Zim Zam!

If you're a Terrill - or related to one - you've gotta be thankful for Zim Zam - and all the good memories that go with it!!

The end of the day!!

When we were at Mom's last Saturday, Baby Harry said, "Take a picture of me falling down."

So I did. He thought it was pretty hilarious.

I'm glad it's so easy to entertain kids sometimes!!

There oughta be a law!

I think there is some kind of natural law here at work. Last week, when we had Calvin, Porter, and Harry here for a sleepover, we got to bed pretty late. We had spent the day at the beach, then had been at Bonny's for dinner and racing about their property. I was certainly tired, but was up a bit later getting things in order. I assumed everyone would sleep late, since they sometimes do, and since it had been a long, tiring day.

Wrong! Porter was up at 6:45 - bright-eyed and ready to go. I have to admit that the kids were not crabby, as tired adults sometimes are! It's hard to be annoyed with someone who is so cute too!

Last night, Eve, Esme, and Annika had their second sleepover night in a row. We got them to bed relatively early, after chocolate milk, Milanos, and stories from Grandpa Bob. Eve had to be at gymnastics by 9 a.m.

Of course I had to wake them at 8:15!!

It still goes against every fiber of my being to waken a sleeping child!!

"Snapshots"

I had Eliza take a shot of me with Lars - I've been here nearly three weeks, but have not really taken lots of photos - we are pretty busy around here doing other things!! But I did want to be sure to at least have one!!

I love holding little babies. Last night friends of Matt and Eliza were here, and their new baby - a couple of weeks older than Lars - was kind of fussy. So I offered to hold him. I guess I just wanted to see if I could still calm a fussy baby - it's my dad in me coming out!! He did settle down - even burped a couple of times. I think he was tired too. They have three little boys almost under 3 - their oldest will be three in September I think! So Mama has her hands full. The boys are all cute, and Mom is calm and resolute - that certainly impressed me!

(Lars is not fussy at all - I do get lots of chances to hold him, but he settles down almost instantly, so I wasn't sure if my fussiness skills were still intact!!)

But I was reminded of Bonny's infancy. Bonny was a long-awaited, much-loved baby- but she was colicky!! She cried a lot. Sometimes we just put her in her bassinet, and turned the stereo up loud! Fortunately, she cried in the daytime and slept all night! And once she got over colic, she was a wonderful infant who was predictable and easy-going. She slept well, ate well if you fed her her favorites, and entertained herself well.

As I was sewing this afternoon, I was thinking about each of our kids and wondering what "snapshot" would come to mind as I thought about each of them.

Bonny would sit on the floor with an old grocery box I had covered with fabric. She would take her toys out of the box - and then put them back in. She was 6 or 7 months old, and this was pretty much a favorite activity of hers. As a first child of struggling students, she didn't have lots of material possessions - I'd piece together fabric remnants my mom sent to make dresses for her! But she enjoyed what she had!

Harry was a calm, quiet baby - ate and slept well from the get go. He would sit on the floor with 2 year old Bonny and follow her lead. He would sit in an infant chair and she would lay toys on top of him - he didn't resist at all! He had the curls though, and everyone thought he was the girl and Bonny was the boy - mainly because I dressed her in unisex clothing so I could pass it down to Harry! And she had a little Dutch bob for a haircut. She was pretty cute though.

Phoebe was a baby who did not like to be cuddled - at least when she was fussy. She wanted to be laid on the couch on her tummy and have her back patted - and patted!! I watched lots of late night TV during her early infancy!! She always got attention from passersby when we were out - even back then she was "working the crowd" with her smile and her big blue eyes!

Eliza enjoyed a lot of attention as a baby, since there was almost 6 years between her and Phoebe. She spent her first couple of months sleeping in her car seat - all night, but she wanted to be tilted that way - the tilt of the car seat seemed to be just right. She was pretty mellow - either that or someone was always holding her, so she didn't need to get our attention by hollering!

Hannah was adventurous - she was my only climber. She was pretty mellow too. And of course, she had her casts for a few months, so carrying around a baby with casts is a lot of my memory of her. They certainly did not deter her - she crawled and got around just fine with them. She had a cute smile - and people always thought Hannah and Eliza were twins - at an early point, Hannah caught up size-wise to Eliza, so they were the same size for a time.

Noah was also mellow - maybe I was just real nervous with Bonny and that's why she was colicky!! My favorite memory of him, though, is the way he was totally willing, as a very young baby, to be read to. He never tired of being held in your lap while you read a book to him. I spent lots of time in that big blue and gold chair in the window corner of the living room, reading stacks of books to him - I especially remember one called Dad's Back by the Australian author.

I wish I'd kept journals about my kids. I sporadically made notations about things, but there was not a systematic effort to record the things they did and said. So lots is lost in memory.

Make this a cautionary tale!!

Hi-jinks in the basement!

