from the porches

watermelon truck

      

I'm wondering if I should have titled this post Is This All There Is?  It seems that all I could find somewhat interesting or informative or unusual was to just follow this watermelon truck.  I do need to get a life, but too bad. . .IT'S SUMMERTIME.  And if I have nothing better to do than follow a watermelon truck and wonder if it is going to drop watermelons on the road, then so be it!

I think I posted a year ago about watermelons rolling and dropping onto the pavement in front of a car in front of my car. 

      

Sure enough that did happen.  The best part was that I was the second car back; therefore, when the watermelons splatted on the highway, my car didn't get the melon, seeds or rind on the bumper; however, the car in front of me did.

      

Somehow I hoped this watermelon truck would have dropped its watermelons in front of me so this post could have been exciting.  But no luck.  This load was securely loaded and headed your way you Tennesseans and Kentuckyians!

lazy day of summer

I've thought of today as being one of those lazy days of summer.  I did the morning house keeping: making beds, washing dishes, and bagging garbage.  I transferred a few photographs to new folders, worked in the studio for an hour or so, and had lunch with my mom.

During the middle of the afternoon I read my novel and around 3:00 Truett and I watched a video of Alaska, which brought back so many wonderful memories of our vacation there one year ago. 

Then I wandered out into the yard around 4:00 to check out the flowers.  Many roses need to be dead-headed and cut way back; and if the weather cools off later this afternoon, I may do that.  But that's iffy at this point due to the heat, mosquitos buzzing my ears, and forming storm clouds, which I'm praying for.

I did see a few flowers that caused me to pause and look twice.

      

     

      

Just look at the unopened buds on this rose bush.  In a couple of days this will be bursting with color. 

      

Ah, good old lazy days of summer.  I think I'll make a refreshing glass of iced cold lemonade now and think of some more relaxing things to do.

wild waters

For a couple of days we were without internet connection due to thunderstorms on Saturday, but everything has been restored and I am happy again.

Our final excursion with the grandchildren was a trip to Wild Waters in Ocala on Saturday.

      

Wild Waters was PACKED!  Maddie and Oliver had been invited to a birthday party there, so Truett and I dropped the children off with Miss Christy, their babysitter, and we left for a couple of hours for a quiet lunch to celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary.

We returned about 1:30 in the afternoon and watched the children sliding into the water, having a grand time.  However, they were starving.  It seems Wild Waters did not have their act together and the luncheon wasn't served until 2:00, instead of noon.

      

Maddie ended up eating a rather large hamburger and a hot dog, while Oliver ate the bread around his hot dog.

      

This is a photo of Austin, the birthday boy, and Maddie.

      

And of course, sweet little Oliver who was way past his nap time.

We took the grandchildren back to Gainesville yesterday afternoon, which was a bittersweet moment.  Although I was ready for them to be back with their parents, I missed them dearly as Truett and I headed back home. . . in silence.  I found myself thinking tractor. . .horse. . .cow. . .boat .. .as we drove through the countryside and noticed the wonders a small child sees.   In my head I could still hear tiny voices of two little children calling my name: Nana, Nana, NANA!  And I missed that.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience keeping the grandchildren for a week.

a box

Many other things went on which I haven't posted about:

      

Oh.  A box.

A big white large box.

      

What's this?

Hands.

Hands in a box.

Oh, my.

      

What's this?

Children in a box.

A dark haired girl and a blonde haired kid in a box.

      

Ooh no.  What's this?

Children saying good-night.  They came from the box.

      

What's this?

A Princess eating ice cream who came from a box.

dr. rosie

As you may have noticed, I have changed the title of my post from "a week at Nana's-day something or another" because I'm not sure what day it is.

Today we took Oliver and Maddie to see Dr. Rosie, a pediatrician in Gainesville.

      

We were smart to hop on this issue right away because Oliver has an ear infection in his left ear, and eye infection in his right eye and he is wheezing.  So we were taught how to use a nebulizer and picked up his appropriate prescriptions.

