42 degrees!

What a beautiful day! The sun felt soooo good and warm. All the horses laid down to nap this afternoon. The ducks and geese played happily in all the puddles...

The boys had dentist appointments this morning. Just cleanings, this time. I took them to Wal-mart to pick out a gift for their cousin's birthday. Then we went to McDonald's for lunch and on to school.

Back to school...

The boys were happy to get back to routine today. I was happy to be able to get some cleaning done! Well, kinda....it's not exactly my favorite thing to do. But, what a mess this house is after a week of little boy messes! I did 6 or 7 loads of laundry, cleaned the bathroom, washed dishes and picked up some of the clutter. Unfortunately, I still have LOTS to do....




Here are their cakes from the Blue & Gold Banquet:

This one earned a ribbon for "Best Landscape"!

The Hawaiian mouse won the "Best Use of Cookie Ears" award! ;-)

Another busy weekend...

Yesterday we went to Portland to pick up some items from the Scout Shop that we needed for today's Blue & Gold Banquet. The boys also picked out fancy sticker packs to use to decorate their Pinewood Derby cars! They can't wait to build them and race them! Then we drove to Standish to pick up our solar panels, shavings and some items from Great-Gramp's house. The boys are so pleased to have some things to remember him by, and so is their dad. On the way home we stopped at Marden's and got a great deal on winter boots for the boys and then at Wal-mart to buy some groceries and miscellaneous items. Our older son bought some more Pokemon cards - he has quite a collection and it is amazing to me how he remembers them all! #2 has been requesting a journal to write in, so we bought him one. Anything to get him to write! It's been a bit of a challenge 'cause he hasn't had much interest in writing, but he's starting to do better.

This morning we are trying to get everything ready for the banquet. The boys each have to make and decorate a cake with a Hawaiian theme. I'm making rolls for the pot-luck dinner and I also made a German Apple Pancake for breakfast - the kitchen has been hopping this morning! YUMMY!! Dad finalized his plans and printed up the programs and cue cards. It's going to be fun!

Vacation week...

We had a quiet week. The boys really enjoyed playing together all week. They had lots of grand adventures. When our older boy got an invitation to go visit a friend overnight, our younger son cried and cried. He missed his brother alot! But, he ended up really enjoying having Mom & Dad to himself!

Sasha has started to really enjoy our walks. The other day she actually met me at the gate when I walked over with her halter. Unfortunately we didn't get out yesterday because of all the wind.

Laughing horses...

This afternoon our neighbors' horses broke down the fence between our pastures. So that made 2 humans in snow over their knees, trying to catch any one of 5 galloping horses....not a pretty picture. But, I knew that if they got over by the house where their food is they would be less likely to run away. Sure enough, I was able to catch Kitch and tie him to a tree. Then, the colts lost interest in the game and went back to their hay bale. Soon they were joined by the renegades and I was able to catch both of them and help take them back home again. At least they didn't get out into the road this time...

Dad had this morning off, so he got to go for a quick cross-county ski. He also did some research into getting his Maine Guide License. He's really hoping to get it by this summer. I made his favorite cake and then set it out on the back deck to cool while I made the ganache to put on top. The wind blew the towel off the top, and the songbirds ate some of it!! They must have thought they hit the jackpot when they visited our feeders today! We decided to just cut that part off and eat the rest of the cake.

This afternoon we watched a really, really good horsey movie, "Flicka". They sure didn't follow the original story AT ALL and they made it wicked overly dramatic, but it was still very good. I wish we could have seen it on the big screen because all the running horse scenes must have been so impressive! You lose a little bit when it's on your television.

Sasha and I walked/jogged for 2 miles today. She was really dragging towards the end, so even though it doesn't seem like much, she must be feeling it. It's a shame that she is so lazy in the pasture. She only walks from her hay to the water tub and back again, generally with a nap somewhere in the middle. It makes it so hard to get her in shape before I have to start working her again this spring.

Tuesday

Today was a nice, quiet day. The boys played well together and had a great time. We worked together to make waffles for breakfast and then I made spaghetti for lunch. (I forgot to make bread for sandwiches!) This afternoon we all went outside to play and tend the animals. #1 helped me walk Sasha, so she got a pretty good workout.

Presidents' Day

Dad has the day off, and we have no obligations, so we are playing around home today! What fun! (Actually, right now he is snoring....) Anyway, this morning we went for a snowshoe/ski trip through the horse pasture and beyond the stone wall. The snow is so deep that it's slow going and the boys & dog tire quickly, although they seem to have plenty of energy for digging snow tunnels when we return.

