Library and Lunch

You have to make a choice.

"How do you propose to get that into my mouth?"

"You have got to be kidding!"

"Are you sure it's non-GMO?"

He's got the whole world in his hands.

It was interesting to watch Seth discover the properties of a ball.

He learned if he used his hands he could make it roll.

But the experience is not complete unless you do a taste test.

Grampa and Nolan took a class at the lbirary on shapes.

Nolan loves legos, so he knew this was a great place.

When it was time to go to the head of the class with his shape,

Nolan hesitated.

Perhaps he just didn't want to give back his shape.

Scissors mean fun to Nolan.

And you didn't even have to go potty to get stickers at the library.

"I wonder how to get the orange beads off of this."

"Grampa said to open wide and take a drink."

"I have to work fast.  It's all going down the hole.:"

"Can I take my nap here, today?'

Nolan Stories

When Grampa and Nolan arrived at the library,
Nolan was speaking loudly, because he was excited about their field trip.
Grampa shushed him and explained they had to be quiet in the library.
Nolan put his finger to his lips and quietly asked, "Babies?"


After their class, Grampa thought Nolan would enjoy picking a book
for Grampa to read to him.
After book #5, Grampa decided to take a short cut and describe what was in the pictures.
Nolan noticed and said, "Grampa, read words."

On the way home, Grampa managed to find a Wendy's to stop at.

He pulled through the drive-up, got his order 

and set it on the passenger's seat to eat at home.

Nolan called from the back seat, "Eat!"

Grampa asked, "What do you think is in the bag?"

"Fries," he answered.

He knows Grampa so well.

Seth pulled himself up to standing position at the ottoman.

I told Grampa to take a picture.

He said, "I can't.  I have to save him."

Seth just got up and did it again.

Seth likes to play near his big brother.

We've been trhing to explain to Nolan,

if Seth screams or cries, it means he doesn't like what you're doing.

News from the California Gentlemen

Curly hair requires special techniques.

Believe me, I know.

There are mice in the woods.

I can't imagine what flavor this is, but I know it's not chocolate.

Sand at the Park and the Shore

Seth enjoys exploring his toys.

Nolan loves Grampa's car.

Someday he wants to drive it.

He  doesn't seem to mind that it doesn't have air conditioning.

He's happy the muffler and tail pipe are attached.

Seth can sit up with just a little support.

It won't be long before he sits solo.

Seth discovered Piggie.

He likes soft things.

It's easy to motivate Seth to crawl.

He just discovered Mousie!

Nolan calls Grampa.  They discuss the plans for the day.

I'm sure they include a park.

Another new park for Nolan and Grampa.

Nolan prefers to use his binoculars backwards.

He can see more that way.

Nolan and Grampa repeated this at least 15 times.

Nolan Stories

Nolan was having dinner at home, but just didn't feel like eating.

He was offered something else, just in case he wasn't hungry for what was served.

Nolan declined, and it was explained, "That's fine, but then you can't have dessert."

Nolan considered and asked if sauce (Gramma's homemade applesauce) would be okay.

They explained that it would not.

Then he fearfully asked if fries were on the forbidden list.

They were.

With his last hope, he pitifully asked, "Bacon?"

In the Goedken family, bacon rates with dessert.

At our house, Grampa noticed that the light was on in the dining room hutch.

It has a floor switch, you step on.

Grampa asked Nolan who turned the light on.

Nolan said, "Nolan did."

Grampa then went to turn it off,

to which Nolan pointed out, "It's dark," and turned it back on.

Seeing the light, Grampa bent to Nolan's wisdom.

News from the California Gentlemen

I can feel the sand between my toes.

I can feel the cool breeze,

and the warmth of your smiles.

I can hear the ocean,

And your laughter.

The twinkle in your eyes lifts my soul.

Sit Up and Take Notice

Seth is sitting solo.

He thinks he's playing like "big brother."

This is his new favorite toy.

It's a little mini drum.

It used to be Nathan's favorite.

Nolan now enjoys this on a new level.

He likes to manipulate the devices, as well as the beads.

How to know Nolan needs to go potty.

"If I can't see you, you can't see me.

It sure is hard to get privacy in Gramma's house."

"Is this that song Gramma keeps singing to me?"

"If only there were water in here."

"I found a short cut."

Grampa searched online for a new park to explore.

Nolan appreciated his efforts,

and the snack he brought along.

Grampa and Nolan created a Lego-mobile.

Nolan checks out whether the binoculars on his emergency vehicle work.

