For the grandchildren...

 We have these events for our grandchildren.  If we let them participate.  That's why I put on the seder.  For Scoutie.  For my granddaughter so she attends and participates.  Because she will remember.

These are both pictures for 50th annivesary parties.

The first from 1996.  30 years ago.  We had a party for my in-laws for their 50th anniversary.  They did a war-time elopement so (they were 19!) so they never did have a wedding cake.  So we got one for them.  There they are cutting the cake.  Right close by, taking it all, in is 6 year old Naomi.  We didn't even know she was up there until we got the pictures back!  But she's fully engaged.

The second is from our own 50th anniversary party.  This past June.  Naomi and Stephen had ordered a cake for us, a duplicate of the cake we had.  We had ordered a floral topper for it and Dennis is gently putting it on the top.  Look who is right there.  5 year old Frankie who is not going to miss any of the action.

We do it for them....

Melina's graduation

The group photo from Melina's graduation from North Seattle College in June.  The event was held at Hec Ed, the basketball arena at UW, we are in front of the entrance to the football stadium.

Melina's mom, her aunt and her family came (great!) and we took this group picture of both families.  Naomi, Stephen, Matt, Simon, Megan not there because of work/nap constraints.  But everybody else came, for which I was grateful.

So glad we took the picture BEFORE, after everybody just wanted to get out of there.  We had a party at our house afterwards.

Melina enjoyed the whole thing, the speakers, sitting with the other graduates, walking across the stage, the whole deal.  So glad she decided to do it. 

Three grandchildren!

Just coming off of approx two weeks of visiting and parties.  Crazy number of parties I participated in, hosted bunches of them.  I wondered if *I* could get through it.  But I did.  So I'll share some pictures.  This shows three of my 4 grandchildren.  Frank, Simon and Scout.  The cousins love to see each other.  They're playing in Suzie and Megan's yard that has everything in it.  Shortly after this, they all had popsicles because, of course, we all have popsicles.  Frankie and Simon stayed with use along with their parents Ilana and Matt for, I don't know, 12 days?  And we all made it!!!

 

Frank graduates!

 Frank graduated from preschool yesterday.  He's planning to attend kindergarten in August.  All signed up and everything.  On the Friday before he participated in a fund-raising event for the local homeless shelter.  He and Ilana camped outside in a tent in solidarity.  Frank made it all night.  He and Ilana raised $1400.  He had his own event and worked; he raised a lot of that himself.  Takes after his mom Ilana who really likes to raise money.

Simon and Frank

We went to Indiana earlier this month to visit our daughter Ilana, her husband Matt and their two little boys, Frank 4 and Simon 2.  A great time and VERY busy.  A lot of the time when they were home, Frank and Simon were doing this, chasing each other in the family room and kitchen making lots of noise and having a gay old time.  Frank loves having a little brother and he looks forward to a future together (When I grow up, I'm going to have a house so Simon can live in it)  Of course, Simon thinks everything his big  brother does is very important.  But Simon has his own mind about things.  He feels that he is the one who decides what he does.  And he doesn't miss a thing.  A great joy for everybody to see given his birth injuries. 

Frank and Ilana at IU basketball game

Ilana took Frank to an Indiana University Women's Basketball game.  He loved it!  He also got to meet the Bison mascot (not shown).  They both had a great time (according to reports).

 

Science Fest

I heard they held a big Science Fest at Indiana University yesterday.  Family Friendly.  My 4 year old grandson (in blue shirt) is IN.  All kinds of science activities in many buildings.  10-4 and he was enthralled with the whole thing.  According to reports.  Did chemistry.  Did biology.  Did archaeology.  Did all of it.  The whole time.  Ready for more.

Some kind of chemistry thing going on here. 

Frank goes to work

 It was workday at his daycare center.  His dad was in charge.  A lot of mulching going on.  Frank, aged 4, wanted to help.  And he meant it.  Here he is with his wheelbarrow moving mulch.  He is doing the work, getting it done!

Frank and the canoe

 My grandson Frank, age 4, really enjoys Griffey Lake near his home in Indiana.  As a younger child, he really liked going to the beach.  Now, it's more about canoeing and fishing.  His mother is a veteran canoer, years of working at girl scout camp and even leading trips in the Border Lakes.  Frank, he likes it a lot.  They've also tried their hand at fishing.  Somebody gave her a child's fishing pole.  But they didn't really know what to do, things like bait, etc.  Some veteran fisherman have been helping them out.  However, Ilana agrees with me, there should be no damage to any fish.

Informal family picture at Naomi's wedding

 

A more informal picture from Naomi's wedding in late June.  You can't see Scoutie in the yellow dress.  But we have Melina and Chris in the picture.  But everybody's there including my brother Charlie and my sister Pam

Napping

Sometimes you just have to take a nap.

