Fly On The Wall May 2019: Young at Heart

Welcome to the May Fly on the Wall Group Challenge. This month, 5  bloggers and I are describing what it would be like if you were to take a peek inside our homes...

Have a "look" around mine, and then go visit the other blogger's pages. There's always something fun, sentimental, or better yet, embarrassing going on. It's like your house, only we're admitting to the craziness. You have our permission. Buzz on over!

The cast:
Mark: the man
Me
Alex: Oldest daughter
J.: The teenager
Christian: son (21)
3 grandkids :)

Young at Heart:

***

I'm not sure if it's because the man and I are now grandparents, or if we've always been this way, but I've decided the adults in our family often act like kids; in the best way.
Here are a few examples from the blur that has been Spring:

After Easter, I found a 12-pack of Bunny Ears that I forgot to use. Mark and I, our three kids and 3 grandkids put them on (because, BUNNY EARS!) After 5 minutes, the little ones and the teenager (not cool, man!) took theirs off. The adults, however, kept them on for the remainder of the night. One of us almost wore hers to bed.

Only serious adults wear Bunny Ears.

***

For a million reasons, I haven't been back to my hometown in years. A lot has been going on back there, so Mark and I decided to fly out to Michigan for a short 48 hours. For health reasons, I haven't enjoyed making that long flight. Mark surprised me and upgraded our tickets to first class. WooHoo! Although I'd like to think it was for me...

Priorities

Mark: "Isn't this nice? Watch closely as I put this tea away and enjoy 17 Bloody Marys". 

For me, having a restroom so close and being able to move around made the flight much more pleasant. I'm sure that the other "regular first-classers" weren't thrilled to watch Mark and I trade up our pretzels and almonds like they were marbles or golden treasures. 
Me: (later, out loud) "A warm washcloth and Ben and Jerry's for dessert? Where has first-class been all my life?"

***

Even though our time at home was short, I was able to accomplish most of what I came for. Including stopping at my childhood mall to see if the large bronze hippopotamus still existed. And it did. It's the little things, people.

Priorities 

***

Me: (Yelling downstairs) "Hey Mark? Can you help me move this desk?

Mark: "Yes, in about an hour. I have some things to finish up with work."

The teenager: (5 seconds later)"Hey Dad? How does this video game work again?"

(all I hear is running)

Priorities

***

Our foster granddaughter's birthday party fell on Mother's Day. I asked my daughter if she was okay celebrating it at our house on that day. She was thrilled. Plus, I promised the granddaughter a dinosaur cake. I wasn't able to find a "dinosaur bones" mold, even though I swore they existed. Five craft stores and one disappointed grandma later,  Christian used some fondant and created the bones. He's the real MVP. I'll always be amazed at the incredible abilities of my children.

I put crushed cookies and graham crackers on top so the kids could go looking for bones. Mark and I figured the granddaughter would love it since he and I had so much fun trying it out first.

They seemed to like the cake!

She found the bones and the boys ate them.

***

See that small table in the bottom right corner of the next pic? That was for the grandkids. Notice that they aren't at any table during the birthday craft time. Instead, the rest of us (minus the teenager) were engrossed in coloring wood dinosaurs.

***

The culmination of the day was to be a "paleontologist" and carefully break open an egg (made of plaster) to find a toy dinosaur inside. It was 10 times harder than any of us thought. We eventually opened all of the eggs, but it was a ton of work. Alex's face says it all.

"Thanks, mom, for this super fun idea."

***

Mark made a run to the store and asked if I needed anything. I told him I'd love a candy bar. I know I shouldn't eat them, but I'm weak, man!

Mark: "What kind do you want?"

Me: "I don't care. Just something chocolate."

After shaking his head at my indecision, he left for the store and returned with a big smile. He poured out a bag of various chocolates as if whatever he brought home would be wrong.

Trying not to take offense, I look at the pile. 

With the most serious face, I ask, "Where are the Almond Joys??"

Again people, priorities. 

Are you young at heart? Let me know in the comments.
Have a sweet weekend, friends. 
-Michele

Buzz on over and visit other participants of this month's Fly :)

                  Baking in a Tornado

                  Never Ever Give Up Hope

                  Menopausal Mother

                  Spatulas on Parade

                  Bookworm in the Kitchen

Use Your Words May 2019: Oh Sheets!

Today’s post is a writing challenge created by Karen @ Baking in A Tornado.  1o participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words for someone else to use in a post. All words must be used at least once. All posts will be different as each writer has received their own original set of words. No blogger knows who received their words or in what direction the writer will take them. Until today.   

My words are:

ball ~ covered ~ distress ~ green ~ laundry ~ criminal

They were chosen by Southern Belle Charm 

Thank you for the words!

Pattern Story #7

Dear Diary,

     Having a single parent is hard. Especially when that parent is a dad and I am a teen-aged girl. It was one thing talking with him about jump ropes, bouncy balls, and frogs, but it's quite another to discuss hair-curlers, mascara, and shaving my legs. I cringed knowing I had to tell my father that I needed new underclothes. I think I turned green  when he asked me to list everything I needed. How was he to know what Lycra girdles were or what kind of brassieres I'd like?

    I know he thought he was doing his best when he suggested that grandma take measurements and bring me shopping instead. I'm sure he asked her to get a bunch of things so we could avoid these awkward conversations for as long as possible. My grandma has been wonderful to me my whole life. I know she was trying to help...but when dad dropped me off at her house, I found out that we weren't going shopping after all.  She decided to MAKE my underclothes herself!

     I don't mean to sound ungrateful, Diary. I'm sure she worked very hard on each piece, but they were all wrong. Instead of the Lycra/Dacron form-fitting pieces my friends wear, my underclothes seemed to be fashioned from the very sheets that covered her bed last summer. None of the pieces was a girdle or form fitting for that matter. Everything seemed baggy. One of the pieces was even a garter-belt!  Those ancient things should be criminal! I thought everyone knew about pantyhose and tights by now!

     I think the slips are going to be too long for my miniskirts. Grandma asked me to try each piece on and show her how they fit. I couldn't even look her in the eyes. I didn't want her to see the distress on my face. I instead thanked her for her hard work and brought everything home.

     What am I going to do now? Tell her the underclothes are in the laundry every time she asks? As it is, the garter belt and pink onsie are crumpled in a ball under my bed.

     In the mean time, Sally said I could borrow her new silky slip to go under my Mod Minidress. 

     I guess dad and I will eventually have to have a clearer talk about the garments a growing girl needs, but for now I'll wait. Like I said, he's doing his best. He even came home with the very pink tube of mascara I showed him in Seventeen magazine! And it's the darkest shade of black I've ever seen.

     I think he and I are going to be fine.

***

Photo from McCall Corporation 1968

Happy "Wear whatever undergarments you want to as long as they're clean," friends!
-Michele

Check out the other cool kids playing:

Baking in a Tornado

Wandering Web Designer

Cognitive Script  

The Bergham Chronicles

On the Border

Southern Belle Charm

Bookworm in the Kitchen   

Part-Time Working Hockey Mom

Climaxed