bday10 of twins: Part 2

Here Leila and Alyssa are, preparing to open the "8" part of my two-part gift to them, as cousin Miyah looks on, dejectedly, even though she knows it isn't her birthday. 

Isn't she so funny?

Alyssa is even wearing the jacket she received from Nana, who wasn't able to make the party.

 

I prefaced the opening by telling them my gift could be used as a timed game, or as art for their walls, or for solving together.

 

Nice riddle for them to puzzle out! (smile!)

 

And here is the trio of girls again, with Alyssa ripping the wrapping paper off and excitedly showing the gift to her sister.

I was thrilled!!!

Winner, winner!!!

Now I know they love jigsaw puzzles!

 

I already knew they would love the ocean-life populating the eight different puzzles in the box.

 

Next up was the number "2" of the two-part gift from their crazy G'Aunt Tina, who makes them do math on their birthday - lol!

That salmon-colored item is "Ocean Duets", a 2007 winner of best books.

"Duets"... get the joke? For twins? (smile!)

The book is even autographed by the photographer, Michele Westmoreland, who is now in the Hall of Fame of Women Divers.

 

Poor Miyah papaya, she should look at this page by the diver as I know it would make her smile!

Where was Chloe in all this?

Oh, she was definitely there, to the other side of Alyssa and right beside me.

At 6, she is definitely the youngest, and had to resort to playing a cat when the foursome played a pretend game of 'family'.

Melinda and I were talking and agree: the twins, now in double digits, and moving away from their days of playing with Chloe, and will soon move beyond Miyah, too.

It's all just part of growing up!

How wonderful to have time to learn from Matt about his hunting license and the different types out there!

Maybe next time he'll have grilled venison for the ribs!

That's the reason these pictures seem a bit blurry: grease on my fingers.

Well worth it!!!

bday10 of twins: part 1

As I explained to Leila, tonight wasn't the birthday party, it was the birthday dinner.

The party, with cake and gifts and all that, will be on Sunday!

By the way, that's Leila on the right, having changed up her hairstyle again.

Good for her!

That makes it easier for folks to tell her and Alyssa apart, without anyone having to search out the birthmark on the forehead of the other.

So what was going on?

Well, in that photo, we were all singing "Happy Birthday" to them, embarrassing them good and proper there at Cici's!

 

They were getting used to that, though, as Christina sang the song to them at school earlier today, right in front of their class!

That's what happens when you're right there and attend the school where she teaches!

Here, in this photo, are the two aunts of the twins.

Chelsea had come straight from her nursing clinicals.

She told me she really thinks she wants to work in pediatrics or in the "Mommy and me" programs.

That's the beauty of internships: you get to test-drive the different departments to find your future!

And here we have the father of the birthday girls!

Yes, he's put on a goofy face, just as Ronnie would have!

That's Shauna with him.

That's good, since the girls have liked her for years.

She seems to have a steadying influence on Leila and Alyssa.

Now that they're a decade old, they need that to keep them out of trouble and off internet sites that are too old for them.

Oh, and now the girls know a new word: decade!

I asked Alyssa if she felt like she was a decade old, and she said, "I'm not a decade, I'm ten!"

Sweet child, that's how many years a decade has!

I wonder if she'll share that new word with her class tomorrow?

After all, there was another child that had her birthday today today, and that Christina sang for!

That child is also a decade old now.

And here's one more photo before I go!

Here are all four of the cousins, the ones I used to call the "four little blondes".

They're growing up fast.

Maybe the two older ones will slow down a little so Miyah and Chloe can catch up?

Yeah, that's not how time works, is it?

Red-shirted Miyah now misses two teeth, with a third on its way out, and Chloe bounces around like she's on springs!

I just barely caught the 4 of them in one shot!

(smile!)

spooky c-a-l-m love in the mail: part 2

Dearest Chloe,

Bwah ha ha!!

At last it's time

to say

"Happy Halloween"!!!

 

Dearest Alyssa,

 At last the time

has arrived for

"Wishing you

that kind of Halloween"!

Bwah ha ha!!!

Dearest Leila,

"Happy owloween...

