Somathose Majacks

The strange cry sounds very near, right outside the house perhaps.  I am vacuuming and moving furniture around the house, Gracie sitting on the floor sorting cups and boardbooks and bears.  In between Dyson hummmmmms I keep hearing the unidentified shrill.  Is it a neighborhood cat?  What if it’s a small child?  The thought startles me.

Maybe someone is hurt.  I have visions of looking outside to find a young boy, beaten by unfeeling schoolmates.  It’s probably nothing, but I can’t ignore the nagging question another moment.  I start for the blinds.

One look out Gracie’s bedroom window tells me all I need to know:

SCHOOL’S BACK, MY FRIENDS, AND SO IS BAND CLASS WITH BEGINNER CLARINET STUDENTS…my young neighbor being one of them.  Her parents must have set a no-practicing-your-new-clarinet-(thank-God-we-didn’t-let-you-get-the-drums)-in-the-house policy because she is sitting on her front steps eloquently playing what sounds like an incredible C sharp for all to enjoy.

I’m relieved to know that, for now, there are no young boys trying to find solace in my yard from violent school yard bullies.  I’m also looking forward to finding out what note the eighth grade band class is going to learn next week and experiencing the neighborhood concert series that is being launched. 

It’s going to be an exciting year.

Grace has her second real tooth now, protruding from her upper gums.  So now she has one official tooth on the bottom and one on the top.  The Rogue Tooth is still on the loose.

Aside from the typical “I’m too tired, put me to bed” fussiness, Grace is a happy girl.  She brings a load of joy with her.

And she’s curious.

And she’s prayerful.  Or, that’s what this picture makes me think.  Not to worry, Paul and I are prayerful on her behalf multiple times a day.

Happy Eleven Months Gracie.  We love you.

A long while back, Paul posted a blog about our dog Chewy and his top 10 list of items to steal out of the house and chew on in the back yard.  They’re pretty random items if you just consider the list without context.  Having an infant daughter reminds me of Chewy’s list because Gracie’s list of favorite things is also sort of erratic.

Gracie’s Top Ten Favorite Things! (in no particular order)

1.  Soft packages of baby wipes.  She loves the crinkle sound.

2.  Dry baby wash clothes or burp rags.  She sleeps with one and likes to put it on her face.

3.  Giraffe.  Great to chew on, squeaks, and feels incredible on tender gums.

4.  Mom & Dad.  They’re good for lots of things from getting fed to having a playmate.

5.  Crayola Plates (one of which is seen above).  Not merely a snack platter, Gracie likes to wave her plates in the air, hide her face behind them, and wear them like hats.  These were a recent gift from Great Grandma Peggy who Gracie is particularly taken with.  Who isn’t?  Grandma is sort of magical.

6.  Paper products.  She’s not really allowed to play with paper products, but if she can get her hands on them she will.  Paper towels, notebook paper, anything paper.

7.  The dogs.  Chewy tolerates her attention, Sadie can’t get enough of it.  She practically begs to have her tail pulled.

8.  The Tent…otherwise known as Mommy’s nursing cover-up.  She knows what it means when it comes out!

9.  The Bouncy Chair.  She has advanced beyond bouncing up and down and she really gets swinging and zinging around in it these days.  Squealing with delight is also optional.

10.  Rubber ducks.  She loves them in and out of the bath tub.  We have some mini ducks that light up in the water, but any rubber ducky will do.  They’re good to chew on and they’re nice and yellow.

No, they’re not nearly as exciting as a new box of dental floss, or so says Chewy.  But they make Grace happy and that’s on our top ten list of things that make us grin.

We just got back from yet another summer trip….our last for a little while.  This time, we visited Catrina’s family in Montana, and arrived just in time to attend the Sander’s County Fair.  The good news is that we had a wonderful time and got to eat a delicious spicy giant brat.  The bad news is that we actually tried the yakisoba first, and all but three bites went in the trash.  What were we thinking???

Catrina’s family.

Gracie and Grandpa take a break from the fair.

Paul and Grandpa Bill take a day to do a little work on the cabin.  If everything comes together, we might be able to have Christmas here this year.

Grandpa likes to comb his grandbabies’ hair into what we have termed “THE BILL.”  You know what it is…that hair style that boys used to have in 1960 that was parted down the side and combed over the top like a wave.  My dad has had one all his life and it looks very nice on him.  Because he is a boy who was born in 1959.  That’s all I have to say about it.

She’s getting a little big to be washed in the sink, but she was in serious need of a bath.  Anything to wash out THE BILL.

After such a full summer, we all have so many stories to tell.  Gracie likes to tell about just how big daddy’s fish really was…getting bigger with every telling.