Nana's Babysitting Saturday

The boys started off the day with a movie they selected.

When that was over, we put on this movie.

During the movies, the boys played with the toy soldiers and

the toy dinosaurs we keep in the toy box for these occassions.

Suddenly, in the middle of the second movie the two older boys were struck with starvation. This in spite of consuming yogurts , fruit and other snacks while watching and playing. As it so happens, we have a supply of "Happy Meals" not to far up the road.

Today, by special request we would be traveling by diesel power. Boys, small or large, young or old, like big trucks. Sadly, the littlest brother would not be accompaning us as he was overwhelmed by his need for a nap.

After lunch, Nana set up the slip-n-slide. Bean is ready to go after his nap and lunch. He is a great fan of doing whatever his brothers do.

The boys like the slip-n-slide, but well water is cold and it takes a little getting used to.

Still getting in.

Here is the big brother to show the others how it is done.

Bean was not into running and sliding. He just liked being wet and putting his body into the water. When I picked him up, the term "Frog Body" came to mind. That water is really really cool.

Here is Wil demonstrating his finest high speed slide.

More Wil as he hits the end zone.

This is Gus' best shot. He put a lot into this one and went all the way.

Bean getting a snack. Turns out he thinks he can feed himself. Nana is trying to get some into him between his attempts.

He does a good job, but he doesn't want a lot of help. Consequently, he doesn't eat as much as he would as when he is fed so he gets hungry more often and since he can't really tell you when he is hungry he sometimes acts grumpy. At least that's Nana's theory.

Just a cute shot of a boy mugging for the camera.

Later in the evening, it was tub time. All of the grandchildren have always liked tub time.

He was washing his own face, but camera lag screwed that up. By the time the shot was taken he was watching the water run out of the washcloth.

He knows he is freaking cute.

Bean is washing Wil's head for him. That's what brothers are for.

The living room while Gus watches tv during his brother's bath. The forts have been dismantled and the toy soldiers and dinosaurs have been picked up but as you can see there is still more to do.

July Rainy Day

The weather guessers say we have a 70-80% chance of rain all week long. This of course is not just rain, it comes with lightning, thunder and sometimes high winds and other niceties such as hail.

This is a 16 month old who thinks he has it down. How hard can it be since his six year old and four year old brothers can do it; so can he.

The Nana likes to keep little projects around the house for visiting grandchildren. When you have a really hot or wet day it gives them something to do besides watch videos.

What Bean doesn't know is his glue has the cap screwed down so he can copy his brothers but the mess is minimized,

Gus the Elder and Wil the Younger are more experienced in the art of projects.

Mom is also there to maintain law and order.

You can see Bean watching the other two actually get some glue out of the container. He is very observant. Earlier the adult conversation revolved around squirt guns over the 4th weekend. The four year old could make his work. The 16 month old could not make his work; so he kept making his older brother trade squirt guns with him trying to find one that worked. Pretty dang smart I think.

Always thinking! I believe he has just been asked if he would like some chicken McNuggets.

Lucky for us, it doesn't rain inside McDonalds and the Happy Meals this week are based on the recent Ice Age movie presently showing in the local theaters.

Independence Day 2009

Nana, What Is This

This is cool. I wonder what it is.

I should show this to Nana, she always knows about everything.

Wow, you can bend it over and look right in.

All of those pink things keep coming off.

I sure hope I don't drop any of them.


Yea, I'm going to have to check with Nana about these things. They don't seem to hold up very well. Nana, Nana where are you.

Sky Beans New Hat

This is my normal traveling hat. It is usually with me where ever I go.

This is my grandson, Sky Bean. He likes hats. He likes any and all hats. Normally as soon as I come through the door he strips me of my hat. Sometimes this means I forget my hat when I leave since it is now laying on the floor of Beaner's room.

So the plan, based on his mother's idea, is to get him his own hat. I would then wear his new hat like it was mine into his house. Here Sky Beans new hat being worn by me so he would want it.

It worked, it's would appear it has been accepted and approved.