... from you-know-whooo"!!!

That time has arrived!

Bwah ha ha!!!

Dearest Miyah,

Finally I can say 

"At Halloween

and all year through,

it's a treat to know

someone like you"!!!

Bwah ha ha!!!

spooky c-a-l-m love in the mail: part 1

Dearest Chloe,

Hahaha!

It isn't time for 

"Happy Halloween",

but it's time for

$2 fun movies!

Hooray!

Dearest Alyssa,

Yes, i know it isn't

yet time for 

"Wishing you

that kind of Halloween!"

But it is time to

enjoy fun movies for only $2! Hooray!

Dearest Leila,

Nope! It isn't

time for Halloween yet!

"from you-know-whooo!"

However, it is time

for fun $2 movies!

Woohoo!

Dearest Miyah,

"At Halloween

and" All year through,

it's a treat to know

someone like you!

After all, it isn't Halloween yet!

But is is time for 

fun $2 movies!

Woohoo!

first live musical for the 4 little blondes!

First, my many thanks to the Hive Repertory Theatre, in Rincon, for this golden opportunity.

Everyone knows how much I love musicals, and to have this chance to share that love with my four little blonde great-nieces was absolutely magical for me!

Here's what they did that made it possible for all of us to go: they gave a free hour-long preview of the Tony-nominated show, "The Wind In The Willows"!!!

The musical is based on the book published in 1908 by an English banker, Kenneth Grahame.

He was 49 years old and he chose to retire after the publication of "The Wind In The Willows".

That book was comprised of stories he told his son.

Isn't that a nice touch?

I have to wonder if he and his boy spent afternoons walking in the woods together, discovering there all that nature had to offer.

Then, the Fox and River Rat and Mole and Otter living in that area just naturally became characters that the child could envision, right?

And the Toad, that silly speed-happy chap who loved motor cars, would serve as the cautionary tale of the consequences of bad decisions.

Perfect for middle-school aged tweens!

I'll go again for the entire musical in two weeks.

I'll hope for company when I see it then, but I'll certainly understand if that's not to be.

Single parents have to watch their money, and the $45 cost for a family of 3 can find other uses.

My many thanks to Michael and Christina for making sure they reserved their free seats for this performance when I sent them the link!

My many thanks to them, too, for making the trip from Hinesville - southeast of Savannah - to Rincon, northeast of this seaport.

I'm glad their mom, my outlaw Melinda, set up a cookout for Michael's birthday at her place in Guyton, while they were in the area.

That worked out beautifully for them... and for me!

I missed the ribs, but I benefited from the company of these six that I love!

Plus, get this: the musical was at 7 on the 7th.

Nice inside joke with the Universe!

Right place, right time, for us all.

(smile!)

2 little blondes, plus half a twin

"How do you get half a twin? What's that all about?"

Alyssa was there with Miyah and Chloe when I met With my first niece at the GTC Liberty cinema there in Hinesville. Christina and I both got Comcast rewards of BOGO tickets to see "Despicable Me 4", so we were using them before they expired on Sunday.

"Two BOGOs means only four tickets, right?"

Correct, but Tina Tuesday is cheap movie day, and here the price was just $6.

"Ummm... that doesn't sound like y'all got much of a deal getting tickets through Fandango."

That's true. When you add in the internet-convenience fee of $2.19 per ticket, I saved a whopping four bucks, almost, on the two tickets. That's okay, it was still four dollars that stayed in my pocket. Well, until I bought a small Sprite to got with my free popcorn.

"You got free popcorn???"

It was my annual Birthday reward from GCT! I figured it had expired, but the clerk told me that reward is good for up to a year. Excellent to know!

"Most def! But you haven't addressed the twin issue yet. See, I'm paying attention!"

Yes, you are. Okay, here's the gist of it: Leila decided to cut the head off one of her dolls and managed to cut herself instead. So, her Papa had to go to the hospital with her. Christina had been there with the girl initially, but when Michael relieved her, she took Alyssa with her for our movie outing.

"I see."

