Tada!

Using the cherry chomper is a process.

First you remove the stem.

Then you feed the cherry to the cherry chomper.

Then you push down as hard as you can,

and watch the pit fall into his tummy.

Next you eat the cherry.

Finally, you wipe off the cherry juice from your chin.

"Tada!"

Nolan loves doing it so much,

he ate a whole bowl of cherries.

Our first duo walk.

Seth did not make it back conscious.

Nolan pretended he was asleep, too.

Grampa doesn't let Nolan change activities without cleaning up.

But he makes it fun by being creative.

Here the goat begs to get into the bucket with his friends.

Even clean up is fun with Grampa.

When Gramma suggests clean up, 

Nolan watches as I work.

Eventually, they all become more like their Gramma.

Nolan selected these shoes himself.

He coordinated so well with his orange t-shirt and orange jacket.

He selected those, as well.

It looks like the black piano keys on the bottom of his shoes.

They don't light up or play music.

But they are REALLY orange.

This is Nolan doing his own time-out.

He wants a break from Gramma's camera.

Nolan can open the door to go out

and open the door to come in.

King of the hill on Gramma's rocks.

Can you remember where we put Seth?

Happy Anniversary Matt and Megan!

The California Gentlemen

My students practice their songs with their eyes closed

to make them think how the intervals feel.

Using a witch's hat to blindfold yourself is the most unique idea for doing this.

I'm learning from my California students.

And every student should have a Bogie to practice with.

My pug used to lay across my feet, when I practiced.

It made pedaling a little difficult.

The boys will be coming to Chicago for piano camp soon.

Mousie and Piggie Pack for PIano Camp

by Gramma

Piggie and Mousie are packing bags to go to Gramma Mousie's and Grampa Piggie's piano camp.  They will fly in a plane to go to piano camp.  It takes a long time to get there.  They will have fun at piano camp.

Mousie said, "I will pack my swim trunks.  It will be fun to play in the water at piano camp.  We cannot play piano all the time.  We play better when we have time to play in the sun, too."

Piggie said, "I am going to walk in the woods and go to a farm.  I will pack pants to go to the farm.  I will see chickens on the farm.  I will see the chickens' eggs.  The chickens have white and brown eggs."

Mousie and Piggie will play lots of music at piano camp.  They will play duets.  It takes two pals to play duets.  Piggie and Mousie are two pals.  They can do duets.

"I hope Grampa PIggie bakes cookies.  I like his cookies.  If he bakes cookies for me, I will need a glass of milk," said Mousie.

"I like Gramma Mousie's pancakes.  She puts apples in her pancakes.  They will be yummy,  I will need some syrup for my pancake.  I like maple syrup best." said Piggie.  

Work and Play Are Two Sides of the Same Coin

"This is Auntie Becca's favorite shirt on me.

I wonder why?"

Grampa and Nolan have already watered the flowers.  

Nolan loves doing this job.

Nolan was trying to shake out his broom, 

after seeing Grampa shake out his dust mop.

Grampa found a new treat for Nolan to enjoy for snack.

Nolan thought it was absolutely wonderful.

He's looking inside the package to see if there's anymore he may have missed.

There's not even a crumb left, but I didn't think he would be willing to take my word for it.

Nolan and Grampa were playing in the basement with Nolan's toy tools.

When they were finished, Grampa suggested they put away their tools.

Nolan picked up his tools and headed for Grampa's workroom.

He put his tools on the shelf next to Grampa's.  

He discovered a few of Grampa's tools he liked;

the vices, pieces of wood and a metal tape measure.

Here he's measuring Seth's foot size.

Grampa's shoe is a foot.

Today we tried sponge painting.

Nolan prefers brushes.  

He doesn't like his fingers messy.

Nolan develops a new brush style.

I think it's similar to Monet's.

Nolan asked for popcorn, as a treat.

Grampa asked him how many he wanted.

He started with "one."

The next time he said, "three."

Then Grampa asked, "Do you need lots?"

Nolan responded, "Lots, please," and was really happy with the results.

Then we could hear him quietly practicing, "Lots, please.  Lots, please."

Mousie and Piggie tell MG Stories

by Gramma

Grampa Piggie had a red MG.  It was four inches above the street.  If it snowed more than four inches, the car had to push the snow or it did not go. The car took a lot of Grampa Piggie's time.  He had to fix his car lots of times.  But he got good at it.  He liked to ride in his car with the top down.

Mousie and Piggie like MGs, just like Grampa Piggie.  MGs are fun cars.  There were a lot of MGs down the street.  Mousie and Piggie liked all of them.

Once Gramma Mousie was driving the MG to church on Sunday.  She had to play the organ at church.  As she came to the red light, the car did not stop.  She had to turn left, but there was a green car in the way.  She missed hitting the green car and made her turn.  She was still far from church, so she kept going.  She did not want to walk to church.  She went slow and hoped the car would stop when she got to the church.  There was a swimming pool by the church.  She turned the car into the parking lot of the swimming pool.  She went up the driveway slow and stopped in a parking spot.  She walked from there to the church.  She was on time for church.  

When she called Grampa Piggie and told him his MG did not stop, he asked, "Is my car ok?"  Gramma Mousie did not know why he did not ask, "Are you okay?"  Grampa Piggie said he knew that Gramma Mousie was okay.  He was talking to her.

