For Grammy

"Hi Jace, this is Freddy! How are you today?"

(Grammy speaking in her high pitched Freddy voice.)

Jace got to talk to the "real" Freddy on Sunday.

Grammy, I took pictures so that you could see this side of your conversation.

You remember that Freddy is Christopher Robin's best friend, right? You can tell by the look on his face.

Don't you just want to reach through your computer and squash Christopher Robin's "rabbit feet"--as Ryan likes to call them.  They are just so deliciously long and flat!!

Someday we are going to build a house with an East wing just for Freddy to live in.  We can't wait!

Sopping Wet

It rained for most of the day today, but that didn't stop my two little toads from having a great time outside.

Christopher Robin learned it was so much fun to splash the cars through the water

then box them up and take them safely inside.

It sure was fun being all wet!

Brilliant

A few weeks ago I received a call from my friend Sara.  She is a violinist like myself. She asked me if I would teach her students for the month of September while she has a baby.  I agreed.

Tomorrow, I am back in the saddle after a year hiatus.

So today while I spent the afternoon figuring out fingerings for 6 pages of All-State Orchestra audition excerpts, Christopher Robin was just quietly being brilliant.  

Here is little miss hot stuff wearing her brother's boots!

Gracie carries around a bubble wand most days. She begs us all to blow bubbles for her.

Christopher Robin devised a method that produces great results.

When the air conditioning is running, he takes the cover off the vent, and then

holds the wand over the hole. Soon enough,

large bubbles float up out of the floor.

He's brilliant!

Gracie,

can you say...

BUTTER!!

Next Thursday the COD (College of Dentistry) staff members are having a snickerdoodle bake-off.

Ryan and I have made 3 batches of them now to "practice" for next week.  We got the family recipe from Ryan's sister Katie. Thanks Kate! They are the best ever.  And I am not just saying that. 

We are planning on winning.

And little Rue knows it's her job to knead the butter.  That's the secret--have Gracie knead the butter!

A Child's Prayer

Meet Freddy.  He is a hand. He was invented by Grammy Jill.  He is Christopher Robin's best friend.

Prayer over lunch on Sunday was as follows:

"Dear Heavenly Father,

I threw a truck and got fired from my job.  So now I am going to go live on another planet.  I am going to the moon.  Daddy and Freddy is coming with me.  Freddy is a hand.  And that's it. Oh, bless the food.

Amen"

During lunch Freddy called.  He wanted to let Jace know that he had to stay late after church to help clean up. A.K.A.-Daddy needed to sit down and have some lunch before he could be Freddy again.                                                    

Daddy ended up eating the phone after Freddy hung up -- to CR's delight.

This is Freddy back from church and ready to play in CR's amazing world of make-believe. He may only be a hand, but he is treated like a very special and honored family member around these parts! Every time Ryan pulls out his hand and turns on his "Freddy" voice, the look of adoration on Christopher Robin's face is so endearing.

Come play Freddy with us again soon Grammy!  Oh, don't forget to bring Grandma Belle with you too!

If you haven't met Grandma Belle and Freddy yet, next time you see Grammy Jill you need to have her introduce them to you. They are two members of the family you definitely want to meet.

Sand City

.

Once a year dump trucks haul in loads of sand to downtown Iowa City and turn main street into what is known as Sand City.

Artisans come and turn the heaps of sand into amazing creations. 

When we told Christopher Robin that dump trucks were bringing loads of sand to play in, his eyes got huge.

He quickly got his Saturday chores done so he could go see.

It was so neat to watch the process.  We were all pretty mesmerized by it.

 

Here is one cute boy and

the Cheshire cat!

This year the theme of the sculptures was children's stories. 

Charlotte's Web

Humpty Dumpty

The Very Hungary Caterpillar



If you look closely, you can see Christopher Robin's dump truck. He came prepared. 

The Rainbow Fish



The Giving Tree

The best part, if you ask Christopher Robin, was building your own sculpture.

They played for quite awhile until Jace remembered that his Optimus Prime mack truck was still in the van.

We went to get it.

He pushed it all the way back to the sand pile. 

He "worked " for a little while longer, until his church was built.

We got him out of the sand pile with a little cotton candy.

It was his very first, and it was lighter blue!

Gracie volunteered to hold it for him while he tried his prowess in the bounce house.

He was of course an expert.

He then pushed Optimus ALL the way back to the car -a good 2 blocks.

On the way home we stopped at the Dairy Queen to oblige Mom who was craving a Georgia Mud Pie blizzard, which was fabulous.

And that's it!

A little neighborhood excitement

Early this afternoon I was informed by Christopher Robin that "today is really boring for me."  "What would make it exciting?" I asked him.  "Oh, to eat an ice cream cone or something like that."

Without delay, I produced an ice cream cone. I was pretty glad that that was all it took to make the day more exciting.

A little while later I was in my bedroom putting Grace down for her nap when I heard the roaring of what sounded like a BIG truck in front of our house. Soon thereafter I heard my front door open and Christopher Robin walk down the front steps. 

After Grace was in dreamland, I peeked out to see what Jace was up to.

He was just cozily watching a blue car carrier load up our neighbor's car.

How often does a little boy score a blue car carrier in their neighborhood?

Here is one happy, NOT bored Christopher Robin.



Oooooh, look at that Mommy!



Fifteen minutes later he was still here.

And 45 minutes later.

Then it finally drove away.

But not before making someone's day REALLY exciting!!