Autumn Wrapped Up.

I have concluded that late summer and all of fall are not good times for me to keep up with posting to this blog! As with last year I have finally found the time to gather together a few pictures of the kids taken during some of their autumn endeavors..... now that the winter holidays are just about over. :)

 Pumpkinville

 

Halloween 2010

 We're just waiting................

 Halloween was VERY chilly this year. Mia's face says it all!

As with every Halloween, we chose to top off our candy overload with a little birthday cake!!

Is It Just Me????

Following Jamie's ultrasound someone mentioned that they knew someone who said that their baby resembled the father in the ultrasound picture. Jamie didn't see how that could be true. She didn't think that you would be able to see any likeness from that vague black and white shot. As I was looking at her U/S picture, I told Jamie that the more I looked at it the more it did remind me of her profile as a baby. I think she kind of pish-poshed me and chocked it up to some sort of Nana vision until...............

Child of My Child....

They say this love is different

They say just wait and see

It will fill your life with sunshine

And fill your heart with glee

I laugh at such foolishness

For I've had children of my own

It's just that now they're older

It's just that now they're grown

Oh yes this love is different

A grandparent's love is best

I get to love without the rules

Her parents get the rest

Congrats Jamie and Josh!!

Say That Again.....

New additions to the Maddox & Mia Dictionary:

 Bedrections:

--noun

1. an explicit instruction 2. guidance or supervision of action or conduct

Begedder:

--adverb

1. at the same time; simultaneously 2. taken or considered collectively or conjointly

Modern Medicine

We have had some really hot, sticky weather over the past several weeks. A couple of nights ago the wind picked up and it seemed to instantly give way to some much needed cooler dryer air. Mandy got the kiddos tucked in a little early and we went outside to enjoy the cool evening air. After about 10 minutes Greg appeared on the porch to report to Mandy that Mia was up and saying that her stomach hurt. Mandy went inside, asked all of the usual questions; “Where does it hurt, do you have to go to the bathroom, etc?”  All Mimi would say is that “It hurts!” Mandy decided to try a different approach and asked her to tell her what it felt like. To which Mia replied; 

 “It feels like it wants to go outside with you.” 

If only all pain was as easily relieved!

197,345,276 Miles......

After two summers of hard driving, Maddox has pretty much worn the wheel gears completely off of his old electric Jeep. If the thing had come equipped with an odometer I am certain that we would all be astonished at how many miles he has probably accumulated. Because he is just too big for another electric car, and because he loved driving that Jeep around so much, Mandy decided to look for a mini gas powered ATV for him. After several weeks of watching the local classifieds the right one both in size and price was found. Papa, Maddox, and Greg love it because it's really, really cool looking. Nana and Mama love it because it can be governed down to a reasonable speed, and it has a remote control and a rear tether both of which can be used to immediately kill the engine! Maddox took to it like he had been riding it for years and he now spends many hours wearing the grass off of the lawn. He rode yesterday until he had a blister on his thumb from pressing the gas so long. 

Snips & Snails or Sugar and Spice??

Only nine more days until we find out!!

Mia's Mishap

One little girl running full tilt + one overhanging swing-set table= one big OWIE!

My! How You've Grown!

From what I have heard many of the folks in our area are not having very good luck growing their pumpkins this year. Mandy decided to put in a small patch......mostly to entertain the kids and maybe give them a pumpkin or two for Halloween. She either has a really, really green thumb or she is having beginner’s luck, because so far her pumpkin patch is doing great! The kids picked out their favorites when they were still flowering and now it is a daily contest to see whose pumpkin is bigger.

 If the success of the pumpkin patch is truly because of a green thumb on Amanda's part.......it's safe to assume that she most likely didn't inherit it from her mother............as this would be an example of my work:

 

The New Transdermal Ice Cream

Cabbage Island Clambake

Jamie and Mandy took a day for themselves and went to Boothbay Harbor for a  a boat ride which culminates with a lobster feed/clambake on Cabbage Island. They lucked out and got a gorgeous day to go. I'm assuming that Jamie was able to withstand the boat ride and the buttery seafood since I see no sign of her "OMG! I'm sooo nauseous!" face. Hooray! Here are a few pictures from their day. Al and I got the job of amusing the grand-boy for the day. Luckily he is (almost always) easily amused! A kiddie pool, an Ice Age 3 DVD, and some cookies and milk and our job was done.

Against All Odds

Amanda has been a bird lover ever since she was given her first parakeet as a reward for making the honor roll back in grade school.  (RIP Rupert) She has had birds of varying types ever since, and has always wanted to try her hand at breeding them. She had one failed attempt at breeding cockatiels several years ago, and just recently decided to try it again. Out of the six or so eggs laid, only two appeared to be fertile. The parents seemed to be doing a good job incubating the eggs, taking turns sitting on them day and night. In addition to keeping the eggs warm the parents are also supposed keep the humidity just right by dampening  their bellies as the climate dictates. Amanda soon learned that first time parents don't always do so well with the humidity control portion of the process. She wound up having to take this chick out of it's shell using tweezers and cotton swabs dipped in warm water because the membrane inside of the egg was literally fused to the chick's skin. It took her about 45 minutes to get all of the shell and membrane removed. When I first saw it my first thought was that there is no way this thing is ever gonna survive. I was already preparing in my mind what I was going say to try to make her feel better once the thing died. As it turned out,  I never did have to deliver my comforting speech. Mia called the chick Crush because Mama had to "Crush him/her out of the egg." After several weeks of hand feeding, (the parents didn't have a clue about feeding the thing either) Crush appears to be a normal healthy cockatiel. Sadly, the other fertile egg didn't survive.

Apparently, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree when it comes to bird people.........

A Generation Later....

While looking through the pictures on the camera Mandy noticed that we had a shot of Mia and Al on a ride that was very similar to an old shot of Mandy with Al that was taken at Funtown about 20 years ago. I had to search through a few old disks, but I finally found it. It seems strange (and comforting) to think that even though so much time has passed and so much has changed, some things will always stay the same. And I have to say- the old man has held up pretty well!

Annual Funtown Excursion

Not much explanation necessary. The annual summer trip to Funtown. Poor Mia was sad to learn that she is still too little to ride with the big boys. It worked out  though because with Jamie' being PG she and Mia got to be riding partners this year. Below I pulled out a few of my favorite pics.