Jak jumps in!

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toddler swimming

Megan and Preston bought a new home in July and immediately initiated the installation of a backyard pool, a requisite feature of desert homes.

The process took much longer than expected, and Bubby, Mac, and Jak grew quite tired of being banned from their backyard...

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Pool pals, plus GRAND Social No. 184 link party for grandparents

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Pool pals

I had the good fortune of being at my grandsons' house the day they finally — after months that felt like a bazillion years to three rambunctious boys — got to put on their swimsuits and get into their new swimming pool for the very first time.

The words "wet" and "wild" pretty much sum up our Sunday. The word "happy," too.

grandma and grandsons swimming

Just two days remain in this pre-Christmas...

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Angles and angels and what grandmas won't do for their grandkids

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We got our first big snow of the season last month. When Megan heard about the snowstorm, she asked that I make a snow angel to show the boys how it's done. See, my disadvantaged desert-dwelling grandsons have never, ever made a snow angel.

So, being the accommodating grandma that I am, I made a snow angel for my grandsons. As it was too cold and the snow too deep for me to venture out into the yard, I decided to lie down on the snow-covered deck, just outside my kitchen door.

I flapped my arms and legs (the best I could with the rocking chair obstructing my flapping right arm) as Jim made a brief video on my phone of me flapping and flailing for my grandsons then carefully rising from the snow, hoping...

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Final treat, plus GRAND Social No. 179 link party for grandparents

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Final treat

Yay for November! Before we plunge headlong into the new month, I have a final October treat: My grandsons in their trick-or-treating attire!

Soldier Bubby...

soldier costume 

Hulk Mac...

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Fall visits the desert

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My daughter Megan loves living in the desert. The only time she misses the seasons of Colorado is in the fall. Fall simply isn't the same where saguaros grow tall and javelinas roam wild.

four-year-old at park

Earlier this week Megan texted some pictures to Jim and me. The weather was uncharacteristically fall-like in the desert, she said, so she took Mac and Jak—while Bubby was in school—to...

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Grandma's all-star! Plus, GRAND Social No. 165 link party for grandparents

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Grandma's all-star

My grandsons are sporty little squirts, but as a long-distance grandma, I have few opportunities to see their games and other athletic endeavors. Last week, though, I had the pleasure of attending one of Bubby's basketball games.

I was filled with pride at what a great team player Bubby is as well as how truly awesome the kid is on the court.

youth basketball

Winning news for Gramma: I'll be in the desert again at the end of this week, and...

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GRAND greeting! Plus GRAND Social No. 161 link party for grandparents

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GRAND greeting

Saturday was my birthday, and I received many kind and happy greetings from family, friends and loved ones. (You Facebook friends? Sheesh...! You guys are awesome! And appreciated!)

I must say, though, that of all the birthday greetings I received, this was the most grand of all:

 

Megan told me that video was the...

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Balloon pong: Cheap, easy, and hours of fun!

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Balloon pong: Cheap, easy, and hours of fun!

In many parts of the country (and world), winter time is when kiddos need plenty of things to do indoors as it's too chilly outside. Where my grandsons live, though, indoor fun is a must in the summer as triple digit heat often prevents outdoor play.

Whatever time of year children are stuck inside with little to do—whether it's because the weather is hot, cold or rainy—balloon pong is an easy and inexpensive way to provide hours of play.

balloon games for kids 

WHAT YOU NEED

  • Paper plates (one per child)
  • Craft sticks, the thick ones that look...
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Walk this way: Jak's getting there

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Baby Jak will be one year old June 16. (Crazy, right!?) As PawDad was instrumental in getting Bubby walking steady—this, mere days before his first birthday—Jim was determined to have Jak walking steady before he left the desert, before Jak's upcoming birthday.

learning to walk

Jak's biggest obstacle to walking is paying too close attention to what he's doing, which...

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Wee ones and wise words

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I'm home from the desert with loads of photos and lots to share about my visit with Bubby, Mac, and Jak.

For starters: Pics of my three cutie pies with quotes I thought befit their poses.

When nothing is certain, everything is possible. -Margaret Drabble
When nothing is certain, everything is possible. -Margaret Drabble

 

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