I took my mare, Sasha out for a walk this afternoon, instead of going skiing again. She & I desperately need to get in shape! We are signed up for a horsemanship clinic in March, which means we have just over a month to get rid of winter's laziness. She is really fat and out of shape. The only place we can work is on the driveway, which is slippery, which is why I didn't ride her. If I am walking beside her and she slips, it's okay, but if I was on her back it would be disastrous! Anyway, you would have thought she was a 3 year-old, not the old lady (18) that she is! She was prancing and blowing - at least for the first 1/2 mile. Then, when she realized how much work it was, she settled down. I'm really going to try to get out every single day with her. We have sooo much work to do to get ready...


When I skiid through their pasture, the colts decided to pose for the camera...

AceCutter

Birthday & Sledding

We had a great time at my aunt's birthday party! She really liked the basket that I made her - I used her favorite color for the spokes - green. We had a really good lunch, cake & ice cream and then we went outside to ski & sled. The snow was perfect! The littlest member went the fastest because he just coasted along the top and went like crazy. He was loving it!

Saturday

What a beautiful day!! The temp is in the 20s, the sun is brightly shining, and the wind has almost died down, finally. Dad is out replowing the driveway and hopefully it will stay clear this time! When he finishes up, we're going to get the boy horses a new bale of hay.

This morning I gave the boys haircuts. Their last one was at Thanksgiving, so they were overdue. It wasn't much fun, though. They didn't want haircuts and so it was a crying fest/wrestling match. Oh well. When they get older they can pick the style and have our hairdresser do it, but for now they have to live with the crew cuts that I give them.

Here's Day 3 - 3 French Hens. I'm not sure what makes them French. The ribbons around their necks, maybe? I have a French hen in my coop - a Cuckoo Marans. According to legend, they are the hens that lay the only egg that James Bond would eat - a chocolate colored egg! I'm going to contact a friend of mine that mentioned having a rooster of this breed and see if I can make some more little Marans.


This afternoon we are heading to my grand nephew's birthday party. Unfortunately it's a long drive, but we might combine it with a trip to my favorite tack shop, the Double G Ranch in Lebanon, where I will leave some items on consignment.

We're home again....we ended up not only going to the birthday party, but also to Lowe's to pick up a new washing machine because mine broke this morning. Then, we went to my parents and onward to the party. The guys went on to the tack shop, leaving me, my mother & the kids at the party. They left stuff to sell and picked up a set of reins and a cooler for my horse. YEAH!! My father hadn't been there before and he was very impressed - it's an awesome store! Then, they came back to the party in time for pizza, cake & ice cream. Yummy!

Drifting...

Overnight the wind blew tons of snow back into the driveway, which made it a real challenge to get the boys down to the bus stop! Thank goodness for a 4-wheel drive truck. Then, in order to get turned around and headed back up our hill, I had to drive up the road to find a clear driveway to turn around in. Not a big deal, our property line is the town line and there is a big turn-around for the buses, so I pulled in there. I only hope that I can get back down the driveway so that I can go to school later on for another Valentine's Day party....a few days late...

This morning I made a gift for my aunt's birthday - the party is on Sunday, at which point I can show you what I made, but right now I can't 'cause I don't want to ruin the surprise! I also stitched a bit on Day 3. I haven't hardly stitched at all this week - too busy! Whilst doing these projects I watched a movie that I've always wanted to see, but never had - "The Way We Were" (thank goodness for the archives of NetFlix!) with Robert Redford & Barbara Streisand. I can see why it's a classic. A movie that I don't know why it's a classic and that totally freaked out my husband last night - "Midnight Cowboy" with John Voigt & Dustin Hoffman. It was weird. It's funny how we relate to movies - I can't watch violence without getting scared, but he can't watch drama without getting upset. I decided that he didn't need to watch TWWW because he wouldn't have been able to handle the fact that they don't get together in the end, especially after they had a daughter together. He would have been horrified! He was almost in tears at the end of "The Break-Up" with Jennifer Aniston & Vince Vaughn - he couldn't understand why they couldn't work it out....

I did manage to get out of the driveway this afternoon for the Valentine's Day Party. It was fun! Not only were there lots of yummy treats, but also a pinata! There aren't many things that kids like better than smashing something and then getting a candy/toy reward...

