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Old Barns And Old People

Those Special Phone Calls

Chloe has always loved to talk on the phone even when she was just starting to crawl. She would play with her toy phones and jabber on it just like she has seen the adults do. We would always laugh when she did this from such a young age.

As she grew older she didn't want to talk on the play phones as much, but she would find our cell phones and act like she was talking on them.

When she didn't know how to unlock them to talk on them she would complain that she couldn't talk on it to someone else. So we would call some of her cousins and let her talk on the phone to them and her mommy and this would satisfy her.

Well now that she is seven she likes to call at night just before she goes to bed and have her "special" little talks with Poppy (me), to which I love to get. She doesn't call every night but on the nights that she does they are so special to me.

Tonight I got a call and I thought that it was Debby calling me and when I answered the phone it showed that Mimi was calling and I knew that Chloe was using her Mimi's phone to call me.

The first thing that she always ask me is what are you doing and where are you at. If I'm at home she wants to know where I'm at so that she can see in her mind as we talk.

"Guess what?," I'm going to be in a play at school, "Great," I say. "What is the name of the play your going to be in." Silence on the line..., "I'm not sure yet, but the teacher will let us know on Friday."  "Do you think that I can do it Poppy?" "Sure," I said, "Whenever we play Barbies you and I we are always play acting and you do that so well." "I guess so Poppy." "Well Poppy we can talk more about this when I find out on Friday." "Ok, Poppy," "Sure"

"Poppy, you don't have to pick me up on Friday from school because Mimi is going to be here and she is going to pick me up."  "Will you miss me on Friday?" "I sure will sweety."

"Poppy, do you know how old Jessica (a cat) is?" No," I said. "She is seven years old today so I am older than she is, what do you think about that?" "Wow, that is amazing." I said. "You know she likes mommy better than she does me and Mimi." "Why is that?," I ask. "Because she was Mommy's first cat and she was around mommy longer." I then ask about her other cats, Max and Belle. We get into a lengthy conversation about these two cats and what they like to get into.

I ask her did she have any homework today and she said, "Poppy you know that I did and that I do it just as soon as I get home so the rest of the night before bed I can play."

"Poppy," "Do you want to know what we did in school today." "Sure," I answered. "We had to write a story about what we did at Thanksgiving and dray a picture to match what we wrote about." I was glad that me and you had already done something like this at Halloween because she said I did really great." "And that I spelled Thanksgiving, Grandmother, turkey, dressing all correctly." "Can you believe that." "Sure," I said, "knowing that you are so smart." Awe Poppy." hehehe....

"I'm going to call you again tomorrow, is that ok." "Sure I love for you to call me anytime." Ok Poppy, I'll call you tomorrow, Bye.

She is a true Gemini, just like me when she is finished she is ready to hang up and start on something else.

I'm sure you can tell by now who has me wrapped around their finger.

Happy Day's Are Here Again

Thanksgiving Break

Maybe you remember the school "Holiday Breaks," and how you looked forward to the extra days off to spend time just doing what you want to do.

Chloe has looked forward to this break since the first of school. Yes she has had a day off for Labor Day and for President's Day but that is not the same to a young child as are the four days at Thanksgiving and the two weeks at Christmas time.



You get to sleep in late and play all day long. You get to stay up late and just have fun being a kid. Sometimes I think she tries to find out out much she can wrap Poppy around her finger, but that's ok she is only going to be little once.

She loves to get me to play Barbies with her. I can't say that I have ever really learned to play dolls, but she keeps asking me to play so I must be doing something right.

I asked her all the time, "How do you play Barbies?" And she always replies, "Poppy you play Barbies just like you and I play together." You talk about things together and you do thing like you do in real life."

So I line up the Barbies and make a runway with material. I tell Chloe that she is to be the Director and set up everything that we are to do in our Runway Photo Shoot. She chooses what doll will be on the runway and what dress that they will be wearing. I take the doll down the runway and say that Megan(the doll) has hair done by Marci' and a gown designed by Chloe' and shoes by Itali' and jewerly by Kay's.

I look over at Chloe' and see that she is smiling and giving me a thumbs up. She gives me feed back on how it was and how it can be improved. Hey if this is all I have to do we can play Barbies real well together, All it take is a lot of imagination and a little work and she is have the time of her life.

