A Very Special Weekend With Jonah & Gracie

Jonah and Gracie moved to Texas in August. We missed them so much that we decided to go to Texas the end of September and stay with my sister at Lake Kiowa until the end of the year so we could be close to them

We decided to have Jonah & Gracie spend the first weekend with us at Lake Kiowa so we could spend some quality time with them. It was such a great weekend!!

Friday evening we hung out at the house so they could get a good nights rest. Jonah slept upstairs with his Papaw and Gracie and I slept downstairs. I was concerned Gracie might be a little scared when it was time to go to bed since she had never stayed at my sister's house before. She went to bed at 8:00 and slept until around 7:00 the next morning!!

Saturday morning Jonah & Bob (Papaw)went fishing. This was Jonah's first time to fish. Although he didn't catch anything, I think he enjoyed the time with his Papaw.

We went to the zoo in Gainesville later to ride the train. Unfortunely, the train was closed for maintenance. But Jonah & Gracie still had a good time playing in the park.



Gracie was fearless. She starting running as soon as her feet hit the ground. She wanted Papaw to lift her up so she could reach the rings.

What do you think? A PERFECT 10!




Jonah liked swinging on the tire swing and got really dizzy!

As Jonah says, it was a good day!


The precious gift of grandchildren!

Gracie is a Girly Girl!

Gracie loves to play dress-up. Her favorite things are shoes, purses and jewelry. When her Aunt Angie came to visit we took Gracie to Target. While Angie was shopping for groceries I took Gracie to the children's section. As soon as I approached a rack of swim suits reached out to a pink swim suit that looked like a tu-tu and said....CUTE! So, I had to buy it for her. I also bought her some play jewelry and she loved it! The picture says it all about Gracie being a girly girl!
She is so much fun!!

A Good Friday With Jonah

Jonah didn't go to school today because it was Good Friday....so he spent the day with me. It was a pretty quite day. Gracie was with us until around 1:30. After she left we played a game called Sequence. Jonah won two games (with a little help from me). As usual, Jonah was anxious for his Papaw to get home. He wanted to go outside and play with the new bat and ball Bob had bought him. Jonah had found it earlier in the day in the toy closet. Bob got home early from work so they headed out to play as soon as he got home. After a while Jonah came in the house and asked for a piece of cheese. Jonah had found a mouse trap in the golf cart garage and wanted to try to catch a mouse. He checked later that evening, but no mouse. He really wanted to catch a mouse. I'm glad we didn't because I think he wouldn't like seeing it after it was caught in the trap.

Bob told Jonah that we would take him for a ride on a toy train Saturday morning if it was open. When we got there it wasn't open so Jonah was a little disappointed. But he did get to see flying toy planes and go carts racing. Jonah really wanted to drive a go cart, but these were privately owned and they also went really fast. He said he could drive them fast and that he wasn't afraid.

He settled for a trip to McDonald's to play and have lunch. He went straight to the play area after he went to the bathroom. After playing for a few minutes he said he needed to go back to the bathroom again. I went in to make sure everything was ok and he said he needed his privacy. He was sitting and he said he locked the door so no one could get in. I walked back to our table where I could see the bathroom door from our table. I noticed a few people were lined up at the bathroom door. So I went back to the bathroom. Jonah was standing at the door with all of his clothes off. He always takes his shorts and underwear off when he sits on the toilet. But he had also taken his shirt off as well. He was completely naked and standing with his clothes in front of him. I went it and asked him what he was doing. He said he heard something and got scared so he had run to the door to find me. He wasn't letting the ladies in that were standing at the door because he didn't want them to see him. They all got a big laugh out of him. He went back to the play area and we heard him say he was really strong and he worked out. Later I asked him who he was talking to about working out and he said a girl. Oh brother!!

When we got home he wanted to go for a walk. He decided he would drive his golf cart and we walked next to him. It's always a slow walk because Jonah always has to stop and talk about something that is interesting to him. He noticed a golf cart in a neighbor's garage and commented that the wheels were just like our golf cart. He also noticed how shiny their drive way was. They had just had it painted. It surprises me how he notices the little things around him. He has always been so curious and remembers every little detail.

Bob left to go play golf, but Jonah still was ready to go home. So we played Mexican train (Jonah's rules) and Sequence again. It was 2:30 and I told him I needed to take him home. He really didn't want to go. I finally convinced him I needed to run some errands and I better get him home. He fell asleep again on the way home.

