Sunday, October 8, 2017

Slumber. Party. Not Necessarily In That Order


Well, it was definitely a jam-packed spend-the-night with lots of hugging.
"Maggie, do you love Big Bear?"
"Yeah."

There was pizza and macaroni and cheese. Since it didn't come out of a box, Boppy and I were the only ones who ate the macaroni. Oh well. We enjoyed it. Maggie went from high chair to her own chair to my lap to Boppy's lap and back again.



She has that man wrapped around her little finger. 

After supper was bath and shower time. Gibson and Maggie got in the tub together and Owen got in the shower. He likes to clean it for me when he's in there. I do appreciate that, even though he just uses soap and a washcloth. 



Gibson had a relaxing bath and pondered the great questions. Or something. 

Maggie did not go down in the pack-n-play exactly as she was supposed to. I read her some books while the boys ate their requisite purple cows and then kissed her and put her in bed and said, Night-night! and she proceeded to cry a lot. 
So then I rocked her for quite a while and then Boppy rocked her for quite awhile and I went and got my hair brushed by two boys and we read all of our books. They brushed and brushed my hair as I read and they did the parts of the duck, the dog, and the cat in The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza as they always do. 
"Am I hurting you?" asked Gibson as he managed to tangle my hair and then pull on it. 
"No, not very much," I said. And that was true. 
"I want to make you so beautiful," he said, "So Boppy will love you."
"I appreciate that," I told him. 
And I did. 
While we were reading, we heard Maggie cry some and so after the last story I kissed the boys good night and tucked them in and turned on the nightlight and went to see what was going on with my girl and her grandfather. He would get her to sleep and then every time he put her down, she'd cry. I took over the rocking and crooned and crooned to her and she rubbed my arm and laid heavy on my old bosom and finally, I just went and put her in bed and she fussed for a minute but then she went on to sleep. 
And that would have been that except for the dang baby-monitor which beeped every time it lost the "link" and of course, every time Maggie would stir and utter, "MerMer!" I would jump bolt upright, as would her grandfather, and then she'd settle back down and be silent again. 
But some sleep was had by all and the morning came and here's what Maggie looked like.


I have to tell you- Owen and Gibson adore their sister with every fiber of their beings. They want to hug her and show her things and do fist-bumps and kiss her all the time. She is their royal princess. She is the joy of their hearts. This morning I heard Gibson say, "Who's the prettiest little baby girl in the world?" and then he hugged her. 
I can barely stand it. 
The boys wanted hot cocoa and so I made them some and of course, Maggie wanted some too. I poured a little milk in a mug and gave it to her with a spoon and she was perfectly happy with that. 


Owen was the one who came up with the idea to put the dishrag under her cup and got it out of the cabinet and arranged it for her. 
"Good thinking!" I told him. 
And it was. 

And then, the boy made us his famous Delicious French Toast. 
He really did. I was so proud of him. 


He cracked the eggs and mixed in the cinnamon and the vanilla and milk and he dipped the bread and put it in the pan and paid attention and turned it when it was ready. He did not burn one piece! I was a bit astounded at how well he did. And then we all ate French toast with syrup and "powder" on it which is what Gibson calls powdered sugar.

And then the boys played Wii with Boppy and Maggie played with dolls in the library.




She was so serious. She would put the dolls in the bed and rather sternly say, "Night-night" and then cover them up which was quite an accomplishment. Sometimes she had to get in the bed to do the job properly. Then, she would immediately get them up and put them on the floor on the blanket or in the rocking chair and then go through the entire routine again. 
This went on for at least half an hour which is nothing short of a miracle for that girl who basically likes to change activity at about the same rate a hummingbird changes flowers. 

Then Daddy came to get them and they all went home and Mr. Moon and I tidied up some things and then...I went back to bed. 
Heaven. 

We've gotten some good hard rain, bands from Nate, I suppose, and that's been perfect for the just-planted garden. My cat bites are doing very well, no signs of infection and in fact, I got two more today when Maurice was obviously trying to get back in my good graces. She licked the wounds after she bit me so I know she loves me. 
I got an e-mail today from a company called Petzlover and I decided that it had the best subject line ever in the universe. It was, "Sell your cats quickly online."
I suppose there is nothing private about anything you write on the internet and that Petzlover determined that perhaps I was in the market for a fast, easy way to get rid of my feral pet. 

