I love doing art projects with our grandchildren. I especially enjoy adorning mugs with their masterpieces for our morning coffee enjoyment.
This year, they each drew a full body self-portrait along with the rest of their household. This little beauty became a wrap around mug with each of our little ones contributing their part.
Tim and I enjoy our morning coffee time…and having their art as a part of our morning ritual is bliss indeed.
Family Portrait by our grandkids.
A childhood friend has a birthday this week. It got me thinking about my favorite birthday as a kid. On my eighth birthday, my best friend, Cynthia, gave me a runt piglet. He required bottle-feeding much to my delight. Whenever I got the chance, I snuck him into bed and cuddled him all night. The only photo I have of him is from the back, so here’s a work in progress of Porky and me.
I know I’m a few days early, but Happy Birthday, Cynthia…I’ll never forget the precious gift you gave me all those years ago. Happily remembering pet bliss.
I couldn’t help it. Porky was so little, he really needed a nighttime snuggle.
The 2014 installment for family coloring pages for my grandchildren, Color My Family,™ includes the family pets. Fun, fun, fun, bliss.
Sneaking a little bliss with Tim’s pens… shhh, he doesn’t know 🙂
Our grandchildren love to color. A few years ago, I made Color My Family coloring books for the girls. The little man was not interested in structured coloring at that time. Now, at four, he does it all the time and not always in the proper place.
I started to print a Color My Family book for him, and then I realized they have grown so much they needed new line art to color.
I have been sneaking in family images amongst the other duties of the week. I hope to have it done soon. It is pure bliss to watch their faces when they realize they know the people in the coloring book. Try it sometime for a little one in your life.
GrandThing3 – a new line drawing for his new coloring book.
Friends Through a Child’s Eyes – in pencil, by Maryᴀ Livingston
Check out Timeout for Art: Through A Child’s Eyes by ‘Z’ over at Zeebra Designs and Destinations.
Exciting news, especially for those of you in Hinckley, OH. My new picture book, No Place for UGLY Birds, will be available at EarthWords Nature Shop in time for the Annual Return of the Buzzards!
No Place for UGLY Birds
Not in my backyard
Scotty lives in a quiet little valley where not much exciting goes on. That is, until the day his neighbors decide the turkey vultures are too ugly.
No Place for Ugly Birds – An amusing story with unintended consequences.
Story – 763 words
Turkey Vulture Critter Chit-Chatter™ – 278 words
written and illustrated by Mary A Livingston
32 pages, 763 words
Red Tail Publishing
Hard Cover ISBN13: 978-0-9847756-7-5
Soft Cover ISBN13: 978-0-9847756-8-2
GrandThing 3 sets out to find dirt.
There are defining moments that burn themselves onto our internal processors. I remember vividly four years ago, today, the moment he popped into this world all wet and shiny new. But in my mind’s eye, he will forever be the little boy in search of dirt.
When he visits, he inevitably is drawn to his daddy’s old Tonka toys. So it was, one spring day. With a lot of rain, the wild grasses and weeds had taken over the fields. What this little boy really needed was dirt.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Just dirt.
He spent the better part of the afternoon dragging the backhoe and tractor around, looking for a proper place to put them to work. Alas, he spies a pile of decomposed granite.
Bliss.
Happy Birthday GrandThing Three!
Bliss! perfect dirt for play.
Fishing with Grandpa – The Forester Artist
Showing off his catch. This one went back after the photo.
GrandThing 3 tells Grandma all about his painting. “He caught grasshoppers with Grandpa and they caught a fish.”
One soppy morning, on our way to the hen house to gather chicken eggs, my oldest granddaughter was just the right height to spot movement in the tall stasis near the duck pen.
“Grandma, what’s that? Something moved.”
It caught my attention about the time she finished speaking. A newly hatched duckling was attempting to get back into the duck pen. On the other side, floating lifeless in the water was another newly hatched duckling. The pen was not a safe place for the hatchlings. I quickly rescued the living duckling and wrapped it in my top against my belly to keep it warm.