Wind, wind, wind....

It is so pretty outside today! Too bad it's so inhospitable!! The horses found that their shelter was the best place to stand. The Southern exposure provides the most sunshine to warm them up and they are protected from the wind.

It's impossible to tell how much snow we ended up getting. After we took the last measurement yesterday, the wind REALLY started to blow...and blow....and blow! But, there's ALOT and it's very miserable out there with the snow blowing all over the place with enough force to knock you over! It's up over my legs in places, which makes it REALLY hard to walk, but in other places there are bare patches. Weird! It's really hard to shovel 'cause it's so packed down by the wind. The tractor is having a hard time getting the snowbanks pushed back on the driveway. The boys have another day off from school and Dad is going to work late, after he gets some of this white stuff moved...

The snow was up over the bottom 4 steps in front of the house! With each step that I cleared, I would figure I was down to ground level and then discover that there was another step down. That is going to seem so unreal come summer!

The boys keep going outside to play, but I make them come back in after just a few minutes. It's SOOOO cold and the wind is so harsh that you could freeze off fingers and toes without realizing it. They love burrowing in the snow and making little trails while crawling around. They are also finding that it is great fun to climb up on top of the chicken coops and jump off into the drifts!

Valentine's Day Nor'easter

Snow -

8 am - 3"
12 pm - 6"
4 pm - 12"




Here's Kitch this morning.....
and then midafternoon!

The boys have been watching Over the Hedge (Widescreen Edition). The movie is really cute and the special features are great fun! They love to play the games and watch the shorts. They also enjoy seeing behind the scenes and learning how to draw Hammy, their favorite character. They have drawn really cute pictures of Hammy!! Of course I really appreciate that the story line makes fun of junk food. I'm so glad that we don't eat like that!


Haley and I went out midday to take some pictures of the storm. At first she thought all the snow was fun to play in, but then she hightailed it for the front step and stood there barking at me to get back there and let her in!













I guess that Honey was tired of carrying around all that snow!

Valentine's Day Party, a day early...

Yesterday afternoon the boys and I got the farm ready for the big storm that is coming - 12 to 18 inches is what they are predicting! We picked up all the skiis, sleds & snowshoes and made sure that all the animals have fresh, warm bedding, food and water.

This morning I had to unhook the new trailer from the truck so that I could take the boys down to the bus stop. It maneuvered into its parking spot so much easier than the old, longer trailer did! The boys were watching while I was turning the handle to raise the hitch off the ball on the truck. The youngest says "Mom! You need to stop!" I asked him why and he says "'Cause the front trailer tires are off the ground!" I was putting the same amount of effort into turning the new hitch as I used to with the old one, but the aluminum trailer is so much lighter...

Later on this morning I am going to school for a Valentine's Day party. We are doing it today with the assumption that tomorrow there won't be any school, due to the weather.

The party was great fun! One of the mothers brought in pizzas for lunch - ZUM, ZUM!! We also had cupcakes and I made chocolate chip cookies, which were a BIG hit. All the kids really loved opening their cards from each other and pigging out on all the goodies.




Here he is passing out cookies and making sure that everyone only got 2!







Why do kids like candy that looks this yucky?









Afterwards, Haley and I ran some errands. I got the horse trailer registered, mailed the old license plate back to
the previous owners, picked up some oyster shells for the hens, bought some vanilla beans & chocolate covered espresso beans (unbelievably good - we're totally addicted!) at The Fare Share Market and bought some groceries at Hannaford - in particular the vodka to soak the vanilla beans in! There's NOTHING like homemade vanilla extract...

After returning home I made Mrs. Millman's Chocolate Frosting from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbookand then went out to the chicken coop to hang the oyster shell feeders that my father helped me make many, many years ago - they still work great. It's pretty crazy that we've been here for over a year and I still hadn't mounted them! Now the boys and I are going to eat supper and then we're going to make Moist Devil's Food Cake, again from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook,for tomorrow's Valentine's Day Party - if there is school. Otherwise we get to eat it!! Boy, that would be a bummer....

Dad just called and said that they are predicting 24 inches of snow. That will be alot of snow! Everyone is tucked in nice and snug for the night. The yard is clear and ready for plowing. I'll fill some water jugs, just in case we lose electricity, and get my baking done tonight.

Monday

After putting the boys on the bus, I took a bunch of pictures of our new trailer...