Bowling In June

On a hot day in June we decided to go bowling just get out of the sun while staying out of the heat. For these guys, fun is the name of the game, even though each one of them was saying he was going to win.

Here Gus practices his slam to the floor delivery.

When you are this age, the delivery is not as relevant as the returning victory dance. A theme you will see often in these pictures.

As at all public events, while some work the crowd, others work a purse.

Here, Mom offers advice on the delivery.

And again we have the return from delivery victory dance.

Ise approaches the line for his delivery.

Wil awaits his returning ball while keeping his fingers clear.

Ise is a well known enemy of the elusive pretzel. He hunts them down and estroys them where ever he finds them.

Even Beaner, age 13 months, thinks he can do it. It sure looks like he is figuring his next shot.

Making sure the pins have reset.

The delivery, not bad at all.

Gus working on his delivery.

Future bowlers don't come any cuter than this.

Nana, the head cheerleader and her able assistant.

The scoreboard, not exactly accurate as the bowlers randomly pushed some of the controls.

Waiting.

More delivery.

Another dance for ball control.

And the victory strut.

The following three pictures were taken in succession while the ball was rolling down the lane towards the pins.
The ball is delivered down the lane.

Prayers for guidance are said.

Consolation is offered.

Pictures From Myrtle Beach, SC

The Captains Grill first night there. By this time, I was really getting hungry. We stayed at "The Dunes." The lodgings were great, this dining area was lacking.

My grandaughter Delainums was also ready to eat. With the smaller ones, you better be ready when they are or some one will pay for it. Not me, I just say "Hey Mom, feed your kid." Being the grandfather has some advantages.

Sometimes she likes getting her picture taken.

And she knows her's cute as her brother says.


This was our hotel, The Dunes, from the beach side.


A shot down the beach to the North. This was taken at about 0800 the next morning as the Blushing Bride and I took a walk up the beach.

And sometimes Her's does not neccesarily want her picture taken. We are at "Broadway at the Beach," a shopping area set up for tourists.

Checking the details on a dinosaur.

Ise will climb on anything if I tell him I am taking his picture.

The group. Her's is still not ready to have her picture taken.

A Jelly Belly castle. The whole thing is made of Jelley Belley jelly beans.

A shot of the "family" next to a fountain at "Broadway on the Beach."

My Blushing Bride doing the tourist thing.

Senor Frog's dress code. I guess it is a night club, but the state seems to be serious about their dress code. Broadway on the Beach seemed to have a large number of night clubs mixed between their tourist shops.

Ise and Nana checking out some cool chairs outside of one of the shops.

If this hadn't cost so much money, I would have bought it for NubbyBunny. Sorry, I guess she is only going to see the picture.

Training a new shopper.

Her's says, This is good.

Suddenly it is gone and you can see Her's re-thinking her plan for where it went wrong.


Hard Rock Cafe, Myrtle beach, SC with posing touristas in front,

Ise giving his Mom a ride on a real Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Ise and Nana also riding the Harley Davidson motorcycle. Ise turned his hat around because he didn't want it to blow off.

A close up of the Sphinxes at the entrance to the Hard Rock Cafe.

In Johnny Rockets waiting for food. This restaurant was the worst place we ate while on vacation. Service sucked, mostly because the staff was out in the street singing. I enjoyed the one in Atlanta much better.

As you can see, some members of the crowd were slowing down at this point. It was also hot out there. So after we ate, we went back to the hotel water areas which were mostly indoors where the heat didn't bother you so much.

You can see why Ise and Delaniums are so photogenic.

This is my new position in Myrtle Beach, SC. Peacekeeper for a bar and grill and you get to play with a gun. What more could you ask for? You don't have to wear a tie either.

Our Stop At The Ripley Aquarium, Myrtle Beach, SC

A saw fish laying on the bottom. There are very few fish pictures, they are extremely hard to get through the glass. The glass not only reflects the flash back into the camera but the auto focus focuses the camera on the glass, not the specimen you are looking at behind the glass. On top of that the light is reduced and the fish are continually moving.

