Her First Summer At The Beach

Chloe has wanted to go to the beach for a very long time. She would always talk about what she would do when she got there. She wanted to play in the waves and walk on the wet sand. Swim in the ocean and find her  some great sea shells. She also wants to build her a big sand castle.

Well her mom and her best friend from work decided that this summer that they would take their kids to the beach before school started back after summer break.

So for the whole summer Chloe has talked about her upcoming vacation.

Well, last Saturday as she was leaving our house she reminded me again of all the fun that they were going to have and all that they were going to carry with them.

After about eight hours on their trip they finally made it to their destination and checked into their hotel. They were all tired from the ride down but were all excited to be close to the beach. After unloading the SUV the kids wanted to go to the ocean and the beach so they could hardly wait to get ready.

Chloe is all ready for her first visit to the ocean and beach and can hardly wait for the others to get ready as well. I think this smile shows how she feels about the whole thing.

Well they finally get to the ocean and Chloe has her shovel and her fishing net so she can retrieve any shells that she finds.

She loves the ocean and the wet sand on her feet as she walks and plays in the sand. She is disappointed that she doesn't find any shells like everyone said that she would. She told her mom, "I knew that we should have come earlier in the summer, everyone has already been here and got all of the great sea shells!"

Even though she didn't find any shells she enjoyed her trip to the ocean she is ready and can't wait to go again.

Our Little Girl Is Growing Up

Chloe has always wanted to pick out her own clothes to wear ever since she was about two years old. She know how to match her clothes with other pieces and she knows what colors look good together.

In the past we have purchased clothes for Chloe and are later disappointed that she never wants to wear them. One time my wife pick out a long dress for her with smocking around the collar. She didn't like the dress because it had green in it. Another time we bought her a green corduroy dress with pink accents on it and she would wear it just a few times.

Since then we have let her choose the dresses that she likes, because then we know that she will wear them.

On our lost shopping trip we looked at several dresses before she found one that was acceptable to her. It was an A-line dress with a narrow belt in black with white polka dots and pink trim. She also said that she needed some new shoes to go with her dress but they couldn't have a strap across the for like little girls and old ladies wear. So she finally found a pair of Pink Slippers with an heart across the toe.

She asked me if I thought that they made her look older and I said yes and she smiled and was pleased that she had achieved the results that she was aiming for. I asked her was she going to wear hose with her shoes of socks like she usually does. She said, "Poppy a girl has to try on her outfit together to make that decision." Well excuse me, hahaha seven going on thirteen.

I teased her and said she looked like a young lady but that she was sitting like a little girl slouching in the chair. She said, "Ok I can do a better picture how about this."

Chloe this is much better but what happened to the smile. She said, Poppy have you ever had a day when everything was just not right. I smiled and knew that yes more days than I ever wanted to remember.

Well we finally got the smile and she has achieved what she set out to do and our little grand-daughter is growing up before our eyes.

We are thankful that she still likes to be our little girl sometimes still.

Styling Great-Grandmother's Hair

Chloe loves to comb other peoples hair and style it the way that she wants to do it.

She likes to get out the gel at our house and try to get me to wear the spike hairs style when we go somewhere, and I always tell her that this is for young kids not old Poppy's. She always laughs and tries to see if she can get me to wear it outside. I always make her comb it into a regular hair style for me.

G-Grandmother sitting at the table in her wheelchair.

When we go to Pop and Great-Grandmothers she likes to comb their hair as well and style it.

Chloe sitting in her chair behind G-Grandmother getting her things together to do her hair.

The other day when we got there, Emily had just washed G-Grandmother's hair and Chloe was wanting to see if she could come it and style it. Grandmother said to ask her if she minded you combing her hair. G-Grandmother told Chloe that she would love to have her hair combed and styled.

Chloe is gently combing G-Grandmothers hair as she nods off to sleep.

Chloe pulls up a chair to stand on and gets her brush and comb and hair clips to do her thing. She combs and combs and G-Grandmother is falling asleep with each brush stroke. Chloe pipes up and said,  "see how relaxed my client is."

She leans over G-Grandmother's shoulder and asks her if everything is alright and does she need anything.

Soon after combing it she starts to part the hair as she combs so as to make two pig tails. She combs, takes it out, re-combs and takes it out again. The she reply's, "Her hair is just not wanting to cooperate with me today." Finally she get it finished to her satisfaction and ask G-Grandmother how it feels. G-Grandmother said, " I believe you did another great job Chloe."

