Our grandson Andrew is an active little guy and loves getting outside and playing in the yard. Yesterday the sun was out and the day was beautiful, so we were planting flowers in the garden and taking photos of the proposed garden layout... Drew was having a great time digging in his sandbox. He's 18 months old and thinks everything he picks up can be eaten. Just wish he'd be more selective.
I looked over at him and he was laying on his tummy next to the garden hose. He had dripped water onto the patio, mixed in a little dirt and was stretched out licking the dirt off the concrete...yummmmmm.
Luckily I had the camera with me because it was a "kodak moment:" I yelled, in my strictest grandma voice..."Andrew! stop that" He looked up, grinned at me and took another lick. Then leisurely 
got up, gave me his usual "smilin' Jack" smile and babbled something like.."hi grandma, whats the problem?"
Since he was mud from head to toe, we stripped him then and there and into the house we went, straight into the bathtub....one of his favorite places to be.
Back I was a young mother and our children were babies, I 
would have been a lot more upset with having a muddy little boy to deal with in the middle of my busy day but as a grandma, its just FUN!
Mudpies and flowers
Andrew's Four Letter Word!
Andrew is nearly 3 ½ years old and is now going to daycare which is both a good thing and a bad thing. It’s good because he is learning to play with children his own age and not rely on Grandma and Grandpa to cater to his every wish. But, it’s turned into a bad thing because he has been exposed to and caught every germ the daycare has floating around. Everyone says “well, he has to build an immunity to those childhood illnesses”....trust me, thats not a particularly welcome comment.
First colds, sore throats, sinus infections and now he will have surgery to place tubes in his ears to relieve fluid which has accumulated behind his ear drums. Do his grandparents feel guilty that he was in the dreaded daycare and not safe at home with us…..yes we do.
This morning I read an article by Sarah Warren a contributor to Momaha.com in Omaha, NE. She writes about a four letter word that Andrew has learned (from where?) and uses regularly. How embarrassing when he’s with a group of mothers with their sweet children. But, Sarah reminds us that children have their own “Rules of Engagement”. And, this is one of Andrew's favorites!
1. If I like it, it’s MINE
2. If it’s in my hand, it’s MINE
3. If I can take it from you, it’s MINE
4. If I had it a little while ago, it’s MINE
5. If it’s mine it must NEVER appear to be yours in any way
6. If I’m doing or building something, all the pieces are MINE
7. If it looks just like mine, it’s MINE
8. If I saw it first it’s MINE
9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes MINE
10. If it’s broken, it’s YOURS
Sound familiar?
Rebecca, Andrew and Jenny
Halloween Buzz Lightyear Twins
Andrew's Day Care had a Halloween Party and parade on Monday, October 31 (Halloween this year) He had such a great time. The staff was dressed in costumes and the kids were excited about walking to the stores near the Day Care center. The first stop was a dental office (expected toothbrushes but actually got candy), then was the Pizza Place and Kwik Shop. More candy....nothing was turned down, there will be lots of trading when they get back to the center. Last on the parade route was Jensen Tire and Auto which is next to the Daycare complex....the parade leaders evidently forgot that Jensen was expecting the little guys to stop and the parade walked right on past. The front door flew open and manager, Mike, came running out after them.
"Hey, hey, don't forget us, we've got lots of candy for the kids", the parade made a reverse turn and went back to the auto shop. Who said that Halloween was just for kids? The adults have fun too!
Ken and I were there to take photos of the costumed "beggers" and didn't notice that Andrew had a twin....he and another little boy were wearing Buzz Lightyear costumes. They weren't identical but Andrew was thrilled that he had a "brother"...."Grandma look!!!! he's just like me" They walked around each other .... Andrew had boots and gloves, the other boy didn't. But....he had a belt that talked "I'm Buzz Lightyear"...I think Andrew would have gladly traded his boots and gloves for that belt!
