December Baby Bonanza

December 7, 1941. 68 Years ago today, Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese, an event that would launch the United States into World War II.

So today I'm blogging about-- you guessed it-- THE GRANDBABIES! (Someday I'll tell them all about Pearl Harbor and World War II. But not yet).

This blog isn't chronological-- it's going to be a back and forth of babies Claire and Brianna. I can't believe it's December 7 and I'm just now getting around to posting some of these darling pictures. Well, let's get with it!

Claire: Yeah, this is great Grandpa. But you ought to see how high Daddy tosses me-- when Mom's not looking.
Brianna: Grandma, it's hard to smile for the camera with this pacifier in my mouth.Claire: Grandma, this is my favorite chew toy. Oops-- those are for dogs. I meant "teething facilitator devices."

Brianna: Okay, I think I'm ready for the road test. Now will you help me learn the signs? Especially the ones with words.
Claire: I predict this is where my first tooth will appear.

Brianna: Aw, what a cute little manger scene. I'll bless it now and eat it later.

Claire: So Grandpa, you blow on your fist to get Santa Claus cheeks. See?

Brianna: Mama, Grandpa-parazzi has found us again.

Claire: How to take apart these washable cloth books-- these things must be done delicately!

Brianna: Me and this Santa guy have a lot in common. We squeak when ya squeeze us.

Claire: Grandma, how do you like Mama's new jogging stroller?

Claire: What do you mean, 'Jogging is of the Devil?' Giddyup, horsie!

Brianna: If you don't mind, Grandpa, I have to pose. Then I'll get back to 'London's Britches Falling Down,' whatever that means.

Claire: So, is THIS what you guys mean by 'laid back?'

Brianna: I know he's just waiting for me to plop over backward to take my picture. Well not this time, Buster!

Uh. . . Dat's All, Folks!

Singalong at Good Old Sandhills Farm Life

I don't have pictures to post from yesterday's singalong, so I'll just tell you about it. Okay? Okay. Well, I've had a standing invitation from Pam Cameron and Lisa Dumas to come have a singalong with their second graders. I've had some schedule conflicts and knew of some more upcoming conflicts, but I was determined not to put them off until after Christmas. The year just gets away too fast, and I'm hopeful of joining them for more singalongs before year's end (the school year that is--June 2010).

I don't believe in "fate," but that said, Lisa Dumas just happens to be in my old classroom, where I spent about the last decade of my career, and where some of the sweetest memories took place. I may not have a KEY to the room any more, but I felt right at home there. Part of that is the enthusiastic welcome the students and teachers always give me. I'm glad I'm still part of the family. The Grandpa, I suppose.

I brought along my old pal Chipper. Some of you know that Chipper is my stuffed monkey (once Jennifer's). During my last several years of teaching he became my class mascot, dressing up for every season, holiday, or special event that came along. Hmmm. . . maybe Chipper will get his own post someday.

Anyway, Chipper and I recognized many familiar things. The wonderful carpet from J.B. Short Carpet One (don't say I never did anything for you Tim and Renee), The Invisible Bookshelf (thanks Amanda!), and hundreds of books that I donated when I retired. Technically, we didn't see the bookshelf, just evidence that some mysterious force was supporting books in mid-air.

Back to the singalong. I was delighted that Pam had prepared the kids by introducing some of the favorite songs before my arrival, notably The Desperado and Boom Boom, Ain't it Great to be Crazy. There were also some students who were siblings of children I taught, and they had requests ready from songs theirs brothers or sisters had taught them! That's how it should work.

So we started with The Cat Came Back. The humorous, if not politically correct tale of how a man tries all means to get rid of his cat, but it ALWAYS comes back. We sang She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain, Yankee Doodle Dandy, The Titanic, It's a Small World, and several more. We also sang several Christmas favorites: Rudolph, Up on the Housetop, Feliz Navidad, Silent Night, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

I like to have the students stand for a lot of songs, especially those that have motions. Even a singalong could get boring if you just sit in your seat for an hour like in Math or Reading class. And there's no reason to stay in your seat all the time even for those classes. We all know that "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" (if you've seen Jack Nicholson in The Shining).

So we did Jingle Bells with motions, acted out the desperado with "a big sombrero and a gun beneath his vest," and provided sound effects for the Titanic when "that great ship went down--HIT the bottom!"

We sang songs that were from 40 years old to well over 100. And it was proved to me over again that children always love a good song if it's presented to them properly. Us old folks certainly get tired of the same old songs. When we saw Doc Watson, that's why he didn't sing "Deep River Blues," he just played it. And he didn't do "The Tennessee Stud," probably because he's done it till he dreams about it. But it's incumbent upon us adults, especially those who have a role in teaching children, to pass along some of our musical heritage. Believe me, they're not born knowing these songs, and they get just as excited about a fun tune or humorous lyrics as children did 35 years ago.

