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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

The Longest Day - The First day of Summer - The First Viewing of Fireflies


We were just about to get Grayson into bed -
child loves to push the staying up as long as she possibly can
When I was walking downstairs and saw the front yard blinking like crazy.
Grayson had never seen a lightning bug.
I announced back to Peeps "COME QUICK" and he knew what I had seen.
AMAZING was her total description with glee. 
I asked how many she thought we saw in the brief time we stood there, 20?
21! she quickly said.  She went to bed excited but happy as could be.
We love having her & her family here at Toad Hall for June. 
Justin and Millie had gone out to celebrate Anniversary #8.
Life is good where the fireflies are!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Wild Wooders Have Moved into Toad Hall

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Justin Millie, Grayson, Finley Cate, and Maggie(the black lab) moved into our home over Memorial Day weekend - Maggie's bed was even in our room when we got home from Riverbank
where we had been sitting for the girls.

It has been great for us to have them with us.
There is nothing quite like the squeals of joy that the girls greet us with every morning.

We have had a lot of al fresco times on the back porch, Peeps has purchased another splash pool and Grayson loves each and every flower we feed and/or water.

It sure is going to be quiet when they move to their new home and I know we will miss them.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Summertime at my favorite spot

What could be more fun than catching up the last few chores before the summer gets into full swing! We arrived late Tuesday night and have been working hard to make everything look inviting for us and family and friends. We took a long boat ride last night - not a soul on the lake - it is our little slice of paradise. Will attach photos soon.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Allen Levi's Blog

Allen has started blogging. For those of you who know Allen - he really likes paper and pens and stamps & he likes to get stuff delivered by usps so this is BIG for him, in my opinion. Anyway we are in day 3 of 10 days where Allen is giving us a song a day on his blog. It is really fun to hear him again. Our grandkids listen to his lullaby cd(no longer available that I know of) and they are the 4th generation to do so. Click him, be a little patient as wordpress doesn't exactly have it alltogether (or I don't have it together on how to use it or I am short on patience) - on the click and play thing - but it is well worth the patience - see it in my blog list to the right.

Wanna Drag your paw


Peeps says 'wanna drag your paw in the water Grayson?' She replys 'uh huh' and drops her hand right in.

Monday, July 20, 2009




MayMay and Peeps love having the kids and their kids down to Riverbank and they bring their parents with them - Nothing could be any more fun.
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Justin & Grayson ** Ali & Avery

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Saturday, July 4, 2009

Jackson drives us to Fireworks

Jackson helps Peeps drive to the Fireworks last night. His favorite word is BOAT and he said it all the way down the river to the Fireworks Display which is awesome.
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Sunday, June 21, 2009

Here we are Weekend II - putting Camp Riverbank in order From the top left, Grass at dock, Lattice repaired, plants planted, seawall swept up and debris removed, ready to plant behind the wall, Tomato plants ready, Pines trimmed back, Walkway walkable, View from Porch after trim, More photos of wall area, View From Porch before trim. It was a great weekend, Not really hot as predicted and a wonderful breeze all day Sunday.
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Sunday, June 14, 2009

long time no post - camp riverbank SPRING CLEAN

Here we are - left to right top to bottom - working like a dog - who ever came up with THAT expression _ Cooking Landing - planted, irrigation system in place - THE SKYLIGHTS - ALL CLEANED UP - did I mention that PEEPS spent most of Saturday ON THE ROOF with a leaf blower and SHOP VAC _ yes he had them ON THE ROOF - paper towels, windex, and ant spray - squeegie to boot and it was 100 degrees - YIKES - it was a bit scarry even for me..... next shot - exterior street side - all spiffied up - is that a word? - cleaning products safely locked away from little curious toddlers and toddlettes - Screen door - replaced - Maggie next one is yours :) Sling Chairs - all fixed from past mishaps...- old screen door - ready for recycling. AND SO MUCH MORE.... Just returned from boat ride, eating dinner late but no PIZZA - it is after 10 - HA........FOR the record, we finished all the things on our A list, there are still some B-Z things for the rest of y'all who are coming down to do. MUCH LOVE- MayMay and Peeps

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Peeps Grayson and Georgia pose next to K's Springtime Flowering Bush. We brought a sprig - no longer than 12" from my friend K's yard in KY about 5 years ago. It is the lovliest thing in my yard this time of year. I wish it bloomed all summer.
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Monday, March 30, 2009

Multi Generational Couponing

So Millie calls and directs me to stop drop and go to the HT - get the coupons out of the aisle vendor and buy 8 count them 8 boxes of cereal and the HT will end up paying me $3 to take the cereal and 3 gallons of organic milk off their hands. NO FOOLING. So here I am in true Millie fashion with my items, my receipt and coupon for $10 which I will get in the mail later. It was fun. I can't tell you how many funny looks I got while wheeling and dealing my stuff at the self service counter on a Sunday afternoon. Gotta love it.
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Sunday, March 29, 2009

IT's official _BUNNY DAY

The day we wait for ALL YEAR. Bunny Day at the natural science center. Here are a few photos of Grayson with just a handful of the zillions of rabbits which were there. She wanted to pat them again and again and again.
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Sunday, December 7, 2008

um, dad, I'm sorry I forgot to call you and mom, can I spend the night at georgia's and river's?

It's 11:00 pm, do you know where your pups are?

