Thirteen!

We have another teenager  in the family!  TAFKAP turns 13 today.  It's seems like just yesterday he was getting off of the plane with his folks, and I gave him his first winter jacket!

On Easter we had cupcakes for dessert to celebrate the occasion, and for his birthday we gave him cash.  I made sure that he (a Viking fan) knew that the exact place this money came from.  It was handed to me from another Viking fan, who lost it to me in a bet between the Packers and the Vikings.

Two months before he was three.

Ten years ago Pablo celebrated his first birthday in this country, and with our family.  He was three.  That year I gave him a red trike.  He and Hannah had a good time with it!  He looked so cute in his little helmet.  (I can see him rolling his eyes at me if he reads this.) Those pictures are in a photo album, so I wont drag them out and show everyone. Today anyway..........

September 2014

He used to jump into my arms, then when he was a little older, and didn't want hugs and kisses I would tell him it was o.k.  I didn't want his gross kisses, and he would chase me down and give me a kiss on the cheek.  Now I can barely get a handshake.  I did get the handshake on his birthday, because I said "Shake it, or hug me, your choice."

Lately Paul has shown an interest in cooking, so I will have to have him out to cook me dinner!  He is allergic to Milkie, so that makes it difficult.  His folks have been here, but he hasn't actually been out to the house.  I think he would make a fortune in change if he came out with his metal detector!

I think it's his Dad's favorite picture!

No one would ever really send this sweet little boy back to Guatemala!  The jury is out on the teenager.......
 

 All joking aside, The Artist Formerly Known As Pablo is my favorite nephew!  Yes, I know, he is the only one I have.  You may not have been born a "Meys", but never doubt that you are ours.  A very loved and treasured part of this family.  What a blessing it was when you came home to us!  I still remember talking to you on the phone when Oma and Mama and Papa were with you in Guatemala. I couldn't understand most of your two year old jabber, but "Te Amo Tia" came across loud and clear.  You wouldn't allow any of us to speak Spanish to you after you arrived here, so I will say it in English.  I love you too, Paul.  ♥

Fly A Kite

I had to look back to see what Meys family Easter traditions I have already written about!  I have covered the family dessert  http://queenie930.blogspot.com/2012/04/lemon-torte.html , and the family good deed,  http://queenie930.blogspot.com/2014/04/angel-pie.html, but there is so much more!

Every year, as far back as my memory goes (which probably means 40 years ago) the Meys children received kites for Easter.  I have so many fond memories of flying kites with my Dad and my siblings, Mom rarely got involved in outdoor activities.  We would usually head out after dinner to the empty lot behind our house.  We had the best chance of getting away from power lines right there.

We left the house with three kites, but I'm sure we always lost at least one!  Trees, string snapping, power lines, you name it.  I think how you are going to lose the kite is half of the adventure of kite flying!

We really needed to keep our kites in tact, however, because at school (St. Francis Xavier) the next month, to celebrate the feast of the Assention, we always had a kite flying contest!  After going to mass, and enjoying a picnic, we had kite flying contests by grade for the rest of the afternoon.  Sitting in the warm sunshine on the small rise just behind the school, watching the kites soar above the big green field was magical.  As a youngster I'm sure I flew my kite when the weather actually permitted this outing, and I know that when I was in the upper grades I flew my kite, and found a younger kid to help in every other contest.

Having a brother come along when you are nine years old kind of extends childhood for older siblings, so the kite flying continued at Easter.  There was probably a span of five years where there were no kites at home, but by then I was a Childcare Teacher, and I definitely shared my love of kites with the kids!  We had a big field at the college that was perfect.

Then Ashlyn came along, and I'm sure by the time she was two there was a kite in her basket.  I have a cute picture of her around here somewhere wearing a rain coat and boots, with a big smile on her face and a kite in her hand.  The other kids in turn have gotten kites.  As I'm writing this I am realizing that out front here, over the farmers field is perfect! No trees, no lines, nothing but space to soar!  I'm thinking I will be picking up a few more kites to keep here!

This afternoon we will gather at my sisters house to celebrate Easter, and TAFKAP's birthday.  I hemmed and hawed about kites for the older two, so I sent Baby College Pig Nose a text:

Auntie: Are you, in fact, too old for a kite?

Ash:  No one is ever too old for a kite.

So there was my answer.  It's probably too windy to fly them today, but I'm sure Uncle Tom will convince at least one of them to try.  Anyway, I'm thinking a kite flying picnic/party will be the first order of summer around here!

HAPPY EASTER!

The Squirrel Dumplin' Gang Rides Again!

In my last blog about the Goovers I mentioned that the squirrels had gotten the suet out of the feeder again.  I had both sides secured, or so I thought, but those little buggers managed to wonk it around and get the whole cake to slide out.  Tater bravely ran out into the snow squall to save it, and I wrapped it up to use again once I figured out a plan.

I thought about stopping the suet altogether, because this is getting ridiculous, but Jack and the other blue jays, and Downy and Hairy, the woodpeckers, all eat at the suet feeder.  They have a harder time getting into the big feeder that is, in fact, squirrel proof.

So the following Tuesday I wired up both sides of the feeder as secure as I could possibly get them.  This is what happened.

Yes, they took the branch right off the tree.

