This is Monday afternoon and we’re sitting at the Harrisburg airport waiting to board. I’ve been pulling together my pictures for this post whenever I had the chance to do so the past few days, and now I’ll write as I get the chance. I won’t have time to add many details.
Last Monday morning I took Elizer to nearby “airport park” - our name for it because it has an airport theme. I didn’t know if I would want to take him there myself in case he would start running faster than I could catch him. But we had a “talk” before we went, and he did great. We had a wonderful time in the sun. He did some pretty high sliding boards with no fear, but I didn’t get any pictures of that.
Later, after his nap we took a walk around the block and of course ended up at the playground below our house. We had the most delightful time watching a rabbit as Elizer was swinging. If you look closely you can see it at the top of the one picture.
Below he’s showing the “birthday cake” he built with Duplos. I took the picture of him with the saxophone after he was playing along with a video I was watching on Facebook! It was so cute! I was watching a video one of my friends had posted of a brass rendition of Purcell’s “Rondeau.” As soon as I started watching it he wanted to see what I was watching. I showed him and he said, “Wait!” and ran to the living room. He came back with his toy trombone and played along!
On Tuesday we went to Talleyrand Park in Bellefonte. First time this year. Immediately we heard a duck making a lot of noise. We soon found out why. She had a brood of little ducklings that she was trying to protect from all the admirers. Elizer was so excited and couldn’t stop saying, “Awwww, they’re so CUUUTTTEE!!
Then he noticed the waterfall and was in awe of that.
First we strolled around the park looking at the water and the ducks. There were not nearly as many ducks in the water as usual. There is road construction going on right there, and perhaps that has something to do with it.
At last we made it to the best part - the playground equipment! He made a few little friends while he played.
That evening we had to go for a few groceries. Elizer pushed one of the little carts they have for kids, and he was so proud to “help.”
On Wednesday we went to the Benner Township Park at the entrance to our community. Lots and lots of swinging and some walking.
And some bridge jumping!
On Thursday Dick mowed when he got home from work and then took Elizer for a ride around the neighborhood. The highlight of the week!
On Saturday Destiny got a child seat for a bike. She and Dick got it assembled and attached to her bike. Elizer sat on the tailgate of Dick’s truck, every five minutes asking, “Are you soon done, guys?” At last it was and they were off!
On Sunday we had our Mother’s Day lunch at Cracker Barrel.
Later we packed up all our stuff for the week, picked up Elizer at Destiny’s house, and took him to Alex’s sister’s house in Columbia. From there we went to my sister Mary Ellen’s house in East Petersburg for the night. Beautiful evening scenery along the way.
When we left Mary Ellen’s house in the morning we went to visit Grandma Arlene. I forgot to take a picture.
Then we stopped by Fred and Deb Stauffer’s house to pick something up and were delighted to find Jess and Charlie there!
A few more cute videos from last week.
I hate blogging on my phone. So I hope things are lined up right.
This is now Tuesday morning and we’re at Lisa’s in Florida. I’ll have lots of pictures and stories next time I post.
Monday, May 1st was a continuation of the cold and cloudy weekend. I made a big pot of chicken corn noodle soup. It seemed appropriate! After Elizer's nap we took some over to Anthony and Lori.
We hit the jackpot with seeing animals on that trip! Anthony's neighbors' chickens were walking about close to their private road, so we stopped and watched them for a while. A farm nearby has pygmy goats and they were out in the pasture, so I pulled into the farm lane and we watched them. On our way home there is a farm that has sheep. They were out in the pasture, so I pulled into a church parking lot next to the pasture and we watched the sheep for a while. I like to make up stories about what the animals are doing and saying.
The rain we had last week was great for making puddles to jump in. When I took this video one morning Elizer was wearing his rain boots, pajamas, and his winter coat, haha!! He had a blast!
One of those cool, rainy mornings last week we again went to Rural King at the mall and ate warm, freshly-popped popcorn and watched the baby chicks.
Because our breakfast table has windows right next to the bench Elizer sits on, the windows get lots of finger prints. I decided to let him help to remedy the situation. I sprayed windex on one of the windows and handed him a paper towel. He thought that was so much fun! Of course he had to try spraying the windex himself. And then he wanted to do more and more windows! A win/win!!
He remembered the fun we had popping balloons on Sunday and wanted me to blow up more balloons. Of course you know why! So now we pretty much blow up balloons for the purpose of popping them!
One day last week I took him to Discovery Space where we have a Grandparents' membership. We had such a good time....
...until it was time to leave. Oh lord!! It was not a pretty scene. After we got home we had to have a very stern conversation about cooperation and that I would not be able to take him to fun places if he did not cooperate. Any place I have taken him since we have prefaced with a "talk" about cooperation. He understands what that means, and he hasn't done perfectly (what two-year-old does?) but we have not had a repeat of that scene.