These dogs do: Georgia Brown, River, and Maggie warm themselves in front of the fire, listening to Handel's Messiah, end to end. "The government is on His shoulders," and they know Handel wasn't talking about Peeps.

And when the Psalms say, "let everything that hath breath praise the Lord," they know David the shepherd had dogs in mind. Made by the One who cared so much about His creation that he asked the maker of the Ark to gather them up, male and female, two by two, into his care.

Thanks, Dad, for letting me stay with my cousins. We had so much fun.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Thanksgiving 2008

We had a wonderful time with yummy eats - with Justin, Millie, Grayson and all dogs. Here are some photos to show off the fun!

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Ta Da - Just from Fixing Breakfast

Looks simple on the schedule where it says...smoothie and 2 slices of Zuchini Bread lightly toasted. This is a photo from JUST the smoothie after about 5 minutes of prep time. I guess it is all in what you used to doing in terms of food prep.... It was fun and she did like it and of course I just made a couple of extras for Peeps and me and it was a good way to start day II at the Tree House and thereabouts. MayMay
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Mesmerized by video on ReadDaddyRead

Avery must have wanted to watch this little video on ReadDaddyRead a dozen times. She just loved it (and ate dinner) TV in any form is just flat popular...

Peeps feeds two at once with commentary

MayMay was fixing food as fast as Peeps could get it shoveled in. We both think the boy has an excellent future as a linebacker ---

Mast Farm Inn and Carmen Road Trip





What a wonderful time at a wonderful place. I had seen where Carmen was playing in Boone of all places and decided to surprise Jonathan with a little early Christmas present. Everything was PERFECT. The opera - the meals- the company and the break.
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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Lost and found

Cell phones, hand held recorders, and digital cameras are big with the under three crowd.  Toddlers feel a certain glee at being able to change your ringtone, set an alarm to off in the middle of the night, or call someone with the tap of a button.

My Sony hand held recorder is my favorite gadget.  I take it everywhere, and of course, have recorded lots of special moments.  The recorder's hold switch locks the unit doing whatever it was doing, one reason why it's a perfect gadget for grandaughters Grayson and Avery to play with.   Can anyone tell me why toddlers turn handheld devices over and over and over?  Do they think whoever is making the sound is going to fall out?  As Anne blogged about earlier, Grayson visited Camp Toad Hall week before last. 

On the living room floor, laughing and playing, I figured this was as good as any time to record her happy voice, and so I gave her my Sony.  Locked in "play" mode, Grayson looked quizzically at the recorder, hearing her cousin saying what every dog says, "Huff, huff, huff, huff, huff, huff."  And yes, she turned it over and over and over as if expecting a little Avery (or a little dog!) to fall out. 

Grayson moved on to riding her little red Fire Truck that makes lots and lots of pre-recorded sounds at the tap of a button.  Then we moved on to blocks, reading, and then we went for a wagon ride. 

Come Monday, I couldn't find my Sony.  I figured I must have left it on my desk at work.  When I didn't find it on my desk, I figured it was in my car.  When it wasn't in my car, I figured it was in my top right drawer in the front hall table.  And when it wasn't in the drawer, I gave up.

Two weeks later, at home with my first bad head cold in several years; bleary eyed, I was lying on the soft staring at nothing, when I realized I was looking at the little red Fire Truck.  And then I remembered how Grayson had recently discovered that the Fire Truck has a trunk, the seat lifts up, and that she could stash her Little People, blocks, balls, and you guessed it, my Sony IC recorder.

Anne said, "You should have just asked her in the first place, after all she's a woman, and we both know women find things better than men."

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Fearless

She is a real fun little girl...the higher and faster the better :) MayMay

Monday, November 3, 2008

Bubbles

bubbles make bathtime fun...note water music in background --- new standard for bath time :)

Where's Grayson

On the way to the park - having fun all the way there.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Again - again -again

She knows what she wants - to go down again again again.........

At the slide

Grayson Just loves the slide....we didn't know whether she had been ---we should have known from the looks on her face should have told us she seems to have NO fear.



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Get some coffee - start another day

WELCOME TO STANDARD TIME _ or what in the world to you do with a one year old's schedule when you have a time change??? Oh Dear ++++ Millie said we could just stay on DST but that just seemed to much like taking the easy way out....Grayson really likes to smell the coffee every morning...she must do it at home...it seems like the way she believes the breakfast gets going - or at least that is what she has us believing :) Waffles, rasberries, banannas,eggs, and scones we forgot to eat on Saturday YUM YUM - then it's off with Tyler to Walmart...she says it just isn't a Sunday without a trip out to Wallyworld......


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Bubbles

Dad and Mom - things have changed...I am expecting Water Music for bathtime from now on...Love, g (little G)

The ending of a happy day !!!

We were pretty sure it had been a swell day when Grayson laid right out on the floor as she was playing with Peepsie. Then she had a bubble bath in the kitchen sink and was just a slight bit fussy - we think because the day was closing in quick on her... So Peeps ever the amusement park in the family....put her nighttime diaper on his head and then MayMay read 3 books to her before saying her prayers and nighty night. She is a peach...no trouble at all. One is a really really sweet little age...


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Signs of the Season ----

Just a few rare sights in the neighborhood....A real honest to goodness house voting for McCain.....
A seasonal visitor noting how many Obama signs there really are on Ridgeway Drive
What Jonathan calls perhaps the lovliest tree in all of Greensboro in our friend Janet's yard
Yep - it Truly is an azalea blooming in November........the world has spun off its axis...
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