Today Truett was teasing Maddie, who is two months shy of being six years old.
Truett: Maddie. I bet I know the longest word.
Maddie: What is it?
Truett: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
Maddie: No it's not.
Truett: Then what is it?
Maddie: Infinity...because it goes for ever.
Now, I think that's pretty smart thinking for a child just two months shy of turning six years old.
I found I've been holding my breath lately, and I finally figured out why.
Merry Jennifer and Sam have been in New York City since Friday, having a wonderful time, I know; and even though I know they're having fun and will be home tomorrow, I've been holding my breath for three days straight.
It seems I've been mentally checking off the calendar days, waiting and waiting for them to return to Florida so life can get back to normal again. It's selfish, I know. But, it's how I feel.
It's such a blessing to live so close to my daughter, her husband, and Maddie and Oliver.
I'm cherishing the sound of Oliver's sweet voice. He's three years old now. He points out every big truck and says, "Me see red truck." or raises his little voice and says, "Motorcycle! Two Motorcycles!" He notices EVERYTHING with wheels. He also says, "Me ride in red jeep." And Truett and I chime, "Yes you will, Oliver. The next time you come over." (Which had better be soon).
We took the grandchildren to swim lessons today and Oliver's voice sounded like an angel's. He pointed out that ,"That car not on grass. It not in garage. My car in garage. It not rain on da-da's car."
God, I loved it. I love his thinking and reasoning and sentence building. Not too long ago Maddie was having a big time meltdown because she had dropped a Scooby-Doo gummi treat in the floorboard of our car. Oliver looked at her and said, "Me share with you, Maddie."
And that's the voice of an angel.
Yesterday Oliver turned three years old. When the call went out "Pinata time!" I got as excited as the children. I began imagining little children whacking away at a colorful, candy-filled pinata, and I worried that little Oliver wouldn't be tall enough to hit it with a broomstick.
Most of my background knowledge about pinatas came from reading stories or from watching Dora the Explorer. We certainly didn't have pinatas when I was a child or when my children were growing up.
So as I walked outside and looked in the tree, my question was, "Is that a roller skate?"
Then I thought about Oliver and realized it was a bulldozer, although Oliver calls all land-clearing machines: tractors.
One-by-one, the children pulled a string, and supposedly when the last string was pulled the candy would fall.
Not true of this one. This pinata had a problem.
The candy did not cascade to the ground. In fact, the hole wouldn't open and better than that, I heard one father say, "Does anyone have a knife?"
A knife at a birthday party? "No!" I thought. "No knives!" So Sam pried and pulled until the candy dropped.
The children didn't seem to mind that the last string pulled DIDN'T let loose the candy. It didn't bother them one iota.
All they wanted to do was gobble up the candy.
Which they did.
Thanks, Sam. . .for making the pinata experience a fun one.
And HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OLIVER!
This afternoon Truett and I took Madeline and Oliver to UF for their swim lessons.
As I looked around and began taking photographs, I saw many things of interest. Little Oliver learning to blow bubbles, for one thing.
Of course I saw Maddie tightening up her back stroke.
Then before you knew it, I was focusing on swimming pool things such as the swimming pool ropes to mark the lanes for swimmers.
I noticed a basket of balls
and swim boards
and weighted buckets for training
and swim gear hanging on racks.
I looked deeper and saw life saving equipment
and a row of diving boards
and a granddaddy watching his granddaughter.
I saw Oliver being rewarded with a cookie for a job well done
and his sister carrying the folding chair for me.
And while we were driving the children back home, I noticed one very, very tired little girl.
and I loved everything about the trip to swim lessons today.
Our grandchildren, Maddie and Oliver had a sleepover at our house last night. It was a spur of the moment deal where I just emailed Merry Jennifer and asked if they needed a parent break. They obviously did so we picked the children up late yesterday afternoon and then the action began.
Saturday night both children were very cooperative. They ate a hearty supper of pizza, and by the way mom, Maddie loved the supreme pizza we fixed. They were cooperative during bath time and at bed time. It's amazing how a couple of months of maturity makes a difference.
This morning I woke up at 6:00 A.M. and was astounded at the silence. What? The kids aren't up yet? They actually slept until 6:55 A.M. and five minutes later, the baby buggies were zipping in and around my spacious house. Everyone, including Punky and Roger got out of their way for fear of being mowed down. To think. They didn't even need a cup of coffee to kickstart them.
I am quite impressed with two-3/4 year old Oliver's child speak. As he whizzed his baby buggy around, he would pause and say:
I going to work now.