“Is it okay? Is the duckel’ing okay?” GrandThing1 was very worried.
We hurried back to the house where we gathered a storage bin, some rags and a heat lamp. When the makeshift brood box was ready, I slipped the little bird from under my top. 
My granddaughter’s eyes widened as she raised her delicate little hands in an open cup to receive the tiny baby.
“Oh, Grandma, it’s so cute. Hello, baby duckel’ing.” Reassured by her soft little voice, the duckling settled in. She cuddled it close.
“What will it eat?” She leaned over and whispered into her hands, “Are you hungry? Grandma, the duckel’ing is hungry.”
I dialed Grandpa’s cell and held the phone to her so she could leave a message.
“Grandpa, we need food for the baby duckel’ing.”
We placed the feathered baby into its brood box. GrandThing1 announced, “The duckel’ing needs a nap.” Off she rushed to where she napped during her visits.
I heard rustling, a little bit of grumbling, then, “Here it is!” Back she came with her favorite nap time storybook. She seated herself so the duckling could hear. Her little voice did not miss a beat retelling her memorized tale.
“Brown bear, brown bear…”
The Duckel’ing by GrandThing1. Of course now she says “duckling” it has been many birthdays since this event. We will always remember the “duckel’ing.”
Happy Birthday GrandThing1
Love,
Grandma
GrandThing1 and Grandma draw pictures together in a hangout.
Gazing in the gift shop at the nutcrackers and dancers following the performance of “The Nutcracker.”
© 2012 MaryALivingston
Photo reference provided by
Lightly Spiced Photography by A. Adams
The holiday season is upon us. Adults worldwide look for ways to gift and treat the children in their lives.
Last year, I witnessed a most precious Christmas gift. One of our granddaughters loves ballet. Since she could stand she has twirled. Don’t know from where this comes. No one in the family dances other than for casual fun. So, her Papa and Nana took her, her older sister and their mom to a ballet performance of “The Nutcracker.” Little brother was too young to attend and Daddy was deployed half a world away.
We, Grandma and Grandpa, arrived for our visit the night before the ballet. Papa let us know his plans ahead of time, so we also procured tickets for the event.
Our two young granddaughters, ages 4 & 7, were in lovely dresses and shiny shoes. Their hair hung in beautiful locks. They were clearly prepared to attend an elegant event.
Being of small stature, it was hard for the littlest to see over the heads in front of her. She climbed in my lap for a better view.
The curtains opened and when the first ballerina twirled on her toes, the little one in my lap quivered and proclaimed, “I can do that!”
There were a few looks and even a “Shhhhh.”
Doesn’t everyone know the ballet requires silence?
She paid the naysayers no heed, for they did not register through her eagerness. As the show progressed, “I can do that,” would sound every now and again interspersed with an, “I can SO do that.”
This child’s love of ballet was coming to life before our eyes. With every pas de chat and arabesque she became more engaged.
She will remember this forever. Nana, Papa, Mama, Grandpa and Grandma will as well.
During a season when many overindulge, what mattered most to these little girls was spending time with their family at an event they treasured. Papa and Nana hit a home run with this gift, I am thankful we were there to share in the joy.
Some believe the expanse of lavish and numerous presents thrusts upon the little ones is a direct measure of love. Quite the opposite. I never for a moment doubted the love of my grandparents. Yet, over the years, I received not even one wrapped gift for a birthday or holiday from these two people who represented clear and abundant love. This was not because of culture or religious belief. They were poor. They barely had provisions for food and shelter. Sometimes not even that. Their gift everyday was love. The kind of love that reaches to your core. The kind of love that garners respect and delivers clear discipline. The kind of love that has the power to stay in a heart through times of joy and sorrow.
In this season, when it is all too easy to overindulge, take the time to build memories of love your children will treasure. We will all remember the ballet with Nana and Papa.
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