Beach Time Baby

Hello my sweet ones.  Grandma just got back from the beach at Point Pleasant and I thought of you the whole time.  I have pictures from when Taylor went with Mommy and Daddy to Miami and he played on the beach with a bucket and shovel making sand castles.  The first year you were afraid to go into the water, but the second year Daddy took you in the pool.  You weren't afraid after that.  I hope you get to go to the ocean in France and Emmerson will learn to like the water too.  Grandma loves to go swimming and play in the sand.  It would be so nice to play in the sand and water with you both.  Someday we will do that.

I watched the videos of Taylor learning to play tennis today.  I transferred them to my phone so I could show them to other people - I'm so proud of you!!  You didn't give up and kept trying to hit the ball over the net until you did it THREE times in a row - and you were only four years old!!   Good Boy!!!

I love you both very much and miss you terribly.  The new Toy Story 3 and Kung Fu Panda movies came out this year and I pretended like we were all watching them together.  I think you would have liked Captain America too.  You are fighters and good at heart just like him.  I really hope you are both well and happy and learning French so you can have lots of friends.  I worry about your being able to talk to other boys and girls in your school and neighborhood.  And that you will come back to American schools so you can really use your intelligence and get into a wonderful college when you are a big boy and girl.

I miss you so much.  Remember I would talk to you all the time if Mommy and Daddy would allow me to call you on the videophone.  Good night sweet babies.

Grandma Nici

Happy Birthday Taylor

Yesterday was your birthday honey.  I thought about you all day.  I'm sorry I missed it again, but I knew it wouldn't matter if I tried to call or email - you wouldn't get it.  But know I thought about you, that I wrote a little birthday letter to you and I will do it every year.  I love you so much and miss you every day.  I do so hope you are happy, safe and well.

Grandma

"On this, the occasion of the most important birthday of all, I wish you love and happiness.  You are five which is a very grand year indeed.  Be a good boy and blow out all your candles, then share your cake and your laughter with everyone around you.  I love you."

Fourth of July

It's almost Fourth of July!!  Taylor, you loved the fireworks when you were very little, then suddenly two years ago you were afraid of the booms.  The first year Grandma and you sat and watched them on television.  We turned the lights off and the sound down.  Then little fireworks started outside the window and you liked them because there were almost no booms.  We watched the same fireworks show on television lots and lots of times over the next week, because Grandma recorded it on her TiVo. 

The next year you lived in the apartment building by the water and you climbed up Grandma's leg into her arms.  It was raining just a little anyway, so we went into the house and watched from inside the glass door so you couldn't hear the booms while Emmerson dozed in her stroller with mommy.

You and Emmerson won't have any fireworks this year because France doesn't celebrate July 4th - a holiday for American independence from England.  But maybe there will be fireworks for a nice French holiday.

Or maybe your little ears won't have to suffer any booms at all!!

I love you Taylor and Emmerson.  I love you both.  I won't ever forget you.

Happy almost Summer

It was a warm day last week, and it rained late in the afternoon.  It reminded me of the day Taylor and I went outside the play in the rain.  It was so warm we didn't mind getting wet.  Mommy and I did that one summer, but she was older!!  It was a year or so before she met Daddy.  She came to visit me in Virginia and just after an afternoon thunderstorm we went outside barefoot and played in the gutters in from of the house.  The water was as warm as the day we played and splashed.  Wasn't that fun?

Sandwiches

Hello Sweet babies.  This weekend I put the baby stroller on Craig's list.  I got it when Emmerson was born, because Taylor was almost too big for a stroller and Mommy had taken the one I was using.  I thought that when you both came to visit the stroller would be there just in case we wanted to take a nice long walk.  Yes, Taylor, I know you are a big boy and could walk as far as we needed to - but Emmerson is a little smaller and might need a ride. 

I still have all your videos though.  All the movies we loved to watch.  Someday we will watch them again and we will laugh and snuggle just like we used to.  This time Emmerson will be able to snuggle on the other side and I will be a nice Grandma sandwich. 

I love you both and hope you are happy in your new home in France.

May 23, 2011

I was laying in bed last night, my eyes wandering around the room.  And you know what I saw right then?  The picture Taylor made for me a long time ago  Do you remember when Mommy and you put paint on the paper, then paint on your hands and pressed them on the paper?  You had orange hands for a little while, didn't you?  You gave the picture to Grandma as a special present.  It is in a pretty white frame above my dresser where I can see it every night before I go to sleep and every morning when I wake up.  I hope you have a picture of grandma - maybe the one I made with you and me and Emmerson in the boat on the water. 
I love you Taylor.  I love you Emmerson.

May 2011

I found out you were in the neighborhood on Monday after Mother's Day.  Mommy left some pictures of you and Emmerson in my mailbox, but I was at work so I couldn't have seen you there.  Mike told me you were all home in preparation for the final move to France.  Mommy and Daddy selling furniture and getting rid of the apartment.  I wonder how you will take your toys and books to France.  Or will you have to leave them all behind.  It means you won't have anything Grandma ever gave you to help you remember.  You had books Grandma recorded so you could just press a button and hear Grandma read to you.  Mommy made sure she came to say goodbye to my neighborhood friends while Grandma was at work.  I am sorry I didn't know you would be so near or I would have stayed home to see you.  Maybe you recognized the house and thought about Grandma being there.  I love you so much.  I don't know when you will finally leave, but Grandma's heart will always be with you and Emmerson.  You are my grandbabies and always will be.