"Friday With Grand kids" Lynn Cohen

 

Faber-Castell Artist Pen Black SX

Winsor & Newton Watercolors

 



Last Friday the kids had off school and we were asked if we wanted to come down to sit with them while the parents worked. We did! And we just hung out around the house. In the morning, the kids still in their pajamas we sat on the floor, grand daughter drawing fashion design from a book I had given her before; grand son looking at a huge book on flight I had picked up at the thrift store the day before for him.


Grand daughter went on to draw more through out the day, here with pastels she found in the big "Grandma's Bag" I've been schlepping to them for nine years now. (It's filled with games, and art supplies)

 

Faber Castell Artist Pen Black SX

Dewitt colored pencils

My husband said I age-progress them, and said here on the couch I brought her up to age 26 at least!

 

Prismacolor Black Ink 03

And my grandson chose to pose laying flat on the floor as if dead. I started at his feet drawing him upside down, but feared I was going to run out of room, I wouldn't have, so therefore his legs look way too short. He's not yet as tall as his twin sister, but he's not this short either!

 

Prismacolor Black Ink 03



We had a fun full day. She sewed clothes for her dolls. He and I played ball in the back yard, then ping pong in the front yard patio. He won two games and so did I. I was surprised at how well I did as he is very athletic and I hadn't played in more years than I can count. We stayed for a very beautiful and delicious Shabbat dinner after the parents got home from work. We face timed my son in Oregon and so I got to see and talk to our youngest grand daughter too and was with both my kids at the same time so to speak. Sweet day.

Drawing With Grandkids, Lunch with Carlos, Diving into Forks Over Knives

We had two weeks of three days each with kids and grand kids. My son and his exceptionally wonderful wife came with their baby, Allie Bel, for three days from Portland, Oregon.

What a joy having them in our home, waking up to be able to play 'Patty Cake' with Allie,

to give her fat crayons and watch her draw a picture to put on the fridge!

 

Then a few short days later our two 8.5 year old twin grand children came to stay with us, without their parents, for three days!

Again, we had a ball.

I taught them to use the new sewing machine they'd received at Chanukah. But since neither parent sews I got to be their first teacher. They became proficient at it quickly and went on to design outfits for her and then for their dolls. Sweet! He even made a shirt for his baby cousin, Allie.

 

I also introduced them to American Idol on TV and here they are watching it with me.

Although they drew while here, I only eked out this one drawing in six plus days!

 

Now the kids and grand kids have all gone back home. And I am back to my usual life. Working, and going to lunch at Tacos Jalisco, and drawing there (yesterday). Carlos was eating his lunch before the big lunchtime crowd arrived and he invited me to join him at his table. We sat and talked, and I drew him while he ate. No, this does not look much like him in reality, but as well as I could do in the moment. My food came, and he got up and went back to work so you see him in the background too.
He does have wavy black hair and big brown eyes!

Carlos shared with me that a customer came in and saw the poster we have about my book: "One Fish Taco and Half an Order of Guacamole A Year of Drawing over Lunch at Tacos Jalisco" and picked it up in its frame and showed it to him behind the counter and said "This is what I want for lunch! One fish taco and half an order of guacamole!" Nice to know my book cover picture sells lunches there!!! (see side bar for more book info)

I've also discovered the film Forks Over Knives (Amazon) and have gotten back to cooking after a twenty year hiatus. DH took over cooking way back then to get away from my very veggie heavy diet. But now I am back to it in spades. (no meat, dairy, flour; lots of veggies, grains, fruit) So far I am enjoying the preparation of things called Yam and Lentil Stew in orange juice, and tonight I am tackling Mushroom Stroganoff. Now I am off to the grocery store for a few needed ingredients.

Linking to Paint Party Friday & Sunday Sketchers, get there via the link on my sidebar to see lots and lots of fun art!

A Busy Three Days!

On Thursday night we visited the Kensington Circus Pub to eat dinner and listen to outstanding musicians play Blue Grass music!

I spent time sketching quickly to the fast paced music!

We spent the night at my daughter's house as it was strategically placed for us between the music night event and our plans for the next day to travel further south to visit a friend.

The next morning we got up and learned our grand kids did not have school

so we took them out to breakfast at Fat Apples.

They each ate a huge apple pancake and we had fun and good talks.

I even got them to smile for the camera for once

not just funny faces!

We dropped them off at their play day place and continued on to Scotts Valley/Santa Cruz area to visit our friends, Lisa and Jack. We spent four hours there, I hope not wearing them out...talked and talked, enjoyed the ambiance of their lovely home, the sunny day, and even took a walk in their woody area where they live.

Lisa and I met on line ten years ago. She's been to our home twice and this is the second time I am visiting her in her area. Actually the first time I met her live was when I was visiting another blog site friend in this same area.

We returned home that evening, got some much needed sleep, and then got up to go to Stockton, to celebrate Pesach/Passover with our family there!

Still a joy to be with Uncle Harry and Aunt Mimi.

Our Seder table held 19. We enjoyed being together, reading from the Haggada, the story of the Jews being released from bondage/slavery in Egypt; reenacting meaningful rituals and eating the ritual foods; and eating a most delicious dinner we all contributed to. But just being together is the best part of all.

