Gentle Years

My little sister and I used to have pen-pals through The Big Blue Marble, a Saturday morning program advertised between cartoons.  She has been writing to her pen-pal for 30 years now.  AnnMarie, the other "girl", came up to be in my sister's wedding in the 1990s with her husband and daughter; her daughter Aaliyah and Little Baby were the flower girls-so cute because Aaliyah was dark-hair, eyes, skin, while Little Baby was fair with very blond hair and gray eyes. 

My sister and her family went to Trinidad last year and spent a couple of weeks with them.  Now the family is here again, this time with their son who had not been born at their last visit.  Aaliyah is visiting colleges-she is entering her senior year of high school in the fall-and so she and Little Baby are off today in Massachusetts, tomorrow to the mall.

Yesterday they stopped at our house and Ricky, who is not comfortable with strangers, could not spend enough time on Aaliyah's lap.  He told her his whole life story and didn't want her to leave.  It was pretty mutual; love at first sight.

Here in central NH we pack as much living as we can into the time we have to call summer, since it's such a short season.  Sometimes it doesn't really get started, weather-wise, until after the 4th of July; other years, like this, it starts earlier.  Here are the boys enjoying summer.

Brody, at 22 months, working very hard to read.  Below, Aidan is ready to go see Avatar with Pretty Baby.  The two of them have been watching the cartoon for a long time-remember that Aidan was Aang for Halloween?-many things were different in the movie from the show.  But a promise is a promise-he loved the movie!

Matthew pumping iron (wood) at the 4th of July parade.

Aidan and a buddy checking out party favors at his grandparents' cook-out.

Had to have the silly bandz (don't know if I spelled it right)-notice the smaller ones are on his fingers.

All three grandsons at the pool.

This one does not love swimming, especially if the water is deep or if people are splashing.

First it was the beach with LB, PB, her sons, Aidan and me. 

Then it was Storyland with all four of our children, our daughter in-law, and three grandsons. 

G wasn't there this time, though he does like that kind of thing.  He's busy getting an antique stock car ready for a show next weekend.

An online friend was adopting her daughter from Anshun City this spring.  She said that she would be on the lookout for a six year old girl with turned feet and take pictures if she could.  She couldn't, but when she got the disposable camera pictures developed that the nannies had used for her, my daughter was in several of the shots.  So here is a picture of Eva, with long hair and bangs.  Quite a change!

And here she is with a smile.

So I think it's safe to assume that she has been moved out of her foster home and into the orphanage to wait for us.