Four for Four

For the past three days we've had a little helper here, things are sadly quiet this morning. Over the last few months Mr. Goodneedle and I have tried to have each of the grandchildren for a weekend, by themselves, as schedules allowed. We didn't get Lucy Ann for a weekend but did manage the first three days of her spring break from school this week. We've now four for four, she was the final one to come and stay in the rotation.

When we got to the house on Monday after a lunch stop she picked right up where her cousin left off last weekend and finished sorting Nana's strips and strings into color groups. We cleared the table and started all over again. She was done in no time. I honestly cannot remember how long it's been since I saw the bottom of that bin!

She helped Paw Paw to crank up a batch of homemade chocolate ice cream in the workshop. 

On Tuesday we baked. Macarons. Ever since she was very young and read "Fancy Nancy" books, Lucy Ann has been intruiged by all things French. Yes, she wants to go to Paris, but claims that will have to wait until she perfects her table manners (I can't imagine where she's ever heard bargaining like that!😉) We have been planning to make these ever since her visit was scheduled, but this week we had Paris on our mind following the devastating fire at Notre Dame.  The cookies were a huge hit and turned out really well! If anyone is interested in the recipe you can find it here. 

In the afternoon she helped Paw Paw plant some fruit trees in our orchard space.

She made a prayer booklet for herself; copying scripture, quotes and even writing her own prayers to add. She decorated the pages and joined the stack together with a ring at the top so that she can flip through it and add more pages as she goes. 

We took a little trip to a precious local bakery and she chose a cupcake for dessert and one to take home for her brother. 

Yesterday it was sewing day. She made skirts for her American Girl dolls, we fused designs onto t-shirts for the dolls to coordinate. She takes direction well and ended up with two cute little outfits.

She was really excited about sewing; we need to do more of this while her interest is high. Having a short lesson and keeping the project simple and the goal attainable, will, hopefully, bring her back for more! 

Before we knew it, the time had come to get back in the car and head home. I hope Lucy Ann will remember our time together fondly; I know that we will! We miss this girl today; so does Hannes. 

He's very lonely today without his constant companion. I told my daughter this morning, 

that I don't think Hannes' feet touched the floor the entire time that Lucy Ann was here. 

Now it's time to start all over again-- one grandchild at a time!

Life is Good!

 

Forced Expulsion and Other Happenings

Bear with me through this post, it has lots of photos and a weekend update too. This was my the state of my sewing room on Friday. Being banished from the studio has resulted in a change of pace and tidier, better organized spaces in other parts of the house; not necessarily a bad thing! I have to admit, just looking at the plastic drapes, floor cloths and chaos in my favorite room gives me a case of the jitters. But, the face lift will be worth it. Freshly painted wall surfaces, ceiling and trim will revitalize the appearance of the room and recharge my creative energy when I return.

At least that's what I keep telling myself.

So, late last week I tackled dresser drawers and my closet. The closet was a MAJOR undertaking. It was in dire need of cleaning out and organizing! I did not take a before photo. Trust me, it was bad. I organized from the top down. Shelves first, and then hanging items. At long last all of the wire coat hangers (how do the multiply exponentially?) are gone, replaced by cleaner and quieter plastic hangers.

I used the one year rule for identifying items to be donated. Some items had taken up valuable closet space for ten to fifteen times that! Of course, keepsake items have been retained. But, even with those were carefully scrutinized first. I was ruthless.

This was the final result. I thought I was done. Neat, tidy, organized. I felt like my clothes could breathe again, I know I was breathing easier having this task behind me, it had weighed me down for a very long time. Speaking of weight though, if only those closet rods could talk!

The donation bags ready to go. You can't tell relative scale here, these are 42 gallon bags. I "borrowed" the bags from my husband's workshop. They are "contractor grade" plastic, 3 mil thick, they're very strong and sturdy. It's a good thing because I filled them and they were HEAVY.  I am thankful now that those closet rods never buckled, in all truthfulness they've had the largest load lifted from them. Wow.

