A Weekend at Grandma and Grandpa's

Yes, the Granddaughter (and Mommy) are home from the very long two-week vacation to Ohio! Granny picked them up from the airport late Tuesday night, was greeted with hugs and kisses from the Daughter and the Granddaughter's face lit up with joy and the feet started kicking to be rescued from the dreaded carseat. (Who can say "no" to those adorable brown eyes and chubby, edible cheeks??)

Almost immediately, the Daughter wants to spend the weekend with her Girlfriend - leave on Friday, home on Monday. (Mind you, the same girlfriend who just spent two weeks in Ohio with her ...); but being the GREAT mommy that I am - I drove her the two hours north and drove two hours home (with the Granddaughter)!

Yep, Gramps and Granny have had the Granddaughter all weekend - and we are doing what Grandparents do ... Pizza, Beer and Dodger Baseball on Friday night (she insisted!) ... again, Pizza, Beer and Dodger Baseball - with just a few bites of Frozen Peach Yogurt on Saturday night (again, HER choice!)... and today (Sunday) we are going to play in her pool, watch Dodger Baseball - drink a few bottles ...

... and spend THREE hours cleaning the crib, baby bedding and carpet in the nursery! You see, when Granny woke up this morning - she checked on the Granddaughter sitting and playing so peacefully in her crib - went to the kitchen to start her cereal/fruit and when I came back ...

The Granddaughter had removed her diaper and threw it onto the light tan carpet - BUT not before she had removed the "dirty" contents and smeared it all over her sheets, the crib bumper, stuffed animals and not to mention her hair, neck, fingers and toes ... remember people, this is a baby with rolls and rolls and more rolls!

It's time for the Daughter to come home, NOW!!

WWC: "Half" and "W"

She's home! She's home! She's home! She's home! The Granddaughter is finally home from her two weeks in Ohio, and only a day late for our Weekly Word Challenge submission. This week's words are brought to you by the slumping Tink, who almost took a picture this week. She was that close. The words are "Half" and "W."

Half (Half a baby--who is finally home!)

W (Playing in the water with her great-grandmother in Ohio. She also appears to be wearing a bulletproof vest...just in case. Or is that a suicide bomber's vest? With her great-grandmother, you never know.)

Bonus Photo (This is another shot from her trip to Ohio. She has eight teeth now. Can you believe it?)

Next week we will share more baby goodness just as long as we can tear ourselves away from nibbling on her apfelpfankuchen cheeks just long enough to find the camera. Thanks for joining us. Have a great week, and give Tink a hard time for being a slug.

The Vacation Chronicles

Granny, Xboy and I spent the last week staying with my parents in the home where I grew up. I enjoy being there for several reasons. The first will be obvious when you see the pictures--there are no people anywhere to be found. Also, my parents have coffee ready when we wake up, and the fridge is usually well stocked with beer. A people-free zone with ample coffee and beer is about all I need.

Except my granddaughter. She is still in Ohio with her mother, and they won't return until Tuesday. Poor, poor Gramps.

The following photos were taken in the front yard, where my brother and I spent many summer hours playing Wiffle Ball. The house is at about 6,000 feet elevation, and the tallest mountains in the pictures are about 14,000 feet. (That's a little more than 1,800 and 4,200 meters for those of you who use the dork-tric system.)

The first shot is looking to the west.


The next photo looks across the valley to the east.


Mostly, we relaxed, played cards, watched baseball on T.V. and read. (I finished a wonderful anthology called The Living Dead, for those still searching for the perfect summer book.) We did take one day to go fishing at the lake in the photo below. The action wasn't so hot, but we did have the place mostly to ourselves. Granny, as usual, burned her nose to a crisp.


Regarding the fishing, I need to tattle on Granny. I hope you all can shame her into displaying proper manners. You see, she completely violated the terms of the "you catch 'em, you clean 'em" rule. As usual, Gramps had to clean her fish for her. The things I do for this woman!

Granny and I arrived back home yesterday, but Xboy stayed up an extra week. Barring any happy accidents (like winning the lottery) I return to work on Tuesday, so I'm trying to relax and savor my last two days of freedom.

That reminds me. If you have a winning lottery ticket you'd like to send to me, just speak up in the comments section. I'd be eternally grateful.

WWC: "O" and "South"

The show must go on! Despite the fact that the frickin' adorable Granddaughter is in Ohio, we are able to bring you the Weekly Word Challenge on schedule thanks to the photographic efforts of The Daughter. Our sponsor Tink (miniature fairy by day, alligator zombie by night) has provided us with a word and a letter for your viewing pleasure: "O" and "South." Enjoy.

O (The Ohio State University, for those of you who are into that limp-wristed Big Ten stuff.)

South

Bonus Photo (At the local park in muggy central Ohio.)

That's it for this week, race fans. We still have another week to go with no granddaughter around to make us smile and give us delicious apfelpfankuchen cheeks to eat, but we're surviving. In fact, Granny, Gramps and Xboy are off visiting California family as you read this. Maybe we'll show off some cool pics from Gramps' hometown when we return. This is Gramps, for Granny, signing off and heading for a beer. Have a great week.

I Hope I Don't Get in Trouble for This

Since The Granddaughter is away and there is absolutely nothing else to do, it is the perfect time to let you into our world a little deeper. Granny and I may live rather ordinary lives, but that doesn't mean there isn't anything interesting to share.

Here are some ten interesting facts about Granny to delight and amuse you:

• She prefers her soda without ice.
• In order to locate Granny in a crowd, I look for children. She will be nearby.
• If possible, she would go barefoot every day of her life. I had to convince her to wear shoes to our wedding.
  
• Granny has never finished the last bite of a meal or the last drink of a beverage. Ever.
• If you ever need help, Granny will be there for you.
• She likes the Los Angeles Lakers, but hates Kobe.
• The minute I get myself settled in bed, Granny will inevitably ask--very sweetly--if I would please get her a piece of fruit, some dessert or something to drink.
• Granny's favorite summer snack is tomatoes and cucumbers with salt, pepper and vinegar.
• She enjoys walking along the beach looking for sand dollars.
• After more than eight years, Granny's dark brown eyes still have the power to enchant me.

There's more, of course, but this will have to do. Dinner is ready and the baseball game is coming on!

WWC: "Blue" and "Happy"

Granny and Gramps welcome you to the saddest ever edition of the Weekly Word Challenge, sponsored by Pickled Beef, your supplier of Madoff-free financial products and services since 2009. Why is this the saddest ever edition of the WWC? By the time you read this post, The Granddaughter will have been abducted by her mother for a two-week trip to Ohio without Granny and Gramps. How can we be expected to survive for so long without that delicious baby goodness?

This is the most heinous crime since the Yankees stole Babe Ruth from the Red Sox in 1919. I am sure you share our pain. And with that awful announcement, on to the pictures of the week.

Blue (Bleeding Dodger Blue)


Happy (Celebrating Mom's graduation with a tasty banana.)


Bonus Photo (Climbing on the luggage that, in a few hours, would be loaded on a plane and winging its way to Ohio. *sniff*)

That, my friends, has been the Weekly Word Challenge for July 7, 2009. We laughed, we cried, we gummed a banana. Wish The Granddaughter a safe trip, and pray that nothing so horrible ever happens again. Until next week, this is Gramps, for Granny, saying, "Goodnight, and if we don't make it, go on without us."