Yeah, just let it lie there, eh? The five of us had fun laughing at the movie, then doing our little dance afterward, and then bouncing over to Sumo for dinner. There was talk that Michael and the other half a twin might join us, but they never made it.

"Sumo? That's new to me! Looks fancy!"

You speaking of the artwork? Yeah, that was a surprise to me. I wouldn't have even seen it if I hadn't gone to the bathroom. The place is a tiny, strip-mall take-out joint with a few tables for those, like us, who insist on dining in. Christina and her girls go there quite a bit. I had the Hibachi Vegetables - broccoli, onions, zucchini, and mushrooms - and ate every bit of it! And get this: they even have chopsticks! So, of course I used them.

"Of course you did. Then what? Did you go to see Michael's new home?"

I did not. As I told him, I knew I'd be driving in the rain on the way home, and that takes a lot of concentration for me these days. I couldn't be driving and dealing with both rain and the dark, and it was already 7:30.

"And how'd it go for you?" 

Oh, he completely understood and wished me safe travels. That's because he knew I'd be back down there on Saturday.

"No, I meant how did the ride home go?"

Well, I did get rained on. It was already sporadically raining in Hinesville while we were in the movie, then started again while we were at Sumo. I ran into rain on the outskirts of town and then had the most curious experience. Because 196 has a lot of curves in it, I kept driving in and out of rain showers as I traveled that route, and had what I thought was a single rainbow accompanying me all the way to Richmond Hill. But it wasn't just one... it was a double rainbow!!! Right place, right time! I even made it to Savannah as dusk was settling in, but before nightfall. Perfect.

"Perfect. And right in time for that show you like."

Indeed! (smile!)

monday = fun day!

Hooray for Thanksgiving week!

That meant the kids would be out of school this week... and so would the teachers!

When I contacted my first niece, a teacher, about getting together for a movie, she said yes!

Then, when she said her brother was also off, I contacted him and he said yes!

Hooray!!!

Then it was a matter of the tickets for that 11:30 AM screening of "Trolls Band Together".

As I had told each of them, I had been gifted three free tickets as a Comcast Reward.

Two were out and out free, as a prize for playing a "Which Troll Are You?" game.

(In case you're wondering, it said I'm Branch, the one voiced by Justin Timberlake.

I'm totally fine with that!)

I decided to have Fandango give me two Adult tickets with that prize.

Good choice!

Then I had a BOGO reward for that movie; that went toward two tickets for kids.

Sweet!

Total paid so far for the four tickets: $9.05.

Now, there were still two children that needed tickets, plus me.

My ticket was easy peasy, as the movie was at AMC 11 and this A*List just began.

This would be my first movie of the week!

Then I "cashed in" some reward bucks with AMC and "bought" two tickets for kids.

Sweet!

Seven tickets, for 3 adults and 4 children, for a total of just over 9 dollars - 

definitely right place, right time!

We all convened at the cinema within minutes of each other, too, so that was amazing!

Christina and I sat together, while Michael and the girls sat two rows farther up.

No sitting on the front row this time, as others had already taken those seats, but that was no never mind to us.

Nor was it an issue at the end of the movie, when it was time to dance!!!

Chloe led the way down to the front apron and was dancing up a storm!!!

Then I joined her, as did Miyah, but not the twins.

I guess I need to work on Alyssa and Leila a bit to get them into our routine!

(smile!)

I think some of those kids in the front two rows would have joined us if their teacher, or daycare leader, had allowed.

Maybe next time!

As for the movie, I do believe that was my favorite of the Trolls series.

I may even see it again some time!

(smile!)

But not this day.

Before we left the parking lot, I had the girls each choose a coloring book.

I had five total, bought as a set years ago, and I held them like giant cards, with their front covers facing me and the plain back jackets facing the four little blondes.

I let Alyssa choose first, as she is the oldest - though just by a few minutes - and then Leila took her turn, followed by Miyah and Chloe.

That left one for me!

But then something magical happened: they started looking through the books to see what pictures were in them and we all talked about the favorites we had!

Isn't that wonderful???

That's why I took this photo; I was just so enchanted with our connections over these pages that were left to our imaginations to enliven!

Yes, I definitely share blonde roots with these girls!