"A job done well is a well done job," Don't you thinks so?
To this she said, "Thank You, it was a pleasure doing your hair."

Playing In The Mud And Getting Wet With The Sprinkler

It has taken a long time to get Chloe to play in the mud. She is such a squeaky clean kid that she usually doesn't like to get dirty.

Trying to adjust to the coldness of the water before getting into the trench. Hey,! my hair is getting wet.

I told her that many years ago when I was a kid that we had red mud in the ditches beside the road in front of our house growing up, until the ditched were filled in with concrete culverts and doing away with the ditch.

It doesn't feel as cold anymore did you turn on some warm water too.

Yes it made the homes look better, but what about the children that loved to play in the mud.

Well here in Tennessee we don't have the red mud, thank goodness, we just have good brown dirt but yes it still feels good when it is wet and runs through your toes.

 It starting to feel real good and I see now how much fun you can have.

One day we were at Pop's house and he has plenty of places to get in some mud or barnyard, Chloe said that she would get in the mud if she didn't have to go to far from the house. In other words, she doesn't mind getting a little dirty maybe if she can get cleaned back up just as fast.

 

Look!! Poppy, I'm standing in the mud and like you said it feels good between your toes.

We were out on the patio and Pop has a drain cut out around the concrete so that when it rains the water will run off. This is where Chloe decided that she would venture off into the mud, but close enough to the hose and the concrete where she could get clean again.

She said, "I had to get out of the mud to get my feet clean again."

Approaching the sprinkler cautiously to just get a little wet and see if she likes it.

Once she got past the coldness of the water on the sunny day she decided that she would try the mud. The more that she walked in it the more that she liked it until she saw an ant on the concrete and then she was ready to get out.

Slowly building up her trust of the sprinkler, not sure enough to walk in the wet grass yet.

I asked her if she wanted to water the flowers that were on the patio and she said sure. The she started watering the flowers. I told her to turn left and get those over there and she laughed and turned right and, yes she gave me a good soaking right across my stomach. When I asked her to turn around again she did and filled my shoes in the process.

Just getting a little braver to get a drink of water.

Then she asked me was I upset! And to her surprise I said it feels better than the hot sun.

Aunt Emily brought out a round sprinkler to attach to the end of the hose and it took a lot of convincing to get Chloe to get wet under the sprinkler.

Do you think I look like a peacock? Why yes I believe you do.

Again, after she got over the initial shock of the cold water, she was playing like a "pig in the mud."

Oh Man, this really does feel great! Now I know what your talking about Poppy. When can we do it again?

Happy Birthday, Chloe!

 It doesn't seem that long ago that she had her 1st Birthday

Last spring when Chloe turned six, she asked me how long was it going to be until she turned seven. I told her that she had almost a whole year of waiting. She told me that in school, she learned that a year was 365 days or 12 months. But Poppy just how long is that! I told her that it would be after the 4th of July, Labor Day, Back To School, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. She stopped me and said that is to long to have to wait for a birthday. I hated to burst her little bubble when I told her that I wasn't through. Its past Valentine's Day, St Patrick's Day, April Fools Day, Mother's Day and Memorial Day then it is about two weeks until your birthday.

Daddy (David) and Chloe after riding the go-carts in a race.

She wanted to know if us older guy's looked forward to our birthdays. I said we are glad that we have them because it means were still here but we don't look forward to getting older.

I explained to her that when you are younger you can wait to be older and some days you want to push the years by more than on but when you get in your mid twenties you start to want to hold onto the nines. Like I'm twenty-nine for a few years then I'm thirty nine and so on.

 L. to R. Mimi, Mommy, Chloe, Lilli, Daddy.

Then when you get to be fifty- five plus you start to enjoy your birthday's again as you get closer to the golden years.

 Chloe telling everyone what she just unwrapped.

On Sunday Chloe asked me now how many days until my birthday. I said you only have four more days of waiting. Well how many hours is that? I told her and then I said it will be here before you know it. Then I'll be seven going on eight right! "Yes," I replied.
 

Chloe opening a card, she told everyone that she needed to concentrate while doing this so she didn't tear the card..

Yesterday morning was June 11th Chloe's birthday and she called me and asked me did I know what day it was. I said sure I do it's Wednesday, June 11th. There was silence, then I started singing, Happy Birthday to her over the phone and she laughed and said, "Poppy you remembered it." "Did you get me a present?" I said, "I don't think that you would let me come to you party if I didn't have a present."