The door on the right side is the tack/dressing room. It has a screen door and also a clip to hold the door open, which looks MUCH better than the baling twine I used to hold the door open on the old trailer...












This is from the back....



















and then with the door open...



















Poor Aly is hungry this morning. Dad made the mistake of putting Haley's new bag of dog food near the entrance to the pantry where the food dishes are kept. All morning Haley has been growling if Aly even LOOKS at her bag of food. So the poor cat can't get past her and into the pantry! I guess I'll have to go take care of it....

New trailer...

We have been searching for months for a new horse trailer. We need an aluminum trailer so that I'm not stuck at home all winter. Our steel trailer can't be driven during the winter or it will rust even more. Yesterday we finally found an advertisement for an aluminum trailer in our price range. It even has a tack room - a definite bonus! It is a 2002 Featherlite 8407, which is a good brand name, and in excellent condition. My husband went all over it, checking to make sure it is in as good condition as it looks and it is. It pulls so much easier than our big, old, steel 3 horse and is much more maneuverable in tight quarters, so I'll be much more relaxed about driving it. I'm very excited and happy!

The only problem was that it was 3 hours away! Which was a long drive for the boys, but the scenery was gorgeous...

Pampered Chef party today....

I'm really looking forward to the party this afternoon. I've invited lots of people, and there should be quite a few coming. The ladies are all bringing their spouses and kids, so while we are looking at cooking products, the kiddos will be outside playing and have a great time in the snow!

We finally got the horses watered last night. It took all day for the hose to thaw out and then it kept freezing up again as fast as I could get it hooked up. It was VERY frustrating and the poor horses were thirsty. My face got windburned again - what dangerous weather we are experiencing. I'm SICK of it....

After Gramp's funeral on Monday, I was given a yellow lily to take home. When we got home, I stuck it in the dirt in the closest plant pot and forgot about putting it in a vase. When we got up the next morning, another bloom had opened up, so I decided it must like it there and left it. It has looked gorgeous all week! The soil must be just damp enough to keep the flower happy and thriving. Today there are 3 blooms and another bud is developing! I'll go take a picture...

Those are my stitching materials in the background. I'm working on the 12 Days of Christmas Whimzi by Just Nan. I love these designs - they are so colorful and she used lots of birds and other critters, which I really like. I'm not stitching them as separate ornaments, but all together - our tree is getting too many ornaments on it. So far I have stitched Days 1 & 2. I would be further along if I hadn't made a REALLY stupid mistake on #2 and had to rip out about 1/3 of my stitching. Boy, I hate ripping out stitches...

Friday

Last night's conferences went great! The boys are doing very well in school and their teachers are very pleased. We had a fun time seeing what they have been up to in the classroom.

Their dentist visit went well yesterday afternoon. #2 is all done with his fillings, but #1 has to have 1 more. Even though they were dreading their time there, they were extremely well behaved and made me very proud!

This morning the outside water faucet was frozen - not good! We REALLY need it! Fortunately I was able to thaw it out with the hair dryer. It took awile though. Which made me very nervous...

This morning I went to town for a hair appt. Haley enjoyed her visit with my stylist. She loves our little doggie! Then we went to Wal-mart for some shopping and the grain store for chicken food. On the way home we pulled into McDonald's for lunch. Haley LOVES their french fries and the girl at the window always gives her doggie biscuits, which she REALLY loves!

Conferences today...

The boys don't have school today because of parent/teacher/student conferences. I think it's great that in this school children participate in conferences. They get to have lots of input, which helps them feel important and like they are helping with their schooling. They are glad to have a day off! Unfortunately, I forgot to NOT set the alarm this morning, so I got up early anyway. That's a bummer 'cause I stayed up late watching tv last night. I can't usually do that, but Shawn wasn't home so I could watch what I wanted and I found myself surfing. Boy, there are some really weird shows out there!

Our little valley seems to be keeping us warmer today. According to the thermometer downtown, which is on my homepage, it is 6 below, but here we are at 6 above and we are getting lightly snowed upon. That's a little bit strange. It's pretty snow 'cause the sun is shining through it since the whole system isn't over us, it's kinda off to the side.

After lunch we are going to the dentist. The boys each have an appt - they are NOT happy about it!

The coldest night of the year...

Dare I say, "So far..."? We recorded 12 degrees below zero, but downtown they recorded 15 degrees below zero. BRRRRR!!

