The grandgirls spent the night Friday night, so this blog post is a double edition! Twice as nice, JACK!

I’m really not sure what I would tag. I rarely lose things. You?

Hard to believe the cold snap. I strained my arm getting all my plants back inside the house. I sure wasn’t going to chance hurting them.

Continue to load my brain with Español every single day.

OYB!

The girls love their Barbie dolls, especially Everly.

On Friday, Kathy took the results of her online class to her employer. They were impressed she’d gotten it completed so rapidly.

I get stuff done, too!

While Kathy went to her orientation, the girls and I rushed over to the Dollar Tree and loaded up with gifts and party stuff for Kathy’s birthday.

I taught Penelope some cutting and wrapping skills. Not easy to figure out scissors.

I’ve realized a simple fact: Candy is a powerful motivator. I just waved a Hershey bar and suddenly Everly was amenable to having me trim her nails.

I ask them, “Do you want to earn a treat?” Then start having Penelope read words and Everly practice counting. I used to do this a long time ago, but Jesse made me feel bad about it. But I’ve seen how effective it is, and I’m all about efficiency and speed.

We took K over to El T for Mexican food.

Guess what language I ordered in?

On the way to pick up the girls Friday morning, I saw a dead opossum in the road. It filled me with great sadness because I was pretty sure it was one of the animals that visits my feeders every night. I realized it was the circle of life. It’s just the way it is.

I told the girls that soon we would see vultures and crows visit this road kill. Sure enough, on our way back from eating lunch we saw three vultures and at least five crows fighting over it.

I tried to get a video of this one crow that would yank the tail feathers of the vulture while it was trying to eat. It reminded me of watching animals in Africa.

Huge difference in the temperature in two days.

We enjoyed an ice cream treat in celebration of K’s birthday. We really don’t need an excuse to get ice cream.

Everly slept through it! After that treat, we picked up food from Always Fresh to take to K’s sister Ann, then went to Goodwill to check on a bike for Penelope. She’s outgrown her little one. No bike, but some great Barbie dolls that both the girls enjoy, including a super cool jet airplane.

I bet that plane cost every bit of $50 when it was new. I got it for $5. We all enjoy looking at the dolls.

I used to play with GI Joes. I remember our fondness for blowing them up with firecrackers. My brother and I liked the realism.

It rained almost all day long Saturday.

One Year Bible!

While we were outside, the grandgirls and I heard a Barred Owl. We always get excited by that! I got my blue tooth speaker, a megaphone and used my iPhone to play some videos of their calls. Of course, we all practice doing our best to copy the calls, too.

We sort of sounded like hoarse roosters. Everly said, “Pop Pop, you’re playing it so loud!” I told her, “What neighbor is going to think I have a speaker playing owl calls?” She couldn’t come up with an answer for that.

The rain let up and I immediately got out my bubble gear. We had fun.

Everything interests me. Not sure what kind of eggs these are, but they’re tiny. When I first saw it, I thought it was a super tiny mushroom. That’s one reason I like my Canon Elph on macro mode. It’s like a microscope.

Kathy took the girls for a walk while I cleaned the house and organized all their stuff in preparation for Ashley to pick them up. Wow. Did Kathy ever let them get dirty! No idea how I ended up being the “clean” grandparent, but I am. No way I would have let them get soaking wet and muddy, but I’m positive they had fun. And it wasn’t cold.

Ordered groceries.

I think this looks cool.

I released Verbal Surgery “You Beauty” this evening. It’s excellent!

Super powerful thunderstorms rolled through late this afternoon. Can’t believe I just had my roof done and we have a hail storm! Hopefully, there wasn’t any damage!

I left my car out of the garage so Ashley could get all the girl’s stuff in. I start hearing the hail and rushed out to get it inside.

Didn’t look like it was damaged.