It like a role reversal:  "Instead of the old teaching the young, The young are teaching the old."

"Poppy I just love how you play barbies with me. You make it so interesting and I have so much fun. Now that's what I call Icing on my Cake Day.

Behind Chloe you can see her art work on the wall that I can never remove. It is so original and who could ever erase a "I Love You."

















Poppy let's rest awhile and play something else and the we can come back and play some more Barb-bies.

I think that we will take a little time now to do a little work in Chloe's Journal. She draw picture of what she has done thus far today and made some notes as well and about what she want to do later on in the day. She smiles at doing a job well done.

The Cutest Little Fairy And Her Daddy

Halloween is finally here and Chloe has looked forward to this day all year.

She had a sleepover at a friends house and her daddy came to go with them trick-or-treating. Her mommy said that she had so much fun with her friends and everything made for a great Halloween.

The Little Fairy

She is standing waiting to go trick-or-treating. I know that she can hardly wait, just thinking about all of that candy that she will be getting.

Daddy and Chloe having a good time.

The Twins

We are glad that she could have this special time with her friends and her dad. Halloween is one of her favorite Holidays.

David, we sure appreciate these pictures that you took of you and Chloe on Halloween evening. We're glad that  you all had a great time and I know that Chloe will enjoy all of her candy.

It sure was quite around our house this weekend. Yes we probably got a lot more done around the house, but there is something "special" about having your granddaughter around.

"Trick Or Treat"

Well another year has rolled around and it is Halloween time again. Chloe says that this is her most favorite Holiday behind Christmas and her birthday.

You get to dress up however you want to and go outside and people don't think it's strange. Plus you can get as much candy as you can carry.

She said the first year that she remembers going "trick or treating," she didn't know what to expect and she carried a small pumpkin and it didn't take long before it was full. The next year she got a bigger bag so she could stay out longer and get more candy. This year She said that she was going to let her mommy carry a bag that she could put hers into whenever it got full, so that she could keep on going.

About a month before Halloween the stores started putting out decorations and candy displays to get the attention of the children as well as the parents and grandparents so we took our annual tour down the Halloween isle to check out the new offerings and have some fun taking pictures without having to buy everything that she didn't need.

"Poppy, if you come in here after Halloween and these are reduced I want you to buy them for me! ok! ok!

The reason that she has said this is last year the witches that she wanted so badly I was able to get after the holiday for 75% off and she is hoping for that again this year.

 

I asked her why she had her eyes closed and she replied that the price tag was just above her eye and she didn't want to get it in her eye.

"Poppy, I think this witches hat must be for a little kid it looks lost on my head, don't cha (you) think so."

Then she found the gruesome hatchet and then wondered what you did with it. You won't find this in her Barbie Movies.

We went around the store and looked at all of their Halloween displays and then we found the pumpkins.

They had three that would have weighed several hundred pounds and they were an odd shape and set funny on the floor. They had a large box full of regular size pumpkins for your outdoor displays but what Chloe was looking for was her own personal pumpkin.

After looking them all over she finally picked out her pumpkin and before we had gotten to the cashier she already had a name for it.

When we got into the car and I held it while she put on her seatbelt she said, "Poppy don't drop Crystal."

We made a stop at Taco Bell for supper and she was telling Grandmother about her trip to the store.
She described in detail everything that we saw and the pictures that we took and the pumpkin that she had selected.

She said that this year she wanted to carve her pumpkin and that she wanted Crystal to have triangles for eyes and her nose, And for her mouth she would be smiling and she would have one tooth on the top on one tooth on the bottom of the other side of her mouth. (When we got home she drew her pattern out on paper.)

She then told us about her week at school and what she had learned that week and what she wanted to do this weekend.

"Poppy, I'm going to make some Halloween faces and you take my picture of them, Ok!!

She called this: "The Face Without Expressions" I called it: "The Smile Waiting To Break Through."

She called this: "The Sad Jack-O-Lantern" I called it The Snagged Tooth Pumpkin."

It's now time to carve the pumpkin and we have to get everything ready.

Comments made by Chloe as we were making the face on the pumpkin and cleaning out the insides.

Don't mess it up. Man, it is so yucky inside. I don't want to get my hands dirty. Please, be careful. She is looking great! Can we save the seed to plant next year?

