Delightful

Some of the delightful things I love, love, love about summertime include...

• Long days (lots of light)
• Morning light (especially in my gardens - everything looks almost ethereal)
• Midnight walks (I'm always amazed at how many people are up so late)
• Flowers, all colors, shapes, sizes
• The fragrance of honeysuckle as it's carried to my windows on slight southern breezes
• The smell of fresh cut lawns
• Shade, especially from our very own trees
• Tomatoes from our garden...delightfully delicious

Delightful things I've especially enjoyed this summer have been...

• Mild temperatures
• Working from home
• Time spent with family and friends
• A mini church history tour to Martin's Cove
• Dates and test driving cars with my sweet husband
• Sleepover with our grand-children and daughter-in-law
• Visit from our Colorado granddaughters and their parents
• Splish splash fun at Cherry Hill with the sleepover gang
• The arrival of our newest and littlest grandchild... Link Gardner Bagley

Life is delightful!

Tattling Toddlers

Is there anything cuter than tattling toddlers?

Usually, we don't know exactly what they are saying, we can only smile and chuckle to ourselves while trying to acknowledge or fix the cause of their dismay.

A few weeks ago while visiting Paul & Heather at their new house (yes, they are homeowners!) Grandpa was doing what Grandpa loves best...

Rough housing with his grandchildren.

The feelings are mutual, I might add :)

Being the responsible and concerned Grandpa that he is, when Little Jesse (19 months) seemed to be getting a little over heated from all the rough housing, Grandpa stopped and helped Jesse take off his outer shirt.


Off Jesse toddled, to tattle to his Mommy!

Tattling, tattling, tattling until Mommy helped him put his shirt on.

Back he went to resume his rough housing with Grandpa!



A few days ago, upon returning from a visit to Lake Point, Laura, being the good and polite Mama that she is, helped Miss Delia (18 months) take off her shoes.




Off Delia toddled, to tattle on Mama!

Tattling, tattling, tattling while holding up her little foot, I really got an ear full.

After I empathized with her she seemed content and toddled off, to go about her business!

Grandchildren are the best!

Sweet Words

Have you ever noticed...

If a routinely ornery person speaks harshly, people accept it and move on...

When an otherwise kind, sweet, easy going (whatever adjective you prefer) person speaks with an edge, they are chastised...

Ever noticed?

In my youth, I must have been an otherwise kind, sweet, easy going (insert whichever adjective you prefer) girl. I know this because if I ever lost patience with someone and raised my voice, had an edgy tone or spoke harshly, my sweet Mom (or my kind Dad or my siblings) got after me.

Gasp, then in a lower than normal tone of voice I'd hear... Ruth!

Still happens to me, sometimes.

So when I hear my daughter and daughter-in-law encourage their children to use their sweet words, I'm impressed! In fact, it helps me respond in a more positive vein when interacting with others.

Laura doesn't correct Kellie by telling her the words to use... if Kellie forgets to say please when asking for another taste, toy or help, Laura simply encourages Kellie by saying... "Oh, try another way, please."

Kellie understands and rephrases her request... with her sweet words!


In my opinion, apologizing falls in the Sweet Words category.

Ever noticed how some folks don't ever apologize?

Yes, it's difficult to admit a weakness, or that we were wrong, or impatient, or insensitive.

But an olive branch can mend so many fences.

Like how I mix metaphors? :)

Learning the art of apology and using that skill can help strengthen relationships.

It can also help you further your career.

The business world can be cut throat. Those who are humble enough to admit errors and apologize when things go awry, are seen as having strength of character.


Another thing about Laura's parenting style that impresses me is her ability to apologize to Kellie when Mama loses her patience, or sweet words, sometimes.

We are products of our environment.

The way children respond and interact with others comes from what they learn at home. Or, how they are spoken to, at home.

And yes, my heart melts when I hear Kellie apologize to others when she feels it is necessary.

