Minding Our P's and Q's...

Time is quickly flying by, and I seem to have less and less time for blogging these days...One of the reasons I have a little less time is because of the pretty little girl in the picture above!  That's our granddaughter, Madison, posing for a photograph, immediately after arriving home from school one day. I usually pick her up from school on Tuesdays, and sometimes she's dressed so cute I have to take a picture!

Anyway, Madison's pre-school class is learning to form the letters of the alphabet, and some of this has been a bit difficult for Madison.  That's where this MiMi comes in.  I worked in first grade for 15 years, so I've had lots of experience with teaching handwriting!  Maddie's mom asked me if I'd be willing to help Madison with her handwriting.  The prospect of helping Madison was a win/win situation for me.  First of all, I'd get some one-on-one time with Madison, and second of all I'd be doing what I love best--teaching!

It was slow going at first, but Madison and I seem to have hit our stride now.  She's improving with every session, and she and I have a good time playing a game of her choice afterward.  That girl loves to play games--and if I don't watch her, she'll try to cheat! Ha Ha

So, the next time you hop over here for a visit, and you don't see a recent post--I just might be helping Madison with her p's and her q's...or her b's and d's!  Or we could be in the middle of a game of "Candyland" or "Who Stole the Cookie".  Fun times for sure!

Guess Who Turned One Month Old This Weekend?!

On Friday, January 27, this sweet little bundle, also known as "Baby Chase", celebrated his one-month birthday!  Say it isn't so!  Can a month really have passed already?

I'd just spent some time with Chase on Wednesday morning, but when I saw him again on Friday evening I exclaimed " My goodness, how he's grown!"  It was as if he'd grown overnight--and indeed,  he had!

I was curious, so I pulled out my old set of baby scales and weighed our newest little bundle of joy.  He weighed in at 10 pounds even!  Chase may be "gassy" and he may let out a "grunt" (I think it's his way of expressing his opinion) whenever he's passed around, but he's also "growing" like a weed!

Of course, growing is exactly what our new little one is supposed to be doing, and I think he's doing his job quite well!  I just wish time would s-l-o-w down just a bit...at this rate, I'll  blink my eyes and he'll be graduating from high school!

"I Was King of the World, When Daddy Let Me Drive..."

Our three-year-old grandson, Cade, received a new tractor for Christmas.  He hasn't stopped traveling since the day he learned how to drive it!

I can't count the number of times I've heard the familiar "whine" of Cade's tractor outside in the yard.  He usually drives his tractor from his house to our house, then back home...if the battery holds out long enough.  His daddy is always walking or driving close behind him on these trips.

Cousin Madison loves to take Cade's tractor for a spin around the yard, as well.  Between the two of them, sometimes the tractor is just too tired to make it home, but that's what car trunks are made for!  Sometimes we just load that tractor up and take it back home.

In the short video clip below, Cade was just learning  his driving skills.  He's had lots of practice since then.  Of course, there have been a few "fender benders" along the way, including a "run in" with one of the pine trees in our yard...Did I mention that Cade tends to like to drive in "high gear" most of the time.  (I hope all of this isn't a glimpse into his future!)

There is a small wagon attached behind Cade's tractor.  Inside of that wagon, you will usually find three things.  (1) a small wooden box containing three "Thomas the Train" puzzles, (2) his "Key" (the little money/blanket that he's had since birth), and (3) a small stuffed "pound puppy" that looks like a hound, a gift from a friend.  Quite an assortment of cargo, huh?

Time will pass, and the tractor--along with its interesting trailer cargo-- will eventually make way for other things, but for now, Cade thinks "he's king of the world, when his daddy lets him drive"!

Having A Little Talk With Chase...

A couple of weeks ago, I was visiting with our newest grandson, Chase.  On that particular day, Chase was very alert, especially considering the fact that he was only two weeks old at the time!  I quickly grabbed my camera and video taped our "conversation".

I published part two of my conversation with Chase, over on my other blog, "Reflections by Kathy".  Then I began thinking that I'd like to have the entire conversation published here on MiMi's Mini Tales.  Here's my entire little talk with Chase.  I haven't seen him this alert since that day!

I'm looking forward to having some more "MiMi Talks" with Chase in the future...

Maddie's Christmas Field Trip...

I want to take a moment here, and backtrack.  Somehow, in all of the Christmas shuffle, I neglected to post about the field trip that I recently attended with my granddaughter, Madison, and her mom.

Busy Little Beavers preschool took a field trip to Savannah--the week before Christmas!  No wonder I neglected writing about it, huh?  I didn't know which end was up the week before Christmas, did you?

Anyway, the students of the preschool and their chaperons traveled the fifty-five miles to Savannah, and met a local library there.  It was a very large, new library...completely solar powered, too!  Did I mention there was a tree in the middle of it?...It was a "fake" tree, but still it was an interesting sight to see!

We were quietly ushered into a room reserved for "story time".  After a few minutes, the library story teller began reading the children a few books, which they seemed to enjoy.

Following story time, the students and chaperons traveled next-door to the Savannah Mall for a fun ride on the Christmas train.

  Our last stop was to the Bass Pro Shop for a class photo with Santa Claus.  While we were at there, I asked Madison and my daughter to join me for a picture with Santa.  They did.  Here we are, 3 generations posing with Santa!

Following the photo session with Santa, we were on our own for the rest of the day.  After grabbing some lunch at the Food Court, we did a little browsing at the mall, and let Madison play on the indoor playground for a bit before eventually heading for home.  Fun times, fun memories...I'm glad my daughter let me tag along!  Below is a video clip of the trip...

These Boots Are Made For Walking...

A funny thing happened this week...On Wednesday, Madison and her mother had a big discussion about boots.  Although Madison has a pair of "Hello Kitty" rain boots,  she told her mother that she would like to have a pair of  black boots to wear to school--"like the ones other little girls at school wear" she said.

My daughter Brandy explained to her daughter, that while some little girls may be wearing black suede boots in pre-K, she preferred that Madison wait until she's a little older before she got some.  Brandy prefers to dress Madison in more age-appropriate attire.  I'm a bit old-fashioned, and tend to think that way, too.

On Friday, Madison went to visit her "Nana" after school.  Apparently, at some point, Madison had  expressed her desire for a pair of black boots to her paternal grandmother, as well-- hopefully before her discussion with her mother on Wednesday.

In any event, on Friday evening, Madison came home wearing a pair of black suede boots--a gift from "Nana".  Oops!!!   Madison sure does love her black suede boots.  Her mom?  Not so much.  

The "Prepare Song"...

I discovered something new about grandson, Caden, this Christmas season!  I discovered that this little fellow knows how to sing!

Cade is very quiet most of the time.  He's a serious little boy, always concentrating on the task at hand--usually playing with a tractor or a train.  He doesn't spend much time on idle conversation when he's at my house, and he sure doesn't sing!

The other night, out of the blue, Cade began singing "Joy To The World"!  I couldn't believe my ears, even though daughter, Brandy had told me Cade knew how to sing this song.  He sang every word beautifully, and was right on key!  I was impressed, and thrilled, that I finally got to hear it!

Hearing that tiny little voice sing that song took me back nearly thirty years, to a time when Cade's daddy could sing "Amazing Grace" as good as any adult--and he was only two!  (Such sweet memories.)

Now you may be wondering what all of this has to do with the title of this post.  Well, at first,  Cade didn't know what the title of the song was, so he referred to it as "The Prepare Song". (from the line of the song that says, Let every heart, prepare  Him room...) and just  I love it!