We spent the Christmas holidays with our older son and his family, and it was fantastic, as always.
Have you ever baked cookies with four grandchildren and three dogs? Um, not that the dogs actually did any of the cookie-making or baking, but they were definitely a presence. To say it was a chaotic and joyful experience would be a gross understatement.
While we were there, the kids asked me which of them I loved the best, so I did what any grandma would do. I told each of them, "I love YOU best, because..." followed by a list of wonderful things that makes each of them special.
Reminded me a little of when a bunch of my cousins had a reunion a few years ago. An older cousin said she was the only one of all the grandchildren that Nana ever allowed to spend the night with her. Then the rest of us piped in about all the times WE'D spent the night. Nana had a LOT of grandchildren, but somehow, she managed to make each of us feel like her favorite. Was your grandmother the same way? What a wonderful talent to have.
During our visit, our eight-year old grandson Aaron asked me why I call Grandpop Smarticus. Turns out, he's been reading my blog. (!) (Which, of course, means he has impeccable taste. HA!) He lamented that when he Googled his siblings, he found links to my blog, but when he Googled his own name, he came up with a lot of pictures of some old guy with the same name. So this post is just for Aaron. By tagging it with his name, hopefully, he'll find himself when he does a Google search next time. Along with some fun pictures.
Check out all those curls! This is a pic of Aaron from Thanksgiving of 2012.
Also from Thanksgiving of 2012, here's a pic of our son with his whole crew. The children, from left to right, are Aaron, Jaiden, Devyn, and Kymber.
Aaron, in August of 2013. What a smile! He looks like a professional model, doesn't he?
The cutie crew, Christmas, 2012.
Also Christmas, 2012. Who can resist Devyn's smile? (I can't.)
First day of school, 2015.
July, 2015. We all went to the premiere viewing of Minions. (Loved it!) The cutie between cool cat Aaron in those snazzy sunglasses and his sister Kymber is their cousin McKenzie.
Christmas, 2015, and the Minions are still the best thing ever... both for Aaron and Grandpa Smarticus.
Christmas, 2015, and even Grandma has a pair of Minions softies. Smarticus and I are still big Minions fans, but alas, the kids have outgrown them. (Hmmm, not sure what that says about US...)
Now for some pictures from this Christmas...
Kymber & Devyn
When I asked Aaron to stand still so I could take his picture, he wanted to know if I was gonna put it on my blog. (Which gave me the idea to do this post for him...)
You've gotta love a gal who not only wears Elf pajamas, but happily poses in them so her goofy mother-in-law can take a picture.
Jaiden was thrilled to get a compound bow for Christmas.
Smarticus putting said bow together. (HA! And he thought his putting-stuff-together for Christmas days were over...)
Kymber was sooooo excited to get an adorable little hamster... and just a tiny bit apprehensive.
Leo and Troy were also very excited about the hamster. So was Stormy, but she was temporarily exiled for being a wee bit TOO excited. I'm sure it didn't mean a thing that Troy (the Huskie) kept licking his chops while observing the little critter...
Okay, y'all. Thanks for indulging me so I could make Aaron happy.
We saw the new year in with our friends in Tennessee. We stayed up waaaaay too late, but we had a terrific time. Lots of games, lots of laughter. The PERFECT way to end one year and begin another.
Before Christmas, I posted this cartoon on Facebook, which initiated some funny comments from our Tennessee pals, suggesting Smarticus and our buddy could maybe benefit from a similar air freshener...
I must say... the fresheners didn't work, but they did make for a great photo op...
So again, Happy New Year. Let's hope this year doesn't stink.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
Grandparents are just antique kids.
A very, very Happy New Year to all your crew.
ReplyDeleteI never knew any of my grandparents (or indeed relatives other than immediate family). I was obviously severely deprived.
My grandparents had all passed away before I was a teenager, but until then, we were very close. After our first child was born, Smarticus and I moved to another state because of his job, so our kids never got to experience the same kind of closeness with extended family that we enjoyed while growing up, and now all of our grandchildren live in different states. (Payback!) We don't get to see the kiddos nearly as often as we'd like, so we have to make the most of it whenever we do. I'm sorry you didn't get to know your extended family. They would've all adored you.
