There’s nothing like a wedding - with all that love and starry-eyed excitement.  With spring on its way, that means that soon we’ll start finding 1st Class Wedding Invitations in our mailbox.  You just never know who will be getting married next.  This past year THREE of my nieces/nephews were married.  It was so much fun seeing how creative they were in designing their invitations.  Each invitation was unique.  there was such a variety, and yet each was special and classy.

If I were going to help plan another wedding (which I might do someday if either of my granddaughters will allow me to help with theirs), I would go for something with sophistication and yet still with an artsy bent to it.  I looked at 1st Class Wedding Invitations to see if I could decide which invitation I liked best.

The invitation in this post is my pick.  Isn’t it beautiful?  There’s such a great choice.  You can get invitations only or you can include reception cards, thank you notes - all coordinated.   The flowers on the invitations are watercolor - with the strokes of color giving the invitations a more personalized look.  I love the splashes of color.  I would select a forest green for the lettering in order to highlight the green stems of the flowers.  Then I would also use forest green for the lining of the envelopes.  I think that would look absolutely charming - but still sophisticated. 

So watch out, Sweet Stuff and Sunshine, when your wedding day comes (15-20 years away, at least), I will be right here with some ideas for your invitations!

RT and our son have gone to west Tennessee with some friends this weekend to hunt ducks.  This is the third weekend in a row that they’ve been gone duck hunting - in Arkansas or west Tennessee.  Duck hunting season will be over soon, so I am happy for them to go and enjoy being together doing all that manly stuff.  It gives me the opportunity to take care of some things at home without any distractions.

Sweet Stuff was over here awhile ago with her mom and little sister, Sunshine, on a mission to sell me some Girl Scout Cookies.  Her mission was a success, to put it mildly.  However, I intend to send most of the cookies I buy to soldiers in Iraq.  I think they’ll enjoy some Girl Scout Cookies.  But back to the purpose of this post.

I was chatting with Sweet Stuff’s mommy and very proudly told her about all the things I’ve done today - fed my bread starters, did laundry, started cleaning out and straightening up the garage, cleaned toilets, worked on my cookbook, did a bunch of dusting, sweeping and vacuuming.  And of course I look just like the illustration here when I clean house.  Hrmph!  I swear! 

Sweet Stuff’s mommy told me all about her Saturday so far, too.  About that time, Sweet Stuff, who had been listening to the conversation declared,

“PawPaw needs to stay home and help you clean!”

I wish I had a recording of that!  I laughed till I thought I’d cry.  Out of the mouths of babes. 

You might recall that a few weeks ago I wrote about playing my mother’s piano while I was visiting her at Thanksgiving.  RT listened to me play the piano then, and just a couple days later my son sent me an email telling me about how much he enjoyed listening to me play the piano when he was growing up.  So pianos have been on our minds lately.

This morning I heard a truck drive up in the driveway, and I told RT’s mother (who’s spending a couple weeks with us) that I hoped it was the things I’d ordered from Lands End.  I went outside, and RT was there.  He smiled at me, and said, “Merry Christmas.  Here’s your Christmas present.”   The men on the truck brought out a beautiful piano which they brought inside the house and set up in the library. Below is a photo I just took of my Christmas present.  It’s a wonderful Baldwin piano.  I immediately played “Silent Night, Holy Night” which is the only song I have memorized.  Then I spent about an hour going through boxes in the barn until I finally found the one with my collection of hymnals.  And I’ve played the piano off and on all afternoon.

I called my daughter to tell her about the piano, and Sweet Stuff answered the phone.  Her mom was in the shower and so I told Sweet Stuff to tell her mom that PawPaw had given me a piano for Christmas.  I told her that when she comes to visit she can play it.  I taught her one simple song a few months ago, and she still remembers how to play it.  My daughter called me later to tell me that Sweet Stuff was beside herself with excitement.  She plays the simple little song I taught her whenever she visits anyone who has a piano.  She wants to take piano lessons now that she can practice on my piano. 

