What to do on a rainy Saturday in August...
Larry/Dad/Gpappy and I were invited to play with Miles and Westy yesterday while Annie and Tanner took a trip to Rochester to shop. Miles phoned me the night before to let me know he still wasn't feeling so well, but that he'd be better by the time we came to see him. He also had plans for us to go to the Otown library, since it was going to rain on Saturday.
Miles was feeling better when we arrived, and Westy was ready for anything (as usual!). Gpappy and Miles got busy making a Lego platform for Miles' mini monster trucks.
Westy took advantage of Gpappy lying on the floor to climb aboard for a ride.
After Westy dismounted his horsie, it was time for naps. A rainy day encourages sleeping, apparently, because Westy conked out immediately in his crib. Grandpappy dozed off in the living room, and I couldn't keep my eyes open after reading to Miles. It felt like we were in The Napping House, Owatonna version.
When everyone was alert enough to drive, we set off for the library. We asked Miles if he knew how to get there. "Sure. Just go down the hill, turn, and then turn again. It's right there. It's right behind the post office. The building with the brown roof." Sure enough, that's just how you get there!
On the way, I decided to attempt a mirror photo. Miles was skeptical. He said I'd probably only get a picture of myself taking a picture. He was partly right on that one. Westy was indifferent to the whole thing.
It was sprinkling gently as we pulled into the Otown library parking lot. Miles and Westy skipped their way to the door, singing "It's raining, it's pouring, rain rain, go away, come again some other day!" When we entered the children's library, the librarian greeted Westy and Miles by name. She happens to be a neighbor of M and W. Later, on our way home, Miles showed us where she lives. We had fun inside the library playing with computers, a giant wooden doll house, the cute carts kids can use to collect books they've selected, and a big stuffed horsie that Westy is in love with.
We left just before the library closed, took a tour of where Patty the librarian lives, and then had supper. There was more conversation than food consumption, since Miles had a lot of stories to tell, including one about a friend's glass patio table being lifted off the deck by a strong wind and crashing to smithereens in the grass below. True story, it turns out. And it gave Dad/Gpappy/Larry the opportunity to share a similar story about a glass table shattering in the swimming pool where he worked as a teenager. He and another lifeguard had to get the glass out of the pool by hand and with a pool vac. This on a salary of $1.25 an hour!
Annie and Tanner returned shortly after supper, we chatted a while, then headed for home. Nice day with two happy and playful boys.
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Two stories to tell about Miles...
As many of you know, Miles is going to be in Uncle Will and Anne's wedding next weekend. Here's what we learned from Miles about that whole thing:
(Miles #1) "I'm going to be the ring "bear" and I'm going wear a tuxedo. I have to lead Westy down the aisle so he knows where to go. I'll be carrying the rings so I can show them to the people when we walk down the aisle."
And for those of you who aren't aware of it, Anne is almost a member of the family. Only after she and Uncle Will are official can she be referred to as "Auntie Anne."
(Miles #2) The tv was on a news channel, and of course the story of the afternoon was the death of Neil Armstrong. Miles noticed the photos being flashed on screen and pointed out that "Those guys are astronauts." So we told him about Neil Armstrong walking on the moon, and that he died today. That opened up a flood of questions, and some very sweet comments. I think this one is worthy of a headline: "Neil Armstrong was our friend in space."
That comment was followed by, "Now he's in heaven. He went right through space to heaven. Did you know heaven is above space? He's with Putter and Grandpa Charlie in heaven."
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Two stories to tell about Miles...
As many of you know, Miles is going to be in Uncle Will and Anne's wedding next weekend. Here's what we learned from Miles about that whole thing:
(Miles #1) "I'm going to be the ring "bear" and I'm going wear a tuxedo. I have to lead Westy down the aisle so he knows where to go. I'll be carrying the rings so I can show them to the people when we walk down the aisle."
And for those of you who aren't aware of it, Anne is almost a member of the family. Only after she and Uncle Will are official can she be referred to as "Auntie Anne."
(Miles #2) The tv was on a news channel, and of course the story of the afternoon was the death of Neil Armstrong. Miles noticed the photos being flashed on screen and pointed out that "Those guys are astronauts." So we told him about Neil Armstrong walking on the moon, and that he died today. That opened up a flood of questions, and some very sweet comments. I think this one is worthy of a headline: "Neil Armstrong was our friend in space."
That comment was followed by, "Now he's in heaven. He went right through space to heaven. Did you know heaven is above space? He's with Putter and Grandpa Charlie in heaven."
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To report other family happenings, I had to pilfer these pictures so I'd have them on record. Thanks to Elisabeth and Angie for sending the photos--I hope you don't mind that I used them on my blog.
Congratulations to Hannah on her graduation from SFFA! We're so proud of you, and we can't wait to hear about KINDERGARTEN, which starts on Wednesday!! I'm sorry, Hannah, but it makes me cry whenever I think about you starting school. How can you be 5 already??
Thank goodness these two critters have a couple of years before going to kindergarten! Ethan and Owen looked perfectly comfortable sporting water safety gear while spending a few days at the lake with their mommy, Grandpa Dean, and Grandma Dar.
This morning Gpappy/Dad/Larry and I walked around the GAC campus with the mission of looking at the progress on the timeline walk near the chapel. Interesting idea, but the jury is still out on the tornado sculpture. I'll take pictures next time.