DeleteA handsome crew, a bunch of angels, I'll bet they never fight with each other...well hardly ever.
ReplyDeleteNever fight? Well, I wouldn't go THAT far... Sometimes, the noise level is just below a jumbo jet revving up.
DeleteYour grandchildren are all gorgeous, wow, what a fantastic crew. And a special greeting to Aaron if he is reading this. Glad you had such a great time with them - who wouldn't? My dog used to lick her chops every time she saw birds, but she never hurt them. Love the idea with the air freshener, I've put it on my list already! Hugs, Valerie
ReplyDeleteIt really was a great time. Playing with kids makes us feel young. (Of course, we feel our age afterwards!)
DeleteHugs back atcha.
What a great group of kids! Aaron must be one smart cookie to pick such a great blog to follow. My kids are all college age and I can't get some of them to read anything, much less my blog.
ReplyDeleteAnd your daughter-in-law is an awesome gal. And what a gorgeous smile!!
Thanks! Aaron really IS a smart cookie. Scary smart. I hope his love of reading and his intense curiosity about the world never end.
DeleteDon't worry. Except for my daughter, I think Aaron is the only one in the family who reads my blog. The teens and twenty-something have better things to do. :)
She is awesome... and in many many ways.
It's obvious that you had a fantastic holiday season, Susan! And anyone who could survive baking cookies with four kids and three dogs has my wholehearted congratulations.
ReplyDeleteAll of the photos are sweet, but I really love the header photo with you and your four grandkids.
I laughed (with delight) when I saw the photo of Kymber holding my book. What a pleasant surprise.
The air fresheners are hilarious!
We did... and I hope you did, too. Oh, believe me, I was apprehensive about the whole "bake cookies with the kids" idea, too, but it went amazingly well. They all wanted to do it, which was a good start, and they followed directions, which made things move like clockwork. Noisy, giggly clockwork, but clockwork, nonetheless.
DeleteI'm glad you got a kick out of seeing your poetry book. I had a feeling you would...
I thought the air fresheners were hilarious, too. Great minds think alike. :)
You have a beautiful family, Susan, and what fun you must have had over the holidays. Time goes by so fast and kids grow up quickly. Six years brings about many changes, and our love for our grandchildren grows even larger, if that is possible. I am sure your handsome Aaron will be so pleased with this post.
ReplyDeleteThanks. It was a lot of fun, and you're right. They do grow up entirely too fast. It's hard to believe our oldest grandchild is turning twenty-one this year. (Didn't WE just turn twenty-one a few years ago...?)
DeleteWhat a sweet, sweet post and what a lovely family you have :-) I love that you bought books for the kids from fellow bloggers.
ReplyDeleteThanks. We kinda like 'em... :)
DeleteI bet you are the fun grandparents to hang out with.
ReplyDeleteHope that little hamster is still alive.
And hope Aaron finds this post!
We sure HAVE fun, so if that MAKES us fun to hang out with... cool!
DeleteYeah, me, too. Now the other kids... and Mom... want hamsters, too.
Joyous post for the new year and thanks for sharing Aaron with us (plus the family). How fun to see him grow up through Christmas's etc. Good looking kid (and no doubt smart). Very nice and I bet you are a blast as grandparents. Cheers - this post made my Friday.
ReplyDeleteCool. I'm glad to hear the post made your day. I was a wee bit reticent about doing such a personal post, ya know? I don't wanta be one of those grandmothers who's always shoving pictures of her kiddies under everyone's nose. :)
DeleteCheers back atcha. Have a super weekend!
Hi, Susan - Happy New Year! This was such a fun and loving post. Aaron and all his siblings are adorable. And mostly at the age when they'll cringe reading 'adorable' :) I can see for myself what a loving family you have. Enjoy them always.
ReplyDeleteHi-ya, Carol. Happy New Year to you, too! So far, they all like to be called adorable, although Jaiden tries to pretend he doesn't. Our older grandchildren, however, are another matter. They're... "cool." (HA! That'd probably make them roll their eyes.)
DeleteHappy New Year! Loved seeing all the happy faces there for Christmas. That quote about The most precious jewels that have ever been around my neck are the arms of my grandchildren, is so very true. They do make our lives so much brighter!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you, too, you mysterious person you!
