The beginning of the last long holiday weekend of the summer. Our surprise was a visit from the metro kids. Carrie, Megan and Nicholas spent the afternoon with us. What a treat. Megan had a sewing project that we needed to get nailed down so that when she went to purchase her fabric she would get the proper amount of yardage. It is hard to believe that she will be having her 15th birthday in December. The teachers will have a challenge with Nicholas. What happens between the ears comes so easily to him. Nicholas will be 10 in November and has a kind spirit. The need to compete while participating in sports does not interest him. Right now he is anticipating playing golf next season as he and his dad got quite a few rounds in this late summer. While Megan thrives with ice skating events that she had this summer, Nicholas’ highlight was kayaking on various lakes in their area. This visit will be the last for some time as the school year will be off and running on the 4th of September. It was a great day.
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Noreen
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Noreen
Megan’s Woodworking Project
Megan is in 7th grade and there is no longer a class called Home Economics. I remember my friends Renee telling me about this when her Gabby was in junior high school. It is now a varied year that does include woodworking, some DIY, no cooking or baking, but with some sewing, weaving and sketching. I need to ask Carrie what this course is actually called. This was the last year that Nicholas’ school class would be doing anything for Valentine’s Day. He was so over making paper valentines and coming up with unique wording. At that time Jeremy helped Nicholas with a candy vending machine to have candy for his classmates. The plans were developed in the workshop in February. There was nothing stated in the class curriculum that it had to be an original, just that it included wood. For Megan it had to be a a home project detailed with photos of the various stages of work and a descriptive report followed by the finished project. It was Megan’s turn to get herself full of saw dust and a bit of glue and wood stain. Megan also told me she had never really looked at her dad’s shop before this. Jeremy may find it a bit crowded in his workshop in time to come. Fun times with their dad.
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Noreen
So it Begins
Today was the beginning of a wonderful weekend. Carrie came with Megan and Nicholas from the metro. Will those two kids ever stop growing! Megan and Nicholas were on Spring break and Carrie was in-between showing clients prospective homes. Nicholas and Grandpa Dennis had some serious conversations in the patio porch while Snuggles got some extra TLC from Nicholas. Megan shared with me a software program that allows her to do intricate drawings on her laptop that then can be printed out. Carrie and I caught up with each other and l may well have a plan for some embroidery projects. Just a fantastic day. There is more to come as Kevin and Kersten will be here on Sunday. The gray days and clouds don’t stand a chance of putting a damper on the weekend.
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Noreen
It is priceless to be able to text with Megan. She is now 14 and Nicholas is 9. They are at the age that they do stay home alone for a time. Kody, the dog, is getting to be a good watch dog. Saturday night the first text came in. “Grammie, we are having an old fashioned dinner tonight.” That was followed by a photo of Hungry Man T.V. dinners. “Nicholas said mine looked gross, but I put it in the microwave and actually doesn’t look or taste as bad as it first seemed. Nicholas wants to do his own.” I texted back and mentioned that maybe Nicholas could fix his and when he is about to enjoy it, he should just sit back, close his eyes and pretend he was at a high-end steakhouse. I reminded her that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. “Grammie I guess I will be the strongest person ever then.”
I texted her that at least by nuking, there couldn’t be any cooking utensils that would over heat and burn the food or them. I went on to relay to her the time her mom and Kevin were home alone making popcorn. The end result was not realizing how hot the handle was and the utensil was set on the vinyl floor. The pattern came off of the floor with the picking up of the pan. I spent some time using my Tri-Chem oil paints replicating the design. “Grammie I’ll have to remember that and have a bit of info when it is just the right time to use it.” That a girl.
Yes . . . Grammie gets to tattle a bit on their mom. It keeps the relationship between Megan, Nicholas and me real. I would never want to be the Grammie that they think is boring to visit. It has already been difficult for Dennis and me to not have them be able to have extended sleepovers. Their snowboarding, ice skating, violin lessons and having their friends involved in their day-to-day doesn’t leave much time. But . . . the memories that Dennis and I have are as fresh as the new fallen snow of today. The freezing rain we could have done without.
I did text Megan on Sunday evening and asked her how the “old fashioned dinner” fared on a scale of 1 – 10. She gave it a strong six. Having communication with Megan is priceless. You cannot image how painful it is for me to text, not physically. I spend more time going back and correcting than going forwards, then it flips into the draft mode, etc. My school typing class is so ingrained in me, the perfect phone would have a full sized pad and ya know that isn’t going to happen.
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Noreen
I had never kept it a secret that I would miss the days when Megan and Nicholas couldn’t spend as much time with us as in their toddler days. Long weekends and even 5 to 6 days at a stretch would find the kids seeking and searching every corner in our home or seeing what the large Maple tree held in store for their times with us. Wise ole Uncle Kevin . . . “When Megan gets a bit older, Mother, she will be calling you on her own, emailing you or perhaps even texting you.” Sure enough. It has all come to pass. Once a week Megan and I have texted back and forth. Last night I texted her and wished her well for her skating competition today. Not less than a few moments after the competition was over with, I received Megan’s message that she had won first place today. A few moments later, I received a photo via my phone of her hand holding the first place award. A bit later Carrie sent a photo of Megan and her coach. I so do love the modern tech stuff and all it holds. Having kids that can give good advice and sharing what is going on sure doesn’t hurt either.
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Noreen
Nicholas and Megan cleaning out the big maple tree, getting ready for another season of playing when they visit.
It seems as if Easter Sunday was a long long time ago rather than five days ago. Easter Monday we attend the funeral of my 97-year-old aunt Esther Anna Wendlandt Opitz. Of the possible 29 cousins there were 15 of us there to celebrate Esther’s life and become reacquainted with family that get together too seldom and then usually due to a funeral. Within a half hour of getting home daughter Carrie arrived with Megan and Nicholas for them to spend time with Dennis and me. They had not been at our home for an extended time since prior to school starting in the fall of 2012. It was a whirlwind of activity as the possibility of any dust bunny escaping was slime to none. There were birdhouses painted as well as sleeves that seemed to get in the way of the creative styles. (More …)