I going to doctor now. Baby sick.
I going to the store.
I going to the farm. Put baby in the farm.
But my favorite one was when he paused and looked toward the TV room and said, "bear in there. I catch it." Then he reached out both hands and grabbed at the air and caught the big bear. And then he threw it on the floor, quite pleased with himself.
Meanwhile, Maddie organized her stuffed animals on the cat scratching post and jabbered away. Then she marched herself to me and said, "I catched all the animals and they lived happily ever after . . .but YOU missed the story."
Around 10:30 this morning Madeline wanted to go swimming; but little did she know that with all the heavy rains during last week, the pool was not clean. The water was a little on the green side. Oops. Didn't think that out before inviting the grandchildren for a sleepover.
So off to the Ichetucknee Springs we went. Truett and I agreed that Maddie's experience swimming in the spring would be a life changing experience, especially since she is such an excellent swimmer now.
Maddie loved it!!! On the way home we asked which she liked better the pool or the springs, and her reply, "The Springs!"
She was all over that spring. . .
diving . . .
diving down to the bottom and swimming among fish. Thanks Truett for swimming with her.
In the meantime Oliver did not want to go swimming. He wanted to play in the park.
I thought I was getting off easy by not swimming, but I learned my lesson. The heat and humidity left me just about as wet as Truett and Maddie. I'll be in that 72 degree spring water next time. . .and so will little Oliver.
The children are napping now and later this afternoon we return them to their parents.
It sure has been a special sleepover.
Yesterday held a couple of firsts for our granddaughter, Madeline. For the past month Maddie took part in a day camp program at Sun Country in Gainesville. She began the first week with tumbling then swimming. Unfortunately she missed the whole swimming week because she was sick, but did take gymnastics the third week and ended the camp with cheerleading.
At the end of each summer camp program, the children put on a show for the parents, so when I found out that the show was on Friday, I told Merry Jennifer we wanted to see it.
Obviously there wasn't enough light in the gym so the pictures are quite dark. But we watched these little girls do their cheer.They weren't always in sync, but that made it cuter.
Maddie is in the back row in this picture with some girl standing on her back.
Turn about is fair play.
The girls did their cheerleading routine which probably lasted all of one minute and then the next group and the next group and the next group did their cheers.
We were so proud of Maddie. So proud, in fact, our hearts were in our throats.
I reminded Maddie that her mother was a cheerleader in Middle School and just maybe her mom might teach her the cheer called Bubblegum. But that's doubtful.
Following the cheerleading performance, Truett and I took Maddie to see her first movie in a theater. We saw UP. Maddie sat perched on her seat with a giant box of Nerds in one hand and a coke in the other. She pretty much watched the movie the whole time except when she was asking, "What's happening, Nana?" or "Why is that man sad?" I had to remind her to whisper or they might throw us out.
Merry Jennifer had told me about the nightmares she had involving fire after we took her to see Bambi when she was five years old. So I was apprehensive about taking Maddie to see any movie because of violent scenes and bad guys that are in them.
Toward the end of the movie when good was overcoming evil, Maddie jumped out of her seat and into my lap and laid her head on my chest. She could hear what was happening but didn't want to watch. She just peeked under her arm.
When the movie was over Maddie's first words were, "I didn't like that movie. It's a boy movie. I want to see movies with hearts and rainbows and flowers and princesses in them." And I must admit, it was a boy movie and I knew she would like a girl movie; but there just weren't any playing yesterday. I thought we should have seen G-Force with guinea pigs in it. But there again. . . fighting and violence.
Yesterday was a very special day simply because we spent quality time with our granddaughter.
Yesterday I took my mother to see "Julie & Julia". I saw it last Sunday with Truett and thoroughly enjoyed the movie and had promised mom we would see it Tuesday afternoon, our day together.
Last Sunday when Truett and I arrived at the theater in Gainesville, the parking lot was so full we couldn't find a place to park. So Truett jumped a curb with the Cadillac (since my car is still getting repaired from last Thursday's wreck) and we parked in a small grassy area encased in concrete. I expected to see a GPD parking ticket on our car after the movie, but there wasn't one. Whew!
Truett and I had to have been the last two people to arrive for the show, so our seats were not any better than the grassy plot where our car was parked. We sat on the first row in the first and second seats to the far right. It was most uncomfortable, so we just laid our heads back on the seat and looked up (straight up and to the left) to the screen.
