Lots of pictures

Of the 500 or so photos taken over nearly a week with visitors here from Owatonna, Richfield, and Chapel Hill (not including those on Annie/Tanner's camera, which I haven't seen yet), I'm curious as to which ones will get picked for display on various family blogs. I checked to see if Angie, Charlie, or Annie had posted any photos yet. They haven't, so I get the first pick!

Everyone read to nearly everyone else... here Uncle Evan is reading a book about a girl named Hannah!
Owen, Ethan, & Gma Jill enjoyed hearing Mommy Angie read a story. Ethan's expression reflects his concern that the little mouse named Owen is being pressured to give up his security blanket.

Hannah & Miles learn about Minnesota winter from Mommy/Auntie Beesie.
Hannah & GGpa Charlie are "reading" the photo calendar GGpa received as a gift from Hannah, Miles, Ethan, & Owen.

A good deal of cuddling of babies took place, too...

We generally try to get some manual labor out of our guests. Angie wrangled the snowblower...
...while Tanner and Elisabeth removed snow the old-fashioned way.

Meanwhile, Annie got stuck in the snow over
by Mary and Darrel's house, and needed to be dug out.

Inside where it was warm, babies needed
feeding, and everyone pitched in...

The toddlers played with the toy kitchen, making
hot coffee and hamburger sandwiches with syrup...

And of course the Christmas holiday at our house wouldn't be complete without Evan lighting Hanukkah candles. We look forward to it every year. Hannah taught us the name of the candle that is used to light the other candles: the Shamash candle.

Here is the saddest picture of the week--Ethan, surrounded by gifts, alone in his Bumbo, waiting for his parents, cousins, aunties, uncles, and grandparents to let him open JUST ONE present. Let's get this party started!

The most exciting picture-taking event each visit is the Cousin Line-Up. We tried it first in July, with hilarious success, and again in October. This time there were two Cousin Line-Up photo shoots. It's nearly impossible to pick from the dozen or more shots of each set. So, dear family members, if you have other choices to put on your blogs, even better. I found it nearly impossible to pick these!

Cousins in their Christmas monkey pj's...

Zebras and giraffes and cousins... OH MY!

Everyone has gone home as of today, and as I've lamented before, the house is TOOOOO QUIIIIIEEEET without toddlers and babies filling the air with their giggles, squeals, chatter, and occasional cries. Fortunately, I captured some of the noise and fun on video, which will be posted on Youtube.

We love you all... come back soon!

Christmas + One

It's December 26th; another Christmas holiday here and gone. No news other than it's great to have had everyone at home the last few days. There will be some comings and goings through Tuesday, and then the after-frenzy hush will fall once more. I'm not ready for quiet yet, and here are some of the reasons why
not:

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is here, along with a snowy landscape and tolerable temperatures. More snow is on the way, or at least it better be with all the cancellations and rearrangments of family travel plans.

Elisabeth, Evan, & Hannah are here; so are Charlie, Angie, Ethan, & Owen. Annie, Tanner, & Miles are having a Grimmius family Christmas Eve at Grandpa Dave/Grandma Doreen's. They came over for a couple of hours this morning so Miles and Hannah could play with the kitchen set and also go out in the snow. Hannah was sad when Miles left, but he promised to come back tomorrow for a day of play, begging for snacks, and opening gifts.

Here are a few of today's highlights:

Hannah & Miles go sledding

Moms/Aunties and cousins
A reverse belly-flop by Annie
Meet the Dellons
The Grimmius TrioElisabeth and the three bears

Angie and Ethan-da-ManOwen and Charlie

Merry Christmas, everyone!

There's something about Betty

There's something about the name Betty...

Yesterday at Cub Foods, I helped a friendly mid-70's-something woman reach a box of angel food cake mix on a top shelf in the baking aisle. Betty could have gotten it herself with a bit of extra stretching, but I am used to performing community service for short people in grocery stores.

She had a choice of two brands of angel food cake, and said it didn't matter which one I grabbed for her, since she'd be tearing the cake into pieces anyway, and had I ever made the layered dessert that combined angel food cake pieces, Cool Whip, strawberries, etc.? Betty makes the dessert at Christmas time very year--her family's favorite. I told her I'd never thought of making it at Christmas time, as it seemed like a summer dessert to me, but then remembered the similarly-pink frozen cranberry dessert I crave during the holidays whether anyone else likes it or not.