We all know that I am not going to sell Maurice online or anywhere else. For better or for worse, we are wed together, crone and familiar. 

So it was a good night and I am proud of the way these children are growing. Owen not only made the French toast, he went and let the chickens out and gave them their scratch all by himself. He is protective and so loving towards his sister. Gibson is getting funnier and more profound every day and he, too, is a stellar big brother. And Maggie? Her vocabulary is increasing by leaps and bounds, I watch her as she becomes more and more autonomous and definite in her play and her activities. And she has the sweetest manners I've ever seen. She says, "Thank-you," not only when we give her something but also when we do something for her whether it's helping her down steps or getting her baby unstuck from the rails of the baby bed. She knows what she wants and she knows how to get it. 

Yep. These kids are growing up good and they are a testament to their parents' attention and love. 
And there is nothing on earth that could make a grandmother happier, although a martini and the prospect of sweet potato bread and chili made with black beans is a close second. 


Be well and gentle with yourself. 
Appreciate what you bring to this world. Appreciate what others bring to this world and let them know you do. 
Don't sell your cats quickly online. 
Unless you really want to. 

Here comes the rain again. 
Heaven. 

Love...Ms. Moon

17 comments:

  1. i hope petzlover isn't selling the cats they procure online to unscrupulous chinese food places...

    stay dry and hope the hand heals up soon!

    xxalainaxx

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    1. Or any unscrupulous restaurants!
      The hand is totally fine now.

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  2. It heartens me to hear of such beautiful humans who will carry on the love and goodness they're witnessing. Goodness knows we need to all raise as many of the caring ones as we can!

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    1. These boys are very empathetic and I love that about them.

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  3. “Who's the prettiest little baby girl in the world?" OMG, Mary. Another reason why I ddon’t believe that all may not be lost in our world. That kind of love moves mountains.

    I told Norbert that I could sell him quickly online and he said, “Bring it, bitch”. So rude.

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    1. Maurice is the same damn way. She's like honey badger. She doesn't give a shit.

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  4. You make grandparenting look absolutely divine. These are the memories that will sustain your grandbabies and anchor them in love. I know. I see it with my own children. Parents count but grandparents give them deep loving roots.

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    1. Grandparents are important. I will stand by that belief. It's a very special relationship.

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  5. Wow! So much activity! You can tease me for walking nine miles, but let me just say this post exhausts me (in a good way) far more than my walk. Not that the obvious joy you get from these kids isn't evident. :) Congrats to Owen on the successful French toast! That e-mail is hilarious -- I wish you'd opened it to see what it said!

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    1. No. Nine miles is far more strenuous. Maybe not emotionally...
      I did open the e-mail! It's a online pet classified ad site. You can buy anything from mice to horses. I'm sure it's scammy.

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  6. I'm amazed at how loving the boys are to Maggie and to each other. my grandkids fought basically from the time they were born to just a few years ago. my grandson used to clean up for me too. he would decide a room was too messy and he would straighten it up, get the broom and sweep.

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    1. Owen and Gibson fight, too. Trust me. They just don't fight with their sister. She's like their Switzerland. But they're often loving towards each other too.

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  7. What is it about Kids and Boxed Mac N Cheese?! *LOL* Sounds like a wonderful time spent with the Grands. And that e-mail sounds shady, I shudden to think what happens to the poor Cats that do get Sold to that company!?

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    1. I have to admit that I love boxed mac and cheese as well. It's just...so artificial and yummy.
      They don't buy cats. It's an online classified ad site for pets.

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  8. Today I was at work and thought of that picture of Magnolia sitting at the table in her frog pyjamas and it made me smile. Gosh, she is cute!

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    1. She is. She just is. She's a cherub and a doll and a sassy pants woman baby.

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  9. Another triumph of babysitting accomplished :)

    Your bread looks as wonderfully raised as your grandchildren!

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