My Springtime 2008 Visit To VA

I had a wonderful time with David, Jelise, and the kids while I was in VA for 3 weeks (3/17 - 4/7) but didn't quite realize just how INTENSE it can be in a household with 3 small children; especially with David out of commission for a while as he recovered from knee surgery. But we all managed fine (some days better than others) and I am back home with such warm memories of my visit. Some of my most memorable times:

1) When the kids asked to come to "Grandma's Movie Theater" to watch movies. Amazing what a laptop, a few DVD's, a set of Bose laptop speakers, a bag of popcorn and a cup of juice can do to soothe and calm the kids (and Grandma).

2) When the kids would sit in my bed watching movies and pull their socks off and say "Ewwww, smelly toes; I need 'peppermint toes'"! They loved my peppermint scented lotion and so they all got foot massages almost every day. Daniel would smell his toes after I finished and say "Oooooh, peppermint "candy" toes"! Olivia would lick her toes and make a face! Hannah would just roll her eyes at both of them and Mimi would run around trying to lick all their toes!

3) Daniel telling me he was going to go upstairs to get his baby and he'd "be right back". He's gone longer than I thought he should be so I go upstairs to find he has unlocked the front door and is in his little Elmo PJ's, barefoot and running around outside on the deck in 33 degree weather - with his baby! He did this to me twice and one day David found that he and Olivia had opened their bedroom window and raised the screen and climbed out their bedroom window and were playing on the deck. And they are only TWO!!!

4) Hannah snuggling with me and asking me to sing to her the lullabye that my Mom used to sing to us when we were babies. She now calls it the "Mom Lullabye" and it's the only one she wants me to sing to her. Which is a good thing since it's probably the only real lullabye song I know.

5) Going with Hannah to her weekly gymnastics/ballet/tap lessons and observing her through the window. She is fearless during gymnastics and has a lot of upper body strength and balance. At one point during her ballet lesson I had sat down and she came running through the door from the classroom to the waiting area yelling "Grandma, come watch me - quick! We're getting ready to do the "pink flamingo" (a ballet position she was learning that the instructor told them looked like a pink flamingo standing on one leg). She knows I LOVE pink flamingos!

6) Waiting for the Easter Bunny at the Mall and when he appears Olivia throwing herself on the floor and screaming because she is afraid of him and then she climbs my right leg like a little monkey - clinging on to me for dear life. Daniel started screaming - I think because Olivia was screaming. Needless to say, we only got photos of Hannah with the Easter Bunny.

7) Daniel reaching his hand up in the air at the dinner table when a little bug flew by saying "I'm gonna catch that wittle bug!"

8) Daniel sitting on top of his chest of drawers after climbing to get the light bulb to put back in his lamp and saying "I did it; I did it"! He was so proud of himself. When I asked what the heck he was doing on top of his chest of drawers, he says "Being naughty"!

9) Olivia speaking in her soft little whispery voice then immediately going into her loud, gruffy voice (which sometimes reminds me of someone possessed and is a bit scary). And I love her "Who's a pretty girl" routine; I could listen to her all day"! I also love when she speaks with her Italian accent "Grandma, pusha me (on the swing); Grandma, unlocka me (when she wants to come out of her bedroom); Grandma, watcha me (when she is showing off)". Her paternal Great-Great-Grandmother was from Sicily and I think she may be channeling her! ;-)

10) Hannah holding my face in her hands and telling me I'm the best Grandma ever and how she will always love me - even when she is a grown lady! Hannah telling her Daddy that when she grows up she is only going to have two kids; a boy and a girl - because with more than two it's just "tooooooooooo crazy" (her emphasis; not mine).

I could go on and on but will wrap this posting up for now. No amount of money could buy the wonderful memories I have of my time with my family; they are the most important thing in the world to me and I am so blessed to have them in my life!

Here's a link to some of the photos I took while in VA.