Andrew and the Model Trains
Andrew's Grandpa Ken is a member of the Nebraska-Iowa RR model train club here in Nebraska and Andrew learned to love trains at an early age (yep, even earlier than his 2 1/2 years).
The club has a free train facility at Nebraska Crossing located on the Interstate between Omaha and Lincoln where the guys keep their trains and run them for the general public. Its a big place and has plenty of room for the trains and for the children and their parents to wander around looking at each of the modules. Members are always willing to discuss their trains, show them off, and invite the visitors to join the train club.
The facility has 7 different train layouts each suited to whichever size model trains the members own.
Some are 0 scale others are HO, N and O27. Each layout has buildings and scenery, some have mountains and tunnels and enough track to run 2 or 3 trains at a time.
Andrew and I went to see the trains on Saturday. He was awed by the many different trains, but his very favorite was the Thomas the Train layout. Thomas, Percy, James, and Gordon were all there. (double click on his photo to see the awe in his face when he first saw Thomas the Train)
Chick, one of the train club members, was in charge of the Thomas the Train table. He showed Andrew how to press the red button that made the train whistle blow and from then on he was Andrew's best friend! Andrew would stand next to Chick and would gently tap his arm and say "I blow whistle now?", Chick would nod "yes" and Andrew would have Thomas toot tooting all around the track.
It was a fu
n way to spend a hot Nebraska afternoon....in an air-conditioned building surrounded by model trains, train books and guys who were more than willing to pick up little boys and girls to give them a better look at the trains going around the tracks.
And, if you're lucky, you'll see a real train engineer dressed in his striped overalls and cap....he'll make his train toot-toot for you too!
Politeness and manners
Our little Andrew is 27 months old and he's learning basic manners. Of course "please" and "thank you" are top on the list. Every time he is given something, the giver says "thank you"....eventually he will learn that this is what is expected and said when given something or someone does something nice to help him.
On Halloween he and his sister went to a Halloween Party at Becca's school. He did his best to say "thank you" when something was put into his bag, but the best he could do was "fu fu"...its a start.
"Please" is another favorite word around our house, "Andrew, please drink your milk" or "please do not brush the dog with grandma's hair brush". As he gets older, he will understand that please is a very good word to know.
Our other "must know" is opening a door and holding it open for others, ladies in particular, i.e. not rushing to open a door and then bolting through it, leaving it to slam in the face of whoever is behind him. Or, if someone opens a door or holds it open for him, to use the #1 word, "thank you".
If a person, male or female holds a store door open and allows me to enter first, I always say "thank you"..(my mother was big on manners too)...sometimes, especially with younger folks, they get a look of surprise on their faces and almost always say "you're welcome". And, I'll bet they have a good feeling about themselves for the rest of the day.
When our 16 year old son started dating, one of his many girlfriends remarked to me...."I've never had a boy open and hold the door for me".....well kiddo, Jeffrey had that drummed into him before he was 5 years old.
Although Andrew doesn't pronounce words too well (after all, he's barely over 2) another thing he hears and will soon say on his own is "Love you"...whenever anyone in our household leaves the house on an errand, we say "love you" . Our grandchildren hug us and say "Love you Grandma" or "Love you Grandpa" ... whenever they leave.
Words like "please", "thank you", and "love you" only take a few minutes to say but create a good feeling for both.
Politeness and manners....Please and Thank you....just the beginning !!!!
Christmas Shopping...Bah Humbug!
date, trendy and something their friends wouldn’t find at the local mall…...or do I just settle for gift cards? Its a no-brainer this year… its time to visit Ed Hardy .What! You’ve never heard of Ed Hardy !! Ed Hardy is one of the great clothing lines featured at Zappos, an online store. Ed Hardy’s line has unique clothing, shoes, fragrances, belts, eyewear, hats plus Ed Hardy kid’s shoes. I let my grandkids each pick out one item from the store.