Late one evening, a few weeks ago, Kellie was having a difficult time going to sleep. Daddy and Mama let her join them while folding laundry, Kellie was excited to be able to help... saying, "Oh, I can help fold the wipes!"

Folding the wipes at the Gent house is somewhat of a funny thing because... you don't really fold them... you simply stack!

But, hey! When a 3 year-old wants to help with the laundry, I say capitalize on the moment!

Anyhoo, I happened to be talking to Laura on the phone that late evening a few weeks back when she asked Kellie if she'd like to talk to Grammie.

While talking to me, Kellie was trying to get herself situated on the sofa next to Mama and I heard Kellie say...

"Oh, I'm sorry Mama, I didn't mean to kick you."

A classic case of living what she learns!


I just love spending time with my grandchildren and sharing sweet words with each other.

Tomorrow, Grandpa and I are traveling to Provo to attend Abbi's dance recital. I'm so excited to see Abbi perform the dance she has been learning and practicing.

I'm also excited to spend time with her sister and brothers.

A few evenings ago, I was able to talk with them on the telephone. It's fun to talk to each of them and learn what's going on in their lives.

Alona and I talk about what she is learning in school, what book she is currently reading and what she's been doing in her Daisy troop. Currently she is learning about the weather and practicing math equations for end of year testing. She is also reading a book about a boy who babysits.

Abbi likes to tell me what's happening in her life, too. Many times the conversations start with a "Guess what, Grandma?" She told me about her costume for the dance recital, who'll be going to watch her and going for a walk with Mom. She's a little bit sick at the moment, too.

Kacen is becoming more of a conversationalist.

For the most part, we get a Yes or No response to our questions.

Sometimes, though, his little personality shines through the phone line and he leaves us laughing.

One time we asked him what he had for dinner. After a pregnant pause he replied...

"Cookies."

Its funny on a few levels...

First, his delivery is perfectly timed.

Second, if you know his Mommy, you know there is no way Cookies is what he had for dinner. As a treat afterward, maybe... but not dinner.

Heather works very hard ensuring her children get healthy, balanced meals.

This last conversation was fun, too.

We shared a laugh together about Grandpa.

Since it was almost time for bed, I asked him if he was wearing his Spiderman pajamas. He said no, he was wearing his Lighting McQueen pjs. I then asked if that meant he would go to sleep really fast... like Lighting McQueen.

"Yes." was his reply.

Kacen also told me he was going to play hide-n-seek with Grandpa when we come over on Saturday. I asked if he was going to hide really fast... like Lighting McQueen? and he replied...

"Yes."

Then I asked if Grandpa was going to find him really fast, like Lighting McQueen?

Kacen replied... "No, he's gonna be like... (?)."

Not understanding his last word, I asked, Is Grandpa going to find you slow, like Mater?

Kacen chuckled and said, "Yes!"

Yep!

I love sweet words and I love talking to my grandchildren!

March Madness - Part Two

It has always been something I've felt bad about, our children having to split their time between so many parents, in-laws and grandparents. It is especially challenging for them during holidays and after they marry... and in Laura's case, when she comes home for a visit.

However, I try to adopt Laura's attitude about this aspect of their lives.... 'It's more people to love me and especially my children!'

True to form, and her ever conscientious self, Laura Michelle did an amazing job dividing her time in Utah between all of Kellie and Delia's grandparents.

It is hardest on her, driving hither and yon, packing, unpacking, adapting to varied personal preferences and habits at each home, yet always sharing her sweet daughters with us, affording us the opportunity to make memories together.

After spending a week with her Mom, Laura headed back our way to spend time with Brian's Mom, Lori. Because Lori works during the day, Laura and the girls would come to our house sometimes and hang-out with us.

This extra time with them enabled me to enlist Laura's help preparing for the Fourth Annual Easter Egg Hunt.

