Babysitting Grandpa

We enjoyed some weekend visitors a week ago.

They especially love their grandpa.

Oscar had brought a special book to share.

Grandpa was happy to teach them "How to Babysit Grandpa."

This is our favorite bedtime story corner.

Grandpa shared some funny pictures from his phone.

This is how Oscar looks upside down.

Henry also obliged.  Don't you just love his current gaped tooth smile?

 

Grandpa Glen brought out some new toys he had ordered at Christmas time.  They especially loved the Penguin Race.

The highlight of the weekend was our visit to the Provo Rec Center play pool.  They loved it!  Grandma was the hero of this outing.  They only agreed to get out because there is a 10 minute rest period every hour when everyone gets out. (I think they just want to make sure that everyone uses the restroom and not the pools.)  They loved the blue slide.  That is Henry in the red swim shirt and Oscar running across the top to go again.  There may be a grandma in the picture as well but I would hate to point out anyone who hates to be seen in her swimsuit.

Aprons for the boys and the girls

Years ago I made and bought some aprons for the grand  kids to wear on doughnut day and sugar cookie day.  Guess what?  They keep growing and growing, so this year I made some new ones.  These were not Christmas presents, but just because I want them all in the kitchen learning how to prepare food and gain food prep skills.

For the boys, I found a four pack of dish towels each a different design at Ikea.  Perfect!

For the largest, I only trimmed off the triangle for the arms.  For the smaller boys there was some trimming and additional hemming.

I used the extra towel for ties which were fairly long.  They are threaded through the casing on each slanted side with a loop to fit around the neck at the top.

I used the triangles from the armhole trimming for further pocket accents.

My accent fabric was some red and white ticking leftover from my family room drapery project last year.

Pretty cute!  My base pattern was a Simplicity apron pattern.

Baby Opal didn't get left out.  She had also grown and needed a larger bib.  I just added some more length at the shoulder.

I love this reversible bib pattern from Piper's Quilts and Other Comforts.

Showing off their new cover ups before rolling doughnuts.  That is Oscar's in the background.  He wasn't as pleased but I know that he loves to help in the kitchen so I'm sure it will be used.

I also used a Simplicity apron pattern for the girls.  It included sizes for adults, children, and 18 inch dolls.  Once again, perfect!  Heather has grown so much this year and I used a small adult size for her.  I started with the largest child size pattern and just kept cutting it down as I went.  Most of these fabrics were Lori Holt designs.  Heather's is different mostly because I needed more fabric and most of my Lori Holt fabric pieces are a yard or less.

 

The doll aprons are made from the girls' contrast fabric with pieces of their main fabric for contrast.

I loved how they turned out.  My main expense came from all of the quarter inch double fold bias tape, yards and yards of it, that I bought.  Thank goodness for a senior coupon of 30% off my entire purchase at JoAnn's.

I had enough of the same but different color way fabrics to send the three sisters; Ruby, Sadie, and Mae home with coordinating aprons.  Heather's and Julianna's were each a bit different.

Julianna was more interested in helping grandpa in the front yard than participating in our photo shoot.  But we carried on.  I received coupons for free photo books with the purchase of a couple of dolls I bought this fall and I wanted a plethora of cute pictures of my American girls.

Aren't they the cutest? I love my boys and my girls!  I wasn't sure how my two oldest grandsons would feel about an apron, but they are still on my list for the future.  You may have noticed that Opal's bib and Julianna's aprons are of the same fabrics.

For Christmas, the girls received matching American Girl tops and American Girl hats including hats for their dolls.  I also picked up new white blouses and jeans for their dolls at the Doll Shop at Gardner Village in Midvale.  I love shopping there for my girls.  The quality is good and prices are lower than the official American Girl outfits.  They also have monthly coupons.  Just a thought for any of you who are from Utah.

Christmas Wrap Up

This was the first year that we have celebrated Christmas at the townhouse.  It was the first year since buying our home in Arizona over 20 years ago that we have been away from that home during Christmas.  It was a traveling Christmas for part of the family and the first time for others to wake up on Christmas morning in their own bed.  As a family expands and grows, adjustments are made but we are still family and we are grateful for any time together.

