Island Princesses.....

We have our three eldest granddaughters staying with us this week (Isabella was a little too young – LOL!) and life has been hectic but good. It’s been a long time since we’ve had three girls running around and I even found myself sometimes wanting to call them “Tanya, Kristy and Mandy”!! LOL!

Yesterday (Monday), we went to the doctor’s office with Floyd and the girls were so good as we left them in the waiting room (thank goodness for those waiting room Bible Story and Bedtime books!!). I’d meant to bring something for them to do but totally forgot in the moment. As it turned out, we weren’t in there that long… On the way home, we stopped at a Dollar store and were surprised to see all the stuff they have. I’ve got to learn to check there first for just little things that I probably pay 3x the amount for somewhere else. When we got home I hauled out the Fort Edmonton dresses. These have been sitting in a box in our basement for years – they were the ones that I made for our three girls when we volunteered for 10 years at Fort Edmonton. Adriana, Erilyn and Amelie just love them (they’d already taken a few home with them before) and were delighted to see that I still had some more! But first I had to have them try them all on (worked out to two each) and then had to hem the skirts and the sleeves. They could use more alterations (shoulders/waist, etc) to properly fit, but these poor dresses are really on their last legs (if, indeed, dresses have legs!). Some of them are not only over 20 years old, but they have been worn, washed and handed-down so much, I was afraid to push their limits. So, I’m thinking (a) the Lister girls will be the last to wear them, and (b) maybe it’s time to start making dresses again! The girls all wanted to wear the dresses as they were, before alterations, but I told them that, while they looked beautiful, I didn’t want people thinking their Gram didn’t care enough to dress them in clothes that fit them! We walked to a nearby playground after supper as Adrie was wanting to walk Madison and so off we all went. Tanya, I felt your pain! We were no sooner there, when Erilyn said, “Gram, I have to go to the bathroom.” Arghhh! LOL! But she said she was good for a couple of minutes so her and Adriana played while Amelie “walked” Madison around the park – okay, actually I think it was more Madison walking Amelie around the park! The two of them were hilarious to watch. I wish I’d had a video camera. They were running, Am holding on to the leash with her hair blowing in the wind, just laughing hysterically. Madison is so good with the girls – if ever she dropped the leash, Maddie would just stop and wait for her to pick it back up again! LOL! Now that’s a good dog! It’s funny ‘cause in the house, they all constantly call her, “Maddie, come; Maddie, go; Maddie, sit; etc, etc.” In the past we’ve tried to get them to stop doing it but now I’ve realized that Madison herself isn’t confused by it at all…she just totally ignores them!! LOL! She knows who she needs to obey, and it’s not the kids. It’s funny to watch her, though, she just looks at me as if to say, “Good grief!”. Ha ha…. By the way, we got back from the park and I told Eri to go the bathroom. "I just noticed that I don't have to go anymore". LOL!!

This morning, Papa made bacon and scrambled eggs for breakfast. I asked Eri if she liked scrambled eggs, ‘cause in the back of my mind, I thought she didn’t. Her reply? “No, I don’t, but I’ll eat them” LOL! What a wonderful attitude! And eat them she did – in fact, she was the first one finished! They are all being so good and just a delight to have around. Amelie has fallen in love with Madison and wants her at her side constantly…except bedtime. Then the upstairs door has to be closed “so Maddie won’t come down and ‘care me”. I guess a black shadow by your bed at night could be a bit terrifying when you’re just three. I love to hear her chatter around the house, and chatter she does! I love all her 3yr-old version of words but I think my favorite is “tumpin” (something). It’s just priceless when she says it. After breakfast, they colored and played with the Barbie house and other games. Floyd had to go to the church around 11, so after he left, I took the girls to pick up a few things at Walmart (now a Super Walmart, Tanya!!). Adrie was so funny. The girls found a couple of pairs of old glasses (minus the lens) in the downstairs closet and love wearing them around the house. Well, she took to wearing them to Walmart – I didn’t even notice until we were half way there, but I didn’t say anything ‘cause she looked cute in them and you can’t tell at all (unless closeup) that they’re not real. But she must have been a bit self-conscious because in the store she kept commenting on who was, and who wasn’t, staring at her, etc… I told her she looked beautiful, no one was looking at her and, even if they were, who cares? We don’t need to be worried about what other people think of our glasses! LOL! Myself, I think that, if people were noticing her, it was probably more the long Fort Ed dress she was wearing than the glasses!!

A visit to the toy department was to be expected and they were all allowed one toy. LOL! They picked some good ones! My fault a bit because I was hunting for some new furniture for our Barbie house as the stuff we have is so old and, over the years, I’ve thrown a lot of it out… So Adrie and Eri both picked the Barbie Island Princess Styling Head – the kind you can comb and style their hair. What I didn’t know (LOL!), but they probably did, was that the head also came with a microphone and music – you can “sing with Barbie” and her mouth actually moves to the music! LOL! Sorry, Tom and Tanya…yeah, that’s gonna wear off quick! (Hide the AA batteries!). Amelie’s choice was a Barbie and horse. They came home and showed Papa their treasures while I went for a doctor’s appointment. I got home about 2:30 to find that Papa had forgotten about a certain little one having a nap (oops!) but he said that she’d been soooo good. So she took a ‘rest’ for about 45 minutes and then us girls headed to visit Cynthia and her kids. We met Cynthia and then went to the school to pick up Bethany – boy, was she excited to see the girls!! As soon as we got to their place, the girls and Andrew all went out to play in the playground. As there were the two older ones there and it’s a secure playground, Cynthia and I took Amelie and went to rent a movie. We were looking for the Island Princess Barbie one as Adrie said they’d been wanting to see it and so had Bethany and her Mum. Amelie actually found it for us in Blockbuster! LOL! We were looking and looking and then suddenly she pipes up, “I found it!!” and sure enough, she had. Also, when Cynthia and I were in the car and she was in the back seat, I said something to C about her…didn’t even mention her name, nor think she was listening…and a little voice popped up, “hey, don’t talk about me!” LOL!

Back to the apartment we went to find the girls inside waiting for us. They then all played with the Barbie stuff in Betty’s room while Cynthia and I visited and she cooked us pasta for supper. Andrew and Samantha were with us for supper but then they had to go to a meeting, so we made tea, got the kids some dessert treats and turned the movie on… Oh! And Mandy phoned me, first on my cell, and then we did a Skype call – it was soooo good to hear from her and her news… We finished the movie about 8:10 and headed home. Amelie was so tired, I didn’t think she’d make it but she did. When we pulled in, her eyes were closed so I thought she was asleep. I went around to quietly take her out of her seat and they opened! I said that I’d thought she was sleeping and she said, “No, just restin’ my eyes”. Boy, has she been around her Papa too much! LOL!

Anyway…I’ve probably lost everyone but Tanya by now as this has been a long one… Now everyone’s tucked into bed and I should be there as well…more tomorrow…