DeleteLove seeing all the fun and smiles - thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAnd you are never too old for Minions. There's more than one Minion in my house. :)
Oh, you wouldn't BELIEVE how many Minions reside in OUR house!
DeleteHey Aaron! In case you're reading this, please thank your g'ma for sharing these pictures? Loved seeing your smile this morning! That new bow looks awesome … but I guess I'd rather have a hamster like Kymber's.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you. I'd rather have a hamster than a bow, too. :)
DeleteWhat a bunch of gorgeous Grandkids! I'm sure in years to come they will remember time spent with you fondly.
ReplyDeleteMy Grandmother had a talent for making her NINETEEN grandchildren feel individually special. My Granddad was a farmer and every Sunday you could perm a random two or three of their eight children and their families for Sunday lunch in their farmhouse.
I went back to see the farm recently. There was a mock-Tudor style (a popular English house style) estate covering all the area. The lake and Big House on the other side were still there but my childhood memories had been flattened... :-(
The orchard, the little convent next door, the leafy country lane, the ducks, geese, horses, pigs and cattle - all gone!
CLICK HERE for Bazza’s technically tremulous Blog ‘To Discover Ice’
Nineteen grandchildren! That's darned impressive. I only have thirteen, and I think my mother's mother (Nana) had twenty-something.
DeleteNo, your memories haven't been flattened. As long as you hold them in your heart, those places still exist. If you're very lucky, maybe you even have some photos of those places to provide reinforcement. I hope so.
"I think what you notice most when you haven't been home in a while is how much the trees have grown around your memories." [Mitch Albom]
Aw, such sweet photos! It's very obvious that your grandchildren are much loved.
ReplyDeleteAnd hahaha, that air freshener photo is priceless! XD
Thanks. Yeah, we all kinda like the little boogers... :)
DeleteIsn't it a hoot? (We have such sophisticated senses of humor...)
Great photos! Your grandchildren are beautiful. My kids love to pester me with that "Who is your favorite?" question all the time.
ReplyDeleteThanks. HA! I reckon all kids must ask that question... but that was the first time the grands cornered me with it.
DeleteHi Susan - what gorgeous photos ... I too love your header one - the dog looks totally stunned that their family could be quite so crazy wanting to stump all over GrandMa - wonderful they're all doing judo though. (or it could be some other wonderful combat sport ...?? ).
ReplyDeleteThey look delightful - while Aaron is special if he's the one keeping an eye on you and your blog ... love that - curiosity breeds learning.
The minions are amazing ... and so comfortable to wear - well they look it! You can't resist Devyn's smile - I agree there, as too Kymber with her hamster ... can't see what they're about myself - but good for her and the family ... lovely to see them all and for you to share them with us ... your DIL and son are doing a great job.
Happy New Year - cheers Hilary
Hi-ya, Hilary. I must admit, I was the one who instigated the header photo, but the kids had a lot of fun with it, the little goofballs. :)
DeleteHappy New Year to you, too! Cheers!
This made my heart smile. Thanks for sharing these photos of your beautiful grandchildren.
ReplyDeleteSuper. Everybody loves a happy heart. :)
DeleteNow he'll sure find himself with a google search. Fun pics indeed. The new header is a great one. Poor hamster better keep clear or he may be lunch haha
ReplyDeleteNot out growing minions isn't so bad as your growing is done, right? A stink free new year works for us, may need a bigger air freshner though.
Yeah, I'm thinking that hamster is gonna have to sleep with one eye open. He tried to "escape" when they put him in one of those exercise balls, but the dogs were never too far behind.
DeleteYou're right. We may need a reeeeally big air freshener to keep this year on the sweet side.
What fun, warm, and sweet photos these are. Looks like a wonderful time you are having with your family.
ReplyDeleteThanks. We had a super time!
DeleteHello, Aaron! Keep reading your grandma's blog, she has a lot to share and teach!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun blog, Susan, and so sweet of you to post such lovely photos. Much appreciated by a mother who will probably never be a grandmother! :)
Thanks. And hey! Never say never. It could happen...
DeleteCute pics, Susan! Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Happy New Year to you, too, Ian.
Deletefun and wonderful photos of kids.
ReplyDeletehave a great day
Thanks! You, too.