Because she and Brian lived in Alaska for 3+ years, this was her first opportunity to participate and I enlisted her help. Which meant it wasn't much of a surprise for her. :/

In retrospect, however, I think her enthusiasm pushed me to do more than I had in years past. In the end, she was a huge help and we had fun!

During one of our jaunts to the store, on March 17th, I made the observation that Miss Kellie was wearing green, which was good because the Leprechauns wouldn't pinch her, they would kiss her instead.

Being the literal girl that she is... this was a big mistake, on my part! She stopped dead in her tracks, waving her little hand back and forth saying... "No, Grammie, I don't want them to kiss me."

"Oh, I don't think you need to worry. It's getting late and I think they probably left Utah", I replied.

"Where are they going, Grammie?", she asked.

"Well, I think they're on their way to Colorado." Another big mistake on my part.

"No, no, no, Grammie, I don't want them to go see my Daddy."

"Well, I don't think they'll be able to get on base, so we don't need to worry about Daddy. He'll be safe", I tried reassuring her.

After two phone calls to the Leprechauns and a few worrisome conversations (Kellie was the worried one) we determined the Leprechauns were no longer in Utah, nor were they in Colorado Springs.

In reality, they were on their way back to Ireland, where they live, and would stay until next year.

What were they doing, you ask?

Why, riding rainbows, of course!

As well as looking for more pots of gold.

One day we just stayed at our house, enjoying each others company.

Grandpa was working on a project with a looming deadline.

He listens to music when he colors. It's too distracting when drawing and working on layouts and such. But when he colors, out comes the boombox, up goes the volume and out comes the tunes.

Grandpa also likes to sing along. Or whistle.

One day, as we played and visited in the family room, Grandpa was downstairs coloring and listening to the Beach Boys.

Little Miss Delia's little rhythm kicked in and her arms and legs started moving to the beat.

This is a short clip of Mama, Kellie and Delia dancing with Grandpa.

Oh, disappointment..... the full clip didn't load. I'll see if I can fix it, soon.


We were also able to squeeze in a trip to the Delta Center... (I mean Energy Solutions Arena) for Disney on Ice.

Although this was billed as a Princess show, not all of the princess took to the ice.

Was Kellie disappointed? Not in the least.

She was so taken with all of the 'princesses' she saw walking about the arena (the other little patrons attending the show) that we didn't know if we'd make it to our seats in time. She recognized the trappings of every 'princess' we passed.

Sometimes it's hard to gauge how different things are being received by little ones.

A few years ago we had the opportunity to take Alona and Abbi to the Circus, at the same arena. They are such quiet, laid back, little girls (much like their parents), they sat so very quietly through the event. We worried they might not be enjoying themselves.

Silly me!

We all had a great time and they remembered much of what they saw, months and months later.

Is Kellie hard to read? Mmmm, not so much!

The first few times she saw other little girls dressed in their princess attire I thought she would suck all of the air out of Salt Lake City.

HUGE Gaaaasp. Mama, there's Snow White!

Another HUGE Gaaaasp. Mama, there's Cinderella!

During intermission we hiked up the steps to the concession level in search of the Ladies Room. The seats were scattered with every type, shape and size of princesses you can imagine. Almost at the top, Kellie spotted three little princesses with their Grandmother.

"Oh!" she said. "There's and old princess, too!

She was intrigued with the entire production, standing most of the time, swinging to the music and pointing out all of the people down on the ice. Even little Miss Delia enjoyed the show, her cute little arms and legs flapping and swinging to the beat of the music.

After the show, Laura headed to her Mom's so Kelly could look at her squeaky brakes and Grandpa and I met Steve & Ellen at the South Towne Expo Center for the Home Show.

Grandpa bought himself a Tech Tap Massager, which he loves and I bought a MoJo.

I love making memories with our grandchildren!


Coming Soon: March Madness - Part Three

March Madness - Bagleys - Not Basketball

This year has been pretty fun!