I am here in Virginia - enjoying some respite from the heat and humidity by hunkering down in the basement with the kidlets. (Actually, the heat has been quite bearable - the mornings are gray and overcast - kind of like June Gloom in LA but without the chill.)

Theo and Ida are a playful duo. Right now they are playing "school." I remember playing school - I'm sure it's a universal kind of phenomenon. We played "church" too - made our own flanneboards - my dream was to be standing in front of a group telling a flannel board story!

I am enjoying the routine of repeating tasks like breakfast, brushing teeth, getting dressed, cleaning up, making messes and more cleaning up!! There is comfort in routine, a feeling that "all's right with the world" to quote Robert Browning.

I need to feel that way about the daily routine at school - somehow it's not quite as comforting - feels more "tedious." (Maybe because I don't ultimately see the resulting growth, as the kids move on to other teachers and other schools.)

Time for me to get dressed and get on with the day's routine!!

Meet Baby Lars

There might be a few readers of my blog who don't read the Terrill blog or Facebook, so here's your chance to meet the new man of the hour!!

Lars Terrill Selander, born Sunday, June 12th at 10:30 p.m.

I'm excited to go meet him in person this week!! (And stay awhile too!)

Birthday Presents

Dad has his heart in the right place, but sometimes he just can't find the gift that in his mind will be the perfect gift.

When there were 8 grandkids - about 6+ years ago.


Eight years ago, Harry and Dawn gave me this swing for Mother's Day. And it's gotten lots of use. And I've really enjoyed it. But it is getting pretty shabby.

So Dad wanted to get a new canopy and cushions for it. He couldn't find what he was looking for, so he told me what he wanted to give me. I rummaged around and found the booklet that came with the swing, so we have been able to order a new canopy.

Now we are working on the cushions. I told Dad not to feel bad that he hadn't come up with the gift he had in mind - we will be getting it, just in installments.

It's all in the packaging, after all!

The start of something big!!

Joan will have to correct me - I think there are 57 or 58 Clayton grandkids. And here is a rather bad photo of 12 of them in 1978.

I have boxes of some pretty poor quality pictures - but every so often I drag them out and look at them - and they do bring back memories.

I think this was at Richard and Julie's house - and if I'm not mistaken, they are Jared, Michael, Sean, Chris, Harry, Phoebe, Jennifer, Erika, Betsy behind her, Rick, Bonny, and Jacob.

Ah, Memory Lane!!

more fun on the east coast

Hannah, Robbie, Eliza, Matt, Theo, and Ida are here with us - so the the good times are rolling.

And I have been taking photos.

Which I will post.

We went to Orchard House and Walden Pond today.

I could spend some time out here - and enjoy myself immensely.

Meanwhile I am enjoying our little mini-family reunion and playing with the grandkids - and kibbitzing with the grown kids!!

Out of the mouths -

Do you know what I love about this note Eve left for us on Monday night? (She had been at gymnastics, which is why she'd only seen a little bit.)

I love that an almost 9 year old is looking forward to Shakespeare!!

A month of celebration

Esme's birthday is today. So we went out to Malibu on Sunday to celebrate. Seemed a little like we'd just been there - because we had - to celebrate Ara's b-day. In the month of love, though, celebrating seems very apropos.

I don't remember ever having my grandparents to our house to celebrate birthdays. I don't know how common it might have been in other homes, but I'm pretty sure the size of our family was daunting for even the most determined grandparents. Although I do remember a few years in a row when my Grandma Stevens would bring out a birthday gift for Alice and one for me. They would sit up in the cupboard above the closet in my parent's bedroom - this was when we were in the little house. One year it was umbrellas. Another year it was lunchboxes. And another year it was fancy Sunday dresses with sheer overskirts. The one downside was that once Alice opened her gift in April, I knew just what mine would be in May. I just didn't know the color!

I love that Bonny carries on the tradition of the little number figurines that I used to do with her. I think I was sporadic with the other girls. You can see it in the corner of the photo. I had Dad take pictures because I was mending Ella's gym bag for her - and I didn't give him precise instructions!

It was a fun evening - Harry, Dawn and fam were there, as was Noah, so it was a big group. And there is nothing as good as food, family, and celebration.

Especially when the next day is a holiday and you don't have to get up early!!!

Can I just say that they are pretty dang cute!!??

Maybe you are someone who doesn't read any Terrill blog except mine. So then maybe you haven't seen this very cute photo that just makes me smile!!

Dawn had to go with the Young Women today, so she brought the kids by the school when she had to go. They enjoyed "hanging out" in my room while I got ready for tomorrow. (Dawn was sustained as YW President on Sunday.)

And they enjoyed watching "Ghostbusters 2" while I heated up the dinner Dawn had sent with them - for all of us of course!

Harry F. joined us around 5:30 and we had dinner together.

Then I went to pick up Eve from gymnastics.

I think I have a new calling too - but I think I will enjoy it!

Ouch!!

