Some points to ponder . . .

You may need to click on these to read them, but when we visited the Postal Museum in DC last week, I was impressed by these two very different thoughts - that were posted next to each other in a display.

The history of the United States is mostly meritorious. But the way we treated the Indians was not at all meritorious. In fact, it was downright shameful.

I think we need to ponder and understand the great wrongs that were done to the Indians - especially those done in the name of "manifest destiny."

Those who do not learn the lessons of history are bound to make serious errors - I think that's a variation on a famous quote.

But in these days of unrest and political polarization, we need to pause and think very carefully.

It wasn't just a Clayton Weekend!

The Taylors had some action this weekend too! Jack and Thalia brought son Mclean here for a weekend visit - he just got home from his mission to Russia last week!

They all went to church at Helen's ward, then came home for lunch before Mclean shared his photos and experiences from Russia.

Most of the get Taylor/Terrill get-togethers this year have been at funerals - so it was nice to have a more festive occasion to meet.

What we do around here!!

We enjoyed having Esme and Annika while Bonny and the big girls went to camp. A new craft has emerged - making accessories out of colored duct tape - very cool!!

And of course we visited with Grandma Mary - and Aunt Donna took the little girls to movies and to McDonalds.

We shopped for fabric for American Girl Doll sleeping bags - made our way - the cheap way!! They came out quite nice if I do say so myself!

The white board - always fun - especially for leaving reminders that you were here!!

We had a puzzle going the whole time too - on the last day, Grandpa helped us finally solve it!

We also enjoyed swimming, Grandpa Bob stories, chocolate milk and Milanos, and shopping for skirt material - I made the three girls matching skirts - need a photo now!

Our next event is the Clayton Reunion, then a trip to VA for the blessing.

The fun never ends!

Whare are those "hazy, lazy days" of summer??

This summer - and most summers actually - has been a busy one. I think "hazy, lazy days" of summer are lost somewhere in the past. I remember summer being a laid back time - way back when I was a kid!! Starting with the year I worked to save money for college, summer ceased to be a "kick-back" time!!

But this summer has seemed exceptionally busy - a very good busy, but busy nonetheless. And it's not liable to change before next summer!! First came going to VA for Lars' birth, having Phoebe and family here, having cousin camp, having the Little Women here while Bonny did camp, the Clayton Reunion, going to VA for the blessing, having the Little Women here again - and then school starts! In between there have been other visitors, other events - I have loved all of it.

But Saturday - a busy day also - I decided to sit down and watch Giant - I had ordered it on NetFlix and it came weeks ago - so I took up my crochet hook and started watching it. Harry joined me - and since it's a two-disc movie - and we spent two nights watching it. (I had ordered it because the Times did a series on movies that hadn't won Oscars but that should have - Giant was one of them. So I started ordering the films they had listed. I'm not sure I agree with their conclusions, but it's been interesting to watch the movies.)

I went through a phase in late high school, early college of reading all the books by one author. I read all the Edna Ferber novels, all the Sinclair Lewis novels, all the Ernest Hemingway novels, all the John Steinbeck novels - you follow my drift.

I had totally forgotten Giant - so yesterday I went and got it from the library - resisted successfully the temptation to buy it - and spent the day on the couch and on the swing outside - totally engrossed in the story!!

And it looks like the movie was pretty faithful to the book - some minor details have been changed, but the story line is intact. James Dean - always eerie to watch him on screen; Elizabeth Taylor - beautiful as always; Rock Hudson - I'm not surprised he didn't get the Oscar - surprised he even got nominated. Although Harry thought he did a credible job.

It was good to kick back - for at least a day anyway - today may be back to busy, but busy has its place too!

Way to go Sully!!

Text from Phoebe: "We made it home safe and sound. And Sully did not cry once the entire way."

That's my boy!

"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!!

"Here we are together, together, together . . ."

I am getting into a rhythm here at Matt and Eliza's. It's good to know I'm not inflexible and set in my ways. (Don't say anything if you know me well!!)

I was thinking of "snapshots" of life here - ones I don't have literal snapshots for:

Ida singing "Happy Birthday day to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Ida, Happy Birthday to you," as she stands at the sink washing her hands. (Her mom tells her to sing Happy Birthday so she will wash long enough for it to make a difference.)

Theo opening the mailbox - with a key - on our daily mail run.

The statue of a little girl reading in the midst of a lovely, overgrown flower garden that we see when we go on our daily mail run. (I need to take a photo it.)

Collecting "rocks" on our daily playground runs.

Swatting insects - this lush greeness comes with a price!

Snuggling with Theo on the couch - he starts by scooting next to me and then putting is arm through mine!! This little guy could grow into a heartbreaker!

Ida's supreme independence - her tenacity will indeed hold her in good stead as the years go by.

The way baby Lars melds into your frame as you cuddle him. He is a sweet, mellow boy - may he stay that way!!

Seeing how well and carefully Eliza cares for her family. She was always a thorough and thoughful child - and now she's a thorough and thoughtful adult.

"Daddy's home!!" as Matt arrives each evening. He is a gem - the kids seem to know that!

I do miss Harry and the drier clime of SoCal, but I would not want to have missed this opportunity to be here! I'm willing to pay the price!

I'm off to stitch up an apron or two - it's just not a Grannybabs visit if I don't make at least one apron!

What's going on around here

The weather has been very nice - even cool at times. So we have been enjoying outings to the local playgrounds. Matt and Eliza live very close to at least 5 places to go swing, slide, climb, generally get the wiggles out!!

Baby Lars is mostly just growing and getting cuter by the minute!! He weighs 9 lbs. 9 oz. now and got a shot today!!

It has been fun to see Hannah and Robbie and share meals and conversation. We don't do much, but it sure seems like we are having a fine time!



Some Saturday morning movie time for the kidlets - they like to bring their "stuff" downstairs when they watch DVD's.

Theo is taking right to his new job as a big brother to a little brother.

And me? I'm getting good at snatching naps, fielding fusses, remembering where things go and what day is trash day!

We are indeed having a fine time together!

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!!