Some watchdog!

I'm still trying to figure out what possible purpose my dog, Frodo, has in life.  She doesn't eat bugs like my cats did.  She doesn't keep my feet warm at night (preferring to sleep next to me, sideways, in the bed).  AND, she isn't even a good watchdog.  Last night, while I sat here in my computer room/radio shack, my daughter and family arrived and had both sleeping children put in bed before I even knew they were here!  Way to go, Frodie!

The kids didn't arrive until almost 1:00 AM.  The verdict from the Sheryl Crowe concert was that Robin had been good as gold for the entire 2 1/2 hours of the concert, but that Ryan (who is still a Terrible Two) was a bit of a pill.  Still, I don't know of too many toddlers that can sit still through a long deal like that, so I guess things went as well as could be expected.

I let everyone sleep in this morning.  They slept close to the starting time of the Quaker Day parade, so we missed it.  We could have gone, but somehow it seemed too stressful to try to get there with everyone still in a good mood...  At breakfast, Robin ordered her "usual," saying "You know that I will ask for fruit and eggs and bacon because I enjoy your food."  Grandchildren learn very early in life how to work the grandparents based on what has become food traditions.  Robin and Ryan have come to associate my house with fruit, Gerber's meat sticks, olives, pickles, chocolate, and suckers--and little snack bags of raisins and treats for the trip home.  Hey, that's what grandmas are good for!  When Meg was little, her Grandma McNary always had a tin of homemade peanut butter fudge in the pantry just awaiting Meg's arrival.  When we walked in the door, Meg headed straight to the pantry.  I don't know what would have happened had the fudge not been there...but it always was. 

Later, we went to the Quaker Day craft booths, then went to Chick-fil-A to cash in on a couple of coupons that I had from school for free kids' meals.  We ate; the children played in the play area; Nathan read the paper.  Business as usual!

After food, we headed up to Rockville Road and 465 to a nursing home facility where Nathan's grandmother lives.  Today was her 89th birthday.  I went along to help corral the children so that Nate and Meg could have a bit of a visit.  Grandma Brown is in hospice with congestive heart failure, but she was up, talkative, and in good spirits, bragging on the handsomeness of her great-grandchildren.  (I agree!)  We didn't stay long, but it was good that we went.  Who knows how much longer she'll be around?  God bless my daughter.  She is so good with children and old people.  (Excellent practice for when they put me in The Home, as Meg and Nate have threatened to do for a few years now.  Heh heh.) 

I came back home while the Muncie entourage went to visit with Nate's folks here in Plainfield for awhile.  They came back here to pack up and head home.  At one point on the venture home, Meg called me on her cell phone to say that the children had been yelling just to make noise...but that Ryan, strapped in his car seat, had announced from the back seat, "I'm leaving!"  He's a hoot!

I got through the day with my feet intact.  (Yay!)  It was a drop-dead gorgeous day.  I was a bit surprised to see a female hummingbird in my yard this afternoon.  (They should be gone by now.)   Not complaining.  The little cuties always brighten my day. 

So, busy day today; but I still have tomorrow at my leisure.  I like that...