Coco Love

Gwendolyn’s got the moves.  She came over to visit and we watched Cocomelon all the while I watched her move her little body into all sorts of positions.  It just cracked me up but what is really important is how good it is for her to do them.  “Why are these action songs and the midline important for brain development? The motions to the songs encourage children to cross all three body midlines, reaching top to bottom, left to right, and front to back. These physical movements demand coordination from both left and right sides of the brain. This strengthens the tissues called the corpus callosum that divides the two sides of the brain that is important for communication from one side of the brain to the other. These movements help to develop and strengthen neural pathways laying the foundation for further development in language, literacy, and math skills.” So “G” you move yourself all around any time you want.  You know right where the remote is.

Rear Heater Was On High For Me

The annual Trunk or Treat happened once again in the church parking lot and I had my assignment.  It was the usual chilly, cold and windy pre Halloween night but Alaskan children know how to brave the elements so they can load up on candy.  Micah took all the kids and I had my spot in the back of the van barely shielding myself from the freeze.  My big obnoxious pumpkin sat below the van and played its spooky jingle until we all went a little crazy from it.  Far away other little treat-or treaters did their thing too. 

Does Her Hair Smell Like Pumpkin?

I only have one daughter that would Facetime me and just start talking with a pumpkin on her head.  That would be my youngest, my college girl with quite a sense of humor.   She can also be quite creative as her and her friend headed to the woods for a pumpkin head photo shoot.  I’m not sure where the words are for these pics nor any sort of explanations except their heads are just way “too big.”

Jagr Lovin

This little warm fuzzy guy is Jagr.  He is the newest addition to Lane and Kelcy’s family.  G and J are the best little buds and when we have Sunday dinners Jagr is a truly loved addition.  Every boy and girl cousin beg their mom and dad to get a puppy and every mom and dad really want to but they know that puppies are a lot of work.  My favorite pictures are of Easton with Jagr.  He is always found cuddled up into his arms.  Every boy dreams of having a dog of his own.  Someone once said. “There is no faith which has never yet been broken, except that of a truly faithful dog.”

Little Kisses

And we are back to the baking.  This time Ruth and I did peanut butter cookies with chocolate kisses poked into the top.  We mastered the technique.  It took me awhile to know exactly when to take them out of the oven, it took some boo boo’s but I finally learned that when the cookies had wrinkles on them they were ready.  And so another chunk of batches are done and the sweet blessings keep pouring down on us.

Let’s Get To Work

Dee and I embarked on our goal of one hundred dozen from our presidency.    I made up containers of snickerdoodle dough and with double ovens in our church building kitchen we scooped, we rolled, we baked and we bagged lots of cookies.  It was a process but we had it down to an art.  I even had Dee yelling out “order up!” so I knew a pan was ready for the oven.   She was a little timid at first but I got her trained.  All in all we did really well after three hours of solid baking.  “Sweet Blessings” is underway.

She Needs To Feel The Sand, I Know

I do not follow a lot of social media stuff but when something good comes along on my feed and my eye catches its tenderness I savor it-this one especially. “This should be the cover of every magazine in America! Every day for a week, the wonderful lifeguards in Orange Beach, Alabama, carried 95-year-old Dottie from her family’s condo down to her beach chair so she could feel the sand between her toes. And at the end of the day, they would carry her back home. LOVE THIS! “

Photo: Orange Beach Surf Rescue

And The Candy Fell

It was Paige’s birthday but I think the little girls had way more fun.  The donut pinata was hung and every child had a turn to swing.  Georgie with her cute little blue pinstriped cotton dress and spouting hair tufts took a fairly nice whack at the donut but only got a bit of a swing.  Gwendolyn, in the white hearted mustard yellow romper and bougee pink glasses took a more aggressive approach following in the footsteps of her two hockey playing parents and went at it with more vengeance that we had anticipated.  The pinata was still intact but the older cousins took care of that nicely.  Paige loved it all and she is now seven.

The Brainstorm Breakfast

What does it mean to brainstorm?  “It is to try to solve a problem or come up with new ideas by having a discussion that includes all members of a group : to discuss a problem or issue and suggest solutions and ideas.”  We successfully completed our third Brainstorm Breakfast.  As we gathered around tables and ate good food we talked, shared and helped out one another with ideas and thoughts.   It was so thrilling to hear ideas flowing and hints of solutions and suggestions floating around the room.  Pen and paper were being used and there was a common thread of real serious thinking right from the brain.  It was exhilarating.

Peanut Butter Stuffed Into A Chocolate Cake

The perks of having Shelby living with us are plentiful.  She is great to chat with in the evenings and pleasant to have around – most especially she makes the most beautifully filled cupcakes.  I have witnessed the hours she spends on each batch and marvel at how many details go into them.  They are filled and whipped with more ingredients than I ever believed were possible for a cupcake.  The recipients are a blessed people and we are delighted to be able to taste test the two or three that are left on a paper plate just for us.