Needless to say, we still won't be starting the truck today. Oh well. I guess I have nowhere to go until tomorrow anyway. Dad & I will stay warm feeding the horses today. They need new round bales, but the tractor won't start when it's this cold, so we'll be rolling them out...

I probably lost some chickens last night - I haven't gone out to check yet. There was one old rooster that looked really bad yesterday afternoon - I hatched him back before the boys were born, so he's getting up there in age. He's my second to last Light Brown Dutch rooster from Brownie, who was killed by the raccoons, along with the rest of my breeding flock. Gosh, that was probably 6 or 7 years ago now! Time flies when you're having fun!

When we went out this morning, we discovered that that rooster did die last night. It was just too cold for too long. Poor old guy...

Dad & I got the hay rolled out to the horses today. I ended up doing most of it myself, since he had to rush to make the dump before they closed. These smaller 4 foot bales that they brought us on the last delivery are much easier for us to move around without the tractor. That's great during this weather!

I also gave the chickens some of the bedding that my parents gave me for my birthday. They sure appreciate having soft, warm shavings underfoot. I also provided them with some fresh water and looked them over to see if anyone else looks weak. Everyone else looks fine, thankfully. They laid us few eggs today, which was nice of them. In this weather I certainly don't expect them to!

I found the Yak Tracks that my parents gave me last winter. They go on the bottom of my boots to provide traction. That is a wonderful thing since even the hardpacked snow is extremely slippery right now! I'm sooooo sick and tired of slipping! The Yak Tracks work GREAT!! The boys are jealous.

We finally got the truck started this afternoon. Jumping it from the Vue didn't work, but hooking up a battery charger helped.

I got the minutes from the board of directors meeting typed up this afternoon. I just hope that I didn't miss anything and that I understood and reported everything correctly!

No warm truck today...

When it's this cold I prefer to wait for the bus in the truck so that the kids don't get too cold, but the battery is dead. Hopefully I can get it working when it warms up later in the day.

The kids did okay at the funeral yesterday. #1 was fine to sit through it, but when #2 started getting upset, he started acting out and bouncing around the pew. Fortunately we were in the back, so he didn't disturb anyone. A woman from the church had volunteered to take the kids downstairs to the classroom. They were more than happy to go down and do some fun projects with her! I was able to then enjoy the rest of the service and the next time I saw them they were stuffing their faces with all the yummy food provided by the ladies of the church. They each had several platefuls of sandwiches, brownies, cookies and chips!! That's the only problem with feeding them healthy - when bad stuff is around they gorge themselves. But, I don't stop them like I have seen other moms do, 'cause that always just makes them worse.

On the way home we stopped at Reny's. Dad had heard that they were having a sale on Carhartt jackets - 20% off! We bought each of the boys a new, insulated, hooded, chocolate colored jacket - they look SOOOO cute! And they LOVE them. They can't wait to show Mr. J!! We almost got me a jacket to match, which would have been WICKED awesome, but at the last minute Dad balked at the price tag, even on sale. So, I'm going to go shopping on eBay. They are such great jackets that will last virtually forever...

As it turns out, I didn't need to worry about the kids getting too cold waiting for the bus this morning. #1 was late getting ready, as usual, so that we had to run down the driveway and then the bus arrived almost immediately. I was seriously panicking though. Of all the days to miss the bus! I wouldn't be able to take them school myself since the truck isn't running!!

I'm sort of at loose ends today - no funeral to worry about, no big party to get ready for or presents to get made. I do have to get the minutes from the CMTPA board of directors' meeting typed up, but other than that I really don't have anything that I NEED to do - except for finishing up my library books which are due on Wednesday. This is the kind of day that I have been waiting for....

The day after the party...

Well, most of the mess is cleaned up. It really wasn't too bad. I'm getting the hang of it - having an extra trash container available, having the returnables bag available and using paper and plastic everything!

We had a GREAT time!! The weather was perfect for outdoor activities - the kids sledded and dug in the snowbanks and the adults skied. I had sandwiches and munchies ready when everyone arrived, so lunch was eaten in shifts as people got here, which made it less chaotic. What a crew! Both sets of grandparents, my brother & his family, my sister-in-law & her family and 2 friends from school. That made 10 adults and 11 kids....

This house works well for big parties. The kids can go down into the boys' rooms to play and the adults can spread out in the living room and kitchen for conversation. It gets a little noisy 'cause the tile doesn't absorb all the sounds, but it ebbs and flows and makes for a good time. At least I have fun, I certainly hope that everyone else does too!