Eric's family was traveling to Washington state to be with Susan's family.  Luckily for us, they made an overnight stop Friday night with us as their drive north would require two full days of driving.  On their night with us, we invited the Utah families and had an early Christmas ham dinner.  The grand kids shared a table. . .

with baby Opal near by in her special chair.

Their parents and grandparents dined at their own table as well.

Ah, looks like Opal decided to join us.

I love this big round table.  It encourages great all inclusive conversation.

The next morning brought a great surprise for the Arizona kids.  Falling snow!

Julianna was beyond charmed and happy.

Brother Toby

Sister Heather

and biggest brother, TJ.  I fixed them a ham and eggs breakfast before they ventured on north on snowy roads.

Saturday was our annual doughnut day.  The Utah families gathered for some kitchen time.

 We mixed up, rolled out, cut, and fried several dozen doughnuts.

Opal spent more time in the baby chair for grandma has phobias about babies on the loose when there is hot oil in the house.

We also glaze the doughnuts in our special maple glaze.  You can find our recipes here.

Everybody helps but it is still a several hour project.

And left over holes make for fun "play" dough.

The doughnuts are bagged up and then delivered to friends and neighbors.

A warm doughnut on a day such as this is a wonderful thing.

On Sunday, we left early for Salt Lake City and the Liberty LDS Ward with our overnight guest in tow.  Oscar had spent the night with us so that his parents could deliver their doughnuts and do other things in preparation for Christmas.  Now we were going to church to listen to Nate and Nichelle sing in their ward choir.

It was a lovely Christmas program and the over 100 year old chapel built in 1908 with its stained glass windows was a fitting place to ponder on the Savior and His mission.

Christmas Eve we gathered once again for our traditional chimichanga dinner and nativity reenactment.  This year we had three boys and a baby girl to help us with the nativity.  The costumes were still in Arizona and so we did something different.  The boys presented a puppet show with the larger size felt nativity that I had purchased last year.  We gathered all the pieces on the ottoman and as Grandpa Glen read Luke 2, the boys moved the characters to our "stage."

They did a great job first moving the holy family to the inn. . .

and then to the stable.

The shepherds and sheep were visited by the angels. . .

and then were joined in welcoming the new baby by the wise men.

I love it when a child sets up a nativity scene.  All the figures are nestled around the baby Jesus in a circle of love, not spaced out to be seen by the viewer.

This is the way it still looks, just like this, because I love it so.

Then it was time for cousins to open their gifts from the cousin exchange and a few from grandpa.

Fun times!

They really enjoyed the looping car track.

Baby Opal is walking now but has taken her time, just like her mother did.

I love her smile!

The track was a great success.

As was the catapult.

Christmas morning, Glen and I were on the road.  First stop, the Ranes home in Lehi where we were served a yummy breakfast.

It was a beautiful sun shiny day.  So welcome after a very cold and snowy Utah December.

The aftermath, a very organized aftermath.

Henry's favorite thing from Santa was his marble run.  Opal was soon put to bed for a nap.  You know, marbles!

Then we went on to Salt Lake City where we found the aftermath had already been cleaned up and most toys moved to the basement.

Oscar was loving his new pajamas and playing Candy Land with his dad.

Nichelle told me not to post this picture on the Internet, but I couldn't resist.  That is her new telephone protector and notice that they have matching eye glasses.  We loved their cozy wood fire.

We then returned to quiet Provo where we enjoyed naps, communicating by phone with the other three families, and working on two puzzles, one for me and the other for Glen.  Mine is much harder!

This morning I prepared navy bean and ham soup, cornbread, and a salad for a lunch with Glen's sisters Wylene and Peggy.  I planned to get a picture of them before they left but forgot.  We had a great visit and they talked about the Christmas times of their childhood and Glen shared that this year on his birthday he will be the same age his father was at his death.  Sobering thoughts but joyful memories.

Tomorrow I will put away the townhouse Christmas decor and pack for an Arizona New Year.  More grand kid visits await me and another doughnut day is planned.  Glen will be taking down Christmas lights but I will not be putting away inside Christmas decor for this year I left it all packed away.

So family time changes but any place that includes family is home.