35 years ago. Hmmm. In 1975, I began teaching at Farm Life. There was an old clunker of a piano in the cafeteria. But on Friday afternoons, I would take my fifth graders in there and lead them in some of the songs that would remain on my song sheets for my entire career. Zelda Blue and her kitchen staff would be doing their Friday cleanup, and my students were raising the roof, singing at the top of their lungs. We got some smiles from Zelda and the others. That's the power of music, you know.

That's not to say that things never change. That old cafeteria, which seated only about 80 students at a time, is not a cafeteria any more. It was saved from demolition because a visionary art teacher, Cheryl Stuckey, thought it could be renovated. When New Century Middle School was built, and the sixth graders moved out of that renovated building, Principal Nora McNeill allowed me and Betty Lou Stewart to move in with our third graders. We didn't ask for it, and almost every other teacher had asked for it.

It was perfect. We called it "The Outback." I was able to create my "Adventure Classroom" there, for singalongs and much, much more. So you see, my very FIRST singalongs and my LAST singalongs were all in the same building!

But I don't believe in "fate." Should I? Do you?

This picture is from a Christmas singalong before I retired.

And Chipper still loves the part of "Santa's Helper."

For those of you who love the old songs of your childhood or want to recapture that love, the lyrics to ALL the songs of my class songsheets are found at this web address: http://schoolcenter.mcs.k12.nc.us/education/staff/staff.php?sectionid=309.

Thanks to our wonderful media specialist, my old school website, with some fun stuff, is tucked away in Farm Life's website, under "Classrooms and Special Areas." I'm in "Resources and Special Areas." Pay me a visit.

Bubblin' Over with Blog Ideas

So many blog ideas, so little time. I'm not blogging as frequently as I did during my first year of retirement, but it's not for a lack of ideas. I get ideas not only from my many family activities, but from articles I read and issues that are near and dear to my heart. But many of these stay in "seed" form, sometimes for weeks on end. Some will fall by the wayside and never reach cyberspace. But hopefully the most important ones will.

Here are some topics I hope to post on before Christmas:

• Claire (babysat for the dear child Thursday and finally got more pictures)
• Brianna (babysitting her for a while today and hope to get more pictures)
• Friday's Christmas singalong with 2nd graders at Farm Life School
• School Construction progress at SFL
• Wise words from an early 1900's history book
• Photo essay on cemeteries of my Loyd ancestors
• Thanksgiving get-togethers
• Why Litterbugs should fear the techniques of CSI

Who knows which ones I'll actually complete, but I'm having fun turning over some of these ideas. I already have pictures for three of these topics. I guess I'd better get started.

Loyd-Taylor "Reunion"-- Part II

Monday was a day of anticipation at the Loyd house. Old friend Rachel was coming to visit, and bringing along her two children and her Nana. Jennifer and Amanda were coming over for this big event, because Rachel is one of the four Taylor girls who were best friends of our daughters for most of their growing-up years. In recent years, Rachel has lived farther away than the others, so this mini-reunion was a real treat. We had seen Sally and Grace and their chillun several weeks ago. (Jane, you don't have to wait till you have children to come visit--we'll party for you, too!)

Jennifer and Claire arrive first. Grandma Judy tells Claire about the history of the Loyd-Taylor friendships.
Rachel and daughter Maddie meet Claire for the first time.

Rachel's almost-five year old, Jack, is more interested in Hot Wheels and dinosaurs than babies.

Carla, Rachel's Nana and a great friend of ours, is delighted to have some lap time with Claire. Who wouldn't be?

While Rachel kicks back and converses, Maddie rebuilds the Twin Towers with Tupperware blocks.

Jack's curiosity won't let him stay in the other room for long.

Jennifer hangs on tight while Claire explores alternative viewpoints.

The Loyd living room begins to look like bygone days. Nice.

WOOO! Amanda and Brianna are here! "Two more girls," thinks Jack. (Get used to it, Jack.)

Babies, babies everywhere.

Claire tries a position that Jennifer and Amanda always loved. Best seat in the house.

Ten people, five conversations. That's typical for this group.

To hear the five conversations, watch this video. : )

Maddie's proud to show her princess dress. With accompanying elegant moves. All hereditary.

Jack's giant viper threatens the fire-breathing dragon.

Mom Rachel launches a surprise counter-attack.

That's right, Brianna. You may chew on anything you can't swallow.

"Ah, this is heaven," says Rachel. Both kids entertaining themselves for five minutes!"

"Look out, Mommy. Mr. Ken has another snake!"

Everybody say "Bye-bye" to Rachel and her crew. Please come again soon!

Believe me, Judy and I can never have too many of these reunions! The invitation is always open (we know you're listening, Charlie and Liz).

I'm Thankful for . . . SPIDERS?!

