kids, children, and babies...

 Thursday was a stay-home-and-have-Anya-visit day.  She's my oldest granddaughter, and she homeschools this year.  She rearranged her schedule to spend a day with her grandma.  Camille made cream puffs with her...

The day went by too fast, ending with me taking Anya to Aldi, as I had to get cream and bread and grapefruit and oranges and and and.  Then I drove her home, and forgot to send her with some of the creamf puffs.  oops.

Not too much time passed before Wulf and Tennyson came for a visit.  They ran around and we played Mousetrap! and watched Bugs Bunny with some snacks and popcorn.  Soon we got ready for bed, we folded down the futon in the living room, and I got the couch across from it ready for me to sleep on.  Teeth brushed, jammies on, then I read some of Little House in the Big Woods.  I'd like to say they fell peacefully to sleep, but you know how it is.  By 10:30, all was quiet.  

This fine morning, getting them dressed and cleaned up to start the day, then play Mousetrap!, then read some more Little House, then waffles!  They always want waffles:). By the time we were done with breakfast, Kathryn was on her way to pick us up, for a little adventure.  They were excited to get their car seats buckled into her car and go bye-bye with their cousins (Achilles, Rhys, Jamison).  

We went to the Bass Pro shop, to see the fish. 

Bass Pro is in a "dead" mall.  The stores are closed and shuttered, only a few video game stores, and consignment type shops survive, mostly just open on weekends.  The food court still has a pizza place, a sandwich place, and some other restaurant, and the movie theater is still open.  

They played on these cars, and Bob the Builder randomly said, "Can we build it?", and poor Rhys, it freaked her out.  She was done.

Achilles

Tennyson...and no, we didn't put any quarters in them.  

The fountains weren't on, and that store in the back used to be Sears, and before that, K-mart.  Once upon a time, there was a Sears AND a K-mart in this mall, as well as a JC Penney, a JoAnn Fabrics, Aeropostale, the shoe stores, a toy store.  Walking through there with the memories of so many times there with the kids when it was alive and thriving, so strange.  

The fish at Bass Pro...Wulf, Tennyson, Achilles, and sweet little Rhys Harper.  

(Jamie was in the stroller).  

We picked up pizza from Little Caesars, and Kathryn came in with her kids too, for a visit.  The kids played, fought, ran around, ate pizza, and watched Bluey.  

The other day, I went to the store with Kathryn and Camille, along with Achilles, Rhys, and Jamie.  We got some good deals in Old Navy, then went to Target for a few things.  I finally got Emily a few birthday gifts.  

Now it seems quiet in here, with Kathryn gone home, not that she's noisy, but the dynamics between the grandkids sometimes, it's winter but not outside weather (cold and muddy!), and they have extra energy.  They run around, and one declares they're the leader, and they all want to be the leader...you know how it gets.  

We may or may not have drive past the prison today, and told them they have to be good as they grow older, because the bad people in prison used to be nice little kids, but they gave in to their sin, and did really bad things.  For example, if you punch your brother when you're little, you don't get into much trouble, but if you punch someone when you grow up, oh no!  (unless you live in NY state, and you get a slap on the wrist and a Get Out of Jail Free Card ha).  Tennyson said, "I want to grow up and go to prison."  We may or may not have died laughing, ever so quietly.  He is so cute and innocent, he didn't understand.  He had his hands folded in his lap in his carseat, and looked so naive and sweet.  

I'm distracted. Wulf and Tennyson are still here, and they are so funny.  So bye for now...