About the time I was finishing up the closet I received a desperate phone call from our daughter. She needed some help with Lucy Ann, our son-in-law was traveling and she and Mason were on their way to the hospital, he was in need of an emergency appendectomy! As luck would have it, our son was in the car at the time, near the Capital City. Uncle Kyle to the rescue. He picked her up and brought her to us.

Here's Mason after his successful surgery. It was a textbook procedure and he was on his way home (yes, HOME!) two hours later. His Daddy arrived back in town just before Mason went into surgery. The surgery, performed laparoscopically, plus an otherwise healthy young boy combined to make this procedure, in essence, one of out-patient status. This seems almost unbelievable to me. Twenty six years ago his own mother was in the hospital for three days when she had the same surgery; and she didn't get souvenir photos of her procedure to bring home! Mason not only has photos but stories to share too!

Meanwhile, back at Chez Goodneedle, little Miss Lucy Ann had a fun sleepover with Nana and Paw Paw and staged a perfectly wonderful fashion show on Saturday, modeling her mother's old prom dresses! These sparkly sequined dresses, a pair of rhinestone-studded sandals and her imagination were all she needed for a great morning of dress-up fun. We returned her to her family later in the day, she was eager to get home and check on her big brother. 

Yesterday after church I showed off my now clean closet to my son and daughter-in-law. (Yes, I lead a very exciting life!) My daughter-in-law, after complimenting me on getting rid of  all those horrible wire coat hangers,  graciously informed me that I was using the wrong style hangers for my slacks. She pointed out how this style (above) has the vertical posts to stabilize them for the weight of slacks on the bottom bar. I had no idea! A few substitutions were easily made and I was in complete plastic coat hanger compliance! Am I the only one who didn't know this?

All is well.

And back in the Capital City: Legos and a lap tray. Let the healing begin.

Life is Good!

A Layer A Year

Six years ago this spirited little one entered the world, waiting for no one; she was four weeks early!

She hasn't slowed down since then, nor has time; the birthdays just keep piling on... 

...like layers on a Doc McStuffins birthday cake.

Happy Birthday, Lucy Ann; you grow sweeter each and every day.

Life is Good!

Little Tumbler

We traveled to the Capital City yesterday to surprise our oldest grandson and have lunch with him at his school. We enjoyed every minute and I believe that he did too. After that we went to his house to visit with his sister and watch her end-of-year tumbling exhibition. She gave us a preview of her strength before we left home for the gym by climbing the door frame in the kitchen!

The exhibition that followed was every bit as impressive. She's strong, she's feisty, she's adorable! She can do full-on push ups, lots of them, and she doesn't balk or complain.

I told her mother while watching her flip and tumble that it's so hard to think that this is the one, born four weeks before her due date, that worried us all to pieces because she refused to eat back then. We prayed, we begged: "Please, Lucy Ann, just 1/2 an ounce-- you need to grow, you need to thrive". If only we'd had a crystal ball.

Congratulations, little tumbler, Super Job indeed!!

Life is Good!

Art Party!

Lucy Ann chose the theme for her 5th birthday party: ART!  Our daughter took that theme and ran with it. I believe it was everything the birthday girl could have wanted!

The first activity was treat bag decorating.

Picture painting came next... here are two particularly adorable the artists at work.

Our daughter read the party guests an art-related story, it was enjoyed by all. One of Lucy Ann's little friends told Miss Marcia that she reminded her of a teacher! (Once a teacher always a teacher...)

 For their sweet treat the budding artists decorated white cupcakes as original, one-of-a-kind, creations!

And a good time was had by all!

I did manage to get a quick snapshot of Lucy Ann in her special dress before the guests arrived. She loved it. Lucy Ann had requested gifts for the Humane Society in lieu of gifts for herself. At the end of the party that green washtub (in the background) was filled with donations for dogs and cats living in the animal shelter until they find their forever homes. We couldn't be prouder of this little girl and her huge heart!

Life is Good!

...and rocketing by at the speed of light...

Happy Birthday, Lucy Ann!

Lucy Ann chose the fabric, Nana made her a special dress.

Today  is her birthday, five years old...how is that even possible?

How could this baby girl have grown to be five years old already?

I hope you'll enjoy your birthday dress for a very long time, little one!

Life is Good!