Mom made me a YUMMY spice cake with raisins and it was very prettily decorated. I made a silver white cake with lemon filling, which unfortunately didn't set enough and ruined the frosting job, although it tasted great and #1 drew a turtle on top. There was still some devil's food cake left from Friday, so we also enjoyed that at the party, along with lots of ice cream!

We REALLY enjoyed our birthday phone calls. The picture at the bottom of this blog entry is #1 listening to his aunt & uncle sing to him - check out the size of the piece of cake he is eating!!

We are NOT looking forward to the funeral this afternoon. Although that really doesn't come as a surprise, I suppose. #2 is not handling his emotions well and refused to go to school this morning 'cause he's so anxious about this afternoon. Dad is not happy with him. He thinks I'm being too easy on him. Oh well.

Happy Birthday to me!!!!

It's a GORGEOUS day!! Everything is snowy from yesterday's storm, the sun is brightly shining and it's going to be perfect for the party! Everyone is bringing their cross country skiis, snowshoes and sleds. Lunch will be ready when they get here and then we're going to head outdoors to play! I can't wait - it's going to be fun party....

Last night I was too tired to do many preparations and I was quite upset about losing a whole day, but I got a good night's rest and started early this morning. The cake is baked, the bread dough is rising and the dishes are almost done. I'm sitting here typing 'cause the next thing on the list is cleaning the bathroom.....I guess I should get to it.....in a few minutes.....alllllll riiiiight......I'm going.......Bye!

Happy Birthday #1!!!!

Whew! What a CRAZY day. I'm exhausted....



This morning we woke up to lots of snow! It was beautiful, but we had to move it...



This morning we went to Grammie & Grampa's house to discuss the funeral arrangements. I had to leave in order to attend a team penning meeting, but everyone else stayed. It was my first meeting as the club secretary, which was nerve wracking, but it went well and I'm learning a lot more about how much work goes into putting on all the events that take place throughout the season! Then, I went back to pick up Dad & the kiddos and head for home. We also brought home an extra cousin! ;-)

Groundhog Day!

The boys were all excited to wake up and see Punxsutawney Phil this morning. Our oldest even dug out his Phil Beanie Baby so that he could join in the celebration. It was a nice bright spot after an evening of crying and the boys woke up sad again this morning. The youngest asked for a picture of Great-Gramp to remember him by, and the oldest asked for one of his belongings, if possible. He was very sad about the fact that he couldn't draw Great-Gramp pictures anymore. He knew how much they were appreciated and it made him cry to realize the GG wouldn't be able to see them anymore.

Yesterday evening we went to a Pack Meeting for Cub Scouts. Both boys received several beads that they had earned over the last month. They were very proud! I made Cinnamon Raisin Pretzels, which disappeared VERY quickly - they were a big hit! Our oldest got up in front of everyone to tell a joke - "How do skunks pay their bills? With dollars and SCENTS!" The youngest sang "I've Got that Tiger Cub Spirit" with his den. It was VERY cute...

At noon Dad & I went to The River Restaurant in West Paris, across from Snow Falls, for lunch. It was REALLY good, gourmet food.

The boys are out helping Dad feed the horses and tending the birds and collecting eggs. Hopefully none will get broken today 'cause I need a whole bunch of them for all the baking I'm going to be doing this weekend!

February 1, 2007

Great-Gramp passed away yesterday evening. We haven't told the boys yet. I'm not looking forward to it 'cause I'm not sure how they will take it.

Yesterday afternoon, the boys played outside for an hour or so and had a blast sliding down the back hill and digging in the snowbanks. Then, our youngest and I made cookies, peanut butter, and blueberry pancakes. While he was setting the table for supper he asked me if he could call Grammie & Grampa M. I was very surprised since he generally doesn't like to talk on the phone. He even went over, got the phone and the calling card and asked me to please dial for him. He was so determined that I stopped what I was doing and did it. When the answering machine picked up I was concerned because he hates to leave messages and he's hard to understand on the phone. Not this time! As clear as a bell, he said "Hi! This is ----! I just wanted to tell you that I love you and I hope that you are having a nice day! Bye!" I had tears in my eyes and Grammie & Grampa really appreciated hearing that when they got home from the nursing home later that evening. It was quite coincidental and it kinda scares me that he is so intuitive...