So, that feeder went in the trash, Freaking squirrels!!  I had one more idea, so I got the green metal suet feeder, some thicker wire, and stood out in the below zero temps tying it right to the trunk of the tree.  Chew that off, I dare you!!

So there!

You open this feeder on the top to fill it, and I have that part wired shut also.  I learned that lesson last year.  This contraption has been up successfully for two weeks now, and I have stopped filling the easy feeder down in the valley.  The Squirrel Dumplin' Gang seems to have moved on, except for a couple of little red squirrel.  They are able to eat successfully from the suet feeder, which is fine.  As long as they are playing nice, and are willing to share with the rest of my Menagerie, they are welcome.  If not............ TAFKAP is looking for some target practice.

My Goover Valentines

A few weeks ago The Goovers came over and spent a Saturday night.  It was really too cold to do much outside, and the snow had gone away on the sliding hill, but we still managed to work out a new sliding spot, and have some fun walking on the frozen creek.

Goovers on Miller Creek

We also had a few concerts,  because Hannah has learned how to play the recorder!  There's Caitlin, helping me to whip up a batch of sugar cookies.  She is definitely my kitchen helper!  I also introduced the Goovers to Trivial Pursuit.  Hannah and I had a good time challenging each other.  She could have been my partner the second round after dinner, but decided to go against me and team up with her Uncle Brown Eyes, who promptly ditched her by falling asleep on the couch.  Then I played for both teams, but Caitibug and I still won!

Can't wait til she knows more than three tunes!

Poor Tater, she really loves to be outside at our place, but the weather just didn't cooperate with her. True to form, she made the most of it, and in the middle of a snow squall, with temps around zero Sunday morning, she ran out there with Jake to chase away the Squirrel Dumplin' Gang, and retrieve the suet they had gotten out of the feeder........again.

Smile!

The girls helped me make my Mom's frosting, and then sat down and decorated cookies for our dessert, and to take home.  We used the same rolling pin, cookie cutters, and recipe that my Mom used when I was a little girl.  Earlier in the afternoon while at the store the Goovers each got to pick out a cookie cutter to add to the collection too.

Cookies!

After dinner we each had our own large heart cookie.  Two guesses who got the one with the word LOVE on it.  (How does he rate anyway?)  Later in the evening we shared a classic Disney favorite from our childhood with them, The Rescuers!  I wasn't sure if it would translate to this generation, but it did.  They loved it, and we loved seeing it again!

Kindness

My Mother used to say the old "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."  I prefer, "Be kind, or be quiet."  The message is still pretty much the same.

I started to post a status on Facebook, and then realized I had too much to say for that little space.  So the rant shall be here in the blog, where it belongs.

Apparently this is "Random Acts of Kindness" week.  Ok, I get that, for things that go a little above and beyond the norm.  "The Internet", because I don't know who exactly to pin it on, has decided that we should have little reminders each day of a specific act of kindness.  Ok......

My issue?  SWEET BABY CHEEZITS!  Where to begin.

I went to Walmart today, and although I was in an extreme hurry, there were enough random "please, thank you, excuse me, and have a nice day's" to make me pause and inwardly comment on how odd it was.  As a society we (I am going to exclude myself here, because my Mama didn't raise one rude child.  We all know and use our manners, thank you very much.) just don't use manners, or little niceties as a general rule anymore.  I can't tell you how many times I go to the drive though at the bank, say thank you, and have the screen go blank.  That does get a loud "your welcome" from me, on the off chance anyone can hear me. ;)

Today's "random act of kindness" is to use please and thank you.

What does it say about our society when we have to be reminded to use our manners?  Most of us, at least if you are over thirty, were taught by the age of two that you needed them to get what you wanted in this world.  Period.  If you are under thirty, well..... maybe not so much.  Don't forget, I have been helping to raise other people's kids since about that time.  In many cases I (underlined three times) was the one who taught them manners, so at least they learned that away from home please and thank you were expected, and in my classroom, required.  Required from everyone, including myself, and any other staff in there.

Lack of manners is just plain disrespectful, and THAT is what's wrong.  If you have respect for your fellow man, you don't have to be reminded to be kind, or polite.  Yes, respect is earned, but it also has to be taught.  Thankfully that seems to be changing.

Now while this rant was forming in my head I thought, "Alright now, aren't you being a little hypocritical with your "Thirty days of Thankful"?  Eh?  Upon further review, it's apples and oranges.  Yes, you should be thankful, but that usually doesn't involve anyone else but you. You're just too wrapped up in yourself to appreciate things.  Being unkind, in any form, certainly does involve others.

Am I always kind?  *sigh*  Nope.  Not many people can manage that one 24/7.  However, I am very rarely deliberately unkind.  I am, without fail, polite.  Whoever you are, whatever you've done, rudeness is unacceptable.  That goes two ways, however, and that's where I have trouble.  If you are disrespectful to me or mine, I make no promises.  I might forget and ask "Just who exactly do you think you are?" accompanied by my death stare, so I will usually remove myself from the situation.  I can't trust my mouth, so I use my feet. (or my Ruthie smile)

Thank you for reading, please come again.  The squirrels have been in fine form........

Have a nice day!   (insert Ruthie smile here)