Granddad and I were all ready for the kids when they arrived Wednesday morning about 11:30!!
LD and dressed in matching outfits and I was just waiting to hear the kids talk about MeeMaw's overalls!!! Not.one.word.
I just KNEW Kailey would get a kick out of it BUT not.one.word.
I guess they only have eyes for Granddad!!! Although, on the 4th of July, TWO of the girls told me my dress was pretty. You just never know!
At any rate, the bib pockets came in real handy throughout the day and I kept my phone and camera handy and never had to go looking for them!
My sweet Amber has been battling a severe headache for several days now and still she lingered with the kids over the Lego blocks before she left for her dental appointment.
That's what she usually does on Wednesdays when she doesn't have to worry about the quads. She makes her medical appointments and uses the time to meet her work deadlines - as she has continued to work from home all this time!!
The kids were excited about these 'Little' Lego's!! I told them only BIG KIDS can play with these because they are so small! I bought this bag at a thrift store for $5.99! What a bargain!!
Have you PRICED Lego's lately??
The thing is - I have a large white tub chock FULL of the Lego's Benjamin had when he was a little boy. The neighbor kids and the older grands have played for hours and hours with these! The thing is - I put them up since the older ones were too old for them and the quads and Rayne were too young. NOW I can't FIND them!!! We are certain we didn't throw them away and I know they are not IN the house so I am assuming they are in a storage place outside somewhere!
Kids are fascinated with things to play with other than toys.
A button box is something even I played with when I was a little girl!
Logan and Kailey also like to pull the straight pins out of one cushion and stick them in another.
I was at the sewing machine stitching up a set of pajamas for all of them.
I totally forgot to take a picture, too!!!
Last week I made a pair of pajama pants for Harrison using the worn out all time favorite pair of Louis Dean's! There was enough good material for a size 4 and Harrison loved them! He said, "THANK you, MeeMaw!!! I've always wanted camo pajama pants!!" I had picked up four white tee shirts to go with the pants for everyone. The fabric was some I meant to sew for their Christmas a year or two ago! I cut small hearts of the pants fabric and sewed them to the tees so they would make sets. The kids all seemed to like them!
They know just where their favorite toys live!
Logan and Kailey had helped me bake a batch of Berry mini muffins and they scarfed them all down - saving one for Mama and one for Dada!!! I think LD got two and I got one - barely!
We played and had one of the easiest lunches ever!!!
I pulled things out of the fridge and they just helped themselves to what they wanted and no COOKING involved!! Fruit, meat, cheese, crackers, olives, whatever was on hand!
You do not even have to tell the kids what comes after lunch! They know the routine around here as well as we do! As I started to do the dishes, they were already choosing their nap pillows. I have a LOT of pillows! Louis Dean tells me this every single time he helps me make up our bed or the guest bed! Each child gets to pick any pillow from any bed OR anywhere in the house - as on sofas or chairs. After they select their pillows, they each choose a couple of books and then they take them out in the den and sit reading quietly until I get there. Once again, we ALL took very good naps!
Our late afternoon entertainment was an old Disney movie I picked up at the Goodwill last week....
The Fox and the Hound. We ALL enjoyed that one! In the middle of it, Granddad left to pick up pizza for our supper. We ate it in the den as we finished up the movie. Louis Dean asked me, "What did I miss?" He REALLY liked the film!!! Next week we have The Fox and the Hound II.
Finally the sun had gone down enough that we could go outside and play - in the water!!!
What easier way to give showers and shampoos than outside in the heat??
Harrison had fun getting the girls!
I love to see the kids playing and laughing.
With all the sorrows in the world, listening to the children play goes a long way in keeping my mind more centered. I admit to having a heavy heart lately over all that is happening to and in our country these days.
While I try to journal every evening, some nights I am simply too tired.
As soon as the kids left, I took a shower and went right straight to bed!
Thursday morning I have an appointment with my surgeon about my toe.
As it turns out, I never had an infection in it at all! The blood work showed everything was completely normal. His diagnosis was a delayed autoimmune reaction to the cadaver bone he used along with an extender and my own bone graft to reconstruct my toe. It just took awhile for my body to calm down and adjust. The good thing about the antibiotics is that at least that took care of my UTI I had been battling before surgery. Otherwise that whole ordeal of taking the medicine would have been for nothing!
The service roads by the highway in front of the hospital in Irving is all torn up!
It is now quite an ordeal to get to Big Lots but I made it today!!
Since I don't get there often, I made up for it with a whole shopping basket full of goodies!!
I got everything from a new stash of teas to new dishcloths, a dozen candles, lots of snacks and food things, hair color, all manner of stuff! I bought two lime cake mixes for $0.08 each!!! Imagine!
The expiration date is next month so I went right home and baked a cake!
A Lemon/Lime Pound Cake using the mix as the base.