We drove home feeling full of both food and love of family as drove into the setting sun.

I am wishing you all a happy and full filling Spring season, whatever you celebrate; even if it is simply the celebration of life itself!

Doll Clothes, REAL Dolls, and Games!

LAST SUNDAY continued: As grandmother's go, I am the kind that has to come bearing gifts. It's just how I am. I know My daughter wishes I'd stop already, but it's not going to happen. When I saw my cousin Barb who came from Colorado to visit her dad/my uncle Harry, she was crocheting doll clothes for her grand daughter's 18" American Girl dolls. That inspired me to go on line and find some patterns I could crochet for MY grand daughter's new American Girl Doll! So I made this outfit: beret, poncho and skirt. I was thrilled to see they fit perfectly and my Grand Daughter loved them> My sweet grandson has a much loved little 12" blue bear and he asked me if I would make him some clothes too. So I am back to looking for patterns in a smaller size! ;-) When we returned from our visit to the Museum, which Grandson had to miss because he was feeling under the weather I stayed a while at the house before heading home.

They enjoyed playing together (GD grudgingly sharing the set of embroidery floss cards and beads I gave her/them) making friendship bracelets and necklaces.

You can see some of the floss by his knee. He is the sweetest little guy on the planet. When his sister and mom went to the store we got some special time together. We played several games I brought them. I was thrilled to see him picking out letters to write sentences. One said: "____sisters name, is being mean!" She was!

He also told me:"I want to come sleep at your house!" I told him to tell his parents and I hope it happens soon. I love having both of them to ourselves at our house!!!

It was a sweet day last Sunday! HAW 2.

Grand being with Grandkids

Today I took the fish quilt and my sewing machine with me to the kids house. I quilted while they napped. The parents were off car shopping. When the kids awoke and even before I had a "sewing machine" session with them. The first one was actually showing them how I quilt on the machine. I had a child on either side of me, they on chairs on their knees and leaning into my arms (it felt like heaven)...while I ran the machine explaining each step and they were mesmerized. I taught them 'stitch in the ditch'! Later after naptime, Grandson wanted to ask questions about "your machine". He sat on a dining room chair in front of the "machine" and I told him the cautions first: The cutting device could hurt him, as could the sharp needle so he was not to touch them. He then sat with soon to be 3 yr old arms folded in front of him leaning into the machine. He asked me about each and every facet of the sewing machine. He now can tell you, as he did his parents later, about all the "feet" the machine has, about the bobbin, and thread and needle. He liked the little metal plate that works like a screw driver and he saw me tighten the screw on the presser foot and later did it himself and told me "I fixed it for you grandma". I just have to tell you that there is nothing, nothing in this world more wonderful than grandchildren. Nothing. I'd say we spent more than half an hour there. They took their new naptime quilts to bed at naptime. We put them on their new little toddler beds. But after parents left I heard movement and noise so went in to check. They were both out of bed and were rangling with their quilts on the floor. I asked what was up, Daughter had said to be firm with them, and they told me they wanted to sleep on the floor. I think as that is how they will do it at school on Monday. So I said okay and smoothed them out and adjusted pillows and told them they could sleep on the floor as long as they were quiet and went right to sleep. That we had to find out if these quilts 'worked'. Well guess what? They did exactly as I told them and when I checked about three minutes later they were both asleep. And they slept soundly for about 2 1/2 hours! Daughter said they might sleep an hour! When the parents came home later they told them that "the quilts worked!" They loved the quilts btw. They identified their names first letters. He knew the "A is for me", and she that the Y was for her. I could go on and on about how wonderful they are. They both played guitars and sang duets for another half hour. We played with a little boomerang outside for a long time. We put a train together. Or I should say THEY set up an entire track and ran the train themselves. I get such a kick out of seeing them play with these toys I gleaned for them. He is riding his scooter fast now, so fast he NEEDS to wear a helmet just incase. She loved painting again and she delights in painting herself. They both love story time and we read a ton of books. They now know the Title of a book, the front, back and spine of the book, and the author. Amazing. They are so smart. And they are talking a blue streak and I understand every word. Did I mention that grandchildren are just the best thing since vanilla ice cream? Or chocolate even? Yep. Daughter said I can now please make quilts for the new toddler beds. She'll help pick out fabric.

Naptime quilts going to their new home

A month ago my daughter told me she had a project for me. She said the kids, my soon to be three year old grand kids (twins) were going to start going to a new pre-school, and needed mats for nap time. Would I make some quilts the size of preschool nap time mats?

Okay! I love making anything for my grand kids. I got cute kitties with ABC's for the girl, and all sorts of vehicles for the boy. I had enough material left over to make little pillows too and made ties to adhere them to the mats. I did my first ever free style quilting with hearts down the boarders on the kitty mat. It was fun, and today they get delivered. Cant' wait to see the kids reactions.

I took a whole applique class to learn how to make their names on the bottoms of the boarders too!

They wrap up nicely with a tie to shelp to school each week. The pillow cases close with buttons and there is an inner pillow so the cases can be washed separately.