Our own Miss Annika has been having headaches, so she's having a CT scan to see if the tumbles she took at Christmas time and after have caused something like a concussion.

We send her our best and hope she's feeling better soon. As a child, a teen, a young adult, and a regular adult, I have been plagued with headaches - so I totally sympathize. I used to bombard my mom with requests for trips to the eye doctor - I was sure I needed glasses (I didn't need them until I was 37!) I often was sure I had some rare disease. As I have grown older and wiser, I have found some of the triggers - anxiety, not enough chocolate (seriously - I seem to need a caffeine kick sometimes!!), not enough sleep, and allergies - which trigger post-nasal drip which wreaks havoc with my sinuses.

So I hope it's something simple - or at least not something major. Although a diagnosis of "we can't find anything" isn't very comforting.

I was going to post daily on a resolution I was going to make and keep, but I seem to have strayed from my intended plan.

Not unlike other years and other resolutions.

I'd rather send my good wishes to Annika anyway!

Daily Gratitude Journal

All good things must come to an end - and with the 30th of the month, my Daily Gratitude Journal will come to an end also. Not that I don't have things to be grateful anymore now that November is ending, but I would like to move on to the concept of Advent and counting down until Christmas.

So on this final day of my journal, I will note that I am grateful for our visit to the East coast to visit our kids and grandkids there. I am grateful that they want us to come - and grateful that we want to be there too. I hear too often from people who really don't like to be with their families - especially people who don't like to be with their mothers - and my heart aches a little for those people - all of them!

I believe that there truly is "beauty all around" when loving families are together - in fact or in spirit!

Daily Gratitude Journal

We are off to Virginia to be with some of our favorite people - and leaving others of our favorite people behind.

I am grateful for Ara and Ella - the oldest grandkids. I just spent a long weekend with them - and loved every minute of it. Such bright, hard-working, generous girls.

I am truly blessed!

Daily Gratitude Journal

I love that the title of this photo in my files is "Dancing Queens!"

Tonight the Little Women and Eve are having a Grandma's Sleepover at our house.

I am so grateful for grandchildren and sleepovers and snuggling on the couch watching movies we love.

Don't you wish you could join us??

Grandmothering

This is an old photo of me in 1977 when I was pregnant with Phoebe. I was 32 years old, and certainly I never imagined being 65 and having 14 grandchildren.

And here I am, 33 years later, spending my days and nights mothering Phoebe and grandmothering the others!

I love being a grandmother. It's much more satisfying and rewarding than I ever imagined it could be. I love my own children, and I enjoy being a mother. But somehow being a grandmother just pulls it all together and makes it all fit nicely.

As the numbers grew, I began to worry about the fact that I see some of my grandkids much more often than I do the others. I try to send cards, little gifts, letters. We have done some Skyping - but I think the adults enjoy that more than the kids do.

But two weeks ago, while we were at Matt and Eliza's, I noticed that Theo and Ida took to us quite readily. Eliza does try to keep pictures of us in front of them, talks about us, and generally does a good job of keeping us in the picture.

But I think what's at work is a cumulative effect. In other words, if you try to make the minutes count, they will. If you do your best to connect with the children, talk to them, play with them, spend time with them, it will register with them. Most importantly though, I believe it stays with them. And then the next time you come, you can start literally building the relationship from where you left off.

As I sat a dinner tonight and last night with Henry, Calvin, and Agnes, we were all very comfortable. The last time we were together was April, and before that it had been Christmas, but the transition seemed almost seamless.

Calvin did say, the morning after I arrived, "I wish your husband could have come." But I'm pretty sure that he knows my husband is his grandfather!!

It was comforting to figure this all out!!

A little something to live by:

I continue with my random photo syndrome - but when I found this photo - of our ever-insightful Calvin in August of 2007 - I also found this quote I'd copied down.

"Remember, you're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
Christopher Robin

New Year's Resolutions

Karl is here staying with us - amid all the chaos - doesn't seem to bother him though. In fact, he's pretty good with the kidlettes - he must be vying for favorite uncle status!! Anyway, he asked me if I'd made any New Year's resolutions. I told him I pretty much make resolutions every day - and then the next day need to make them over again.

Browsing through my photos, I came across this one-year old photo of Ara - who will be 13 years old next month!! This idea staggered me for a moment. While we were bowling today, the topic of being a teenager came up - well, it came up when Eve brought it up - she said, "I'll be a teenager soon. Well, in a few years."

I so vividly remember awaiting Ara's birth, watching her grow, watching the bevy of beautiful grandkids grow too.

Maybe I will get more serious about some resolutions so that I can thoroughly enjoy the wonderful blessing that is grandchildren.

And then there were 5

This is 2002 - when there were 5 grandchildren - and I was thinking, "Wow, we are growing by leaps and bounds."

I'm getting excited for the holiday season and all that it entails - meaning being with everyone!!

And school is out!!