Rebecca texted her father with this photo...

"Is this something I need?"

(The photo is of her muffler and exhaust pipe sitting on her passenger's seat.)

Terry's response, "Have you already passed your emission test?"

News from the California Gentlemen

Andrew is learning to sight read the music with the app Piano Maestro.

It's the only music reading app that works with an acoustic instrument.

Grampa and I watch them over and over, waiting for what we know comes at the end.

Nathan uses it, too.

All children should be this excited by music.

Even Bogie is excited about their progress.

From the Shores of Michigan Back to the Waterpark/Milikan Mustangs

They have some unusual homes in Michigan.

Notice the location of the garage.

We never saw two alike.

This was the home of one of the town's founders.

It is now a funeral home.
I've decided to have a destination funeral.

Rain had been predicted, but the weather was beautiful.

We should have ordered a case of this.

We didn't want any tobacco, though.

Driving up the west side of the peninsula.

That's Traverse Bay in the distance.

It's like Ireland with vineyards.

The grape vines are bushier than any I've seen before.

They should be ready to pick in October.

The roses at the end of the rows are to alert them if there's a problem.

The roses will be affected before the vines.

They were pressing cherries, instead of grapes the day we were there.

This is the former asylum in Traverse City.

It is now shops, restaurants and condos.

Quilt on display that I really liked.

We thought the barred doors were left over from the Michigan asylum,

but they actually are new and put there as storage for the shops.

They are renovating the chapel on the top floor.

The asylum had electricity before the city did.

It would be a lovely place for my next wedding.

Eating at the Italian restaurant, Trattoria Stella, in the basement of the asylum.

Lake Michigan from the Leelanau Peninsula.

Sleeping Bear Dunes.  He didn't wake up while we were there.

Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive

My first panoramic picture with my new camera.

It was worth the trip.

The fee for rescuing you, when you are unable to climb back up the dunes,

is a minimum of $500.

None of us risked the fine.

This reminded me of the Cliffs of Mohr.

Even the anthills were as big as dunes.

The site of our picnic lunch near Lake Michigan.

We bought a picnic lunch, had wine and split one cookie four ways,

because that was all Terry would buy.

It was a big cookie.

Just another gorgeous view.

Don't bother looking for us.

We are not climbing up this hill, either.

We did get out of the car, though.

A volunteer blacksmith in Glen Haven.  

He made a candle holder and a ladle, while we watched.

American Pickers would love this gas pump.

Light from the lighthouse.

We visited the boat museum.

We stayed at the Oviatt House; a bed and breakfast gift from our children.  

Frannie was a wonderful host.

She had been a Suzuki violin teacher.

Her son was getting married the day after we left.

We got to meet the whole family, plus the bride and groom.

We had wanted to take Nolan back to the waterpark,

but the week Kevin and Aneisha came the pool opened late, 

because the temperature was 69 degrees and they don't open unless it's 70 degrees.

We couldn't wait, because Grampa needs his nap at 1:00 P.M.

So, we decided to take him when we got back.

Nolan is getting more comfortable in the water.

The Lazy River is starting to take on a little steam.

Nolan still wanted to do the big boys' water slide, 

but was willing to try out the big pool.

He liked trying on the vest.

But he didn't like how it made it difficult to keep his feet on the bottom.

But the pipes and valves speak to Nolan's heart.

So he traded his vest in for Grampa as his life saver.

News from the California Gentlemen

Two new students at Milikan School.

They are the Milikan Mustangs.

Their Auntie Becca and Uncle Matt were Mundelein Mustangs.

A piano teacher's dream is a student who likes to practice.

Nathan just practiced his tenth song for the day.

And the smile says he knows success.

Gramma knows the fun of crossing things off a list.

Sometimes she puts them on the list, just to cross them off.

Andrew demonstrates for Gramma his knowledge of lines and spaces,

and the bass and treble clef.

Every week we explore music together, 2000 miles apart.

And it's the best part of my week.

A Game of Mousie and Piggies

by Gramma

(The way to play the game)

Mousie can move by step to a diagonal brown square.

He can go back and forth.

Piggies can only move forward.

If Mousie makes it to the other side,

Moussie wins.

If the Piggies trap Mousie, so he cannot move,

Piggies win.

In this game, the Piggies won.

Mousie cannot move to a new brown square.

He is stuck!

In this game, Mousie won.

He made it all the way across without getting trapped.

The poor Piggies, had to keep on going forward.