Millie Sue

 

AMELIA

 

 As I started to upload photos of the next grandchild in line, I noticed that I have more photos of the girls. It's probably because I spent more time with them, as the boys are out doing 'manly' things together.

 

 Millie and I did lots of fun things together, including a first crochet lesson. I helped her make a chain, and now she will have to practice a bit. It's hard to figure out how to hold your hands 'just right'.

 

 We sang songs together, and Millie likes to memorize the words and learn songs. She now knows 'My Grandfathers' Clock' and 'High Hopes'.

 

 In Williamsburg, Millie helped to fluff up the big feather mattress on this bed, and was invited to try it out! She thought it was pretty comfy.

 

 She picked a dandelion in the grass and one for her hair.

 

 At Jamestown, she is trying out a hollowed out tree trunk, made to be an Indian canoe.

 

 She thought she would try on some armor just like the boys. It fit too!

 

 Here she is trying on a new cap we bought in Williamsburg. Just right with long curls!

 

A little cuddly time with Bronwyn. 

 

 Trying on hats is always a fun thing for little girls.

 

 We had a great time in this little shop, with a lady from the 'old' country.

 

 In the furniture/cabinet making shop, they let her try out the harpsichord.

 

 And in the kitchen at one of the houses, they let Millie try peeling carrots with a spoon! (It works)

 

Two more sweet photos of both Millie and Cecily, before going on to Cecily....

 

 

Sweet girls, ready for a tea party!

A Posting about Calvin

 Grandson #4 is Calvin Haddon Jones, age 8. Calvin and Papa are just climbing up the long slope of their wooded land from the creek at the bottom of the hill. The boys took Papa down to the creek, and then followed it for about 1 1/2 miles to the big river it empties into. Here they are returning, and Calvin had a bit more energy than his Papa.

 This photo is from the birthday tea party we held for Millie's 6th birthday. It just happened to catch Calvin, who was about to enjoy his birthday cupcake.

 In Williamsburg, here is what Calvin was doing in the house we explored. Playing with the soldiers they provided. Thanks to Calvin's bright red hat, we were able to easily keep track of the him.

 Julie had signed Ben and Calvin up for a gym class, and I got to attend one with them. They both really enjoyed it, and Calvin is playing a game here.

 Calvin has a book that we have enjoyed together for several years now. He saves it for when I come. This is a great alphabet book, and we highly recommend it. Each page has lots of items cleverly drawn into a large illustration, and all the items begin with that letter of the alphabet. There can be up to maybe 30+ items, and we search together to find them all, and then figure out what they are.
This trip I brought along a copy of Puff the Magic Dragon, and taught it to the boys, especially Ben and Calvin. Calvin really enjoyed learning that song!

And finally, at Jamestown, the boy in the red cap is enjoying a little information from a park ranger (aka Indian) about the Indians who lived in that area. Calvin did enjoy the trip, and we enjoyed him.

Hooray for a Central Oregon Spring!

 

"The year's at the spring,
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hill-side's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in his Heaven—
All's right with the world!"
-  Robert Browning, The Year's at the Spring

 

 

"'Tis like the birthday of the world,
When earth was born in bloom;
The light is made of many dyes,
The air is all perfume:
There's crimson buds, and white and blue,
The very rainbow showers
Have turned to blossoms where they fell,
And sown the earth with flowers."
-  Thomas Hood

 

 

We so seldom get a spring in Central Oregon, that this glorious year I am beside myself in wonder at the weather. This week all our trees and plants are leafing, budding, blooming and spreading their pollen. The sky is blue, the clouds are white puffs, and the temperature is a wondrous 78 degrees, with cool mornings and breezy evenings. I think one season of spring is enough to make up for the many I have lived without. It is truly glorious.

I was reading in 'The Magic Apple Tree' yesterday, a book about life in a small English village in the 1980's and saw a good description of May.

 

"In the spring, bit by bit, day by day, as the nights lengthen and the weather brightens, and as the gardens are sown and planted, the village comes to life again, and people come out into the open. There may be dark days still, and there is more rain and greyness, too, as the winter drags itself slowly away over the hill. But there are some fresh, clear mornings, with the dew on the grass, and balmy breezes on which the smells of grass and freshly-turned soil come, and in May there is real warmth in the sun and all things are burgeoning."