Jonah Spends Two Nights At Papaw and Meemaw's House

Jonah has been asking to spend two nights with us for a while. Well, this past Thursday and Friday it finally happened. Both he and Gracie spent Thursday night, but Jonah also stayed Friday night. Jonah said next week he was going to spend three nights.

Gracie didn't come over until around 5:30 so he had most of the day to himself. He and Gracie went for a ride in the golf cart with Papaw and played in the greenbelt area close to our house. We had a late dinner and then started getting ready for bed. He must have been tired, because he went to bed right after I put Gracie down. When I checked on him at 8:00 he was fast asleep and didn't get up until after 7:00 the next morning.

The next morning Jonah and Gracie played pretty well together. But, sometimes Gracie just wouldn't let Jonah alone and wanted whatever he was playing with. Jonah would get a little upset with her, but I must say he is pretty patient with his little sister. They had a really good time jumping on Jonah's roll away bed. They would hold on to the foot of our bed and jump up and down really fast. The roll away made a great trampoline for them. I know they spent at least 30 minutes jumping up and down laughing and having a great time together. Oh, if these sweets times could last longer!

After lunch, Jonah said he thought it would be a nice day to go for a walk. So I got out the stroller for Gracie. Jonah decided to drive his golf cart. We went three or four blocks before Becky came to pick up Gracie to take her home.

Later that day we went for another walk. Joy and her grandson were going for a walk so we joined them. We decided to let them play together for a few minutes before we headed back to the house. Jonah wanted to play tag. Jonah is 4 1/2 and Junior is 2 1/2, so Junior doesn't understand there are rules to playing tag. Jonah kept telling him he had to run to home base. Junior just wanted to have fun running around. He would run up to Jonah and touch him and say tag. Jonah told me that Junior wasn't following the rules, there were two rules and he wasn't following them. Oh, how the first borns like to enforce the rules! They still had fun just running around. When we got home and we were walking into the house, Jonah said what a good day!

That evening we went to McDonalds again for dinner. Before we ate, we stopped at a playround nearby our house. Our McDonald's doesn't have a playground. There was a teenage girl sitting at a picnic table. I think Jonah might have been flirting with her. He would run as fast as he could around the play area right by her table. Then as he started to climb up to slide he would turn around and look at her with a big smile. Could he have been showing off for her? Oh no...I think he already understands that guys need to impress girls!

Saturday morning after Jonah was watching cartoons for a while, he asked me if it was afternoon. I told him it was still morning. He said, well I think I'm ready to go home, I miss my Daddy and Mama. I'm not sure if he is ready for three nights away from home! Jonah is getting more precious every day. He always says something really sweet to me. I believe he knows just what to say to get to me!

Gracie's First Sleep Over

Jonah and Gracie spent the night with us this past Thursday. This is old hat for Jonah, but a first for Gracie. I wasn't sure what to expect. I was afraid as the afternoon turned to evening she would start wanting her Mama and Daddy. Didn't happen!! She and Jonah went for a ride in the golfcart with Papaw. I walked down the street where he took them to play in the greenbelt area. One of our neighbors brought his puppy out to see the kids. Gracie was so excited she would jump up and down and giggle. Gracie is probably going to be a giggly little girl as she grows up. She thoroughly enjoyed playing with the puppy.

I gave Gracie a plate for dinner with roasted chicken and some grapes on it. Jonah wanted mac & cheese. They both ate in the den at a kid's table I bought for Jonah when he was little. They were so cute sitting at the table eating like two little angels. Gracie would reach across the table and steal some mac & cheese from Jonah's plate. So, I had to fix her some mac & cheese too. She sat like a perfect little lady at the table and ate the mac & cheese.

When we were preparing Jonah's bed for the evening, Gracie climbed up on his bed and started saying night-night. As soon as I put her pj's on she seemed ready to go to bed. I told Gracie her bed was in the front bedroom and Meemaw would be sleeping in the room with her. She said ok. I gave her a bottle and her blanket. She got me by the hand and walked to the bedroom and got right into her bed. It was 7:40 p.m......hurray no problem getting her to bed. Now if she will only stay asleep! Gracie's sleeps in a Pea-Pod so we zip her in so she won't get up during the night and wander around the house. At 12:15 a.m. I heard Gracie in her bed. She was saying, oh no, uh oh, and then calling out Papaw, Meemaw. I got up and made her another bottle. She took the bottle and played another hour in her bed before she went back to sleep.

