Play Dates and Grandma and Tiz take over the Mall

Tizita, Courtney, and Paul spent the last three days with us here in Watertown. I invited a few of Tizita's Preschool friends over to play with her on Tuesday evening. Here she is with Sinai and Aquila, two very sweet twins. The three girls had lots of fun together. It reminded me of the play dates of long ago when I would have friends over to play with the girls. Sometimes the play times went very well and needed little or no adult intervention and then other times I felt like I needed to be directing activities the entire time. I am happy to report that this play date went well and needed little adult direction except for some bathroom issues. On Wednesday I invited Ava over to play to join with Meghan, Calvin, Jacob, and Tizita. We picked Ava up from St. John's Day Care. I chose Ava first because she really is a nice friend to Tizita, but also because she is a low maintenance kid. She plays well by herself or with others and doesn't require much adult intervention. We started out with a trip to the park and despite a few raindrops and some wierd weather everyone had a nice time. We had a picnic lunch at the park and then headed up to our house where we played with playdough and set up a playdough sweets shop run by Meghan. After an hour of playdough play, we enjoyed a snack and called it a day, a very fun, successful day.

The twins and Meghan left for swimming lessons while Ava and Tiz took the Escalade out for a spin. This is the first time that Tizita has been able to share her car with another child, otherwise I have had to ride in it with her. It was so cute to watch the two of them driving down the street. One slight mishap when Ava almost ran Tiz over, but other than that, it was a fine first cooperative driving experience.

That evening Gigi shared a book with Tizita that her daddy had given her when she was a little girl. I remember hearing that book often when I was little, too. It is a very special book since my mom's (Gigi's) dad died when she was only ten years old and this is one of the things she remembers him giving her.

On Thursday, Courtney and Paul had to have their fingerprints done for a second adoption. They have to have it done every year since you know, they change those prints so often. This is time for anyone who has biological children with little problem to say a prayer of Thanks to God for that gift. Adoption policies are complicated, expensive, and downright ridiculous
at times, but the end result is so worth the hassles.

Anyway, Tiz and I went along. First, we stopped to visit Mamaw and Pops at the nursing home where Pops lives. It was a nice visit even if it was a bit short. Mamaw had lots of treats for Tizita.

After that Courtney and Paul dropped Tiz and I off at Brookfield Square. We couldn't decide if we should spend our time together at Chuck E Cheese or a Children's Musuem. It was quite a decision. I kept vacillating between the two, not really comfortable with either choice until Tizita asked about a mall, so a mall it was. I am certainly at home in a mall, so I knew that was a good choice and boy, did we ever have a great time together.

There were so many choices of gumballs, candy, and trinkets at every turn, luckily I had lots of quarters.

Finding the little riding toys was like a little piece of heaven. We rode several of them over and over again. We also had our photos taken in one of those little photo booths. That was lots of fun, too.

Tiz enjoyed dancing on the light up moving floor.

Lunch time already and we haven't even been in a store. Who needs Chuck E Cheese when you have a mall? We took our self portrait here during our Subway lunch.

Finally, a store, the bookstore. We rode the escalators a few times up and down, then Tiz read me a few books. Before we knew it, it was time to meet mama and papa and go home.

The best part of when Tiz told me, "Grandma, that was the greatest time ever!" Such words warm a grandma's heart.

Today Tiz and her mama and papa took of for a few days in Iowa with Paul's family. I will miss her around here, but she will be back for the 4th!