Jenny and Becca usually choose one of Ed Hardy’s colorful, fitted tee shirts or one of the new fragrances, Connor, Mason and Hayden look for sunglasses or the wildest shoes they can find, Austin wavers between shoes and hats.
Our little 2 year old grandson Andrew, isn’t old enough to choose, so Mom gets to pick out his gift. Ed Hardy has some really sharp clothes for the little guys too. And when I buy Ed Hardy items from Zappos, the shipping is FREE!
Our Sweet Boy is now two!
Our little Andrew will be two years old on October 17. The time has just flown by and he has changed from a colicky newborn to a know-it-all two year old. His favorite word is “NO”, accompanied by a vigorous shake of his right hand. Obviously he heard the word “NO” from adults since I don’t think babies are born with that word in their vocabulary.
On his way to becoming a two year old, Andrew went through a period of colic - the worst pain he had ever experienced. (I don’t think childbirth counts)
Hours upon hours of crying, not sleeping and being walked, walked, walked was guaranteed to make his mother burst into tears. “What is 
wrong with him?” “Should we take him to the hospital (this is usually at 2:00 A.M.)” and the old standby “Call MOM!” (also at 2:00 A.M.)
We finally did find something that helped….Colic Calm Gripe Water. I didn’t know if “Gripe” meant to complain or annoy or if it meant a pain in the stomach but whatever it meant, it did the job.
Andrew is now old enough to tell us what his problem is – generally it’s the dreaded GAS!! He still gets a drop of Gripe Water if necessary!
Love that kiddo!
Are we done yet?????
The Blueberry Kid
Andrew loves blueberries...he has them for breakfast nearly every morning. But, he's a typical 16 mo. old guy and insists on feeding himself ... of course, he makes a great mess out of it. Its a 50/50 situation....50% in his tummy and 50% on the floor.
Oh well, times a wastin' .... there's chairs to climb, blocks to build, and his morning romp with his ever present pal, Fredthedog. (who is patiently waiting for his 50% which ended up on the floor.)
Why mothers wear out!
We are again taking care of our grandson while his mom and dad work. After being in daycare for 4 months, and dealing with colds, runny noses and finally a bout with bronchitis, we decided that grandma and grandpa would feel much better if he was here with us.
BUT, he is now 15 months old and he runs, he climbs, and he is constantly testing to see what he can get away with. He wants to touch or handle everything and gets very upset when we tell him "no, no". He will look at us (me) and purposely touch or grab the object....daring little stinker. The baby doctor says that this is normal....I suppose when our children were young they did the same thing. 
could do it" grin on his face. How can you get mad at a impish little squirt like that. But don't get me wrong, he is not allowed to run wild....grandpa and grandma are way too experienced for that.
Andrew the farmer
Nancy brought Andrew over this morning and good grief, was he ever a wet little puppy! Soaked clear through his diaper, pajamas and blanket. When this guy tinkles, he doesn't fool around. 
He's usually happy and contented but now that he's walking, he's beginning to be a little on the ornery side. At 13 months, he can climb, run, go under or over most of the furniture in the living room and dearly loves the kitchen cabinets. He gets very frustrated when he can't open the lower cabinets (due to the latches we've installed) and will throw a hissy fit. But it doesn't last long....he soon finds something else to explore.
The Swing
When I was in grade school, we didn't have some of the nice things that school rooms are full of now. Instead of watching a learning program on the room TV, we learned to memorize poems, dates and ALL the words to the National Anthem.
I can remember reciting this poem in 5th grade assembly and can't pass a swingset in a park or someone's yard without reciting it in my mind.!!!!
The Swing
by Robert Louis Stevenson
How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!
Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
River and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside-- 
Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown--
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!
We sat in front of the radio, listened to the nightly programs (The Green Hornet, I love a Mystery, Suspense) and used our imaginations......and like the above poem sticks in my mind, when I hear the first strains of the "William Tell Overture" I think of the Lone Ranger!!!
