Grandchildren

Last night was our night to spend with the kiddos. My job was to get them up and ready for school and the babysitter this morning. Somehow I also got the privilege of picking up the twins--Piercen and Baylor--and getting them all to school by 8:00, which is usually about the time I'm finishing my first cup of java. Jacob was excited to have us spend the night with him and insisted that I sleep with him (the child with Restless Leg Syndrome), leaving the gigantic king-size bed in the master bedroom for Neal. Hope he slept well.

When we've been with the kids for a 24-hour period of time, there are usually some memorable conversations. But with my memory, I must write them here, or next week I'll have forgotten.

Jacob has observed lately that Neal doesn't have any hair. Jacob: "Papa, you don't got any hair." Neal: "I don't? Where'd it go?" Jacob: "I don't know!" This last week Neal began growing his hair out again.

Lauren has been calling me "Nina" lately. I guess it's a combination of "Lita" and "Nana." She really talks well for a not-yet-2 yr. old. "Nina, what you doing?" "I'm brushing my teeth." "Bwushing you teef? Ohhh-kayyyy." She wanted to draw in Jacob's marker book yesterday.















She was still wearing the outfit (minus the skirt) that she'd worn to church. I really did consider removing it, or covering it up with another shirt, but I had gotten some of the marker on my hand and it had wiped right off, like it does on the page. When we put the book away, I noticed several places on her shirt and tights that had nice, bright blue markings. *GASP* She looked down on it and whispered, "oh my gosh!!!" I immediately treated and washed the shirt, but to no avail. Sorry, Trista. Seems like every time I have the kids, clothes get ruined.

Jacob went out in the Cadet with Neal to do some work around the place. Several limbs had fallen due to the wind from Hurricane Ike. When they came back, Neal had shot a couple of doves, which delighted Jacob. One of them was still blinking and opening and closing his little bill, like he was saying, "help me, help me, I'm still breathing." It might give me nightmares. Speaking of which, Jacob told me about a dream he had where a scorpion with claws was knocking on his window. I didn't know 4 yr. olds could remember their dreams. Later in the evening, the deer had come up to feed and we tiptoed out to watch them over the pool fence. While we were admiring them, Jacob said, "I want to shoot one." He is soooo Blevins.
Before we left to go to their place, Neal decided he'd had enough of people commenting on his gray hair. So Jacob had the honor of shaving his head. But he did tell Papa that he liked his beard.

While still in the bathroom, Jacob applied some of Neal's cologne with one of my make-up sponges. While he was playing with it, the sponge tore in half. "Oh, no. I ALWAYS tear things up." Earlier, he had spilled something and remarked, "I ALWAYS make a mess." Then after bath that night I started to dry him off before he got out of the tub. He said, "You have to get me out to dry me, on the rug." I said, "Oh, okay, my fault." He said, "It's not your faut, Nana, it's my faut." Whoa. Gotta work on those self-esteem issues.

Most of the time the two siblings get along pretty well. But occasionally there's a little conflict. Jacob came sobbing to me that "Sissy told me, NO." I comforted him, knowing that he was probably starting to really miss Mommy and Daddy. Later he gave me a huge hug and said, "I LOVE you, Nana. Sissy made my feelings hurt."

Jacob was really excited this morning that we were going to pick up Pierce and Baylor. All the way to school Pierce and Jacob goofed off and laughed and made faces and wierd noises. It's so much fun to watch them interact. Once at school I had three kids to unbuckle and don backpacks, so by the time Baylor was out and ready, Pierce and Jacob were already to the door without so much as a wave good-bye. So I just hugged Baylor and told her to have a good day.