I've been having a good time with Pat and Tracey, it's nice just to hang out. Pat helped me clean the road grime off my trailer - it is shiny white once again.
Yesterday, I went to see Tom and Karen and Frisco got to play with Tara and we all enjoyed a nice, afternoon walk to the lake. This is the Madison skyline from the eastern shore of Lake Monona.
After visiting with them for a while, I went to Pat and Rogers's, had an Old Fashioned and a great dinner with them and her son AJ. Frisco was looking so sleepy from playing with Tara, but then Louie and AJ's dogs kept him going all evening. He didn't even eat his dinner, but went straight to sleep and hardly moved all night long.
Friday, June 5. Wednesday and Thursday were spent doing things around the house, and just spending time with Pat and Tracey. Pat and I made a batch of raspberry jelly to use up the last of last year's crop. Haven't tasted it yet, but it appears to have turned out nicely. I had to take Frisco to the vet on Thursday because I suspect that he has another ear infection. The vet, Claire, is a friend of mind from back in 1977 when we both worked as typists for the Warf Institute (their claim to fame is Warfarin, the blood thinner that many stroke victims take). It was nice to see her again and to get Frisco taken care of. On Thursday, I stopped by the cemetery to check on Mom, Dad, and Rocco's graves and to see my cousin Fran - she is the oldest in the family, turning 90 later this month. She is in fair shape physically and her mind is sharp and clear. We had a very nice visit.
This morning, after picking up some cases of New Glarus beer for Ben and Jill, I headed north to their house in Minnapolis. Charlotte was eager to see me but disappointed to see that I didn't bring the camper. Norah was quite apprehensive but Camille came to me right away. Later on, Norah couldn't get enough of me. There have been lots of changes with their development over the last 9 months - improved dexterity, understanding the words, although not speaking a whole lot, and they are much harder for me to pick up. It is so good to see them again. I will definitely be changing my daily routine to fit their schedule, as things are pretty controlled around here with 3 little ones, all going in different directions.
At bedtime, they all had their new pjs that I brought for them, we tried to get a photo but as you can see, they move a lot and it didn't last long, they all fell back.
Sunday, June 7. Just as I expected, it has been a busy weekend, with most of the activities centered on keeping these little ones happy and their bellies full. There is a constant flurry of activity until 1:00 when Norah and Camille go down for their naps. Charlotte no longer naps but has unite activities or helps Mom during that time.
Yesterday morning, Ben and I took Charlotte to her swimming class and Jill went to the Edina Art Fair with the twins. In the afternoon, Granny and Papa came since we were having dinner together and celebrating Granny's birthday in the evening. Jill and her Dad worked on the bathroom tile project and Lois, Ben and I got dinner ready and played with the kids. We had a delicious dinner of grilled steak, rosemary potatoes, and a salad and topped it all off with another delicious cake made by Jill (a 3-layer lemon and blueberry cake with cream cheese icing).
This morning after breakfast, Ben and I took the kids to the playground while Jill did some work for the salon. When the twins went down for their naps, Charlotte and I read stories and we both fell asleep. My nap was brief but it sure felt good. I did some weeding in the front yard and Ben and Jill got ready for having some neighbors over for dinner. Dave and Rachael live just around the corner and have 6 and 4 year old daughters and baby Seth who is 6-months old. The kids had lots of fun in the swimming pool and we all enjoyed the new patio and yard.