This is a day that RT and I have been looking forward to for a long, long time.  The grandgirls are sleeping over tonight.  Their room and bathroom were the first rooms we completely decorated.  The walls are a pale, pale pink, there’s a little pink chandelier, a pink princess nightlight, and there are pink and white striped towels in their bathroom.  There is a beautiful quilt - white with light pink and rose crocheted flowers - for their bed.

Their mom (our daughter) and dad brought them over this afternoon, and we will take them back home tomorrow morning.  It has been such fun!  At the supper table, we took turns telling what we’re thankful for.  Then we had chicken fingers (homemade) and rolls (Sister Schubert) - and lots of cinnamon apples for dessert.  No vegetables in there, I know - but I just didn’t get any vegetables cooked.  They were STARVING (or so they said - repeatedly) so I just got the chicken and rolls on the table and let ‘em eat.

After dinner we made some videos using my new web camera.  I guess I need to open a YouTube account so I can post some of my videos.  I wouldn’t post one of the girls, of course.  I never post pictures of them online. The girls loved making the videos and became quite dramatic.  I never realized they were such hams!

Then it was bathtime.  They wanted to use the shower (Sweet Stuff) and the jacuzzi (Sunshine) in the master bath rather than the tub in their bathroom.  So I sat on my vanity stool while they took their merry time with their shower/bath.  They just chatted away and were in such a good mood.

Then it was bedtime prayers and I tucked them into bed.  They wanted the TV on while they fell asleep.  Terrible habit for children to get into - and I wish their mom and dad didn’t let them do that.  However, both my children have spouses who have to have the TV on in order to fall asleep.  Is that a common thing?  A TV keeps me awake rather than puts me to sleep. 

The grandgirls are asleep now, though, and the TV is off.  My only concern is that in this house, the guest room is on one side of the house, and the master bedroom is on the other.  I’ve lit the way with night lights, and I’ve left the doors open.  Before they went to sleep, we went over what they should do if they need us during the night (i.e. Come to our room and wake us up).  I’m just afraid I won’t hear them if they call for me.  The guest room was immediately across the hall from the master bedroom at the cabin.  So that was never an issue.  I’m sure everything will be all right - just first night worries, I guess.

It has been a wonderful evening.  In the morning I’ll make them pancakes - in the shape of their initials, and in the shape of a girl or a bear - or whatever shape they tell me they’d like.  We’ll have a good time together, and then we’ll take them home.  Our pastor, Pastor Tom, is in the hospital for surgery, and the girls want to draw him a picture before they leave in the morning.  So we’ll make time for that.

Life is good.

It’s time to start shopping for Christmas gifts for the grandgirls.  I was thinking about what they like and use the most, and I immediately thought of the personalized duffle bags I bought each of them when they were babies.  Sunshine is 4-years old and Sweet Stuff is 6-years old, and they are still using those personalized duffle bags frequently. 

I’ve always liked personalized gifts.  In the past I’ve bought personalized pencils, name pads, memo cubes, t-shirts and other items for gifts.  My sister gave me a personalized garment bag a few years ago, and I still use it whenever I travel. 

So now I’m looking for Personalized Gifts for Children.  Identity Direct has hundreds of personalized items for children.  There are personalized bean bags, toiletry bags, artist kits, lunch bags, pencils, memo cubes, children’s picture books, Disney character items . . . and so much more.  They even have personalized rain coats. 

Previously I wrote about Sunshine and her concerns about God and death.  Apparently the entire problem was solved today - and we have Sweet Stuff to thank.  My daughter called a few minutes ago to relate the following conversation between Sunshine (4-years old) and Sweet Stuff (6-years old):

Sunshine: (In an uncertain, questioning voice) When I die, I’m going to heaven.

