Setting up the New Christmas Tree
Hello to everyone and Happy Thanksgiving!
Xavier's Grandma Penny flew in for Thanksgiving this year.
This worked out for us quite nicely. Rebecca walked in the door, back from her three weeks at Andrews AFB, just after one o'clock in the morning on Wednesday. Penny arrived about ten hours later.
Of course, it's always nice to have Penny for a visit. But now, Rebecca had help cooking the feast (my contribution was to buy everything Rebecca needed; I have never cooked a Thanksgiving meal, nor cooked an 18 pound turkey, so it's best that was my primary contribution).
Rebecca, Xavier and Penny went shopping for some items, most non-food related. Rebecca had also found a sale on artificial Christmas Trees. Since the one we have saw its best years several Christmases ago, we agreed the budget could be bent to afford a new one.
Prior to Thanksgiving Day, Xavier complained every time he saw Christmas decorations, whether in a store, or someone's house, or the neighbors stringing up lights.
"It's Thanksgiving, Daddy! It's not Christmas yet," he would tell me.
That tune changed on Friday. We had a new tree and Xavier wanted to set it up and decorate it. He also thought it would be fun to decorate with Grandma Penny (who left for Fort Collins to help Chelle arrange her apartment to make it convalescent-friendly—Chelle has knee surgery next week).
Xavier wanted to wait til Sunday for Grandma Penny to decorate. However, he did not want to wait to set up the new tree. That, we did on Saturday.
After setting it up, Xavier thought the tree needed something more. He thought his train (a gift from Aunt Chelle two Christmases ago) around the tree would be that special something.
Grandpa's Cowboy Boots
Greetings to you all.
It seems so long ago. Four years and two months ago to put it in the ball park. So much has happened and changed since then.
At that time, Xavier's Grandpa Danny flew in to meet his new-born grandson for the first time. He brought with him a gift, one which Xavier would not be able to use for some time.
His gift was a pair of cowboy boots that he had when he was a boy. As you may imagine, they fitted Xavier rather loosely at the time.
Of course, everyone knew Xavier would grow into them eventually. We put them away, but every so often we would pull them out of Xavier's closet and try them on.
Always, until recently, Xavier's feet slid around in them quite freely. We tried them on the other night, and—at last!—they fit.
In fact, if the socks are too thick, you can't get them on. But once we figured that out, Xavier was up for a photo shoot to show off his heirloom kicks.
Xavier still needs to learn a few things about male modeling, or just modeling. We got a few good shots before Xavier's patience with the shooting thinned.
So, after four and a half years, Xavier finally fills his Grandpa Danny's boots.
To Grandpa Danny, Xavier says, "Thank you!"
Fall Yard Work
Greeting to all.
With Rebecca in Virginia for the next few weeks, we men decided to do some fall clean up of the yard. To be honest, the leaves littering the lawn had lost their luster, and Dad wanted them cleaned up; Rebecca being out of town had nothing to do with it.
We hired out the really difficult work of getting the leaves and debris out of the rocks and roof, but they are coming a few weeks from now. I could not abide the leaves there that long. So, that left us with rakes to drag leaves from the planting beds, the lawn mower suck the leaves from the lawn and our new toy to get the leaves out of everywhere else.
The day was warm and sunny. Xavier had stayed in the house all day. The idea of raking leaves got him excited to go outdoors. Nothing else did, and I tried on several occasions to get him to go outside, or to a park.
Xavier decided the sound of the leaf blower motor and its blown air were no longer scary. He wanted to blow leaves with it.
I let him blow leaves and pine needles, excited he had gotten over his fear of the machine. He found me a few minutes later to tell me the leaf blower was smoking. He was sensible enough to turn off the blower before coming to find me.
The two of us headed down to Home Depot and found a new blower (that device is too useful to be without). The new one is lighter, and Xavier can handle it better.
Xavier helped rake and move the piles of leaves into Mama's garden. He finished the work by blowing the remaining leaves from the sidewalks and patio. He left the work of rolling up the 100 foot cord to Dad.
A Grocery Store Rite of Passage
Greetings to everyone.
Day two of Rebecca's three weeks away, and what to two untethered guys do? That's right, we head for the supermarket!
We needed a few items for dinner, plus any stop at King Soopers means (in Xavier's world): Doughnuts! We chose our two donuts, then headed down the cookie aisle and placed a sleeve of chocolate double-stuffed sandwich cookies next to our doughnut bag. We then walked the aisles like two men who didn't know the store very well looking for the items we needed for dinner.
At the checkout, Xavier noted another little boy riding the penny rocking horse. He wanted to try it out!
I purchased our hand basket of items. Four pennies made up part of the change. After securing the grocery bag, we headed over to wait our turn on the penny pony.
Prior to today, Xavier has been wary of such rides. He intended to ride the pony this time, however.
And ride he did! Xavier had two rides, then we went home, leaving two pennies on the ride for other kids to use.