Now, we're off to Cici's for some pizza!

Woohoo!!!

(smile!)

aquarium and oysters and bday9

It's National Marine Science Day!!!

I've been talking about this day, and the events out at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography for a few weeks now.

I even made flyers and mailed them out two weeks ago, to make sure my nieces and nephews would know of this free, family, funfest!

Michael and his girls, Alyssa and Leila, were the only ones that showed up.

Good for them!

He had even texted me early in the morning about directions, so I knew they would be there.

That compelled me to get their birthday gifts - yes, multiple! - in the car with me.

I didn't get them the same things, but similar items, and I let them choose.

And, guess what?

They ended up getting the exact gifts I would have selected for them!

What a grand coincidence!

Right time, right place for all of us!

(smile!)

First, though, we had some exploring to do upon their arrival!

Meanwhile, I had about 90 minutes of solo time for my own adventures.

I was onsite just after noon, making sure to get some of the limited tickets for the behind-the-scenes tour of the aquarium. 

Yes, the 2 PM tour would be perfect for the four of us!

Then I took in some of the exhibits on the grounds before heading over to the dock.

There, two young men talked to me about the importance of recycling, starting with marine debris in general and then plastics in particular.

I let them talk, pretending to not already be part of the choir on the topic.

When they were done, I spoke up about being a teen in the mid-1970's, when recycling was a new idea in this country and now it was a part of life!

Sure, it's taken almost three generations, but we're making progress! 

They smiled, as they've heard similar words from their grandparents, I'm sure.

(smile!)

After that, I headed over to the UGA Shellfish Research Lab to check out that exhibit.

That blue barrel in the top left corner?

That has seedling oysters, little dots of stuff that looked more like grit than an animal.

The guy even let folks touch some of it!

To the left of the bag of shells - an item used to help build new oyster reefs - was a guy talking about the many uses of oyster shells.

They even offered oyster shells as souvenirs!

And, back in that top left corner but offscreen was a table that talked of oyster biology, complete with diagrams and containers and color charts.

All in all, a very informative discourse!

I'm just glad I didn't have to taste any.

(smile!)

Time for a break on a bench near the aquarium!

Not much later, I got up to wander back out to the parking lot - and there they were!!!

Big hugs for me, first from Alyssa, then from Leila!

Hugs from Michael, too!

Most excellent!

Then we headed to the exhibits.

We were right in time for the trivia contests over at the table that had all the dolphin teeth and sperm whale tooth and all the information on right whales.

That's a 20-foot balloon version of an actual juvenile right whale, named Smoke, that Leila (taking her 15 minutes in Dad's jacket) and Alyssa are beside.

Long story short: neither girl wanted to bring a coat, but wanted one when they felt the chill breeze.

Hence, they had to share their dad's jacket.

(smile!)

By the time they'd looked at the terrapins and checked out other critters on nearby tables, it was time to go stand at the aquarium's side door.

Tour time!!!

Note: Alyssa now has the jacket and Leila does not.

Yes, time passages!

I had thought it might be a guided event, but we were allowed to explore the various holding tanks on our own, with staff present to answer questions.

Very cool!

So we saw sea turtles that were healing, spadefish and puffers waiting clearance to join others in the aquarium, other fish of various sizes, and so many hermit crabs!

The girls both liked those, as they had some as pets, once upon a time.

Then our fifteen minutes were up and we were out!

That meant it was Leila's turn with the jacket, too.

But she didn't need it.

The day had warmed to the low 70's and the sun had broken through the clouds.

We had a nosh from the food trucks, enjoying time under a blue sky, then I led them over to the research exhibit.

That hand belongs to the marine scientist at that first table and her unique tattoo shows the purple tones and cat's-paw clusters bred into the shells of these oysters.

That's to make them stand out at restaurants, and insure folks know the shellfish were bred locally.

Isn't that so cool!?!

I'm not an oyster eater, but I can appreciate that.

And the erlenmayer flasks have the two kinds of algae that these little oysters eat.

The girls really liked that whole area, and the free pencils and stickers, too!

