Christmas Crafts and Bubble Baths

You know, sometimes in your life, certain things hit you hard in the heart and you know you're changed forever.  This past week-end that happened to me (us). 

We had the honor of watching three of our five grand kids for several nights while their parents went out of town.  What an initial whirlwind that was.........kids arrived with huge pieces of luggage, talking non-stop all the while, and the baby (who just learned to walk) grabbing goodies as fast as you could put one up.  I knew we were in for a "treat."

And that's exactly what we got...........once the initial hurricane settled into the eye of the storm, everything went smoothly.  The only time I really felt a bit of anxiety was at meal time, the baby would cling to my leg crying and hungry, Brady would TELL ME what HE wanted for dinner, Kiley would say, "Nana I'm really hungry."  Once the babe was strapped into his high chair with fresh fruit, things calmed...............I could then focus on the meal.  Mind you this was three times a day with snacks in between.  Aside from the starving lil' chicks, the time spent with them was fun.

Kiley and I made Christmas crafts for her "second" family (her biological father, his wife and their four kids).  I knew she was "stressing" over what to make them as they are kids that apparently are very "picky" about what they get for gifts.  After a small pep talk with Kiley about homemade gifts vs. store bought, she buckled down to make meaningful gifts for her siblings.  I have to tell you, she put her heart and soul into those gifts for her siblings. 

 I have "stuff", craft stuff...........in bags, in containers, in boxes, you name it, I have it.  She pulled everyone of those out to "design" her Christmas gifts.She embellished those crafts with paint, lace, ribbons, roses, and tacky glue.  She measured, cut, and painted those crafts into some of the cutest "shabby chic" lil' designs ever!  They turned out darling and she was soooo proud of her artistic work.  She made one sign, designed in a heart that said........"Every girl has a story to tell......"  Now she came up with that lil' saying on her own, I personally want her to do one for me that says.........."Every woman has a story to tell....."  She's a gifted, artistic child and I'm glad I was able to devote the time to her.I couldn't have spent the one-on-one time with her either if it hadn't been for "The Man" holding down the rest of the fort...........two boys bouncing off the walls!!! 

Now for those two boys...................wow!  They are a handful but oh so adorable.  If you are a woman who's never had the honor of having a son, you won't understand the following, plain and simple, you just "can't know."  Boys are a breed of their own, they wipe snot on their sleeves or the bottom of their shirts, they smell sweaty, they "fart" and think it's "so hilarious."  I mean, they are completely from another gene pool altogether....left side, right side brain....I don't know but they are certainly different than lil' girls.  These two lil' boys wanted to play outside (in 30-40 something F.), they wanted to dig in dirt, build mountains, paint on wood, saw wood, hammer and nail.......all I can say, "Thank GOD for "The Man."  He knows how to do this "boy thing" with the boys very well.  Chase (aka Coursey) I did indeed bundle up both days and let him check out the critters for about an hour.  He needed the fresh air, Vitamin D and I needed him to tucker himself out walking and navigating the ranch.  That he did, he took great naps for his Nana. 

"The Man" and his lil' buddy Brady (aka Bingo), had a hoopla of a time building bridges, tunnels, cabins, and lakes out of the left-over sand from the well drilling.  They made a city, actually "Bingo" called it his town in Alaska, it was so dubbed, "Alaska City."  After interminable hours outdoors, playing in sand and sweating, Nana called the boys in for baths.  I had absolutely NO problem getting those boys in for baths either as they love the new claw-foot tub(their deeper than modern day tubs).  Strip em' down, get em' naked and start the bubble bath...........easy as pie.Gettin' em out was the hard part!

What changed this Nana over the week-end?  I realize that life is short, grand kids grow up too fast, time spent one-on-one with each of them is precious beyond measure.  I cherish these days with my grand kids, they are truly the "light of my life."  I just HAPPEN to love kids, I like to tease the grand kids, I like to wrestle with the grand kids, give kisses and hugs to them............it makes you younger, lighter, the load less heavy.  Life is precious and grand kids are a treasure.

In denouement, "The Man" and myself were in bed by 8 p.m. Sunday evening, we were plum tuckered from playin' so hard with those kids..............and it felt GOOD!!!!! I think it was a week-end....... "Jesus approved."

NANA'S MUSSELS DI NAPOLI

A GRAND KIDS REQUEST RECIPE!

4# mussels

2 Cups white wine

1 cup salted butter

10 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

4 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 Tablespoons Italian herbs

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon salt

fresh ground black pepper to taste

Gently cook garlic together with olive oil until the garlic gets soft.

In a large saucepan combine the mussels, wine and butter.  Add garlic and any remaining olive oil.  Cover the pot and bring to simmer over medium heat.  Mussels are cooked when the shells are open.  Add all remaining ingredients, stir carefully and simmer gently on low heat for about two minutes.  Serve in bowls with plenty of bread to soak up the delicious juices!!!  Add a salad and Bon Appetit!!!

*My two grand kids will eat a pound of mussels on their own.......believe it or not!!!!!