FALLING LEAVES, BUSY BEES

Autumn....the very best thing I like about it is that Gabi was born in early Autumn....September 20. Hard as it is to believe, she turned seven years old this year.
It seems like only yesterday that the little bundle with the great big eyes came to stay at my house while her parents worked. I loved watching her grow, loved being there for her everyday. I saw her first smile, the first time she rolled over, her turtle crawl, the first step she ever took. When she said Mimi, my eyes filled with tears.
Now she is seven, way too big for me to comb her hair, or help her
pick out her clothes. I want to
read to her and she would rather read to me. She struggled forever to learn her alphabet and now she is writing little books.
In short, she is growing up way to quickly and I miss her sitting on my lap. But, the last time she tried, I yelled "uncle" and had her get off....she is way too big for my lap anymore!! Pretty soon, it will be easier for me to sit on hers.
"I love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
For ever and ever, my Gabi you'll
be....." (from I love you Forever)

All is not lost, however, as I still have two little ones who can sit on my lap, love to be read to, like to help me bake cookies, fold the wash cloths, play Dora games on the computer, and cuddle me close when I hug them really tightly.

This is Izi in her Apple dress. She loves the matching tights....the hat is from the play closet!

Her red cowboy boots top off the outfit! Can we all spell F-A-S-H-I-O-N-I-S-T-A?????

And then there is Dani....Eleven going on twenty. She is smart, talented and too cool to be kissed and hugged very often. When the kids play school, which is nearly every afternoon, she is always the teacher. So gifted in this area, I hope she wants to go to BSU and get her degree in early elementary education. If not, then something with the computer. She loves to make things with Print Shop and if my ink supply can hold out, I think we may have a graphic designer in the making!!!

Izi has been told she looks like Mimi so often that she wanted to try on my glasses one afternoon and see for herself. Actually, I only hope I was that cute when I was little. The quietest of the four grand kids, Izi is total sweetness. Give her a few good books (and READ them to her!), or some dolls that need haircuts or clothes changed, or a game on the computer that she can play and she is totally happy.

Alison is the youngest of the four grands. She lives in Noblesville with Kitty and Chris (daughter and SIL) and we are just nuts about her!! Alison is lively....very lively....and at nearly age 3 I can't believe how quickly the time has flown by since the day she was born!!

Alison talks better than any 3-year-old I have ever known. She remembers songs and the accompanying movements so quickly it amazes all of us. She has obviously been the recipient of a great amount of attention and love from her mama and daddy the past three years.

Now, Alison doesn't get to eat junk food very often, so when Dani, Gabi and Izi sent her a Halloween cupcake that they had made, she was in seventh heaven!!! This is before she started eating....after a few minutes, we headed to the bathtub!!!

Alison takes dance class at the Fishers YMCA. Grandpa and I went down to see her dance a couple of weeks back and she went over, picked up extra tambourines and wanted us to dance! We had a great time at Miss Kelly's Dance Class with all the little girls and their mama's. It has to be the happiest place on earth on Wednesday morning!!





Meanwhile, back at the Okie Dokie Ranch (Ryan's name for our home since he was a little kid), it was ginormous gobs of gooey, gushy pumpkin guts coming out on the table. The girls were either getting over influenza (Gabi) still in the throes of it (Izi had a 104 degree temp. a few hours after this pic was taken) or totally cured (see Dani's face). All three pumpkins were carved that night...masterpieces all!!

Grandparents Day was the last Tuesday in October. The girls had so much family there....Nana and Aunt Rhonda from their mom's side of the family, and Papaw, Mimi and my mom, Mimi BB (as the girls call her), from Ryan's. We think the girls are so lucky to have great-grandmothers. My mom is so active! She is 81, and I doubt if any of you would have ever guessed her to be this age!!! Proof that age is only as old as you make it! Mom thrives on being sixty most days!

G and her first grade teacher, Mrs. Wynn. Teachers are such a wonderful part of our children's lives. When Gabi's first report card ever came home, she had all A's and a wonderful note from Mrs. Wynn, calling her, in essence, the cheerleader of the classroom. That made Gabi, the typical middle child, simply glow. Mrs. Wynn, you may never read this but I want to thank you for such inspiring and encouraging words for her.

Dani's teacher is Mr. Mills. What is funny is that Mr. Mills was Ryan's 5th grade teacher 25 years ago! Mr. Mills is still a kid favorite. His classroom is filled with creepy crawlies, stuffed birds and animals of all species. Dani stays after school each Friday to clean out the turtle tank. As you may guess, if we had a turtle and the tank ever needed cleaning....Mimi would have to do it or kill the turtle!!!








Finally, this is the "end" of our little story, so I thought it only appropriate to take a picture of the "end" of our Alison as she leaves dance class!

Until the Thanksgiving issue, have a wonderful month, plan now for Turkey Day (we are seriously thinking of a Wii Tournament on Wednesday night for all the family) and we look forward to sharing our fun times with you soon!!!!