      

Maddie, on the other hand, got checked by Dr. Rosie and her eyes looked good, her ears looked good, but "Oh my,"  Dr. Rosie said.  "You've got buggers in your nose.  Yech!"  In fact, Maddie is using Kleenex every five minutes for a runny nose.

      

I guess you can tell by these photographs that neither child looks at all sick.  It's been 30+ years since I've been in a pediatrician's office and Maddie and Oliver were the only two there with ALL THOSE TOYS to climb on.  I did discuss office etiquette with them, but it went in one infected ear and out the other.

Oliver was a great little patient for Doctor Rosie and I'm hoping Maddie got her checkup for free.  I guess their parents will soon find out.  Now where was granddaddy in all this?

      

. . . in never never land of a magazine.

Then off to the drugstore for meds.  Do you think we got out of there with medicine and two grandchildren?  Why no.  They each convinced Granddaddy to buy them a toy.  He's a sucker for brown-eyed little girls and blue-eyed blonde haired little boys.

Moe's for lunch was our next stop.  And that's when the fun ended because by now it was after 12:00 p.m. and well into nap time.  After a brief melt down by Maddie and rushing through our lunches we finally made it home in this sweltering heat. 

Right now both children are in different bedrooms for naps.  Once again I hear Oliver chattering to Froggy and More Froggy and Baby.  Granddaddy turned on TV for Maddie to watch in our big water bed, so I know that young lady will not close her eyes.

Tomorrow we're off to Ocala for a child's birthday party at Wild Waters.  Maddie will probably swim, but I'll have to talk to Merry Jennifer tonight and get the green light or red light on Oliver.

I'm thinking "nothing to do" has a nice ring to it.

a week at nana's-day 3

Today was the most different day of all keeping the grandchildren.  Both children are sniffling or are stopped up so we didn't go anywhere fun. Unless you call going to Winn-Dixie fun.    

Maddie and Oliver and I did meet my mom at Fleetwood Diner in High Springs for a quick milkshake before heading to the grocery.

      

Fleetwood Diner was originally Floyd's Diner.  I do like the new shirt logos.

      

Ooops!  I don't think the waitress on the left would appreciate this photograph at all.

      

Mom and I decided to share an order of onion rings.  I asked Maddie if she wanted one.  "No.  They're disgusting!"  she answered.  Comes to find out she had never tasted one, but when she saw this one she said she would try it.

      

Check out this one that Oliver is holding.  Ultimately, both children ate at least half the order of onion rings along with their milkshakes.

      

      

And Oliver had to finish off my coffee.

      

I found it hard to listen to three people talking all at once so I finally told Mom I had to get to the grocery and get home.

After we got home Oliver began whining and holding his right ear.  We took his temperature and it was 100.4.  We're thinking it might be an ear infection so we spoke to his pediatrician's office and scheduled an appointment for tomorrow morning at 10:15.  

PS.  When I was trying to open a plastic container of carpet tacks to finish Oliver's rainstick, I stabbed the scissors into the fat, fleshy part of my hand right beneath my thumb.  So I'm bandaged up, Truett is limping from yesterday's fall at the pool and the two children are feeling puny.  But we're all hanging in there, including Roger; and Punky is now out and about after hiding for two days. 

a week at nana's-other stuff

      

I simply cannot put all of one day's events into one post so this is an addendum.  Yesterday, 6/9 ,was Maddie's official 5 and 1/2 year old birthday and we did have cupcakes at Nana's.

      

      

                 Yucky poop!  You're supposed to set an example, Granddaddy!

      

We also began a "rain stick" project.  Here's Maddie drawing lines around a mailing tube where carpet tacks will be placed.

      

And Granddaddy nailed in the carpet tacks so the rice and beans will make that glorious sound of imaginary rain.  We finished Maddie's rain stick, but since it hasn't rained one iota since the children have gotten here, we'll probably all do a rain dance toward the end of the week.  Then you will see the finished projects.  I'm now wondering if 99 % humidity almost counts as rain.