We both liked the movie even though this almost reclining position put Truett into doze mode for a few seconds until I poked him and said, "Wake up!" Of course he denied sleeping, and after the movie praised it. And that was my first viewing of "Julie & Julia".
Now back to the story.
Mom and I went to the 2:00 showing of "Julie & Julia" yesterday afternoon. We were early by 20 minutes so we got center section two rows up in the upper level. Perfect seats! Mom and I are both aware that when we get to the movie early, we have to watch commercials, movie trivia questions and images of food flashing at us. Then, when 2:00 creeps around, we watch at least another fifteen minutes of previews and finally the movie. The whole while I hear Mom grumbling, "Well, that's not on my list to see" or "Why don't they just start the movie?"
"Julie & Julia" was just as good the second time around as the first, but with one difference: MOM. She commented on every octogenarian that feebly made their way to their seats. "Look at all those old people," she said. Or "That old woman must be 90 years old."
"Shhhhh!" I answered.
Now you have to understand that my mom is 85 years old and on October 13 she will turn 86 ; but she does not consider herself old. I have found that acting old is directly related to the amount of fun she is having.
Have you been to a theater with 70-90 year olds lately? It's a trip. They chatter and chatter and chatter right up until the show you're expecting to see comes on. It reminded me of going to the movies in High Springs on a Friday night with a teenage audience outnumbering the rest of the movie goers. You want to tear your hair out and scream "SHUT UP!" Well, that's what seeing "Julie & Julia" was like the second time around, only most of the hair around you was white or so thin it was practically non existant.
Believe me. I prayed these elderly women would stop their chattering so I could hear that lilting voice of Julia Child (Meryl Streep). Listen for yourself:
http://www.fandango.com/hdmovietrailers/julieandjulia-1108518799/
There was even a woman with a guide dog who sat in front of us, so Mom had to make a comment about maybe bringing her dog, Dasch, to the movies next time. "Mom, she's blind," I said, probably a little too loudly.
Then, when the movie was over, the audience clapped. Can you think of any other movie where that happened? I really do love the elderly who love life and have an appreciation for a good movie.
After the movie was over and the cast of characters was being shown Mom started again. "I've NEVER seen so many old women in my life." In fact, as we exited our row, she looked right in the eyes of a woman with a walker and said, "Have you ever seen so many old people in your life?"
Now I don't mean to sound disrespectful for I love my mother dearly. I just don't know how to change her habits which are embarrassing to me at times. I must. . . must . . . remember to contain my words in twenty years. Maybe there's a lesson here for all of us: The less said. . .the better said.
While in Dillard, Georgia the George families did many things. Some of us went to Highlands, North Carolina and shopped.
Some of us fished and others swam.
Some of the Georges looked at fog covered mountains
While others rode horses and ate ice cream.
What else could we have possibly done? Well, some of us saw rainbows. . .
While others of us had mishaps.
Of course we fed the farm animals
And we fed ourselves until we were stuffed.
Even one of us tried to eat a bus.
While all this activity was taking place, our many moods came through.
Some of us were mischievious.
While some of us were pensive.
We were all happy and some were a little goofy.
But by the end of the reunion we were all exhausted.
All in all the George family reunion was a grand time.
P.S. Boyce is home and doing okay.
Don't scare us like that, Boyce.
I wondered how the whole reunion thing would work during the day with so many George families scattered around the hills of Dillard, Georgia. I wondered if we would all do one thing together or go our seperate ways for three days. As it turned out, cell phones became the main communication link among us all. "Hey, we're going to Highlands today. Want to follow us?" or "Hey, we're going to the Dillard House" or "Hey, some of us are going to Tallulah Falls. Want to go?"
At which point some Georges would say, "Sure" or some would say, "No, we're going to the Foxfire Museum. Let's get together at dinner." And that's the way it worked with 38 Georges. I think it worked beautifully!
Since Truett and I wanted to spend as much time as possible with our grandchildren, we suggested activities that would keep Maddie and Oliver engaged. We hung out a couple of hours at the Dillard House feeding zoo.
There were chickens, goats, a donkey, a muskox, a cow, a llama and a pig. Three goats seemed ready to deliver their young the first day, and by the second and third days, they did.
Some of the Georges actually saw a goat birthing its baby.
It was one big scramble as the animals pushed each other away to get the food being held out for them. There was even one little creature that surprised us all, waiting for morsels of food to fall between the cracks of the walkway or in between the cracks of rocks.
This activity was a huge success for the George kids and adults.
Even the Dillard House cat kept Maddie and Oliver entertained.