The completed pumpkin, it has brought a matching smile from Crystal and Chloe.

Changes Around Our House

Well I told you that changes come around your house as we grow older. The trees and shrubs haven't stopped growing either. We planted a Bartlett Pear in our front yard, but it has a lot of roots above ground and it is bad about splitting after a few years. They are beautiful when they bloom and then in the fall when their leaves turn a reddish gold. After it split twice we cut it down and now only have the Crepe Myrtle in the front flower bed by the porch. It has gotten so tall that it offers a great shade to the front of our house and make it so much cooler in the hot Summer.

 As you can see the plants have grown and the azaleas are doing well and blooming.

 A close up shot of the azaleas, they are beautiful in the Spring.

 After a few years I have a little shadow that follows me around every weekend. This is our Grand Daughter, and now I know why they call them "Grands." She is so sweet and such a little helper, whatever I am doing she wants to be right there and help me. It is kinda nice to have an extra set of hands and legs to help you. She is a quick learner and she sure know how to ask a lot of questions, but this is how they learn.

On the weekends when I vacuum the house she always wants to help. She knows how to use the central vac and she doesn't miss a spot. I thought at first i would have to go behind her but she said. "Poppy you have to do it right the first time."

"Poppy," do you know that you can change the brush on the end and use this brush for dusting." This comes from the mouth of a three and one half year old.

"Poppy, when you vacuum do only one room at a time and vacuum in the sames direction." See I already told you she was smart.

One of her favorite things to say to me is. "Poppy, You have to Listen to Learn." Whenever she does something it is evident that she has used her own "motto" because she does it perfectly. How many kids her age do this for fun? She tells me that I help her do things and she helps me do things that I have to do.

She love it on days when she can get out in the yard and play. Here she is playing on her Hippty Hop.

Or breaking up bread to feed the ducks that come in the yard to be fed. Yes she has some "Special Ducks," that she has named over the years. The most special is "Mr. Duck."

She loves it when the baby ducks have eaten her bread and go back out on the lake to swim. As I post these pictures sh gets sentimental thinking of this favorite dress-up dress and her little red "Dorothy Shoes." She looks up at me with tears in her eyes and say's. "Poppy, why do we have to grow up." She listens as I tell her why, and she understands that time doesn't stand still. It just lets me know that we have shared and made some "Happy Memories" together over the years.

Isn't it funny that you can be somewhere and be reminded of a memory made in that spot. Maybe it was yesterday or many years ago, but it still brings a warmth to come over you.

She has always been able to call up the ducks by quacking like them. It doesn't matter if someone is feeding them across the lake they will fly over to her so she can feed them.

Chloe and her dad found a baby turtle out by the lake on the walking path. She brought it home and made it a little home on the deck and named it "Tiny Tim" after a little song she learned in Pre-k.

I had a Little Turtle,
It's name was Tiny Tim.

I put it in the bathtub,
To see if it could swim.

It drank up all the water,
It ate up all the soap.

It had so many bubbles,
In the back of his throat.

Bubble, Bubble,
Bubble, Pop!

Chloe and her dad returning from a run and walk around the lake.

 "Daddy, my legs may be short but I can sure run fast. You will have to run fast to keep up with me."

 Playing on her swing set on the deck. She is gathering up mermaids from the lake.

A picture of our house in the middle from across the lake. And a picture of the ducks landing on the water.

Has It Been Almost Nineteen Years?

It seems like it was just yesterday that we moved in to our house. But when you stop to think about it you realize that time as flown as usual as well as the years.

When we moved hear our son could have walked to school but they made him ride the bus. It took him longer to get to school by bus that it would have if he could have walked. The reason for this was that they hadn't installed all of the sidewalks for the subdivision.

We added the Chrysanthemums and the Gerber Dasies  to the landscape that the builder put in.

The first winter here we had a snow storm and these pictures were taken during that time.

We have sure enjoyed many evenings sitting on the deck and watching the water on the lake ripple with the breeze. In the summer we enjoy sitting here and watching the 4th of July Fireworks display across the lake. We have a ring side seat for this event. Our grand daughter loves to feed the ducks as they will come into the yard to be fed.