Mom and inside the tunnel that allows human travel through the middle of the fish tank.

The Blushing Bride, Nana, with one of her grand boys. You can see she has always been smitten by nautical types.

Mom and family posing at the Ripley's Aquarium.

The Old Salt, aka Cheez, with his Blushing Bride inside the aquarium. There were hundreds of people there that day. The day before when we passed by, but did not enter, there was no one in the area.

Inside the barrels are small exhibits or information.

Delainums liked this particular one because it was like an aquarium with small fish swimming in it.

Cheez and Nana are keeping little sister busy while her Mom and brother are looking at an exhibit of baby sea creatures which involved a terribly long line to get in.

Still babysitting here also.

Mom and brother were gone a long time and it is hard to keep this one interested. At 13 months old, she has no trouble letting you know she wants to do it her way.

Her's is really cute.

Nana showing Delainums one of the smaller aquariums.

This is more to her liking, Hands On. Here she is petting a Horseshoe Crab in the Petting Tank. No Fear here.

This exhibit shows how the water is maintained and distributed throughout the aquarium. Delainums is shown here making a few minor hands on adjustments to ensure quality control of the aquariums water.

This was identified by Ise as we walked down the entrance ramp as an Angler Fish. I guess he saw the little lure hanging off the front. He called it from about 25 feet away and while on another level. Good call. The lure is in the upper right corner of the picture, it looks like a baseball.

A navigational buoy located outside the exit of the aquarium.

A Day At Downtown Disney

The day after we went to Sea World, we decided to visit Downtown Disney.

This is a Disney character on the marquee of one of their stores. He was noteworthy because he randomly spits water on those passing below. Some folks even stood around and waited to get hit by the water since it was quite hot that day.

A Lego shark and fish located outside the Lego Store.

A giant Transformer made of large Legos.

Some of the Legos displayed in exhibits in the outer wall of the Lego Store.

A Lego Tyranosaurus Rex dinosaur with a tethered hot air ballon in the background.

A closeup of a Lego window display.

Another Lego window display.

A Lego family with their dogs displayed outside of the Lego store.


One happy shopper. She likes Legos in the fact that she can dissassemble what her brother builds.

This fellow has the beginnings of a serious Lego dude, just like his uncle. Here he is at a table where you can assemble and purchase your own people dressed pretty much the way you want.

Here our Lego "assembler" is getting some parental assistance. The cup on the left of the picture you can fill with as many Lego parts as you want from bins on the walls. They had a lot of different parts but many people were asking for wheels. There were no wheels.

A picture of the "Wall of Bins." Each bin is filled with a bunch of Lego parts. Things such as doors, gates, and all kinds of unidentified Lego parts. The secret is to put the larger parts in first, into the middle of the cup. Then add the medium size parts and finally the smaller parts. Keep shaking the cup so smaller parts filter into the voids at the bottom of the cup. Keep working at it and you can make it almost solid plastic inside the cup.

Nana helps out at every level. Here she is assisting at the "Make People" table.

A wall of Lego people premade and mounted behind the cash registers. This picture only shows about 80% of what is on the wall.

A Lego Sea Serpent. This only shows the head. The whole thing is probably 30 feet long.

Strolling with the newbie. I was walking her around while the Nana got some chow ready for her. In front of us is the new T-Rex Restaurent. We thought about eating there but decided to go to the Rainforest Cafe. If the kids got scared by the dinosaurs, lunch would have been screwed up and that stuff costs an arm and a leg.

Nana and Newbie working on a yogurt, while Newbie works the crowd.

Outside the Rainforest Cafe. The baby is excited by the parrots hanging across the walkway. She has become conscious of birds.

A fish tank inside the Rainforest Cafe. Their fish tanks are tubular and connected to each other by tubes in the overhead.

A tethered hot air ballon that kept popping up over the tree tops.

This looks like a helmsman from "Pirates of the Caribbean." He was located at the entrance to one of the Disney stores.