Okay, I'll admit it's a quirky post-Thanksgiving blog post. Thankful for SPIDERS?

I don't really love spiders the way I love snakes, but I do admire and respect their skills and entrepreneurial success. I don't like them roaming freely inside my house, but when one takes up lodging outside, I find it gratifying to contemplate the Creator and creation. God designed these little arachnids perfectly for their purpose (we won't get into what that is).


This specimen, a hump-backed orb weaver (web of concentric circles), took up residentce beneath our satellite dish recently. By virtue of it also being under a floodlight, I experimented with my various camera settings at night.

Here, it looks a Fort Bragg paratrooper in free fall.

Daytime photos proved more revealing and rewarding. The heavy dew one morning were reminiscent of "Charlotte's Web." Which is about the best "press/marketing" ploy for spider's that's ever been pulled off.
Admit it, aren't you looking for words like "Some Pig," "Radiant," "Terrific," and "Humble?" Maybe you won't find those, but you certainly will find a miracle in this web and all other webs.

As I mentioned, there is much to admire and respect in spiders, even if you don't like their creepy movements, unexpected appearance, and bloodthirsty ways (see the aforementioned "Charlotte's Web."

The white siding of our house sets off this spider at rest. Patiently meditating. Not knowing where your next meal will come from breeds patience. According to Charlotte.

Charlotte also said she did her best thinking upside down. I don't recommend that, at least not for extended periods.

I would have posted a video of this spider at work, but she's been resting most of the time when I had my camera handy.

I hope I haven't offended anyone by these somewhat positive thoughts about a much-maligned octoped. But I was always taught, "If you can't say anything nice about a spider, don't say anything at all."

So here's my last "something nice:" Charlotte was all about friendship, loyalty, and sacrifice. And she was a GREAT WRITER!

Hangin' Out With Claire

What better way to spend the day before Thanksgiving than quality time with Claire? It was just a couple of hours, but believe me, it was quality time!

We were eager to try out the "Johnny Jump-Up." That's not really a generic name for this contraption, but that's what the first one I ever saw was called. My first principal loaned us one and Jennifer and Amanda LOVED the thing.

Claire had tried Brianna's earlier this week, and seemed to get a thrill out of having one at her own house. Well, maybe you can't tell it from her expression, but trust me.

Claire loves to try to stand up, and this device lets her bounce without putting undue pressure on those little legs. I think I would market this toy as "Baby Bungee." Wish I'd had one.

"Grandpa, you should have let Grandma take the picture. Sure, you centered it okay, but by holding the camera in your right hand, you cut off my little head. Tut, tut."

"Ah, this is the life. I hope you don't have to get up any time soon, Grandpa."

"Nope, I've got nowhere to go and nothing better to do. So let's sing another round of Down by the Station or The Wheels on the Bus."

"Sure, Grandpa. And I'll just hold on to these thumbs to make sure you don't try to get away."

"No, I haven't got a Mohawk. I'm just having a bad hair day-- and you can blame that on Grandpa, too."

"Uh, what was that you said, Grandpa? I wasn't listening-- I was watching Grandma."

Claire loves her Grandma. And her fuzzy ribbon ball of many colors.

And Grandma loves Claire!

We also had a pleasant neighborhood walk, introducing Claire to our backpack (no pictures). When we got back, a hungry Claire sucked down her bottle in record time. But she opted not to take a nap. That suited me and Judy just fine.

Ya know what else suits us fine? Tomorrow's Thanksgiving and we get to see both Claire AND Brianna. Oh yeah, and a bunch of grown-ups. : )

Happy Thanksgiving!

Brianna Plays, then Hits the Road

Friday was a special day. Judy and I lunched with Amanda and Brianna at 195. Judy and I had their Butter Chicken, an Indian curry dish which has become one of our favorites. Having Brianna with us made us celebrities. She was very patient with us while we ate; then she ate her own lunch--real people food. Amanda's blog has some great videos of Bri eating-- check it out.

Then, while Amanda put in a couple of hours at work, Judy and I babysat--with pleasure.

"Okay, Brianna. Here's a book and a toy. Which do you choose?"


"Yeah! She chooses the book! That's our GIRL!"

"Surely this child isn't putting herself to sleep!"

Brianna: "So this is that sunbeam that little Trixie in 'For Better or Worse' gets so worked up over. What's the big deal?"

Brianna: "I don't get it Grandma. I'm pushing as hard as I can. But my head stays where it was and my bottom pops up. What am I doing wrong?"
Brianna: "No problem. I'd rather untie your shoe anyway."

Brianna: "Grandma-- it's the paparazzi! They're back. Hide me, quick!"

Saturday was yard sale day and Brianna was at our house for a short while. We thought she would be tired and fussy after a long morning, but when she got in her little car, she was ready to play. This is my favorite video of her (that I've taken) so far.

Just wait till we let her wheels touch the floor!