You just add 4 eggs, a box of instant pudding, 3/4 cup of oil, 3/4 cup of water or liquid - I used 7 Up! and bake in loaf pans for 45 min. at 325*.
It turned out delicious!
That's what I took to the Jam Session Thursday night!
It had been months since we have been there so we grabbed this opportunity!
Can you see the nifty drink holder Louis Dean designed and made for his cart?
He uses the cart to wheel in his stool, music stand and guitar.
I didn't take many pics but there were several musicians and a sprinkle of people in the audience.
I was glad to be one of them!!
I am surprised this video actually loaded up!
I think it is 3 or 4 verses of LD singing 'Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?'
When he sings to me, THIS is always the very last song he sings!
Fast forward to the ending if it's a bit too long!
They play for an hour and take a break to have refreshments before going back to play for another hour. I left after the break but not before Louis Dean sang his 'special' song.
I drove straight over here to Quadville and spent the night!
They were just finishing up dinner when I arrived so we all did the bedtime routine together - reading, prayer and bed!
It's fun waking up in Quadville because the kids can't WAIT to get downstairs and tell me the sun is UP!! This morning Trystan ran into the guest room and then ran back to her mama! She said, "MeeMaw is UNDER the covers! Not even her ARMS are showing!!" THEN she ran back to the bed and started telling me it was time to get UP!!!
Harrison was still sleeping and Amber took Logan with her while she got her hair done today. She makes a point of spending quality one on one time with each of her children, This is not always an easy or convenient thing to do but she makes it happen. That's the reason I came over last night - to allow her some extra time to get away.
I am trying to ease back into exercising again after having toe surgery 7 weeks ago and missing exercising for about 2 weeks before that! I am stiff as all get out so I thought I would start off easy.
Kailey and Trystan were game to do some Yoga for Children and I was happy to join them!
After a few exercises we could do while sitting at the table, I put the laptop on the floor and we did a 16 minute workout using all the parts of our body as it explained how this was making us strong and heart healthy!!!
To celebrate we had CAKE for breakfast!!!
I had brought over a small loved of the lime pound cake last night so we finished that off this morning. Served with a scoop of Greek yogurt and sliced strawberries, it was a pretty good breakfast!!
Harrison was being silly as he kept taking my tea and drinking it!!
It's the Indulgio Pomegranate pods I bought yesterday at Big Lots for Amber's Keurig!
Yummmmm! We really like it!!
There's always chores to do in every home and especially in one with four kids!!
Yesterday they all changed sheets on SIX beds!!
This morning Trystan, Kailey and Harrison helped me fold and put up laundry!
I love how responsible these little people are!!
Lunch was a smorgasbord of all sorts of leftovers in the fridge!
There was everything from pasta and chicken to green beans to pancakes, sausage, rice, and pickles!
We all had plenty to eat and then it was time to gather our books and go upstairs for reading and naps.
Amber and Logan had a ball today!!!
Amber got her hair done, they went out for lunch and spent some quality time in a book store!!
Errands and home!!! Amber was one tired but happy mom!!! Logan was glowing like a light bulb!
I am always so impressed with the quality and quanity of attention she gives her childdren. She was exhausted after getting Logan in and out of the car and going in and out of the places - all the time limping along in her heavy boot!
It was like a reunion when they came home. The others had just got up from naps so they were so excited to see Mama and Logan! I heard HArrison say, "We MISSED you, Logan!!" Ahhhh.....
While Amber read to them from the big box of books she brought home, I poured a glass of wine and baked a cake.
I told you I bought TWO cake mixes!!
Louis Dean came over early this afternoon for a few hours and brought me all the ingredients to make another pound cake.
While Logan and Amber were at the store, Logan looked at the cakes and declared, "We don't need another dessert!! MeeMaw is baking another cake for us today!"
Facebook
This was a funny on Facebook today and I thought I would throw it in!!!
And so I did!
We ate slices warm from the oven WITH butter!!
We did one last activity before I left Quadville this evening!
Louis Dean and I each have a stethoscope so he brought them over today.
Amber is doing unit studies with the quads this summer and this week started the one on the human body! There is a wealth of material for this one and the kids got a big kick out of listening to each other's heart beat!
Kailey wanted to hear her Mommy's heart!!!
I gathered up my stuff and headed for home right after the Friday evening traffic!
The first thing I do when I get home - other than Damage Control and that is minimal these days - is to unpack and put up!!
The NEXT thing is to pour a glass of wine and put my feet up!!!
It's been a good day in Quadville.
Spending time with family was just what this day called for.
As the news of last night's horror unfolded, our hearts grew sadder and sadder today.
Lucas Nelson and Promise of the Real - Facebook
I do not know how people's hearts can be so ugly.
We are Americans, we are brothers and sisters, no matter the color of our skin.
How, then, can so FEW affect so MANY??
We are ALL loved by God and should love one another.
Pancho and Lefty Facebook photo
There was an outpouring of support from the community to and for our police officers today.