Bowen (d0g) is 3 and Frank is 4.

This was during their June visit.  Frank and his family were a little worried about the large dog Bowen.  How would everybody get along?  But Bowen loves kids and visitors.  He wants to be in the middle of it for sure.  He is also an expert on sleeping on the couch.

So, when the time came, they napped together.
 

Matt and his two sons

 My son in law Matt along with my two grandsons watched the wedding from a little afar.  Dennis took the picture and likes it very much.

Cousins

 Two of my grandchildren (Scoutie, Frank) at Naomi's recent wedding.  Scoutie almost 3, Frank 4.  They live far apart but I know that they talk about each other all the time and they were very happy to see each other.  Frank was to be Ring Bearer and Scoutie Flower Girl.  Mixed results from the preschool crowd but Naomi and Stephen are  still married!  Playing before the ceremony; pictures were being taken.

Greenery

Here's Matt and Frank at the creek down at the end of my short street.  One reason I was eager to move to Seattle all those years ago was that I wanted some place that was green all year long.  It is that here but all those dark days make me wonder sometimes.  I love to go to California where it is LIGHT.

When Ilana, Matt, Frank and Simon got here two weeks ago, they were all on Eastern time.  Since they got up early anyway, we're talking sub 4 am.  So they took some early morning trips.  Dennis is taking the picture here.  They hit the creek around 5 am. 

Frank got his own library card!

Four year old Frankie got his OWN library card this weekend.  He is SO proud of it.  They gave him his own lanyard and everything.  He went later and checked out his own book!  They even asked him if he wanted a receipt.

Our new family picture

 Here's our new family picture with two new members:  Tiny Simon (5 months old) and Stephen (Naomi's fiance on the far right)  They are getting married next June.

We tried a rainbow theme this year (last year was plaid).  Every family unit wore a different color.  Much negotiation and switching of colors.  At the last minute Melina called panicked, "we don't have anything orange!"  I told her that they could wear black.  Everybody complied.

Per request, we all had a picnic dinner of the Civic Club Special plus Seattle Pops popsicles right there at Hamlin Park

Left to right

Chris
Melina
Jessica
Danny
Dennis
Sandy
Ilana
Simon
Frank
Matt
Scout
Megan
Suzie
Naomi
Stephen

Frankie takes his mom out

Frank took his mom out for breakfast this Mother;s Day morning.  Dad supplied the bills.  Frank was thrilled to be the guy with the money.  Ilana reports that he tried to pay at every opportunity.  They were seated, Frank tried to pay; they got their menus, Frank tried to pay, etc. 

Am having a plant potting party this afternoon for 10.  Pizza and chocolate cake.  Also six birthdays.

Frank and the eclipse

Bloomington was in full totality during the eclipse.  Ilana and her visiting friend Emily went to a special show at the stadium.  Matt stayed home with Frank and Simon.  Picture of Frank during the eclipse pointing towards the sky.  He's proudly wearing the birthday gift we sent to him, the kid watch.  He's very pleased with it, likes to wear it and put it on and off.  It has a beeper/alarm that he enjoys a lot.  He really can't tell time but, as Ilana puts it, there's a lot of imaginative time-based play going on.

 

Big time birthday party

 These days, you have to have a theme for a child's birthday party.   For Frank's 3rd birthday, Ilana chose "First Responders" as a theme.  Even when I was there last month, I suggested that maybe a policeman might come for a visit to Frank's birthday party which was at a community center.  To her delight, they told her that a policeman would come.

So Ilana and Matt carefully let Frank and all his day care buddies that a policeman might come.  Frankie was worried he would be arrested.  No, no three year olds  would be arrested.

Also the fire dept came, can you believe it?

So the when the policeman arrived, it was not just one policeman, it was the entire shift!  8 police cars; 21 people showed up for a 3 year old's birthday party at the community center.  True story!  Here's the picture to prove it.  I think people in the minority neighborhood were concerned, 8 police cars showing up?  Some neighbors asked 'everything ok up there?"

Ilana thought maybe they were heavily staffed because they are on the full eclipse path.  Everything is closed down on Monday.  Maybe there was nothing else else going on at 10 am on a Saturday morning in Bloomington IN.

But, they are NEVER going to beat this party, no way!

Genius Meal Train

 

Somebody had a genius idea for a meal train dessert.  This family has an almost 3 year old and a new baby.  She sent over a small frosted cake.  But the sprinkles were in an attached separate bag.  So the three year old could put the sprinkles on the cake.

Of course he loved it!  Genius!  A very good idea, one of the best!

Frankie (in his trademark leopard shirt) demonstrates.