That struck a chord with Betty, who proudly told me she makes the best cranberry salad of anyone she knows. Did I want the recipe? Not especially, but I didn't have the heart to say no thank you. I scratched it down on the back of my grocery list, where I found it this morning.

Meeting Betty started me thinking about Other Bettys I Have Known. Here are a few..

1. Teresa's friend Betty, of Betty and Tom, who lives up Church Street in Marci Baker's old house. Very nice person. So is Tom.

2. Betty Timm and Betty Zins, former Special Education teachers in the local school district.

3. Betty Borchardt, who is married to Bill. This Betty was my advisor at MSU when I went back to school for my elementary degree. I love Betty Borchardt. She helped me redistribute my previous college degree courses so I was able to cut down the time necessary to finish my degree. And, she's a great friend.

4. Betty Burke, who was married to Bill (not the same Bill as in #3, in case you're wondering). This Betty taught mostly 7th grade math at St. Peter Middle High School (that's what it says over the door). I don't know which was the greater burden for this Betty, her husband Bill or the effects of the end-of-the-day goat smell in her classroom after teaching an overload of 7th graders. Six sections of math a day x 30 students in a class = one powerful early adolescent odor. When it was Betty's turn to host an after school meeting of some sort in her classroom, the committee members opened the windows, and some of them even hung their heads outside to re-inflate their tortured nasal passages part way through the meeting. Betty never flinched. Her olfactory center had been destroyed years before.

There are other Bettys I could name, but that's enough for now. Back to Cub Foods Betty... here's her recipe. I asked her for her name so I could give her credit.

Betty's Best Cranberry Salad
(as told to me by Cub Foods Betty)

-lemon Jello
-1 cup sugar
-bag of fresh cranberries chopped in food processor
-Some pecans or walnuts, if you like nuts
-Oh yes, you make the Jello with one cup of water
-When it sets, cut into squares. Put some whipped cream on top.
-And there's celery in it, too. Chopped celery. Chop it really small.

I'd rewrite it so it is in "recipe format" but this is so much better. I mean, so much Betty-er. I'm not endorsing the recipe (although it's nearly identical to one my mom made) but I AM endorsing conversations with Bettys in grocery stores. It might brighten up your day like it did mine.

If you know a Betty, let me know about her!

The weekend

Nice weekend so far. Friday was Miles' holiday concert, with many of the toddlers at his daycare stunned by the turnout of parents, siblings, grandparents, and other fans of short kids singing short songs. Grandpa Dave and Annie were the official family photographers, so look toward Annie's blog for event photos (hint).

Yesterday we made ourselves useful by playing with Ethan and Owen while Angie and Charlie ventured out into the Saturday crowds to do some holiday shopping. Angie dropped the first load of bags and Charlie off at home in time for the U of Montana Griz game, and returned to the fray to shop some more.

We didn't have a real plan for the afternoon, other than a stop at Lowe's on the way home, so when the Griz game got danged exciting, we stayed to watch them win a nail-biter (for football fans, anyway). Uncle Don, if you read this blog (which I highly doubt, but who knows?) there were a lot of jokes made at your expense. We didn't see you or Janet in the crowd, but we know you were there.

Two playful boys, keeping themselves busy
with colorful gadgets.
Owen and Ethan, reading a book about a duck named Charlie.
One book wasn't enough. Owen grabbed
Jamberry so he could have his own reading material.

Reading and playing can tucker a couple of little guys out...

Owen prefers to hold his dooza
and use his thumb to help him off to Dreamland,

while Ethan is a dooza purist, as you can see here!

After a nap, it was playtime again!
Thanks for a fun afternoon, little boys!

Side-by-side-Skyping

Like, what's going on here?


Annie and Larry/Dad/Paco/Grandpappy tested Skype, and by gosh, it worked! The feedback echoes were a bit annoying, but it was worth the fun! (I just realized how geeky that seems!!!)

Wistful Miles

This morning Annie and Miles Skyped with Hannah, Evan, and Elisabeth.
Hannah was full of enthusiasm, anxious to show Miles her new backpack and to give him virtual kisses on the computer screen. Miles spent most of the time resting his chin on his hands, watching Hannah in awe.Chin-on-hands continued later in the morning, too, when Miles and Dad/Larry/Grandpappy shared a drawing lesson.

Happy Birthday, Annie!

Here are some of the shorter folks who came to celebrate Annie's 29th birthday today.

Ethan

Owen, with faux-hawk

Mr. Miles
Feeding frenzy

Babies with full tummies

The party crowd...

The birthday girl and her cute husband...

Happy Birthday, Annie! We love you!