Anatomy of a Perfect Afternoon

First blog post in a while — when your granddaughter gets to be seven, you have to start being careful about what you post so as not to embarrass her too much.

We had the Lilz today, as it was MLK day. So we sort of dawdled our way out of our beds this morning. We met Yia-Yia for lunch — goofy expressions and all — then Lilz and I went to one of those paint-your-own-pottery places and spent a happy few hours creating a couple of masterpieces and engaging in collaborative artistic dialogue.

And then we spent a couple of more hours in a neighborhood park, where we’ve gone regularly since Lilz was able to get out and go to parks. She can swing on her own, now, though she still appreciates the occasional push (“Higher! Faster!”). And the concrete whale is a great spot for a dramatic pose and a quick story about danger and derring-do.

There’s no better way to spend a winter’s day.

Lillian and her Grandfather

Lillian says funny stuff while having her picture made. I laugh. So does she.

New Year’s Selfies and Coolness…

So, someone thought we lacked coolness, and decided to remedy this lack by giving us a selfie stick for Christmas. Lillian dropped by this morning, and it was sufficient excuse to demonstrate just how much the selfie stick has added to our coolness quotient. Or not.

Lillian’s Hazard Removal Service

As we walked home from school today, a branch, fallen from a tree, blocked our path. Lazy ePa suggested walking around it. Lillian thought that this was not proper, so she removed it from our path and then explained to ePa the dangers that would have ensued had she not taken the time to clear the branch out of the way.

Cold & Frosty Mornings

It was very cold this morning, but Lillian was prepared in her favorite hat and coat. It’s not enough simply to dress warmly — one also needs to fuel one’s body, and most experts agree that Goldfish crackers are the premier snack fuel choice of pre-school adventurers.

Ears or Handles?

You may call them ears: Lilz calls them handles (not a real rabbit, in case you can’t tell).

A Girl and her Shadow

Most mornings, Lillian and I head out for a park and a playground. This morning, a lovely, crisp day, the sort of day that we get in Houston only about five times a year, Lillian wanted to wander, and so we did.

She took her shadow along with us, and they spent the morning pointing to things, and I spent the morning naming things. We looked at leaves and acorns, trees and picnic tables, pickup trucks and garbage cans. Lillian is interested in everything: the beautiful and the mundane.

In one of Lili’s alphabet books, we read that U is for Upside Down, and it’s illustrated with a picture of a boy standing on his head; Lillian is fascinated with the concept. She wedges herself into the corner of the couch and tries to stand on her own head and she has you hold her upside down as often as she can. Seeing her delight in her explorations and discoveries is immensely entertaining.

She has added the words “walk” and “run” to her vocabulary; her grandfather is happy to hear the word “walk” — and not quite as happy to hear the word “run”. People keep telling me that little ones will keep you young, but I find that they mostly remind you that you aren’t, anymore. But they do make you laugh, and that is a good thing.

Lillian and a Holly Tree

Cold and More Words

We go to the park on a winter’s morning with a cold wind blowing (cold by Houston standards: Lillian’s Finnish relatives would consider it a balmy spring breeze, I imagine) and the first place Lillian heads is a puddle of water. Being Lillian’s sidekick can be challenging.

Lillian had two new words for us today: “up” meaning “pick me up I can’t reach the cookie jar from down here,” and “huggee” meaning “hug me,” which, of course, is not a problem at all.

On a somewhat less encouraging linguistic note, Lilz’s use of the word “no” is becoming increasingly colloquial…and frequent.

Little Boots

These boots were made for walking...