Perhaps there is hope for us and a lesson to be learned.
ALL lives matter, folks!
Every life, every color, every soul.
Facebook photo
19 comments:
Wonderful post, like a nice visit. My heart has been very sad. I find I'm tearful at times. I cannot imagine where all your energy and creative ideas come from, truly amazing. I was shocked the quads did not notice your bib overalls. I was counting on Kailey to change in to overalls to be like you and LD. The heat doesn't seem to sap your energy. I was always wiped out by the heat when I lived in Texas. The quads are proof positive that children who are disciplined and molded in love are happy children and children adults enjoy being around.
God loves each and every one of us, and He commands us to love everyone! The world is getting more and more evil. The cake looks divine, and what a great idea about the stethoscopes! I think you are so cute in that outfit! Perhaps the kids only notice something very feminine. But still, they didn't notice that you both were dressed alike. Cake with berries and yogurt is an ideal breakfast! So glad your foot has finally accepted the surgery and is healed now!
What a lovely post, Linda. I haven't been around for a while so I am glad to hear that all is well after your surgery - and about the 'added value' of that antibiotic!
The Quads are getting so big - such beautiful children.
What a busy time...they didn't notice your 'overalls' and you are just so cute!!!
wonderful and loving family times there. Those children are precious. The love shines through in your posts so clearly. The lime cake looks good and have you seen the key lime ice cream sandwiches at wal mart yet? Gotta try those out when I go shop next!
Lovely post Linda, and I echo your thoughts about the awful events in your country, it touches each person in the world who cares. All we can do is spread the love, and hope it influences those we reach. Terrible news though. Interesting about your foot, I wonder what they will do to avoid the same situation for the next time X
Linda, I love listening to the children laugh. Harrison's laugh stands out to me. Poor Amber...she sure is mommy of the year all the time. I could see her struggling in your description of try to do everything while in that boot. You know you can be proud of her, well all your children truly. LD... I like hearing him sing to you. Such a strong good man. After all the sadness there in Dallas and other places in our country we do have to count our blessings. I don't think we all have to like everyone or what they do , or believe......but dang we do need to be civil to one another at least. Being kind doesn't take much...we forget what we want to be treated like ourselves at times...or so it seems. Blessings to all there, keeping all of you in my prayers. Love you, xoxo, Susie
p.s. great job on those cakes. !!
one of my favorite things to do as a child was play under the hose.. this brought back memories.. also brought back memories when i saw the play time with button box... i loved to go through my grandmothers desk drawers and the drawers in the hutches..your kids are happy because you let them be kids and play with all your things and use all your pillows... and i laughed when i read about big lots. NOTHING keeps you from a deal in a store. he he he
praying for Dallas and for the families and friends. it is just horror after horror. Human life matters. that is what the signs should say
Thank you for this post. It is good to be reminded of the sweet parts of life in the midst of such sorrow and pain. We need to love each other as Jesus loves us all.
Wonderful post. Those babies are a breath of fresh air after what's going on in our world lately, particularly your state. We need Jesus!
Louis Dean's song took me right to the end nicely...lovely to have reading accompanied by song and such a good one, too. Yes, I am praying for Dallas. I am praying for all of us.
I thought of you (and others I know who live in TX) the other night as the horror was unfolding. Sure hoping that good will come from all the bad that has happened...The grands are all looking so grown up these days. So much fun to be had as they learn and grow. Glad you're feet are doing better now. No slowing you down and that's a great thing!
I still have no idea how you do everything! I guess if my back was ok, I'd be that busy too. I so wish I could! Lots of fun times with the quads. They are so engaged and well behaved! Amber does an incredible job with them. Of course, their dad does too. :)
The events in Dallas are heartbreaking and so, so difficult to try and wrap my mind around. I will never understand how someone can think it's ok to harm another! And, I agree, it doesn't matter what our skin color is ~ each person is a living human. Lots and lots of prayers are needed for Dallas and our country!
xo
Pat
Excellent post, friend!
Tomorrow will be another day, Linda. Kia kaha
I have a section in my food pantry with an overflowing LIBRARY of teas !!! Loving Hibiscus tea for Summer !!! Oh and I love your overalls soo cute ;)
All I can say is that you will be such a huge part of those children's memories from now til eternity. I can't say enough how impressed and inspired I am by what you manage to do with and for them when you are dead tired.
Your posts make me smile and want to be a grandmother just like you!!! :-D
Jane
Oh Miss Linda...I have never seen anyone as CUTE as you are in little denim overalls! Looks like life is getting back to normal with jam sessions, the precious quads and divine baked goods at The Chapmans...I love seeing this! Hugs!
You were adorable in your short overalls. You packed alot into this post. Loved the sign about cooking with wine. I remember as a little girl when me and my cousins would play with the water hose and get our hair washed at the same time. I'm always so impressed on helpful the quads are. Amber has taught them well.
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