March was especially fun, a bit hectic, but fun, nonetheless!

March 1st I flew to Denver, Colorado where, at 7:30pm, Laura Michelle picked me up at the airport and we headed to Utah with Kellie and Delia. When I got in the car, both girls were crying and Laura? Cool as a cucumber, speaking calmly and reassuringly that we'd be stopping soon and Kellie could be free of her car seat, for a time. Delia was most likely crying because of her big sister's cries.

It is also important to note, Laura's demeanor, cool as a cucumber, was impressive because she had been pulled over for speeding while en route to the airport. I would have been grumpy and rattled. Thank you Ms. Colorado Highway Patrolwoman for not citing Laura and for visiting with her for a few minutes before sending her on her way! Your empathy is so appreciated.

Even though I had just been in Colorado visiting Laura and her family in February, it was fun to be with the girls again. Of course, we stopped at Village Inn for dinner before letting Carmin (my name for Laura's GPS voice) takeover our course of travel.

Kellie was a little sad because Mama had forgotten to pack Kellie's new shoes, with sparkles, so Mama had to carry Miss Kellie in to the restaurant. Delia was all smiles!

Kellie chose my dinner for me, Chicken Fried Steak, from a photograph on the menu. Sweet, eh! I didn't order it. I had miles of driving ahead of me and didn't want to get sleepy from a high fat dinner. To be honest, I don't remember what I ordered. I just know a salad was included and Kellie and I shared it! She likes to share food with me and I love it!

We travelled the northern route to Utah, via Evanston, Wyoming and it was a very uneventful trip. Although it is a longer drive than the southern route, we were leery of winter weather conditions and had the memory of Paul and Heather's trip home from Colorado still on our minds. In November, Paul hit a deer on their way home and the deer totaled the Bagley mobile.

We did pass one deer, that I saw, on the diagonal, but it was running away from the highway.

A few pit stops for gas and personal relief, landed us in Utah, at the airport where my car was parked, at 7:15am. I arrived home at 8am and Laura arrived in Lake Point at 7:40am - I think.

Not bad, eh!

It did take a couple of days to recover from not sleeping that night.

Believe it or not, that was the first time in my whole life I stayed awake more than 24 hours!

Laura and the girls stayed in Lake Point with her Mom and Kelly for a week then headed our way for the remainder of their visit, staying with Grandma Lori for a week and with us for a week!

In the meantime, on Friday, March 5th, Val took his scout troop on an overnight camp out and I had an unexpected sleepover with Heather and her crew!

Heather's plan had been to spend the night at ther sister's home, in Layton, but it didn't work out as hoped. So, I was able to benefit! :)

Heather and Jesse slept in the family room, Alona and Kacen slept on the floor in Grandpa's changing room and Abbi? She slept with me!

For such a petite little thing, she is a bed hog!

A few times during the night I was whacked in the face with her little hand. One time it even stayed on my face while she was sleeping. At least Abbi got some sleep, right? :)

While trying to go back to sleep after a love pat from Miss Abbi, I laid there thinking about what I was going to feed them for breakfast. When they arrived on Friday evening, Alona hadn't eaten dinner because she didn't like the shepherd's pie that was served at Aunt Crystal's and I certainly didn't want to send her to bed hungry. So I fixed her a grilled cheese sandwich in an already messy kitchen.

It has become a tradition that when Val takes his Scouts on an over nighter, I prepare hot chocolate for him to take along... giving the boys something warm to drink while unpacking their gear and digging snow caves to sleep.

On a recent grocery shopping trip, I bought a can of hot chocolate mix and grabbed Cherry Chocolate, by mistake. Ugh!

I took advantage of our hot chocolate tradition with the Scouts and sent the Cherry Chocolate flavor!

That particular camp out Val had the scouts write me thank you notes and a few of the boys requested mint hot chocolate 'next time'! Don't blame them!

