaine and Blair when they were little. We also squeezed in lunch with cousins.

Four generations, Mimi, John, Jan, Jason and Taylor.

John is a good big brother to Taylor, and she tries to crawl to wherever he is, reaching for his toys. He isn't quite sure how to take this yet, he moves his toys away and he puts her toys in front of her to distract her. He would grab my hand to take me to his room so we could play by ourselves. Taylor just crawled to follow us, but it took her awhile!
Before when I picked Taylor up, she quickly figured out I wasn't mom or dad, and that lower lip would poke out and those eyes would water up with big tears. My plan on this visit was to hang out with John and play on the floor, and let Taylor get used to me.

A quick picture of Mimi and Taylor before Taylor realized who had her!

The first night I was babysitting, so no mom or dad around. I held her facing away from me to give her a bottle, and that was OK til she craned her head around to look up at me, then the lip and tears. I distracted her with the bottle, and she was OK til she craned her head around the other way, and I was still there. She would crawl around the floor with a few cries, but not the wailing she had the last time I babysat. Then I put her to bed and she slept soundly. I was happy with the progress. On Sunday, more progress, she would crawl around and over my legs, trying to follow John. Whenever she looked at me, I quickly looked away - no eye contact - and she would crawl on. By Tuesday, she would crawl around me and actually look and smile at me! So I think real progress was made on this visit.

John and I spent a lot of time outside, with the bubble machines, throwing a baseball (him throwing it and me chasing it!), and hunting Easter eggs. I had filled a dozen plastic eggs with Hershey candy chocolate eggs, teddy grahams, goldfish and animal crackers.

John quickly figured out that the eggs had snacks in them, and he would get one bite from each one. Then I hid/tossed them around over and over again, and eventually the eggs were empty. He would find an egg, shake it, then open it if there was still something inside, or say "no more" if there was nothing shaking inside. He probably found those dozen eggs over a hundred times.

Jason came outside with his tool box to hang a swing, and John was right on his heels with his tool box. It was so cute watching him working with his Dad.

On Tuesday I went with Ashley to pick up John from Mother's Day Out. She had told him JanMa would be with her to pick John up from school. As we walked up to his classroom, I heard "JanMa" and John ran out the door of his class right to me. I picked him up and he showed me around his play area. That was a great moment for me. When we got back to his house, Ashley asked him if he wanted a snack. No Way he said. Want an apple? No Way. Want a banana? No Way. Then he looked at me, said "Manmaw, I hungy". Do you want an apple, John? Yes! he said.
Mimi had sent some coins for John to put in his piggy bank. I gave him the coins and he knew exactly what to do with them.

I had a great time playing with John and letting Taylor get more used to me.

Mimi Comes to Visit

Mimi arrived in Houston for a 2 week visit, both here and a few days in Dallas. After lunch at Mamacita's with Bill, (Mimi had been away from Mexican food for way too long!), we stopped by to visit the twins.

While watching the twins, Claire pulled out a pink dance costume, one piece with tutu and skinny straps. I asked her if she wanted to put it on, and she plopped to the floor and held up one leg. She was ready to be a dancer. So I changed her into the ballerina costume and turned on the CD player. Claire immediately started to weave and bob her Claire dance.
As soon as Jake heard the music, he ran into the play room, and started to bob up and down, the Jake dance. He then grabbed the white tutu skirt out of the toy box, and Mimi slipped that on him over his pants. So for the next 15 minutes, we all danced. See video below.

Video of the Claire and Jake Dance.

Video of Jake and Claire bouncing on the little rocking horse.

JanMa's Big Birthday Present!

I finally got the big birthday present that Bill and I had been discussing and evaluating for a year, since my last birthday. He wanted to get me an e-book reader. We checked out kindle, nook-book, and IPad. We sort of gravitated towards the IPad, because it had more capabilities than the others, the IPad could hold books and music, also could be used to check email and Internet browsing. We thought it would be a good choice to take on trips on the Archer plane, instead of a laptop. About the time we made this decision, the IPad 2 was announced. So we decided to wait, and meanwhile check out some of the other new tablets, the Motorola Xoom and others. We decided to hold out for IPad 2, which was coming out in April, just in time for another birthday!
So on Wednesday, April 6, 2 days before my birthday, I went to the Apple Store in the mall at 7:30 a.m., stood in line til 9:00 when they opened to sell what IPads they had received the day before. I was #8 in line and I got exactly what I wanted, the IPad 2 wifi only, 64G, in black! I think I was pretty lucky, the lady behind me was waiting for the 3rd day to get what she wanted! So here it is....

Then Diane came to visit for my birthday and she got me this purse, great for the spring/summer and large enough to hold the IPad.
In honor of my birthday, Bill got out a "ready to assemble" a double adirondock chair with a table. I helped him put it together, and we enjoyed sitting on his patio in sturdy chairs enjoying the late afternoon/evening.
Here is as far as I've gotten in my caulking project in my powder room. I have decided I need to buy the "biscuit" color caulk and lay that in over the white. The white color is too stark for the countertop and backsplash. So this project is on-going.

Mimi is now here to visit for a couple of weeks, so we'll be seeing the twins and John and Taylor plus other families here and in Dallas. So more pictures in a few days.

JanMa's Birthday

I was fortunate to have all 4 grandkids together this past weekend. We had a JanMa's birthday dinner of pizza and chocolate at Jeremy's house with Jason and family visiting. I had a terrific time, took lots of pictures, and here are some of them, in no particular order.

Taylor on her hands and knees, just about to crawl.

John rubs his cheek on Mr. Snuggles or Teddy Bear, one of the identical twin cats.

Allison and Travis play with the ball popper, John looks on.

Taylor actually gave me an interested look, before she started to cry.

Jake and his cousins Travis and Claire.

Allison does a great job of entertaining Jake and Claire.

Cousin Allison stops by to swim with the twins.

Jake and Claire getting used to the water.

Claire sports her new bathing suit and sun hat before heading out to the pool.

Jake is ready for a swim in the wading pool.

John got so tickled hearing the toy cell phone ring. He would open it up, listen, close it back up, then burst into laughter when it would ring again.

Pizza was JanMa's birthday dinner choice, and John shows how can eat like the rest of the big folks.

Jake carries tote bag (Claire's purse) and pushes a roller toy.

I had grand delusions of getting all 4 grandkids to pose for a picture. I was lucky to get this one with 3 of them in it.

Jason takes charge of the girls, Claire and Taylor.

Jake learned how to climb up into the chair, getting down was a little tricky at first, but he quickly showed JanMa he could handle that too.

John climbs to the top of the slide and liked the view from up there.

Claire tried to poke Mr Snuggles or Teddy Bear, whichever cat it is.

Jake and Claire have some issues over what music to play.

Taylor just goes for what she wants, takes hold, and puts it in her mouth!

Lots of interest in JanMa's new IPad II!

Claire works her cell phone, Taylor goes after Claire's skirt.

Claire called Taylor "baby" and otherwise seemed to tolerate her.

John loved this ball popping game.