I gotta share a few funny things from last week.
I have been working on teaching Elizer to use the potty. One day as he stood in front of the toilet waiting for the pee to come out he finally exclaimed, "I just don't have enough gas!"
On Wednesday we had this conversation.
Me: (making a very loud noise with a small food blender)
Elizer: What's THAT?
Me: It's a blender.
Elizer: What's in it?
Me: Peppers and onions and celery.
Elizer: I don't like them.
Me: That's ok. I'm blending them up to put in meat loaf and you'll never see them.
Elizer: I don't like them. Put strawberries in it. That would tase good!
On Friday morning when I was folding laundry Elizer took a pair of his underwear and put it on his head! I made Thai Chicken Peanut Noodle Salad and took some over to Anthony and Lori's. We were happy to once again get a good look at he neighbors' chickens. This time they seemed to be having a "meeting."
By late afternoon the sky was a beautiful, clear blue!! I took the above two pictures from Anthony and Lori's driveway.
Friday evening was our church's spaghetti supper, and we took Elizer along. Of course everyone is crazy over him.
Afterward Dick mowed our grass, then took Elizer for a ride around the neighborhood. Are they not the cutest pair?
Throughout the evening, even at the spaghetti supper, I was watching Sophie's regional track meet. She did so well! I took a video of the 4x100 relay race. Sophie ran the second leg for Eastlake's team. This video is really fun to watch!
On Saturday morning I watched some reruns of the coronation of King Charles. Even Elizer was captivated by the king and queen, but especially with the airplanes. Wasn't that spectacular?
It was finally a BEAUTIFUL, SUNNY day!!!! And boy, did we take advantage of it! Elizer blew bubbles and found a baby rabbit in the grass!!
I took him to the park at the entrance to our community and discovered a walking path I didn't know about before.
In the evening we went down there again, this time with Grandpa.
There had been a guy hitting softballs in one of the ball diamonds. When he was picking them up Elizer wanted to help him. It was so cute. He was so excited!
He REALLY needed his bath that evening. I trimmed his nails too, and sang "Where Is Thumbkin?" He was singing along so cute with his first hand, so I asked Dick to take a video of the second hand. Of course Elizer had to ham it up a bit for the camera!
I took this picture during the Call to Worship on Sunday morning. We're happy to have our "Snowbirds" back from Florida!
One of the snowbird couples sings in the choir. He is a good tenor, and we have been missing him greatly. It was good to have them with the choir again. We sang "Chariots Comin'."
All afternoon I worked on the music for the rest of May. It was a rather dreary day again. Dick and Elizer played together, napped together, and went to take a look at Penn State's deer herd. Obviously they are well secured! This is the best he could do at getting a picture. You can just see the hind end of one.
We went for gas and a few groceries in the evening and met Destiny at the grocery store. I should have gotten a picture of her and Elizer, but I didn't think of it.
And thus ended another week, and I'll end my update here. I hope I will be able to find time to update again this weekend. We are leaving on Monday for a week in Florida!! I booked our flights months ago, and I can't believe the time is almost here! We will be attending Sophie's high school graduation and also her State track meet. I'm SO excited!!!
This update about our last week of April will be long with lots of fun pictures.
Monday, April 24, was my first day of "Grandma Daycare." As I've mentioned before, due to staff shortage, St. Paul's Christian Preschool has cut back the numbers of children for a month until they have time to train new staff.
I made Jamaican Rice & Peas and curried chicken while Elizer napped in the afternoon. After he woke up we took some of the food over to Anthony and Lori's, then we checked out Rural King at the mall. I had heard they have baby chicks there, but I had never been there. To my surprise they also had FREE freshly-popped popcorn! We had the greatest time looking at the chicks and munching on the warm, salty popcorn.
In the evening I attended a women's meeting at church while Dick kept Elizer occupied. Destiny works till 11 pm on Mondays.
On Tuesday morning I put him in underpants for the first time. Just taking things slowly. I'm not one who has ever potty "trained." He has definitely had some successes and some misses.
We had brought his little shark vacuum cleaner here with us that day, and when I saw him vacuuming and dancing with the "Baby Shark" in his underwear I had to get a video, lol!
It was a GORGEOUS sunny day, even though chilly. We went for a walk around the block and spent some time at the playground below our house. He never tires of swinging.
The tulips in my flowerbed along the street have been showing off! How about that yellow one that looks like a rose?
That afternoon I watched Sophie's district meet. She ran four events and came in first in all but one, in which she came in second.