Summer fun
Summer is going strong in the prairie state of Nebraska....it was 101 degrees on Sunday and everyone was looking for a place to cool off. Contrary to belief, we do
have air conditioning, although it costs an arm and a leg to pay the utility bill when we have it on for any length of time. So the best place for a 9 month old is to be in a plastic pool on grandma's back deck.
Future Cornhusker
Andrew is getting bigger every day and weighs about 23 lbs....much too heavy for me to try to carry around.
Sleepy little boy
What can be sweeter than a sleeping baby....
But, when they wake up, its play, play play. Andrew is crawling and definitely enjoys a good lunch after a morning of traveling around the front room on hands and knees. He has a play pen, hmmmmm he seems to think its more like a jail cell and gives me that "what'd I do" look when he's put in it.
Sorry little guy, grandma needs to visit the bathroom occasionally and can't leave you on your own without supervision. He has eyes like a hawk and can find more little pieces of paper, dust bunnies and miscellaneous things on the floor than a professional cleaning service could.
His taste buds are developing also....he clamps his mouth shut and refuses anything with pineapple in it....i.e. pineapple & ham (Ugh), pineapple and mango fruit medly, in fact any combination of pineapple and anything. 
However, as his photos prove...he hasn't missed many meals.
Andrew the bouncing baby
Our little grandson, Andrew, is occasionally called "Bubba" by his family. He was supposed to be nicknamed "Drew" but somehow that has gone by the wayside. Andrew aka Bubba has a big new toy...a Graco Entertainer. It takes up a good part of the kitchen, and we have to sidestep to get past it. Andrew starts out sitting, and then starts jumping up and down. The thing is on springs, and he can really get some high bounces going.
Everything on the tray gets tossed into the air, and lands on the kitchen floor. I wonder what bright young toy designer thought that one up? Obviously a bachelor.
Today we had an interesting experience with Bubba and the "Entertainer"....Bub was jumping up and down having a great ole time, then suddenly he stopped. Hmmmmm wonder what is going on. His legs are long enough to touch the ground, and he was standing there, red faced and grunting for all he was worth. I knew that that meant....get a dry diaper ready, Bubba meant business.
Whoops, he started jumping again, so I thought I had been wrong. Then he stopped again and it was back to the ole red face grunting. He was certainly having a good time..smiling, bouncing and grunting.
I thought I'd better check on the diaper situation, he is never happy being wet or anything else. Picked him up and found that he was a bit drippy...change that, he was REALLY drippy. I started taking off his jeans and discovered that he was not only drippy, he was smelly.
Wow! what a mess. All that jumping had caused his icky-poo full diaper to squish up and out the back....and down the leg. I needed help.....grandpa to the rescue.
Grandpa had to hold him still while I scraped the icky-poo from his bottom and leg with an icky-poo trail up the crack on it's way to who knows where!...ever try wiping up sticky playdough with a piece of 6 x 4 piece of kleenex....same thing. But Bubba was happy as a clam,cooing, smiling, kicking his feet, waving his arms and trying to roll over to reach the diaper before I could put it on him.
Since Bub has been eating fruits and vegetables, diaper changes can be a real challenge!
Rebecca and Andrew
Rebecca and Andrew had their photos taken last week. Such photographic kids....certainly don't take after their grandmother!
Who Me???
Andrew is spending lots of time moving around and off his play mat so that he can explore. It was sooo much easier when we could plop him down on the mat and be confident that he would stay there.
Plastic baby bottles - yes or no?
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Almost 6 months!
Our little Andrew will be 6 months old on April 17th.....gosh how time flies! He is sitting up, grabbing for anything he can reach, and is the king of his domain. He hasn't started to crawl and we are of the opinion that he would rather just climb up something and start to walk....patience is not his middle name.
Andrew is starting on solids....squash and sweet potatoes. He's doing pretty well, but still can't figure out what to do with his tongue....keeps pushing the food out of his mouth. Guess he has to learn how to swallow instead of having his tongue wrapped around the nipple of his bottle.