CATASTROPHIES:

1. Oliver hit Maddie in the head with a child's broom, which brought many tears and wailing.  I told Maddie it was an accident.  Then I said,  "Oliver, did you hit Maddie on purpose?"  His reply:  "Yes."  Oh, well.  The tears dried up in 45 seconds.

2.  Truett (Granddaddy fell down the pool steps tonight and ended up with his head on the ground and his feet in the air.)  Just a few cuts and abrasions, but he will feel it tomorrow.

3.  Coming back from the pool tonight I realized we had locked ourselves out of the house.  After fretting for 30 minutes and considering slashing the screened window again, I walked to the pool and Truett told me he had keys. We unlocked the house and finally got in, but Maddie ended up with three large mosquito whelps on her back, Granddaddy is limping and there was no supper prepared.  So PB&J  and chips had to do.

And that's the extra stuff.

And folks, that's the other stuff. 

a week at nana's-day2

Shhhh!  I must be very quiet because the children are trying to take a nap, but are having difficulties.  I finally moved Oliver to a different room, but after thirty minutes I  heard him saying, "Monkey.  I want monkey."  Silly me.  Tomorrow I will know better.

We had a busy morning already and it is just now 12:30 p.m.  Breakfast consisted of Honey Bunches of Oats with banana, followed by a mid-morning snack of mixed crackers and vanilla pudding.  The children watched a Max and Ruby video and then we headed to a farm deep in a dense woods, swarming with mosquitoes.  But not to worry.  We all sprayed ourselves with the new OFF powder.

       

                                                       "Say cheese!"

      

The farm had many unique buildings.  This is the greenhouse with baby ducks inside.

        

              There were seven of these little cuties and we all petted them.

      

Then we saw the horses and .  . .

      

the goats.  Here is a baby goat nursing its mom.  We could have gone in the goat pen, but it was just too nasty inside; plus I get nervous around big old billy goats, so we played it safe and looked at the animals through the fence.

 

Chickens ran free, except for the baby chicks.

      

And finally we saw a cow.  Truett was the only brave one to pet this guy.

      

After the visit to the farm we headed to GTO's for lunch.

    

After washing our hands thoroughly, we ordered chicken tenders and french fries for the children; however, the next visit to this restaurant I'm ordering only an order of french fries for Oliver.  He wouldn't touch the chicken.

And now we're back home, hot and tired; and in the thirty minutes it took me to write this post, half of the grandchildren are sound asleep.  Oh, well.  The afternoon isn't over yet.

This afternoon we're going to visit the fire station and one of the fireman said the kids could climb on the firetruck.  Then to the swimming pool to complete a full day at Nana and Granddaddy's house.

      

a week at nana's-day 1

      

We all woke up to a sun shiny morning instead of gray clouds.  After a pancake breakfast, a Wonder Pets video, and a short time of coloring, Maddie and Oliver and I went out to the cookshed in the fresh air.  They did not know I was killing time until 10:a.m. when we would head to the pool.

       

      

      

                 I only wish I looked this beautiful after I woke up.

Then Maddie swam in the pool with Clay . . .

      

She asked him about each tattoo and why he had them.  His response was, "I was young and thought I would like them."

Meanwhile, I stood in the water urging Oliver to get in the water.

      

But he preferred to whap the water with a noodle and . . .

      

                 lead me to believe he would actually come in the pool with me.

      

Ultimately, Oliver sprayed the deck and Clay and Maddie with the water hose.  He seemed quite happy doing that.

At the moment, the children are in separate rooms taking a nap.  Fresh air and swimming will do that to kids.  But wait. I forgot about awakening at 6:00 in the morning.  They were ready!

things

One of the files I have for my photographs as I weed through them is one I labeled things.  I like this category alot because I like things.  I am a collector of things and if I can't collect them, I'll photograph them.  Here are some things in my photo files:

      

                                               A cat's toy

      

                                      A tractor headlight

      

                        And a free wish for all my friends.