This picture is looking across the lake at the building of the Preforming Arts Building across from the school and the Police Department and Recreation Center. The black plastic was set up to keep dirt from washing into the pond during construction. The nicest thing about this is that know one would be building a house behind us.

Even though it was snowing it didn't keep the ducks from enjoying the water. During the Winter when the lake freezes over you will hear the sound of the ducks trying to break the ice so that they can get into the water.

When this picture was taken there was a vacant lot next to our house. About a year later someone bought the lot and built their home.

Come on inside and take a look.

 

Welcome to our Living Room, we have just a few pieces that we brought from our other home and we are waiting on our sofa and loveseat to be built. We love our real hardwood floors. They are so easy to maintain and they are cool in the Summer and warm in the winter and we don't have to suffer with allergies from wall to wall carpet. We went with louvered blinds on the windows for the clean look and privacy.

Our Sofa and Loveseat arrived and we put the loveseat at an angle since all of our rooms have at least one wall with and angle and not four flat walls. We enjoy the eleven foot ceilings with double crown moldings and the picture rail. This picture is looking toward the foyer and front door and our setting room just off of the Master Bedroom.

This is a picture taken of our fireplace that is set at an angle to the room overlooking the deck and the lake and looking into the Breakfast Room. 

This picture is taken from the Foyer at the front door looking into the Dining Room into the Living Room and just to the right of the column it is a hall leading to the stairs for the rooms upstairs and storage. The Kitchen is just to the left, two bedrooms and a fill bath, Laundry Room and Garage are off of this hall.

Another picture of our Dining Room taken from the Foyer. Since this picture we got a larger table for this room for Family Dinners. We had this room painted in a dark plum with an added border to set off the crown moldings. Below the chair rail it is painted dark green. The solid oak furniture blends well with the oak hardwood floors.

My in-laws came over for my mother-in-laws Birthday and we served them in the Dining Room. The picture in the wall behind my father-in-law is a Hummel that I did for my wife's birthday and it was done in colors to match the Dining Room. I always tell her this little girl make me think of her.

A close-up shot of the Hummel picture. It is named: The Storm Is Coming

My mother-in-law sitting in the Breakfast Room overlooking the back yard and the lake. Behind her is the Kitchen and to her left is a view into the Living Room. The french door to her left lead out onto the back porch and the deck.

This picture is taken standing in the arch from the Living Room into the Dining Room. We have added louvered blinds and a larger table since this picture was taken.

This is our son standing in front of the pantry waiting on his mother to measure and see how tall he has gotten.

We decided that when we got our new house that the Kitchen would be big so that when others were helping in the kitchen that there would be room to move around. And a buffet line could be set up and the flow would work much easier than the Kitchen in our other home.

This is what you see on the left wall of the Kitchen when standing in the middle of the Kitchen. The flat surface range with the Microwave above it. To the left of the range are the double ovens and to the right is the Kitchen Sink and Bar overlooking the Breakfast Room.

This view is taken again from the middle of the floor in the Kitchen overlooking toward the back porch and deck and into the Breakfast Room.

Looking off of the Deck across the Lake at the Middle School.

Another angle of the Kitchen taken from in front of the dishwasher looking between the Pantry and the refrigerator. This is our grand daughter sitting on the counter waiting for someone to cut the watermelon so she can have a bite. One the other side of the refrigerator are eight more cabinets and counter room. We had lights added above and below the cabinets to light up the room without turning on the overhead lights.

Standing in the Living Room and looking into the Foyer and the front door. Our entry way at the front door has black marble tile that matches the tile around the fireplace and at the edge of the tile is a mahogany trim that borders the oak hardwood floors. 

Like our Kitchen we wanted our Master Bath to be big enough so if more than one person was getting ready there would be plenty of room. Not in the open area of the Bathroom is a Linen Closet, Commode Closet and a Walk-In-Closet big enough to get dressed in. This is looking into the Master Bath and the double sinks.

Walk-In-Shower and Walk-In-Closet door.

The Jacuzzi Marble Tub between the Walk-In-Shower and the Closed In Commode Closet.

The leaded cut glass window above the Jacuzzi Tub made to match the Glass in the front door and side lights.

We now have good neighbors on both sides of us and we had to plant a new tree in the front yard. The shrubs are growing after a few years. On my next post I will show you more pictures of  changes around our house.