Messmaker

[photo credit: Grandpa Rod]

(as sung to tune of Matchmaker from Fiddler on the Roof by Grandma Rosie)

Messmaker, messmaker, make me a mess
You do it well, I must confess
You can get cereal everywhere,
Especially in your hair!

Well, now you know where Celia was while her parents and Colby were out buttsledding! Funny how the words to songs you haven’t sung in twenty-some years come right back to grandparents – a few genuine lyrics as well as those you made up for fun. I frequently sang the above version of Matchmaker to Jenni and Kate when they were little, and the first verse came back into my head this weekend while Celia was enjoying oatmeal and peaches for breakfast. (I trace her affinity for peaches back to my father, who always welcomed peaches in any form, but most especially in ice cream.) Celia never fails to make that “Mmmm – mmm” good sound that lets you know she’s enjoying a meal. Of course, messmaking eventually led to bathtime last Saturday night… and you already know how much she loves splashing and bubbles and water. After bathtime, Celia got to rub on some of my special lavender chamomile lotion… which led, not surprisingly, to a mostly made-up rendition of "Lavender’s blue, silly Celie, lavender’s green… "
G'Ro

When Celia is Away...

... the dog will play. And so will the parents, when most of their work is done.
I wanted to use the blog title: "Buttsledding"... Jenni said "no." But the picture clearly shows buttsledding. What you as the reader may not appreciate is the blazing speed and the significant air that was obtained on the third and final run. Napoleon Dynamite would have been proud.


We had a wonderfully productive day, while Celia played with her grandparents. Jenni has a bit of "nesting" fever, so we consulted "the list" several times, and were able to make significant progress in crossing things off said list. Shelves were built, pictures were hung, paint was ... um... painted. So, we made time to take Colby out in the snow, even though it wasn't on "the list." Colby was appreciative, and is now exhausted. And we enjoyed time together, out of the house, and even shared a few laughs with (and at) each other... Laughing is good.
And so is buttsledding. And no, we don't own a sled, nor do we need one. Our butts work really well.
@ndy

A Batch of CEB

Her milky white skin, her apple-puckering lips and cherry red cheeks.
Her gleeful squeals, laced with honey.
Her propensity to chug mango juice by the orchard.
Her stubbornness, slow as a new bottle of ketchup, to go to bed at night.
Her strawberry locks and her meaty thighs.
Her sugary, open-mouthed kisses.

All these ingredients combine to make the perfect little girl....

Mmmm. She is the icing on our cake.

JEB

Glimpses of Glee

Dear Followers of the Betz Family,

Her mommy’s gentle voice and her daddy’s up-in-the-air tosses have been reliable ways to bring a smile to Celia’s face, but our gleeful little girl plays hard-to-get these days. Last week while Celia was visiting, we captured some happy faces, and a peanut-buttery mouth to share with her many admirers…

Enjoy,
Grandma Rosie and Grandpa Rod

Arab Proverb

Every beetle
is a gazelle
in the eyes
of its mother.


JEB

It's the Hard Knock Life

Obviously, Annie's got nothin' on these red curls:
The sun likely won't come out tomorrow, at least in these parts. Our neighborhood dressed in another thick layer of snow yesterday, pulling it on about as quickly as I could pull on a fleece hoodie...But, we have sunflowers on the mantle, to remind us that brighter days may come.
And we may not be livin' on Easy Street these days, but as Annie says, "I don't need sunshine now to turn my skies to blue. I don't need anything but you."
JEB

Olentangy Overnight

Sometimes, lately, I get to spend the night with my grandparents on the weekend. I don't usually sleep through the night, so when I go to my grandparents, Mommy and Daddy get to catch up on sleep, and I get to play and Grandma and Grandpa don't mind.
When I go to G'pa Tim and G'ma Jan's, we watch movies with my Great Aunts Sally and Angie. Or we watch the Buckeyes; they taught me that if you stop the Fiesta Bowl when the Buckeyes are ahead, a couple minutes before the end, then the Buckeyes win! G'pa Tim and G'ma Jan and Sally and Angie play hard, and sometimes they wear me out. So, I cuddle with them and nap. I think I wear them out, too.
And then when it's really bedtime, G'pa Tim and G'ma Jan let me sleep in their big bed. I get to sleep right in the middle, with people who love me on both sides. The bed is so big I sometimes forget where I am when I wake up. G'ma Jan makes me blueberry pancakes for breakfast. And last weekend she invited my cousin Vanessa to come play with me, and we read books together.
I love spending the night with my grandparents and Mommy and Daddy don't look so tired when they pick me up!

Celie