Happy 18th birthday, Tamsyn

Today is my oldest grandchild’s 18th birthday. I can’t believe how the years have flown by since I was presented with my first precious granddaughter. She was such a sweet little girl, and one of the cute things I remember about her is how she would sit on my carpet with a little plastic cup filled with popcorn, and eat it so daintily, one piece at a time. It seems that she’s since progressed from popcorn to Belgian waffles.

She doesn’t have to worry about calories though, as her dance and gymnastics really keep her in trim.

I wish I could do the same tricks that she can.

Even when she goes on holiday, she can’t resist trying out her ballet moves in foreign lands, both in warm weather,

and in cooler climes.

She’s a free spirit, who’s always on the go,

and has a wicked sense of humour too. She has so many friends, and is such fun to be with.

She can strike a cool pose at the drop of a hat,

and isn’t afraid to try the latest look.

I wish that I could be there for her Vegas-themed party this coming weekend. I wonder if her costume will be something like this?

So here’s to you, my now not so little twinkle-toes.

Love you to the moon and back. Have an awesome birthday, and an even more amazing party on Saturday. Let the fun begin!

A Very Happy 8th Birthday Party

“There are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents, and only one for birthday presents, you know.” ~ ‘Through the Looking Glass’ Lewis Carroll

It’s been quite a hectic weekend here in New Jersey, with hardly a moment to open my computer. Today is Sienna’s 8th birthday, and yesterday was her party.

Here’s the birthday girl, showing off her lovely warm coat from Granny and Granddad.

In the morning, there was a trip to ‘Party City’ to choose some balloons. As you can see, there was plenty of choice.

The weather was perfect, and the children had lots of fun out in the backyard.

There were quite a few contenders for a ride in the car,

and cousin Rilee showed some of her hula-hooping skills.

The adults seemed more interested in the barbecue, and we had lots of delicious food.

What a beautiful birthday cake!

Three puffs were needed to blow out all the candles.

Lots of presents were waiting to be opened, and her brother and sister were most interested to see what she’d got, as the loot will no doubt be shared with them.

I also bought her these two books by Suzanne J. Rogers, who blogs at  ‘A Window into the Woods’, and in a short while, I’m going to school to read the story of Bob the horse, to the children in Sienna’s class. I’m sure they’re going to absolutely love it.

Tomorrow we fly back down to Florida, but I’m sure this lovely little family interlude will be remembered for years to come.

Wordless Wednesday: I believe I can fly

Photo stolen with permission from my lithesome and agile granddaughter’s FB page.

They’re on their way.

Some of you may who follow me, will know that my son and little granddaughter Sienna are coming to visit very soon. I’m so excited to see them again. When I woke up this morning, there was this photo on Facebook.

There’s my little angel looking so excited to be travelling all this way with her dad. They were stopping off in Paris for the day and catching the night flight to Johannesburg and then on to Cape Town, where they will stay with friends before flying to Durban on Monday. I think their body clocks will be all over the place, as they only got back to New York on Sunday after attending a family wedding in Hawaii. At least they can get over their jet lag in Cape Town, and should be back to normal by the time they get here.

Today I played piano at the Mall again. Every time I do, I seem to get a kiss from someone. I’m a sitting duck on that piano stool, and can’t really escape. Last week it was a male acquaintance who I used to see at the gym, and today it was a female acquaintance who I haven’t seen in a long while. It’s quite off-putting when I’m in the middle of a piece, as you can imagine. I’ve had my head patted and my shoulders squeezed on occasion. I’ve had people come and ask me directions to a certain shop, or enquire whether I give piano lessons, or if I can play “Meat Loaf!” 😆 Last week I had someone brusquely ask, “Do you play the organ?” to which question I decided the safest answer was, “No.” The security beeper goes off at the entrance to the clothing store on my right at regular intervals, and clumsy people bang into the piano as they walk past, even though there’s plenty of room.  All this happens whilst I’m blithely playing my little heart out. Today I felt led to give a rendition of “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread,” closely followed by “Send in the Clowns.” 🙂 Most people however, just give a friendly smile or a wave, which is always welcome.

It’s not strictly true to say that I don’t play the organ, and another day, I must remember to tell you a few hilarious stories from my organ playing past.

Now I’m off to watch some more Olympics. Have a great evening, or rest of the day, depending on where you are.