Things Go Uppity-Up-Up and Downdiddly-Down-Down

I’ve been sick, but that occurs later on in the narrative.

Peter’s Spring Break was the week after Waco’s break. His school was presenting a musical based on the Biblical story of Esther. I drove up to Fort Worth for the Thursday night production. Then, Friday was “Grandparent’s Day.” While Grandparents were arriving at the school that morning, I got a name tag and met the mom of one of Peter’s friends. While waiting around as other grandparents came, I met Peter’s Spanish teacher, who said he was a great student. Then, the grandparents went to their grandchildren’s classes. In Peter’s Third Grade class, we played “Grandparent Bingo.” Grandparents and their grandkids worked together, placing Smarties candies on bingo squares with captions like “Did you and your grandparent go to a movie?” “Did you and your grandparent bake cookies.” And statements like that. There was a book fair where, wouldn’t you know, grandparents could purchase books for their grandkids. If there’s going to be a fundraiser, then adding to a kid’s home library is a valid one.

Then, we all went to the church’s sanctuary, where the students who are part of a string ensemble played for us. Then, the grades who were part of the Thursday-night musical went up and sang one of their songs. Then we sang a hymn, and, then I’m not sure what happened after that, because Peter and I were sitting at the very end of a pew next to an exit door, and we hurried out early, because April was waiting at the door for us, to drive us back to their house where we hurried to put our luggage in the car and left town. There was a freeze warning and we needed to get on the road to get to Waco before the bad weather arrived. And, actually, the bad weather didn’t arrive.

Peter was checking out the package of semi-sweet chocolate chips and discovered a recipe for a pan of solid chocolate chip cookie dough. That seemed like a fabulous idea, and it was even more intriguing to decorate that solid slab of chocolate chip cookie.

Peter also had an idea for what we should have for dinner when David came home. “Peter’s Rice Surprise” involves rice and lettuce and cheese. And Pita Chips.

As I’ve been cleaning out shelves in closets, I found a box of items for making candles. I’d sort of forgotten that I used to do that. There was wax and dark green wax squares for coloring a candle and Stearine, a substance that helps the wax set better and helps candles last longer. Peter and I went to Hobby Lobby for new wicks and candle scent. I had a couple of clear glass containers that had held candles that I’d burned. I had cleaned them out to use for the candles we were creating. And Peter said that green was April’s favorite color. So we were all set.

We made two green candles for April for an early birthday gift.

As we were shopping that day, Peter and I stopped by Drug Emporium. We picked up a variety of things (it’s that kind of store), but I was specifically searching for cold medicine. I’d waked up Monday morning feeling snuffly, and the longer the day went, the worse I felt. I’ve caught a cold, I thought. I can’t recall the last time I’ve had a cold. Not just in months; maybe in a few years. And as I thought about it, the more I realized that I’d spent quite some time the past Friday with a hoard of kids, some of whom might possibly had colds. And, even though they might have felt a little under the weather, they might have talked their families into letting them go on to school anyway, since it was Grandparents’ Day.

I could be wrong. I suppose. But that’s what I think happened.

I checked information about colds and read that they last from seven to ten days! Yikes. The Tylenol COLD + FEVER SEVERE helped somewhat, and the seven to ten days seems to be lasting longer. I’m still blowing my nose.

Kevin and April came and worked diligently, cutting those logs in half and making a really nice border along the grassy part of the back yard.

It just seemed like a really good idea. The afternoon had been so balmy. After dinner, they put out the fire. David and April moved on into the house, and Kevin and Peter put up their big tent and settled down for a good night’s sleep.

Except, it was still very early spring, even in Central Texas. They finally came into the house at 2:00 a.m. I don’t know that anyone actually checked the temperature, but it was ‘way colder than just uncomfortable. Maybe they’ll come back in a few weeks and try again.

And, it’s time to see how the boy has grown.

Peter at nine

Looking at the difference in where the top of his head is, comparing his height at 8 and his height at 9, he’s grown quite a bit. And, he’s barefoot in the 9 year photo.