Their favorite part, though - besides spending time with their G'Aunt Tina (smile!) was the aquarium.

So many different talks with so many different fish!

And, look, there were turtles and stingrays, too!

Then, over there was a tank with just seahorses and pipe fish and hermit crabs!

But, best of all else, was the touch tank!

I do believe they could have spent all the time right there had we allowed it.

Picking up and looking at all the hermit crabs...

holding the horseshoe crab, with its legs in the air...

touching the conchs and other sea creatures...

yes, they could have done that for hours!

The jewelry that looked like plankton?

Nope, that held no allure.

Touch, that's what they wanted!

Yes, they are definitely kin to me!

So, we were there until closing time.

They almost had to run us off, as the girls wanted to hang out looking at the terrapins - there were 9 of them - in the pools by the entrance.

Once in the parking area, we stopped by my car to celebrate birthdays.

To decide who would choose first, the girls had to guess how many fingers I had behind my back.

Alyssa won that, then she had a decision: unicorns or monsters?

Unicorn, for sure, just as i suspected!

Each pumpkin painting kit would do two pumpkins, so they could share with each other or with friends!

Then Leila got to choose: dogs or cats?

Dogs for her, as I knew she preferred!

Each set of magnetic bookmarks contained eight fanciful animals to brighten the pages of their books or someone else's!

Plus, I made sure they had cute gift bags for all these goodies.

Smiles and hugs told me I did it right!

I'm so glad we had this time just to ourselves!

I do love having the group celebrations, but...

I love this quality time, too.

i thank You, God.

(smile!)

click! slideshow birthday party!

Here's the birthday girl, flanked by her mom and her Grammy!

The most amazing thing about this?

They must have been waiting for me to get there, so I would be included!

Well worth getting lost for about thirty minutes.

Irma B. Thomas Park was where Miyah had her bday5 party last year, but I missed it.

That had been held on a very cold day in April, after my two A-fib surgeries.

Oddly, it was cold this morning - only 50 at 9 AM - but did get to the low 70's.

Pretty sweet that both girls celebrated the same birthday here by the lake!

(smile!)

This is her Bubba, CJ, giving us singers some musical accompaniment!

He started playing saxophone this year at school, though he still plays guitars, too.

I heard him playing the national anthem as I was walking up...

and someone saying "Play ball!" afterward!

Might that have been his dad?

Or maybe it was Uncle Dillon?

(smile!)

Here's my favorite picture from today.

It was purely happenstance, too, that I caught it during the gift-opening time.

But, there they all are: the Mom, the Grammy, and the Aunt, with all four little blondes.

Alyssa (the first one to run and greet me when I arrived today) and Leila (who was the second, much as she was at birth) are on the left.

Across from the twin cousins are Chloe (arms outstretched toward the newly opened gift bag) and Miyah (with her bag of 100 pennies from me), watching raptly.

And the adults - my first niece, her mom, and her sister - are all standing and trying to orchestrate some order to the chaos.

Magnificent!

I do believe I will have to get this one framed for my wall.

(smile!)

just 2 years ago, the little blondes

On the ride back to Georgia from Florida, I was talking with Miyah and Chloe about a previous trip to the Jacksonville Zoo.

You see, those carousel photos are still on my phone.

So, I pulled one up and showed it to the two girls in the back seat.

"This is your cousin, Alyssa, when she was your age, Miyah."

She said, "That's when she was 6?"

"That's right. It was in 2021, two years ago."

That was a surprise to her.

Then I pulled up another one from that trip in May of 2021.

I turned the phone toward these blondes.

"And here is your cousin Leila. She was your age, too, Miyah."

Again, Miyah was quite surprised at this photo.

Seeing her older cousins at her age now was a new concept for her.

So, I decided to show her one more photo.

"Miyah, this is you when you were Chloe's age."

"That's when I was 4 years old?" she asked, amazed.

"That's right. This was taken in 2021."

Such a different perspective for her to take in!

And, just for an update, here's one more.

This is Miyah, at age 6, taken on this trip.

She can still wear the dress she had on 2 years ago, which means she is still the littlest girl.

(smile!)

I snapped this on my one ride on the carousel.

