Merry Merry

I hope you all had some wonderful holiday weekend fun! Did ya notice I took a li'l break there? No? Oh, well.

I was too busy watching the weather and wrapping up the final little details of Santa's visit.

Last week, I skipped the Wednesday Madhouse topic because I was too preoccupied with getting everything finished in time and consumed with anxiety.

The topic was Grace and I've been thinking about that lately. If Buddy had been a girl, his name would be Grace - at that time, it was a name that wasn't heard very often. But, in the 8 years since he was born, it made a comeback and became very popular. So, that knocked it off our short list for Sissy. It's still a lovely name, though.

I like hearing the name Grace. It reminds me of my Nana (who wasn't really my Nana - she was my aunt by marriage mother). But, her and Pops always treated me like a grandchild. They were both immensely talented. I always loved spending time in their home art studio. The smell of the paints, the pottery being fired in the kiln, everything was magical. They allowed me to create anything I wanted and always praised it (even if my clay creations and painted flowers looked like junk).

I think it's important for children to have encouragement to create - whether it's coloring, painting, making Play-Doh sculptures or whatever. The Evil Twin is very artistic and he praises both Buddy and Sissy for whatever attempt they make. Buddy has learned a lot from the Evil Twin and is becoming more and more proficient with his drawings. Sissy is amazingly talented for a not yet 5 year old (and I'm not just bragging because I'm biased LOL).

So, there are my thoughts on Grace. I miss you, Nana. <3 Happy Monday, hooligans! Love,