Back to my middle of the night thinking... My kitchen was particularly messy because I prepared the hot chocolate and a Hobo dinner (aka: tin foil dinner) for Val to take with him. Andrew, who also likes to camp, went with Val this particular time and so Natalie came to our house with him, to meet up with his Dad.

Natalie stayed for a while and we were able enjoy a nice visit. After she left, I worked on laundry and other things but thought I'd clean the kitchen in the morning!

Loathsome is how I feel about cooking in an already messy kitchen.

There I lay, with Abbi's little hand on my cheek, worrying about how I could pull-off breakfast with a minimal amount of stress.

The solution came to me... in 4 letters... IHOP!

With a plan in place, I drifted back to sleep for a few more hours!

Come morning, Alona and Kacen joined Abbi and I in bed for Saturday morning cartoons. I'm a little rusty on said TV programming, but Alona and Abbi were able to help me find some.

Kacen was so cute. Each time he saw a familiar cartoon, he'd turn to me and say, "Grandma, we have that cartoon at our house, too!"

After breakfast, Heather brought the girls and I home and off she went, with the boys, to deliver girl scout cookies to family and friends in Weber and Davis counties.

Grandpa and Andy returned from their camp out about the same time Natalie arrived to retrieve her birthday boy husband.

Alona and Abbi and I were happy Grandpa was home so we could play a little hide-n-seek... a loved past time at our house with grandchildren. It is especially fun when they tell us where they will hide or where they are hiding. It makes the seeking so much more challenging!

When Heather and the boys returned, Kacen migrated outside to help Grandpa unpack his car.

We girls and Jesse were having fun when I realized I hadn't seen Kacen for a while so I went outside to see if he was with Grandpa. Abbi was right behind me and climbed in the car with her brother to have some fun in Grandpa's car.

The last time Kacen and Abbi spent unaccompanied time in Grandpa's car they decorated his dash board with a sharpie they found in the car. :/ Grandpa is so particular about some aspects of how his car looks! But hey, the sharpie was black, his dashboard is almost black... what's the worry!

Anyhoo, Abbi and Kacen were in the car having fun and I asked Miss Abbi where Mr. Kacen (at the wheel) was taking her.... "We're going to New York for Girl Scouts." she replied!

Abbi loves pink. Abbi loves fairies. Abbi loves to dress-up.

New York seems like the logical place for Girl Scouts!

A conversation and inquiry ensued between Kacen and I a few minutes later.

Kacen: I need my wallet.

Me: Your wallet?

Kacen: I need my wallet.

Me: Why do you need your wallet?

Abbi: Because he's taking me to New York City, Grandma.

Me to Kacen: How old are you?

Kacen: I'm three.

Me: Three? But you need to be sixteen to drive.

Kacen: Oh.

Kacen: I need my keys and my wallet.

Me: Are you 16, and old enough to drive?

Kacen: Yes. I need my keys and my wallet.

Me: How old are you?

Kacen: 16 3.

Kacen is such a hoot!

He has such a well developed sense of humor for such a young tyke.

Not long after that fun interchange between Kacen and I, Heather loaded her crew in the car and headed home.

Unexpected sleepovers are so fun!

Part Two of March Madness coming soon!

Split Affections

Have you ever seen the movie Split Infinity? It is a Feature Family Films movie produced in 1992. Some of my nieces, and maybe my nephew, were extras in the movie. A portion of the movie was filmed on location in Layton, in this really neat house on Gentile Street. The title of my post reminded me of that movie. Random thoughts are fun sometimes!



On to split affections.... my affections really aren't split. I love, love, love all of my grand-children. However, occasionally, rarely - really, our time is split and we miss out on special dates or occasions while enjoying time with our other grand-children.


Case in Point: Last month I had the opportunity to go and spend some time with Laura and her family in Colorado and had a gay old time! The timing was perfect for Brian & Laura to enjoy an evening out with each other and some of Brian's Air Force associates while I stayed home with Kellie and Delia.

