Busy-Busy Weekend

Oh, my word.  I had a busy weekend.  I knew I was going to have company at about last week at this time.  The plan changed a dozen times over and was changing minute by minute right up until 2:30 pm on Sunday…it’s all good but it was a bit of a whirlwind.

Early in the week Kayla contacted me and said that she was bringing Jasper and could I watch him on Saturday.  She’s taking more graduate classes and got a little behind when Jasper was in the hospital with pneumonia.  Spencer has been trying to pick up some of Kayla’s share with Jasper too but they are starting to do some work in their basement and he wanted to concentrate on that a little…so I was thrilled to get to spend time with Jasper AND help out.

Well, then Kelli was needed a sitter for Georgie as she was scheduled to work overnights all weekend.  I figured if I had Jasper, I might as well have Georgie too so I volunteered to take Georgia on Saturday.

Stop the presses, things changed yet again.  On Wednesday I called Buck and he was hoping I might be willing to take his kids over the weekend.  We didn’t know when and how but thought he’d bring them Friday night, stay over and then come get them Sunday night.  Oh wow…the house was starting to look like it was going to be FULL.

I talked to Kalissa and she didn’t work and was super excited for a cousin weekend.  Yep, that means all seven grandkids were coming.  YAHOO!!  I was so excited as I have yet to get a picture of all seven grandkids and Lilly, the youngest will be one at the end of March.  This is all due to covid, not a lack of wanting to be together.

Well, this weekend is the weekend between Gannon’s and Georgia’s birthday so the girls thought Kelli would get up at 4 pm, we’d had supper and cake and ice cream.

Thursday Kalissa was at my house and edited my floss tube video.  We were chatting and all excited about the weekend.  That afternoon Gannon woke up from his nap and was sick.  His nose was pouring boogies and he sounded croupy.  UGH.  Buck didn’t want his kids to get anything from Gannon as they have been healthy all winter so he wasn’t going to come.

I stepped in and said no.  Kalissa’s boys would be the ones that would have to stay home.  Gannon was the one that was sick.  I was bummed but…it was the right thing.

So…Things were hectic at Buck’s.  I told him I was going to come and get the kids.  I was only expecting the two after-school childcare girls so I took the day off and went to Buck’s and got the kids.  I stopped at Hobby along the way…and got there at 11ish.

Change of plans yet again.  They were expecting me on Saturday.  I had thought we were doing this on Friday.  It was a mix-up that we made work.  It actually worked out well.  I’ll tell you more about that in another blog post.

Anyway…I was trying to hurry and get home but Scotty was at school.  I waited for Scotty to get home and then we packed up all three kids and I headed back to my place.  I got out later than I expected so Kayla and Jasper were back to my place before I was so they went and saw Kalissa as Gannon seemed better.

We ended up getting take-out food for supper…and the fun with the kids began…

This is Lilly…Buck’s little girl with Uncle Karl.  She took to Karl right away.

Lilly is walking and gets around everywhere.  She has a sweet personality and hardly fussed at all the entire time she was here.

I took a few pictures of Lucy.  I’d catch her like this and the second she saw the camera…

…she was like this… saying “Cheese”.

Kayla was a big help.  Here she is with Jasper and Lilly.  Jasper turned one in January.  Lilly will be one at the end of March.  Lilly is bigger and walking more.  Jasper is more vocal and interactive.  It’s fun to see them together.  Both totally precious as they are.

Friday night Kayla and I divvied up the kids.  She took the boys and slept in the livingroom with them.  I had the girls in my room with me.  I snapped this picture with Lucy just before lights out.

She said to me, “Grandma Jo, this was the best day ever.”  That made me laugh.  She is so sweet.  I have trouble believing that at a baby, even up to the point she was two, she hated me and wouldn’t let me anywhere near her.  I’m so glad I was patient with her and let her be.  She loves me now and makes that just as clear to me.

Saturday was much of the same…just soaking up time with the kids.

Here’s Lilly…

Scotty…
Lucy…

Jasper…

Rosie did okay with the kids.  Lilly and Jasper aren’t in love with her but they sure tolerate her and that’s good.

I have had all of these toys you see in the picture for years and no one has ever played with them like this…I love seeing the older kids including Georgia.

Lilly loved seeing herself in the mirror.

I have had very little time with her since she was born just as covid hit.  I’m hoping to make up for some lost time.

Jasper used to have a pacifier.  He still has it and bedtime and nap but now he’s taken to having something else in his mouth.  He’s a hoot!

Georgia, Kelli’s girl, was all of herself…busy and active-and into things.   She was super compassionate to the babies when they cried.  I’m hoping she’ll be that way with the twins once they are born.

Scotty and Lucy love my house because I have all the childcare toys.  I highly recommend this…  Construction vehicles and decorative rocks.  My kids play this all the time.  HERE is a link to the construction vehicles.

Lucy was also in love with this game…Button Art (Find it HERE)

This is a new toy I bought that is loved by girls and boys.  It’s a drill toolset.  (You can find it HERE)

The highlight for me for Saturday is the nice weather.  We all went for a walk.  This is Kayla, Jasper, Lilly, and Scotty.

Here is Kelli, Georgie, and Lucy.  All of the kids had mismatched clothes from my spare box as we didn’t plan on going for a walk. It was just so nice.

Karl came too…

…and we met…THE FRIEDMAN’S, Kalissa’s family.

Gannon was feeling better but we wanted to still be careful.  Gannon stayed in the stroller and Carver rode his bike so the kids had little contact.

Here is my crew.  This made my heart so happy.  I’ve wanted a picture of all of the grandkids.  It’s been almost a year without one.  It’s not formal.  It’s not staged.  It just was us..and PERFECT!

Here are the girls bringing up the rear!!
Carver had to stop and show his big cousins the construction that happened here last fall.  Carver already has the “gab” of a farmer.
I did insist that we stop and I get a picture with all of the grandkids.  So here they are left to right.  Georgia, Scotty, Jasper, Lilly, Carver, Lucy, and Gannon.
I love them all so much.  Scotty is the oldest at five and Lilly the youngest at almost a year.

As a joke, Kelli popped her belly into a picture so we could say I really had my picture will all nine of them, not all seven.

Kelli’s twins are due in May.

I tried to soak as much time in with them as I could.

All too quick another day had passed and it was time for bed again.  This little Lilly is used to being a co-sleeper so had no interest in sleeping in a crib.  She was the queen of the bed for sure!

But if that’s what it takes for her to be all smiles in the morning, I’m okay with that.

Before I knew it, Kayla and Jasper left…and then it was 2:30 pm and time for Buck and Lora’s kids to head back home.  Karl was so sweet and picked up that leg of the journey.  Uncle Karl was awesome.

After they all left, I felt a little like Rosie…  Tired.

but happy.  Very, very HAPPY!!