DeleteYou picked the right name for them, "The Cutie Crew". I hope Aaron enjoys finding his name via google now. I'm a Minions fan myself, I have a t-shirt with minions all over it and can you believe it was the ONLY clothing item I found in the whole city? Well, the parts of it I shop in anyway.
ReplyDeleteWow. I'm surprised you had any difficulty finding Minions merchandise. It's almost embarrassing how much Minions stuff we have around our house. I said "almost." It suits us!
DeleteNot sure what to think of this post, friend Sue as I do not believe in exposing my kids on the internet like that … hmmm? … as these days protection means everything. Sorry if I sound a bit harsh, but did you know, that certain hackers can see what's going on in your house via your smart tv, smart fridge, baby monitor, even your robo vacuum, and of course via your computer? Check it out and be careful, hmmm? Much love, cat.
ReplyDeleteLove your kidlets, friend Sue,really do … cat.
DeleteThanks so much for your concerns, sweet cat. The only "smart" things in our house are my hubby and me... and sometimes, that's debatable. :) There's no camera on my computer, and I don't even own a cellphone, let alone any of those other things. I don't doubt that anyone who wanted to could easily find my location and contact information, but I've never divulged the location of my children or their children. Their states, yes, but that's it. And I asked my kids a long time ago if they had any problem with me posting pics of their families, and they were all fine with it. They post far more pics on their Facebook pages. So it's all good.
DeleteThank you.
Those kiddles are all right. I didn't know my grandmothers very well, but thinking about an experience with my paternal grandmother always brings tears to my eyes. We were on vacation, which included a visit with my dad's parents. It was the only time we spent the night at their house. I was probably 10 years old and had to sleep with Grandma. I woke up early in the morning and she was stroking my hair and talking to me. It was such a strange and almost mystical experience to feel so loved and wanted.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I'm sorry you didn't know your grandmothers very well, but it's awesome that you have such a wonderful memory. It sounds like that was a bit of a magical moment for you... and I hope your memory of it always has the power to make you feel loved and wanted.
DeleteBeautiful family, Susan. You are truly fortunate. Glad to see Jon's book in good hands. The photos are full of joy, as you and Smarticus must also be. Thanks for sharing, and may you all have happiness and success in this new year.
ReplyDeleteThanks. We truly are fortunate. :)
DeleteHere's wishing much happiness, success, and good health to you and yours, too. It's gonna be a GREAT year, dammit! :)
Hi Susan, Love all the photos especially the one where your adorable grandkids are standing triumphant over you. You’re such a good sport! Aaron has gone from very cute to downright handsome at the tender age of eight. He also has wonderful taste in blogs. Sorry this is so long overdue, but Happy New Year to you and your wonderful family!
ReplyDeleteJulie
Hi-ya, Julie. I think of you often, so it's reeeeeally good to hear from you. :)
DeleteHappy New Year to you guys, too.
Greetings Susan. A happy New Year to you too. You have an adorable Family, looks like fun was had by all. How many Kids do you have? I have two and two Grandkids. A pleasant piece that I enjoyed reading. Loved the air fresheners at the ass of the reindeers! Ha. Blessings to you. Glad you had a fun Christmas and a blessed New Year. Love love, Andrew.
ReplyDeleteGreetings, Andrew. And a very Happy New Year to you, too.
DeleteThanks. We have three kids and thirteen grandchildren. Life's rewards for getting old. :)
Blessings back atcha.
Scrumptious! Happy new year and happy family time! Hope Aaron enjoys his new found fame :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks! :)
DeleteHappy New Year to you, too. May this be YOUR year.
What an amazing post from start to finish and in-between.
ReplyDeleteLovely to see all of your photographs.
You have a wonderful family.
My good wishes for a fabulous 2019.
All the best Jan
Thank you so much. I don't post pics of our family very often, so when I do, I worry that I'm boring everyone. :)
DeleteAnd a fabulous 2019 to you, too! All the best back atcha.
You have a fabulous family! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks. I'm kinda crazy about them myself... :)
DeleteFinally catching up with you! I must say, I'm kinda impressed with an 8-year old who Googles his name...
ReplyDeleteYou are a cool grandma, writing a whole post for him!
Googling his name is only the tip of the iceberg. He's scary smart.
DeleteThanks. I betcha you'll be a cool grandma, too. :)