Alexander – a gdovin girl's perspective

in spite of stay home & stay safe

Published on April 24, 2020May 29, 2021 by a gdovin girl

I still managed to be productive! Slashing through my accounting duties and lowering the pile of paperwork. But accounting is not enough to sustain, so, periodically, I sneak away from my desk and actually do other things!

Like build a long planter and plant a tombstone rose (Home Depot delivers supplies and I bought the rose plant on Etsy!). And build a corner planter in the backyard and plant another Tombstone Rose. Still have to fill it in and paint it. Thanks, Etsy!!

Take a walk and trim up the hubby’s memorial tree.

Always a good feeling when your clothes closet is in good order. A bit of re-arranging and a floor rack on rollers from Amazon to hold 19 pairs of sandals and shoes does the trick. Yep – all of my blouses on the top rack are in order of color – light to dark

Gave out the “not this year” Easter party eggs originally for the egg hunt, to 6 different families to share or hunt or just open! And then I got a surprise gift! Thank you LeAna! If I ever get to go anywhere again, I have the perfect outfit to wear it with. Love it, but more importantly, the sentiment and thoughtfulness.

Tried on my new mask custom made by sister, Robyn. Attempted a bacon wrapped meatloaf (it will be better the next time – I think I have perfected it now!). Changed my blog design and still have some work to do on that! And scored big time with the world’s skinniest laundry hamper at just over 7 inches for the tiny laundry room in the tiny home. Easter decorations went back into storage bins. Reluctantly.

Participated in the Family Zoom meeting that Jeffry set up as a regular weekly event!

Almost finished a custom ordered lamp shade for lady’s black and white butterfly themed office/craft room.

And to top it all off, a surprise package from Isabel, Alexander & Victoria filled with Russell Stover DARK chocolate eggs and three hand-crafted cards. Pure Heaven!

Not a bad couple of weeks. Not bad at all.

it’s that time again!

Published on July 22, 2019November 17, 2020 by a gdovin girl

Back to School. This Grammie, Grandma, Mimi, Nana and GG has a thing about buying school supplies. I started when Tristan began kindergarten. And now she is 27; so it has been a bit since I began this tradition.

Supplies are winging their way as I write, to Alexander and Victoria. Marluce should be getting some packages as well. Mateo does not have his school supply list yet. I am still shopping for Connor & waiting for information for AJ!

Max and Abby attend the Khalsa Montessori school and the school shops for and purchases all of the school supplies so every one has identical supplies. Since I cannot buy school supplies for them, I will settle for school shoe shopping. After Abby and I picked up Maxwell from his coding camp, we hit the Hungry Fox for a real lunch that had no resemblance to a box lunch with a toy.

Okay, sooooo, Nana may or may not have, picked up some sandals as well as a new purse. Thanks, DSW!

A fairly successful afternoon of shopping, I think!

a smorgasbord of an evening …

Published on May 31, 2017 by a gdovin girl

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Ricky & Isabel each prepared a dinner casserole featuring pasta and I did absolutely nothing except enjoy the food and company.

Victoria was suddenly overcome with shyness at the “kid’s table”.

We take some time out to remember this evening in pictures.

Alexander decides the perfect way to end the evening would be to form a pyramid of kids… what could possibly go wrong with four kids in a stack on a hard tile floor?

Virginia – Day 12

Published on March 25, 2013April 25, 2020 by a gdovin girlLeave a comment

Waking up in Northern Virginia to five and one half inches of snow on the ground. Brrrr. Back in Arizona, this is our Springtime! I had forgotten how the northeast cold can sting. I heard the grandkids getting ready to play out in the snow. Mateo and his Abuela, Gloria, made a snowman in the backyard and then safely transported it on a sled all the while gingerly maneuvering the gentle “hill”. Once safely in place at the front of the house, the sled was removed and the little guy stood to greet all who passed by.

Since this was the beginning of Spring break, I was hoping to spend the day packing and playing with the grandkids. Before I could engage them, they were packed up in the truck and whisked off to places unknown – probably to enjoy the day sledding or making snowballs. I guess this would be the time to mention that not all was quiet on the Virginia front. Ricky and Katia are in the beginnings of divorce proceedings. My stay was not always welcome by my daughter in law. There were biting comments and hurt feelings. There had been several times over the past 14 years when a darker side had spewed ugly and mean words my way, but this was different. This time there was a sort of finality. I have never been accustomed to a child screaming at a parent – no matter the age. Being chastised and degraded by a child whom you have loved is not an easy thing to face. And, frankly, it was never attempted in my childhood – let alone tolerated! But, there it was. And the sting of the words burned in a way that the icy weather never could.

I spent my last day working on some accounting issues and folding and picking up. The curtains were open and the bright snow under the sun spilled a soul cleansing brightness over the room.

Rick picked me up after work and we headed to a home cooked meal graciously offered by Isabel and a welcome reprieve from the tension. The children were entertaining, and after watching half of their beloved “the Voice”, they performed a dance routine for the grown-ups.

Ricky and I returned to his house where he succumbed to sleep. I had chosen to stay awake and work on my accounting. We were leaving the house at 3 a.m. and I could sleep on the plane. But not before venturing upstairs to kiss my grandkids goodnight and good-bye “until next time”. Mateo is a philosophical child when it comes to good-byes and a tender one at heart. Both of our eyes filled as we said our farewells and hugged and kissed and vowed that it would not be long before we spent time together again. Marluce is my tough “I am a wanna be tomboy who loves to dress like a princess” mini-me (although I never wanted to be a tomboy!). But her good-bye hugs are heartwarming and her words of wishing I did not have to leave her, are heartfelt. Again with the tears and hugs and kisses and I had to tear myself away from her before I could not.