The next morning she was up at 6:15 bright eyed and busy tailed. After breakfast she was ready to play. She never stopped playing and didn't take a morning nap. Her mama picked her up at 1:00 and she pitched a fit. I think she was over due for a nap!

I would say Gracie's first sleep over was a success!

Papaw, Meemaw and Jonah Wheeling Around Corte Bella

We asked Jonah to spend the night with us. He asked again if he could spend two nights. He promised he would be really good. I asked him why he liked to spend the night with us. He said because we let him watch TV before he goes to sleep, and wanted to stay up late tonight....as late as adults do. And sure enough, although we put him to bed at 8:00, he didn't go to sleep until 10:00.

Jonah wanted to know what color my hair was when I was a little girl. I told him it was blond like his. He said he didn't remember because he wasn't even made yet.
At dinner he asked me if I had a picture of my house I lived in when I was little.
Not sure why all of the sudden he is asking questions about when I was a little girl.

Saturday morning Jonah and his Papaw went to Safeway to get a sprinkled donut. When they got back they trimmed flowers in the backyard. Jonah came in the house three different times bringing me a flower each time. He asked me to put them in water and keep them forever. Jonah said he was doing really nice things for me today.

He worked in the golf cart garage with Papaw for an hour or so. I went in the garage to check on them. Jonah had on plastic protective glasses and was using an electric screwdriver working on a project with Papaw. I asked if he was ready to go home. He said, no he was working on a project. He told me he wasn't a quiter, he was a jerk! I laughed and asked Jonah if he knew what a jerk meant. He first said yes, then paused and said not really. I explained to him that a jerk wasn't a very nice person and actly really badly. Oh...I'm not a quiter, I'm a winner!

Jonah brought his Big Wheel with him. So after lunch we got our bikes out and went for a ride with Jonah. It was another beautiful day in Arizona, and we had such a good time watching him pedal his Big Wheel really really fast! When we got home it was almost 1:30. He said he guessed he was ready to go home. I think he was tired. On the way home he kept nodding off. When I would say something to him, he would pop his head up and say I'm not tired I'm just looking out the window. When we were almost to his house he had dozed off again. I told him he needed to wake up. He said, I'm not sleeping...I'm just being really quite in case Gracie is sleeping! Funny, we weren't at his house yet!

Gracie was excited to see him when he came home!

MeeMaw & Gracie - Playing, Strolling & Visting With Friends

Now when I pick up Gracie we all walk outside together. She will go to my car and climb in without any tears!

When we got to the house I placed some plastic Easter egss into a wire basket and gave them to Gracie. She spent the first hour taking the eggs apart, putting them back together and then throwing them in the basket. When she got all the eggs in the basket she would dump them on the floor and do it all over again. Who said you have to buy your grandchildren expensive toys to entertain them.

She ate left over pizza, cheese cubes and apple slices for lunch while she sat in her Papaw's chair watching Miss Spider on TV.

After lunch I took Gracie for a ride in her stroller. We've had a lot of rain (for Arizona) so the flowers are in full bloom. Gracie enjoyed seeing the flowers and she would sniff the air and laugh.

Later that day we went to visit Joy & Darrell. They are our good friends and live two doors down the street from us. When Darrell met us in their courtyard he picked up Gracie and she didn't like that one bit. She cried and held out her arms for me to take her. We went out outside to see their grandson's toy house. Gracie wouldn't go in the playhouse. So, I went in and sat on the floor. She finally came in and sat in my lap. Joy popped two puppets through the windows of the playhouse and said hi to Gracie. Gracie appeared to be calmer. However, when I wanted to leave the playhouse she didn't want to get out of my lap. I thought we were stuck there for the day. Joy told Gracie she had something for her to eat if she would come inside the house.

Joy went into the kitchen and brought out a M&M toy candy dispenser. Gracie took some candy and started to get quite happy. She warmed up to Joy and Darrell even more when Darrell got out an antimated animal book. When Darrell pushed the button next to the animal, the animal made a sound. Gracie would giggle and repeat the sound. As we started to leave I asked Gracie to tell Joy thank you for the candy. She thanked Joy and gave her a hug and kiss. She told them bye bye several times. I think the next time she will warm up to them faster. It's almost 2:00 and she has been down for a nap for about thirty minutes. I hope she has a good nap until her Daddy picks her up at 3:00.