My Boy Zane

Zane isn't three years old yet.  He still has a month to go.  It's been fun having him around so I can see how much his mind has grown. He is into puzzles and games.  Today we were playing with a number puzzle and we had four empty spaces when he looked at the three pieces left on the floor and said, I can't remember what he said, but something to the effect that there weren't enough pieces left to finish the puzzle.   We looked around and he found the missing piece and put all four in and he was done!  Now, what is that, counting?, subtraction?. I was amazed.  I love to watch little ones learn the concepts of life and learning. 

He can put 25 piece puzzles together with a minimum of help.  I am amazed at how well he is doing these at not yet three.  

 I got out my geoboards today.  Zane loves them.  He doesn't do much put pile up rubber bands in straight lines, but he'll learn more. 

He also plays with his Thomas trains for hours at a time.  He connects a few pieces of track together with his buildings  connects his trains, and acts out stories and situations.  He gets most of that information from all the Thomas and Friends videos he watches.  Even so, imaginative play is the best thing.  

There is evidence of a toddler in the house. When told to "put your shoes by the door", this is what we get. 

Halloween Kitty

This isn't Zane, but Barry is a part of him, too. 

What better thing for a round little baby to be for Halloween, but a pumpkin?

And he's just cute.

This was one of those days, that while Zane and I were playing puzzles, Papa was walking the floor with baby Barry.

Whew! Finally, asleep!

Be Thankful

I didn't take many photos on Thanksgiving Day.  Not of the food, not of everyone there, not of the games we played.  And especially not of the dishes that had to be washed by hand, since the dishwasher is broken. 

Thanksgiving is really more than food, it's about the gathering of family and friends together to eat and enjoy and get to know each other better.  

It's a time to welcome new members in. 

It's a time to enjoy your grandchildren.

It's a time to enjoy...

the fun things of life. 

It's a time to enjoy the outside...

..and to let the outside in.

(the fireplace was too hot)

It's a time to remember our heritage, thanksgiving that spans the generations.

It's a time to be thankful, for who we are and for what we have.  

Starting Again

I'm starting all over again. Babysitting TWO grandsons this time instead of one.  I'm getting used to, again, the joys and pains of having TWO children to look after.  I think I'm better equipped this time.  I know that I won't get anything done, and I don't try to.  But I also know the little bit of time it takes to run down and put a load in the washer or dryer, to wash up a few dishes and to fold clothes while watching Zane play with a baby on my lap.  The problem I have is the meals part.  I need to make "certain sure" what I'm having for supper long before I need to cook it.  And then work in fits and starts all afternoon.  I like to make sure Zane has outside time, running time, and quiet time.  I knew all this "back in the day", but I was tireder, (more tired), how DO you say that, and cared less about getting work done.  Now I know that "keeping up" is easier on me, which is easier on everyone else in the long run.
Now that  Lorene has gone back to work here in Kearney and working long hours, I want this job, really, I want the chance to put some of my values and ideas in their little heads.  I want to love them, and teach them and read to them.  I want to do some things with them that I didn't do with my kids.  I think it is a little bit, "I would do this differently this time around."
Grandchildren are the second chance.  The chance to change, the chance to play,  the chance to watch again the growing of babies into people.  The chance to have some influence on another little life.  There is something grandparents have that parents will never have.  They know how precious that little life is, how much they want to put in it, how much they need to know.  They know how short the time is and how quickly it's gone.  Some of those things are lost in the hectic life of raising kids the first time around.
I know I'm going to be tired and frustrated after 10 to 12 hours of looking after a baby and a toddler.  I know I'm going to have more headaches and less time to do fun things.  But, I also know that I only have one chance with these kids, and people are more important that another scarf.

Baby Bear

Barry is 2 months old now and cute as a bug.  I can get photos of him smiling now, but he still spends a lot of time looking for Mom and Daddy.  It's a bittersweet moment for me, since I was Zane's "other mom", and he was looking for me, too, at this age.  However, this is how it should be, with Mom and Dad the most important, and Gramma next. 

This photo here is 6 weeks.  What a strong little guy!!