We did have a gay old time, the girls and I. Kellie and I watched a movie and shared popcorn while Delia snoozed. When she woke up, Delia was hungry and in need of her Mama.

Laura (the beautiful Belle of the evening) missed her dinner of London Broil with all the trimmings and came home to feed Delia. She returned to her date with Brian while the girls and I resumed our Girl's Night In!



Unfortunately, due to flight schedules and availability, I had to return home on Abbi's 5th birthday, which meant we missed her birthday party.


Although we missed her party on her actual birthday, we made up for it and visited Abbi and her family a week later. We were able to see their new home with lots of new hiding places to play hide-n-seek and went to dinner at the Brick Oven in Provo. Dinner was disappointing but not the company!


As a birthday gift for Miss Abbi, Grandpa chose a Princess Book. Each of the Princesses were represented with their cling style wardrobes.

Naturally, Abbi chose to play dress-up with her Princesses.

Let me tell you, those Princesses have quite the wardrobe... dresses, gowns, shawls, wraps, shoes, gloves, tiaras, accessories galore!

You know, Abbi is as beautiful as the Princesses in her book...piercing blue eyes, shiny blonde hair and sweet smile.


Now we just need to work on our timing of presenting the gift.


Little Abbi was so enthralled with her new book she barely ate a bite of her dinner.


Meanwhile, Kacen had fun climbing on the back of Grandpa's chair and got a bump on his cute little forehead to prove it. Boys! They are so rough and tumble, aren't they?


Jesse was content to hang close to his Mommie while taking in all of the activity around him and the food his Mommie shared with him.


All the while, Miss Alona and I worked on her activity sheet finding all of the hidden objects and writing in cursive. Alona! Such a seeker of learning.


If you go by birth dates and school cut-off dates, Alona should be in the first grade. But she's not. She is in the second grade as of about a month ago. Here we are at a restaurant, in Provo, and she asked me to write a line from her activity sheet in cursive. So I did. She copied me and it looked great, even though she is left handed.


While complimenting her on how well she did, I mentioned that it was especially great because as a left-hander she had the more difficult task of writing in cursive. As a leftie she has to push the writing instrument (I really said crayon or pencil or pen) instead of pulling it like we righties get to do. Her response... "I don't think it's hard."


Well, of course she doesn't think it's hard. She's Alona Bagley!


It's always fun to spend time with our children and grand-children, even though we have to split our time, sometimes.


There isn't a lot of adult conversation when grand-children are present but there is lots of hide-n-seek, playing and opportunities to make memories!

Now, if I could just be more consistent on taking pictures of our visits.

"I'd Love To!"

Some of my most favorite and fun memories come from spending time with our grand-children and talking to them on the telephone.

Alona, at 6 years old, has become quite a conversationalist. Whether talking in person or on the telephone, it's fun to hear about what she is learning in school and fun things they do together as a family. She is very matter of fact and knowledgeable about the subject of conversation.

Abbi is usually hovering in the background when her Mommy and I are talking on the telephone and I can hear her sweet little voice saying ...

"I wanna say hi."

"Can I say hi?"

"Can I please say hi?"

When I do talk to her, she always tells me where she is at the moment and what she is doing. I like to ask her what she is learning at home and which letter they are learning about. She tells me all that she remembers.

Kacen is a 'Yes' man. No matter the question, his answer is usually an enthusiastic 'Yes!'.

We phoned Grandpa Honey the other day and Honey asked "Is this Abbi?"

Kacen replied, "Yes!"

When we have the opportunity to talk to Kellie, who is 2 1/2 years old, on the telephone I'm chuckling the remainder of the day.

She is usually so animated about what she is telling us and the excitement comes through so well in her voice. Yesterday she was very excitedly telling me she was going to go bowling with the Elders that evening and then in an almost dead pan voice she tagged on "I had oatmeal."