 

Her Princess Birthday Cake

She had her Birthday Party at Incredible Pizza. She went there before with some of her cousins and they had a blast and so this is where she wanted it this year.

 She is so excited to blow out the candle and get her some icing.

As soon as she got there she wanted to ride the rides and she said blow off her frustrations. I told her she didn't know what that meant and she said are you trying to frustrate me to, Poppy! I know one thing and that is she is far smarter than I was at seven.

 

Ok, I'm ready are your camera's ready!!

Daddy, gets to take her on all of the rides, the ones where she isn't tall enough he has to ride with her but by the big grin on his face I just don't think he minded it at all. I think Daddy turned back into a young boy for just a little while and a little girl soaked up some "special moments," with her daddy.

Mommy, asked her did she make a wish when she blew the candle out and she said her wish had already came true, her family and friends were at her party. And if I tell you the one I just made it won't come true.
 She rode the go-carts many times racing, the bumper cars, laser tag, bowling, miniature black-light golf, big top rides and video games galore.

L. to R. Mike, Papaw Dad (Plaid Shirt), Pop(striped shirt), Marcie and her friends.

Everyone had arrived and they all came to the room so that they could eat and she could open her presents. She was so excited to open the presents that she couldn't hardly eat. We took pictures of the cake and  opening of her presents. As she opened each present she would read each card. Someone asked her a question while she was opening a card and she replied that couldn't they see that she was needing to concentrate while she was opening up the cars so that the card didn't get torn.

( The Grandmothers), Gramaw (Joyce), (Grandmother) Debby, (Mimi) Jan.

She had asked Grandmother to get her some art supplies for her birthday. All afternoon she kept coming up to me and thanking me for her present. I said that present was from grandmother, that she would get mine when she comes over on Friday. Immediately she wanted to know what it was because I didn't bring it with me and I told her it was a surprise and it was for her at our house. "Ok, Poppy but I know that you went to the store and bought all of the things in the present bag." How do you know it was me? Did grandmother tell you that? No, because everything you got me was just what I have been wanting. You got me finger paints, paint brushes, oil paints, stickers, glitter, glue, colored pens, colored pencils, tape, washable magic markers, construction paper, crayons just like I have at your house that I can now use at my house. Poppy do you know that I love you and grandmother. Yes, sweetie I know that you do and we love you as much or more in return.

 Mmmm....this icing is so good, sorry Lilli I didn't get your face.

It was a great "Birthday Party," and one little girl got plenty of presents that she will enjoy form may days and years to come.

 Marcie (Mommy) and Chloe

 "Happy Birthday Chloe, Happy Birthday"

Schools Out, Schools Out,

Well she made it thru a year of Kindergarten, Woo Hoo!! It has been a busy year for Chloe learning phonics, syllables, nouns, adjectives, verbs, pronouns and proper nouns. She also learned fifty two Bible verses and many songs that she will remember for the rest of her life. She has learned site words, and she can count to one hundred and count backwards from twenty. She learned to count by twos and by fives and how to add numbers.

She is looking forward to her twelve weeks off for Summer. Then in late Summer she will start thinking about first grade.

On the last day of school she could get out early if we picked her up at 11:15 a.m. and sign her out, which I was glad to do. The principal called to her room to let them know that she had been signed out and that I was waiting for her up front.

If you look to the left of the wall where the pictures are she will be coming up that hall. Her class room is almost at the end of that hall. I just stood and waited know that she would want to get everything together for the last day of school.

While I was waiting I took a few pictures since next year she will be in the other building. On the shelf on the right are the school mascot (Lions) and school colors (red, white and blue).

On this wall is a picture of the school mascot (Lion), Mission Statement of Harding Academy and A bible verse.

"Poppy! I'm here, we sure had a lot of fun this morning. We had a clown come in and do a magic show for us. We had some yummy cup cakes and some chocolate milk." It sure sounds like you had a great day for the last day of Kindergarten. You must have played outside as well because you have a sun glow. She just gave me a big smile and said let's go Poppy.

 

I said, before we leave let take a couple of pictures up front here as this will be the last year in this building, next year you will be in the other building.

Poppy!, before we leave I want to tell Mrs. Debbie by, she is our principal. So we went and told them goodbye and walked to the car.

Can you guess where I want to go now? 