On the other trip, I was able to go on the rides with the girls, but that was all pre-atrial fibrillation.

The Sotalol has a warning about dizziness; apparently, that's true for me.

Still, I can have fun with my camera on the sidelines!

And guess what?

Alyssa likes to take photos, too!

She's pretty good, snapping shots on her phone, and even some videos.

Maybe she could use a book about taking photographs?

Perhaps!

She does have a birthday next month!

I'm just thrilled that she took some and showed them to me!!!

(smile!)

with 4 little blondes at JAX Zoo!

First, I have to thank my first niece for this day of fun!

It was such a nice one-day vacation!

Not only did she buy my admission ticket...

and bump it up so I could do all the extra stuff, like ride the train, or feed giraffes, or pet stingrays...

but she waited for me to get to Hinesville...

giving us a late start.

That worked out okay, though!

Michael and his girls were to meet us at the zoo and they were only 15 minutes ahead of us!

Right place, right time!

(smile!)

Right place, right time seemed to have been where we were all day, too.

After celebrating vultures at the entrance, with me thinking of Snoopy doing his impression of them, we were too early for the train... 

but right on time to stingrays!

Christina always likes this activity and she was joined by Leila and Miyah.

She says the trick is to hold your hand like a fist, as that's how the trainers feed the rays.

The mother to the right there was paying attention to those tips to attract the marine beasts!

(smile!)

Then we boarded the train, right on time!

There were even two rows of seats waiting for us!

Right place, right time!

Next stop: home of the komodo dragons!

RAWR!!!

No, wait, I don't think these giant lizards actually do that sound.

They are pretty big, though, and stick their long tongues out a lot.

The four little blondes watched for a while, but then it was time to go see something more exciting.

Michael was cool with that, so off we went!

And just what attracted their attention most?

Those girls all wanted to see otters!

Hey, me, too!

But, here's the thing about going in search of those playful mammals in the heat of the day:

they're napping somewhere cool.

Right?

So, even though Miyah and Chloe and Alyssa and Leila searched high and low, no otters were in sight.

Not a single one.

Sure, there were little fish, and even a fairly big one -

and hey, what a gorgeous waterfall! -

but no otters.

What's that about a waterfall?

I don't know that they even noticed it - lol!

(smile!)

After a bit more wandering about in search of those beasts, they decided these would do nicely!

Oh, yes, these on the carousel would suffice!

Actually, they would much more than suffice -

they would be perfect!

And how do I know that to be true?

Because they rode it over and over and over!

I got on once, but vertigo convinced me to stay off to the side lines and take photos...

that was fine by me, naturally!

I especially like this one, with Alyssa, Leila, and Chloe all in a row and riding herd on Miyah in the row ahead, near the inside wall.

Might that be a full gallop for them?

I'm not sure, but it was at least their fifth time around!

(smile!) 

After all that, Christina's two wanted the splash park, but Michael's two wanted to check out some of the other areas of the park.

Me?

I took a break and had a hotdog, as well as homemade kettle chips.

Oh, yes, I definitely needed that energy boost!

Plus, I had chips to share with the girls to abate their hunger - very nice!

And guess what?

The 4-D movie about prehistoric sea creatures was just about to start as they changed into dryer clothes, and Michael and the twins had returned!

Right place, right time!

That turned out to be a bit scarier than anticipated, so Chloe spent the latter part of the short film in my lap, as wind blew and sea water spritzed us and the seats shook!!!

That was actually pretty nice.

(smile!)

Then what to do?

Well, the carousel was right there...

I mean, seriously...

it was literally right across from the cinema... 

so of course the girls went right back on it!

I think they were trying to ride every different animal!

There's Miyah, in the pale teal, on the left, on the okapi!

Next up is Alyssa, smiling aboard an alligator!

Leila, in pink (which I thought she didn't like?) is in the same row as the littlest girl, and she's riding on the back of a panda!

And what does Miss Chlo have, there the right?

A giant ostrich!!!

But that was only for this turn.

For the other four or five rides, a different mount served for each girl, aided by them having to get back in line for each turn around.

