Simple Pleasures, Simply Put . . .

Sand
WaterFloaty Things
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BallgamesBirdsBlankiesBreakfastTea PartiesYummy treats!BathsBooks

Simply Wonderful!

What I know is not much

But, I DO know . . .

• Hale is not plagued with indecision. He likes. He does not like. There is no middle ground.
• Hale likes animals and babies and birds.
• He likes his DSI game and is subject to lengthy explanations of the games, characters, strategies, etc.
• He is an avid and very good reader of some books.
• I know that one of Hale’s love languages is gifts.
• That he is concerned about healthy eating and reads labels and gives great exposés on foods but loves candy.

• I can guess pretty accurately that he will not want his picture taken which explains why I have many pictures of the back of his cute head.

• He loves chess which unfortunately I do not know how to play.
• Hale loves his siblings and his mom very much and misses them when separated.
• Hale knows a lot of facts and some are accurate but some are not quite. For example . . . “There are 8 million people in Chicago, Grandma!” I didn’t know so I checked later, out of curiosity, and I think it is closer to 3 million but 3 million or 8 million? They are both big numbers—too big for us to comprehend.
• Mostly, I do know that it is always delightful to have one-on-one time with Hale
• and Hale always remembers to say, “Thank you.”

But I don’t know. . .

• If he will want a Grandma Day. (He did! Yay!)
• What to feed him. (Lemonade, chips, Sprite Zero, Arby’s chicken strips, popcorn and “leftover” pizza for breakfast.)
• What he will enjoy doing.

Here is what I learned . . .

• He is very tired of swim lessons and is happy to have a reason to miss (which could perhaps explain his enthusiasm for a Grandma Day).
• He is not ever going up in the Sears/Willis Tower because he has vertigo and does not like heights.
• Hale liked Chicago’s Peter Pan, performed in a theater in the round with a 360 screen. I will repeat that because it is so much fun to say . . . Hale liked it!

• He does not like Chicago and is not interested in seeing any more of it.
• He can ride an adult bike and there is no need to borrow a smaller one.

• He prefers sleeping on the floor. (I did offer three different beds, really I did.)

• He shares my enthusiasm for bird watching out our breakfast window.

• Among his favorites are black-capped chickadees and cardinals. He also enjoyed watching the goldfinches and an appearance of a hummingbird. However, his absolute favorite kind of bird is an owl which of course we did not see but we did visit a store on our bike ride called, The Barn Owl.

• At the store we both enjoyed interacting with Joe the talking bird

Hale took home an owl souvenir to remember our day.

We both went home happy.

They keep going and going and going

Jackson & Lilly came off the plane
Where they had traveled all by themselves
Full of enthusiasm
Ready for action

I quickly realized that I needed to pay attention
or I would miss the action!

They move quickly

And accomplish much!

Going farther

And faster

Higher

And higher

Over

And over

Each day was a new adventure for Grandma.

Perhaps nutrition suffered
But occasional refueling is necessary.

I loved their teamwork.

And their concentration.

Lilly's hair suffered.

There was dramatic improvement a few days later
when Mom arrived.

Jackson and Lilly define enthusiasm

And good humor

Afterwards I was a little tired.

Missing two Energizers that bring such joy.

I LOVE them

And their visits.