One Sunday, Gramma Mousie and Grampa Piggie had two kids visiting their three kids.  Five kids in all.  Gramma Mousie left to go to church and Grampa Piggie was going to come with the five kids.  When Grampa Piggie opened the door he saw that Gramma Mousie had taken the big car.  He had five kids and his little red MG.  He put the five kids into his little red MG and drove to church.  It was a good thing he had little kids.  It was a good thing that this time the little MG stopped.

Mothers and Children

I have big brother's shoes to fill.

He has style.

I think I want to be a car washer when I grow up.

If I do a good job on the hub caps, 

maybe Grampa will hire me again.

Is this a little like being a firefighter?

Hurry, Grampa, get to the "Fee-fie-fo-fum" part.

We were having dinner at Matt and Megan's to celebrate Mothers' Day.

Nolan was enjoying going out onto the deck.  

Daddy told him he could not keep opening and shutting the screen door.

Nolan, being two, had to see; what happens if I do.

Daddy explained he was going to have a time out.

Nolan was horrified, but Daddy picked him up and assured him, 

"It will be hard, but you'll be able to try again."

And then he held Nolan for his time out.

When it was over Daddy asked if he would like to try again.

Nolan said, "Yes," and confidently went back outside.

This is a timeout that actually works.

I'm concentrating on my nap.

A mother's dream becomes a reality in her children.

It's so beautiful to watch your children parent.

The patience, the time invested, the support, creativity and compassion

demonstrate a love that is the model for future generations.

News from the California Gentlemen

Happy Mother's Day, Gramma Mousie!

I was able to teach a piano lesson to the boys online for Mother's Day.

There is nothing as precious as the mind of a child.

And to be able to imprint on their heart the desire to learn

is a gift to the one who gives and the one who receives.

We both achieve our purpose.

Abraham Lincoln said, 

"Teach the children, so it will not be necessary to teach the adults."

Three Little Piggies

 by Gramma

Once upon a time, there were three little piggies.  As they got bigger, Mommy Piggie said, "It is time for you to have a house of your own.  The piggies packed their bags and put them on their piggie backs.  They went off to make a house to live in.

The first little piggie made a house of straw.  He said, "This is a good house for me.  I will feel the wind in my straw house when it is hot.  I will be happy here."

The second little piggie made a house of wood.  He said, "This is a good house for me.  I will paint my house yellow with a red door and it will look good that way.  I will be happy in my house."

The third little piggie made a house of bricks.  The bricks were big and it took a long time to make, but he was happy with his strong brick house.  "This is a good house for me.  I like the fireplace in my house."

Along came the wolf.  He saw the first piggie's house made of straw.  He called to the first piggie and said, "Little piggie, little piggie, let me come in."  The first piggie said, "Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin."  The wolf said, "Then I will huff and puff and blow your house down."  And the wolf huffed and he puffed and blew the house down.  The first piggie ran fast to his brother's house.

The wolf ran after him and saw the second piggie's house.  He called to the second piggie and said, "Little piggie, little piggie, let me come in."  The second piggie said, "Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin."  The wolf said, "Then I will huff and puff and blow your house down."  And the wolf huffed and he puffed and blew the house down.  The two little piggies ran fast to their brother's house.

The wolf ran after them and saw the third piggie's house.  He called to the third piggie and said, "Little piggie, little piggie, let me come in."  The third little piggie said, "Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin."  The wolf said, "Then I will huff and puff and blow your house down."  And the wolf huffed and he puffed, but the third piggie's house was still standing tall.  So the wolf huffed and puffed again.  But the house was still standing tall.

The wolf looked up at the roof and saw the chimney.  He went up the side of the house and got onto the roof.  He looked down the chimney and said, "Little piggie, little piggie I am going to come in and eat you and your brothers up."  The piggies made a fire in the fireplace and put a big, black pot of water on it.  The water got very hot.  When the wolf came down the chimney, he fell into the pot of hot water.  

The piggies had wolf stew for dinner that day.

Spring Is In the Air

I thought it would be interesting to see what Nolan would do with aluminum foil.

He immediately went to his kitchen, wrapped a few plastic buns and put them in his oven.

They must be done.

As free as the wind blows and the grass grows.

It's a little too cool to go outside with the clothes Daddy brought.

Being innovative, Grampa put a spare pair of pajamas we keep at our house, 

underneath Nolan's clothes.

Then added a hat.

It was funny to put his doggy pajama feet into his shoes.

Our boy is ready to go.

Seth enjoys the boy in the mirror.

They see "eye to eye."

Seth is such a happy boy.  He loves to communicate with you.

He uses his eyes, instead of words.

Grampa's work is never done.

The first step is to figure out what the problem is.

When the igniter on the grill doesn't work, it needs replacing.

I thought we could just use a lighter to start it.

When stones come loose on the house,they need to be cemented back in.

Grampa should consider joining the Mason's.

His masonry skills are improving.

News from the California Gentlemen

Flowers for their teachers.

God bless all Sunday school teachers.

They bring God to the children, and the children to God.

Mousie and Piggie Play Hide and Seek

by Gramma

Can you find Piggie and Mousie?

They are hiding.

Here is a hint.  

Some of the blossoms do not look like the others.

They are taking time out for a dip in the fountain.

But where is the water?

They are not sitting at the table.

I wonder where they can be.

Did the mail car come yet?

Trees make good hiding spots,

if the birds do not get there first.