Good thing the zoo wasn't crowded!

In fact, there were a lot fewer people here on this Saturday of Labor Day weekend than I was expecting, just as there had been few on I-95 as we drove in (as well as later, when we were returning to Hinesville).

What a fabulous break for all of us!

Right place, right time!

Speaking of time, it was winding down there, heading to 5 o'clock.

"Closing time, you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here."

So, we made haste to visit some sites quickly.

Over to the herpetarium for the snakes!

Over to the jaguar enclosure to visit Banks, the baby born on Daddy's birthday this year!

(What a nice coincidence that I was wearing Daddy's shirt today!)

Over to the aviary to feed the birds!

Over to the other otter pen near there, for one last look for those sleek beasts!

Ah, no luck, but the young woman working there told us the otters had been put away for the day.

After all, it was past 5 o'clock and they were off-duty.

Hahahaha!

And as we talked with her about the mynahs, especially the dancing one, I glanced over...

just in time to see an otter cruise by the littlest girl.

How very cool!

(smile!)

And what was waiting in the parking lot?

A penny...

which she found...

but I know Mama left it there.

Right place, right time.

(smile!)

follow the leader!

I guess children simply don't play "Simon Says" on playgrounds anymore... 

or maybe they just make it genderless by saying "follow the leader"?

Beats me... but three of the four girls were playing that version in the pool.

They were even taking turns being the leader!

For this round, it was Leila in front, trying to sing the chorus and move her hands to "Gangnam Style", with Alyssa close behind and Miyah trying her best to copy them.

It was really fun to watch them!

And where was Chloe?

She was taking a nap, thanks, as she had a very busy evening with her twin cousins last night, and I'm sure an even busier morning with them!

After yesterday's movie, it was decided - mostly by the kids - that Alyssa and Leila would stay the night in Hinesville, with the two younger ones off to Guyton tonight to play and visit Grammy and Poppa.

(smile!)

Hey, fine with me!

Fine with Christina and Chris, too, as they would have the house to themselves.

What a feast they had prepared!

Grilled and smoked meats, including bratwurst, ribs, hotdogs, and even pulled pork!

Fruit salad and baked beans and pasta salad and nacho cheese!

There was even a banana cream pie!

All made lactose-free for me... my first niece takes such good care of me!

(smile!)

She and I and Michael had all gone out after Zander and his grandma Patricia left, to watch the girls and take in some summer air.

We ended up squirting the girls down with the hose, apparently making such noise that Chloe was roused and joined in on the fun!

Very good!

And I was able to coax a dragonfly to land on my right index finger!!!

I had noticed that glorious beast flitting about and stuck out my finger, hoping, hoping...

and he finally did light there, staying much longer than I would have guessed!

I could even feel his wings click as he changed their orientation, hanging out on my finger and figuring out his next destination.

Wow!!!

Summer of magic, for sure!!!

(smile!)

And when Michael started rounding up the four girls and some of the food to go home with him, I took my leave, too.

Christina even had me pack a dinner, too... so I did!

I took a heapin' helpin' of the fruit salad - so yummy!

That was a recipe she and Miyah had created for the "cookbook" crafted by the daycare.

Wonderful, and full of two kinds of grapes, watermelon chunks, tangerine slices, pineapple wedges, and even some kiwi!

Then I grabbed a bratwurst, a rib, and a burger.

That last item is going to be dinner tonight after I hit the back yard for one more third mowed low!

(smile!)

 

But first, I made sure my car got fed, too.

I knew I was running a little low on gas, but I was sure I had at least a gallon still.

By the time I made it to the Aldi's in Savannah, I must have been running on fumes.

My tank drank in 10.9 gallons, and it only holds 11.0 gallons, tops!!

How wonderful that gas was only $2.89 a gallon!

Right place, right time, all the way around.

My odometer made sure I knew.

As I hit my driveway, up popped this mileage:

2 2 9 2 2 4.

As Oogway said repeatedly in yesterday's movie, "there are no coincidences".

I was in the right place to be invited to the cookout...

I was in the right place to commune with a dragonfly...

I was in the right place now.

i thank You, God.