Wednesday was another gorgeous sunny, but chilly day. I took Elizer to the township park at the entrance to our community. We had the greatest time!! Sometimes the best places are right under your nose!
Best of all was standing on this bridge and listening to the rippling water underneath, looking for fish with Elizer, and looking around at the beauty of Spring.
We also ran around the bases on the ball diamond as we pretended we were trying to get to each base before we were tagged.
Back at home we picked some dandelions and put them in a vase.
While he napped in the afternoon I made beef stirfry. After he woke up we took some of it over to Anthony and Lori.
It was still so sunny and beautiful, and I knew that Dick was going to be going over to mow at Anthony and Lori's after work and Destiny was going to be doing some Doordash deliveries to make some extra money, so I took Elizer to the Penn State Arboretum.
It was not as thrilling as a park with rides, but Elizer did love watching the fish in one of the ponds. Can you see them?
And of course, playing the chimes is always fun.
On Thursday morning I took him up to the University Park Airport just a few miles from here. We see so many airplanes overhead and he's always so excited about them. So I was hoping we could see one take off or land. I found out that all the major airlines (there are three) had already left by the time we arrived. However we did see some smaller airplanes come and go. There were lots of nice benches to sit on to watch, and the weather was so beautiful and warm.
During his nap I got all my choir prep done, then after his nap we took a walk around the block and spent a bit of time at the playground below our house again. I always sing "Ride a ride a tiger" when he's on it.
When Dick got home from work he mowed our lawn and then took Elizer for a ride around the neighborhood. No smile on this picture because the ride was finished and he was not happy about that.
Destiny got to our house after work to pick him up just as we were ready to leave for choir practice.
Friday was Destiny's day off work, but she wanted to try delivering for Instacart in the afternoon. So she brought Elizer here for his nap. I made hamburgers and cut up veggies. We took some of them over to Anthony's after he woke up, then went for groceries. Dick met us in the grocery story parking lot, pulled up right beside us. Elizer was so excited! I was GLAD, because it was raining.
When we got home Dick and Elizer had time to play until Destiny got here, and they had so much fun.
Monkey see, monkey do!
He said he was building churches!
Dick and I had a slow Saturday morning at home. We got some necessary things done around here. It was raining again.
Lori was in Phoenix on a work trip and had Austin with her. I thought maybe Hunter could come to our house, but I found out he had a birthday party to attend. Then I found out that Sammy and Bianca's weekend games were cancelled due to rain, and they could come up overnight.
Destiny was going to bring Elizer here for his nap again while she delivered for Instacart, but instead we just loaded him into the van and he took his nap while we went to pick up Sammy and Bianca.
He was so happy to wake up an hour-and-a-half later at Jenn's house and find that Sammy and Bianca were getting in the van with us!
Even more fun was having Bianca to play with in his little kitchen after we got here. They had the greatest time.
Sammy wasn't sure about the fact that we had thrown out the old play kitchen. He said, "What? All the memories of playing with it and you just threw it away?" He was kidding sort of, but not completely. I assured him we still have pictures.
After eating hot dogs and baked beans for a quick dinner we went to Get Air, our local trampoline park. It is so expensive, so I just paid for one hour. But apparently they don't keep track. We were there for an hour-and-a-half. What FUN!!
Elizer was in his glory!! He has no idea he's only two! He is so sure-footed and fast!
Destiny met us there. The kids were asking for snacks and ice cream, but you know how expensive things are at places like that! I told them we'd go up the road to Burger King for ice cream afterward. Much cheaper and much better eating environment.
We had so much fun with the crowns!
And look at this Spring tree in the corner! I think this is the nicest Burger King around.
We kept Elizer overnight since Destiny had to go to work Sunday morning while we had church. It was great to have Sammy and Bianca with us at church to help entertain Elizer during parts of the service.
It was another rainy day.
This was our after-church photo shoot.
How CUTE is this???
I made burritos for lunch. The kids were in the mood for balloons. We blew up a LOT of them! We turned on the ceiling fan in the living room and they had fun throwing the balloons up at the fan.
Then they took all the balloons to the big tub and took a balloon bath, haha!
While Elizer napped the kids and I play LIFE.
And of course, Sammy and I had to play a duet. The newest song he had learned for band (he plays marimba) was a simple one called "Morning."
Then we packed everything up and took the kids to meet Sam and Steph. We caught up with them a bit in the parking lot in the drizzle.
Then we headed back home. Thankfully Elizer is a really good traveler. We got back just in time to pick Destiny up at work so she wouldn't need to walk in the rain to her car. We took her to the parking garage and said our goodbyes to them.
I was ready for bed that night!!
And that's where I'll end this post. It's still cold and rainy. UGH!! But it looks like we'll be getting sun and 70's this weekend. Hallelujah!!!