I laughed and told her that the car knows that every time we pick you up from school that it's next stop is McDonald's.

Grandfather And Granddaughter Luncheon

Marcie asked me a few weeks ago if I would go to Chloe's Father, Daughter Luncheon. I said I would be glad to go and if David was able to go that I would just wait until she was ready to go home and we would go home together.

The weekend before the luncheon, Chloe was checking  to make sure that I was going to be there for her luncheon. I told her that I would be there.

She then let me know that I might not be able to sit at the table where the Luncheon would be because the seats were made for small children. I reassured her that I would bring a chair to sit in and that everything would be OK.

Thursday came around and that evening I got a call from Chloe reminding me about the luncheon the next day. I told her that yes I would be there and that I already had my chair in the car.

On Friday I arrived about forty-five minutes early so as to get a good parking spot near the entrance. I got out my folding chair and went into the school building. We were instructed that it would start about 11:45 a.m. and that we could wait in the Lobby until they were ready for us in the classroom.

They said that we could go to our daughter's or grand daughter's classrooms. As we went down the hall, in front of each room were projects that each class had written about and a picture or object that went along with their report.

The first class had studied adobe houses and how to make adobe bricks. They had written a report on adobe brick making and they had taken a shoe box and covered it with adobe mud.

The second class had read a book and written a book report about the book and colored a picture from the part of the story that they liked.

The third class had studied insects and they had written a report about their insect and then they had cut out different colors of construction paper for their insects.

Chloe's class had been busy studying about birds in different countries. She had written a report about Panama and its bird the Parakeet. On the wall above their report they had colored the bird that they had written about. I quickly scanned the wall and this is what I found.

As you can see, she did a wonderful job on her picture and I was happy to say that my grand daughter did this one.

Then they invited us into the classroom and each child showed their parent or grand parent around their room. I got to see where she sat in class, where her locker was. The center where they sat on the carpet to read books. We were shown where they did work on the computer and i-pad. Then she brought me a picture of herself that said, "I want to be like you." It had a picture of her in her school uniform and she had a towel slung over her shoulder and shaving cream on her face.

On the back was written:

A Great Dad makes memories,
Goes on great adventures,
Always puts his family first,
Makes sacrifices,
Is patient,
Always has the time for his kids,
Is a great teacher,
Loves his kids and their mother
Unconditionally.

After reading this I was so glad that I was there for Chloe. I love this little girl so much and each day that were together I try to add to memories that will last a lifetime for her. I want her to know that she is loved, and as grand parents we will be there for her.

Chloe asked me, "Poppy where is your recliner that you put in the car." I looked at her and said, "I didn't bring my recliner honey, I brought a folding chair." She said, "I wondered how you were going to carry that big recliner down the hall."

Lunch time was announced and we headed toward the gym. We stood in line for the BBQ Luncheon. I sat in my folding chair and she sat at the table. I thanked her for telling me about the table seats, because I sure would have looked funny trying to sit on one.

We sat and ate our BBQ, Chloe just nibbled on it saying it wasn't her favorite meal. I said if it were something sweet I bet she would eat it. It wasn't long before they announced that they had cookies ready and that the children could come up and get one for their parent.

She got her two cookies and when she came back to the table, I said that we could leave now because I had already signed her out for the day. She looked up and me and said I don't want to miss the opportunity to play out on the playground. So that is where we went next, outside on the playground.

When the teachers announced that the children needed to line up, Chloe came over to me and said, "Poppy, now we can go to McDonald's and play."

We went to McDonald's for about three hours so that she could play with her friends and burn up some extra energy.

When we got there she said, "Poppy I want a McDouble Cheese Burger some fries and a coke." I explained that I would get her one but I didn't want her just to nibble on it but to eat it. She said that she would and so I got it for her and she ate it all up.

Her friends at McDonald's love to see who can go through the tunnels the fastest, or play freeze tag or hiding seek. Chloe's favorite place to hide is behind me, I told her that she needed to find somewhere else because by now everyone knew where she liked to hide. So she found a new hiding place where the store the highchairs when they are not in use. She also like to hide behind the birthday chair that over by the wall.

She told me that the girls like the pink slide the best.

And that the boys liked the green slide the best.

And that the fastest way up was the purple and yellow tunnel with the blue steps.

 

You can climb up the padded steps to the tunnels or to the TV room.

Or go to the other side and climb up the slides backwards.

And when you get tired you can just relax in Ronald McDonald's lap.