Mama had to translate that one for me; it came out of no where!

Grandpa wasn't home when Kellie was telling me about her upcoming bowling activity with the Elders. When he returned home I encouraged him to call Kellie and ask her where she was going that evening.... but he had to ask Kellie, not her Mama.

Naturally, Laura answered the telephone when he called so when he asked if he could speak with Kellie we heard Laura ask "Do you want to talk to Grandpa?"

Her reply?

"I'd love to!"

Delightful December!

Excluding the need to buy a new washer and dryer this month, December was a fun month and here's why...

Dinner and Lights in Ogden
December 12th Paul & Heather and our darling grandchildren drove up from Provo to spend the night. Friday evening we went to Chuck-a-Rama for dinner and then went to the city square to see the Christmas display. As a child, I would go there every year with my family and remember those treks with fondness. Going with grandchildren was even more fun! The display has grown over the years and it really was great. There is a new amphitheater with stage; when we arrived a lady was singing Christmas carols. It was a nice backdrop to all of the displays.

Alona and Abbi wanted to go see Santa Claus (I think Alona wanted to see if it would be the real Santa or a pretend Santa - she saw both this past holiday season!) So, rather than going directly to the line to the Santa cabin, I suggested we had to find him.

Our stroll around the square looking for Santa Claus was fun indeed. We peeked inside a little building that was a soda shop. They served hot chocolate at the soda shop and unfortunately one of the Snowmen drank a mug and melted right there in the shop! His hat and scarf were lying in a puddle on the floor and his friend (another Snowman) was sitting in shock next to his seat.

Temperatures were mild during our stroll. Can you believe we also came upon the Grinch! He was trying to find Whoville, I think. Even though he is a Grinch (small heart) he did let us have our photo taken with him. Not only was he confused about the direction of Whoville, he also thought our little Abbi was Cindy Lou Who. Silly Grinch! Abbigail Bagley is much cuter than Cindy Lou Who.

Strolling hand in hand with Abbi was so sweet for me. We talked and visited like two girlfriends... she told me about school (she's going to school you know, and taking a computer class). She has homework, which her Mommy helps her with, as needed. Abbi also helps Kacen, her brother, with his homework. Abbi also told me "Santa is very scary."


We strolled and visited, peeking in each building looking for the real Santa (I mean one that wasn't made of plastic or stuffed with poly stuffing) when we finally found Santa's cabin, with a long line. Undaunted, we hopped in line and visited some more while we inched closer and closer to see him. Alona and I also enjoyed visiting. She and I looked for words that started with the letter K and she would read the words to me. She also brought me up to speed on all of the things she is learning at school. She is very smart!

While we were waiting for our turn to see Santa, I asked Alona if she thought it would be the real Santa or a pretend Santa. She said she wouldn't know until she saw him! I suggested that it would be one of Santa's helpers because Santa was so busy at the North Pole getting everything ready for Christmas.

While we were waiting in line Heather treated the girls to a cup of Hot Chocolate. Of course it was very hot, too hot for little ones to partake of right away. So, we lifted the lids and blew and vistied some more. Alona likes Warm Chocolate better than Hot Chocolate (didn't I tell you she is smart!) After a few minuites of Heather cooling off Alona's cup and me blowing on Abbi's, they were able to enjoy warm chocolate.

With our visit to Santa complete, we headed back through the square to find the car all the while enjoying displays of Christmas. The guys, Paul, Val and Kacen were ahead of us so just us girls wandered through another section of the square and came upon the Nativity scene. Even though it was roped off, Alona and Abbi managed to get close. Abbi patted the camel's head and wished him Happy Birthday. She wanted to ride him, but that was an off limits area, so we had to say no. While looking at the Nativity, we sang Away in a Manger together then headed off to the car. Abbi wished them all a Happy Birthday one last time!

We had such a wonderful time and best of all, it included a sleepover! Which I'll tell you all about in another post.