Sweet Stuff:  Sunshine, this is how you get to heaven.  There’s nothing to be scared of.  First you’re a baby, then you’re a big baby.  Then you’re a big, big baby.  Then you’re a big, big big baby.  Then you’re a little kid.  Then you’re a big kid.  Then you’re a big, big kid.  Then you’re a big, big, big kid.  Then you’re a grown-up.  then you’re a big grown-up.  Then you’re a big, big grown-up.  Then you’re a big, big, big grown-up.  Then you’re a mommy.  then you’re a big mommy.  Then you’re a big, big mommy.  Then you’re a grandma.  Then you’re a big grandma.  Then you’re a big, big grandma.  Then you’re a grandma grandma.  Then you’re a big grandma grandma, and THEN you go to heaven.

Sunshine:  Oh.  (big smile and satisfied look on her face)  Okay!

Questions answered and problem solved.  Heaven is just the step after being a big grandma grandma.

Four-year-old Sunshine has been thinking aobut life and death issues lately - literally.  My daughter has been concerned about helping Sunshine understand about heaven and God.   Here’s what she wrote to our family:

Sunshine has been a little obsessed with death recently and very concerned as to when everyone is going to die.   Yesterday I was talking to my dad on the phone and when I hung up she said, “Who was that?”  I told her, “Paw-Paw”.   She said,  ”I miss Paw-Paw.  I don’t want him to die.”   I said, “Baby he isn’t going to die.”  She explained, “Yes he will die next since he is the biggest of us and then Grandma Carol since she is the next biggest.”   I thought it was tender how concerned she was and how matter of fact she was that everyone died in order.

Anyway, a couple of days ago she was also discussing death and how she didn’t want anyone to die and I explained that if someone died they would go to heaven and be with God.  They would still be with us but not physically and that they would watch over us.   Anyway, she then says, “God is a monster then. I don’t like him.”

Shocked I said, “Why?”  She said, “Cause he kills people and takes them away to heaven.”   Anyway, I was lost for words and obviously my explanation of heaven and death was not good enough.   I did slightly convice her it wasn’t God’s fault people died, but anyway I felt completely inadequate to explain it all to her.”

So what do you think?  How do you explain such things to a four-year old?

A few weeks ago, my daughter and her husband were having some work done in their yard.  When the workers came to do the work, they opened the gate to the back yard - not knowing that the family’s Italian greyhound dog was in the yard.  In a flash, Bogie was out of the yard and enjoying his freedom.  Hours passed, and Bogie was nowhere to be found.  The workers offered neighborhood kids $50 if they found him.  Everyone in the neighborhood was looking for him.  My daughter and son-in-law both came home from work early to look for Bogie.  I was given the job of picking up Sunshine from daycare.

When I picked up Sunshine, I explained that the workers had opened the gate and that Bogie had gotten out and nobody could find him.  After lots of talking about what might happen to  Bogie, Sunshine remarked, “The workers did it.  I didn’t did it.”

From then on, every time something happens, RT and I look at each other and declare, “I didn’t did it!”

Note:  Bogie was finally found - over seven hours later - running around a neighborhood over a mile away - and across a very busy highway.  He IS a greyhound, but I never realized a dog could run so fast.  Once we found him, it took another couple hours to finally catch him.  Seven hours of running and he hadn’t slowed down one bit.

Each afternoon when school is out, Sweet Stuff (1st grade) comes to my classroom, and I drive her home.  This afternoon I had a meeting to attend in the classroom next to mine, and so Sweet Stuff waited for a few minutes in my room until her daddy picked her up.  After my meeting when I returned to my room, there was a white board on the front table on which Sweet Stuff had written a message to me with a dry erase marker:  “I love Grandma Carol.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”  Sweet, sweet, sweet!

Sunshine, Sweet Stuff and their mommy (my Stinkeroo) were shopping for fall shoes.  Sunshine tried on a pair of brown shoes with pink flowers on them.

Sunshine:  I LOVE these shoes.

Mommy:  I’m glad you like them so much.

Sunshine:  (very seriously) I wish to marry them.

I think the child has an enormously wonderful sense of humor.