Merriment for Perspective...

This last weekend Andie, Hayden and Bailey came for a brief visit. They wanted to be sure I had a birthday surprise from them. So amidst all the previous posts introspection, we added the laughter of little ones and a full house. That keeps life in balance and perspective.
They arrived Friday afternoon. With the heat wave across the United States, this would be a mostly inside weekend.

I prepared and had ready pigs-in-a-blanket for lunch. We had a little bounce time after the Mini's long car journey. Then we enjoyed a nice lunch together.

We played the afternoon away and then Claude and I had to get ready for the visitation. I headed to the bathroom to put on make-up. Miss Bailey followed close on my heels. She was ready to do exactly what I did. Being the firm grandmother that I am, I pulled up a step stool and let her have at it. We have a little Diva-in-Training.

After applying her make-up, Bailey accessorized. It makes me think of a line from "Steel Magnolia's". It was something like "the difference between us and animals is our ability to accessorize". You must say it with a lovely Southern accent.

Claude and I headed off to the visitation for Karen. Andie wrangled the Mini's and shuttled them off to bed. We returned before Hayden was asleep and got to give him good night loves.

Saturday morning I found Andie smothered in little ones on the love seat when I came out of my bedroom. So, to help I asked, "Who wants to help me make cinnamon rolls?" Off bounded cherubs, onto foot stools in the kitchen, out came the cake pans, pop when the roll tubes and into the oven we place cinnamon and orange rolls. Eggs were scrambled and a good breakfast was had by all.

Claude and I headed to the church for Karen's funeral leaving Andie, Hayden and Bailey to their mysterious devices.

When Claude and I returned, the Mini's were very excited to shuttle me into the dining room to see the beginnings of an early birthday celebration for Ma (me).

Hayden and Bailey made a great birthday banner that read "Happy Birthday Ma".

Andie had prepared some homemade wheat bread in a design that struck right with the chords of my heart.

Before we sat down to lunch, Andie put dessert out to cook. That's right...out to cook. She found a plan for using a pizza box as an oven providing the sun is hot enough. Well, let me assure you, it was hot enough. According to the thermometer tucked in the shade by our bedroom door to the deck it was 102 degrees. And, Michael had purchased pizza for them that week. All the stars were in alignment to try this idea. S'more were going to be our dessert and they would heat up in the pizza box oven on the deck.

And Hayden and Bailey would enjoy a taste of them before we had dinner just to be sure that practice batch Andie made before we got home worked out just right.

We enjoyed a wonderful lunch of BLT's made out of my turtle wheat bread, pasta salad and fruit. Then it was time to open a present.  Hayden loves this part. He gets so excited.

My gifts were a PeeWee Turtle Pillow Pet and a turtle mat to kneel on when I work while on my knees by the flower beds. I was one happy Gramma to add these turtles to my ever growing collection. Later in the day, Hayden and I would play a round of Pillow Pets using our imagination. Great fun.

Hayden is trying to earn money to save for a toy he really, really wants. He is doing chores and being paid for chores that are not the normal things a family should do to function. Claude found two things he could do for him. Hayden watered the tomatos and shined Claude's shoes.

Bailey and Andie played beauty shop.  That simply means they both got hair cuts.

It was a great visit and we are so happy they came. You never know what those little ones will think of. For instance, here is a lovely door knocker they made while we were at the funeral. It is still hanging on our bedroom door.

Thanks Marx's for another wonderful visit!!