 

Benjamin Charles Jones

 Here is Ben, who turned 10 years old while we were there. Here, he was trying on a hat that fit just right. Ben is a whirling dervish most of the time, and it's hard to get him to hold still long enough for a good photo.

 Out in the yard of the house we visited in Williamsburg, they had several fun colonial type children's games to try out. All the kids tried rolling the hoop, but Ben really picked it up and ran with it. He is naturally coordinated, and had a fun time making this go with a short stick in his hand.

 Ben went with some of the adults on a couple of tours along with Cecily. I think he keeps her in good order. This particular tour was supposed to be about horses, but here we found a baby lamb and her mama.

 On another tour, a 'garden tour', they did find some horses and enjoyed getting close enough to pet them. Both Ben and Cecily love farms and especially horses.

At Jamestown, Ben tried on some more period clothing, and this was the armor that the colonist soldiers would have put on, only child size. I think he would have done well living back then, and being very physical and taming the land. I really enjoyed going on the tours with Ben and he behaved so gentlemanly to the other people on the tour. He made us proud.

William Carl Jones

 William is 12 now, and has changed and grown considerably. Here at the gym, he is taking a turn holding Bronwyn while Sam and I are walking laps upstairs. The blanket is 'spit-up' protection, which is crucial when out in public!

 Here, Will is taking his weekly piano lesson. I am always so glad to be able to tag along to piano lessons when I'm there, to see how they are becoming better and better. Will and Sam both work hard at practicing, and I think are enjoying the music.

 At Williamsburg, we toured a house that had a lot of fun things to do. A quick game of checkers for Will and Dad fit the bill.

 At Jamestown I took this photo on one of the re-created ships. I think it is my favorite photo of the whole trip, because of the lighting (and the subject of course). You could pick up the ship's compass to examine, and William is into that kind of detail.

 Here, Sam and Will are popping out a small door from the front of the ship onto the forward deck. You can see the boys better if you click to enlarge the photo. It's particularly good of William. They had a lot of fun exploring that ship, especially the forward area and the officer's quarters.

And finally, this is one of the native American dwellings in the re-created Indian Village at Jamestown. Very interesting for boys.
I enjoyed my time with William, and one thing we have in common is a love of reading. I have tried to read through a couple of series to recommend for him, and we are both enjoying The Keys To The Kingdom series by Garth Nix. He reads just as fast as he can get new books. I think he will have to write books to keep up with his interest.

Puffed Sleeves

 You don't see puffed sleeves much anymore...not in fashion for little girls currently.  Just the reason that Mom had some white blouses made for the girls to suit her specifications.

 These adorable blue jumpers are the handiwork of Mom/Grammy.  She sent them with the other jumpers that I posted a picture of here.  I waited to take a picture of them until the blouses that she ordered to go with them came.  Don't they look sweet together? 

 Mom and I both love Peter Pan collars too.

Such sweet outfits for little girls to wear.  Don't you love how they came out, Mom?  I love how the details of the blouse dress up the outfit, but the white shirt is largely covered by the jumper, making it still a practical play outfit.  Feminine, but functional!  I guess I can get away with dressing them "behind the times" for a while longer.  Wish I could get away with it more for myself!

Some happy girls here, Mom.  Thank you!

Samuel Nils Jones

I thought that this week I would a few of my favorite photos of each grandchild, from our trip. This will update Great Grandma and other family members on how each child is growing and changing. It also shows all the fun things I got to do with each one.

 

 On Ben's birthday we all went to the park. Samuel was a bit disappointed that he didn't get to go fishing and catch a fish for me (seafood lover). So we sat and I tried to show him the 'string game', while I told him the story of how John and I met and how we played the string game together while we talked and got to know each other. I told him it might come in handy as a courting 'tool'. Unfortunately, we could only get in a few moves before I forgot how to finish it up. But we had a great few moments together.

 Julie has enrolled Ben and Calvin in a gym class, and above the gym is a balcony for runners and walkers. Sam and I got in several laps together before he and William decided to do some running. Sam isn't as tall as I am yet, but I expect one of these days soon he will be.

 After gym class, Samuel and William go to piano lessons. While Sam was waiting for William to complete his lesson he got in some drawing time, one of his hobbies. He's getting really good at it too, along with learning to play the piano.

 In Williamsburg, we toured the Governor's Palace, where the English Governor of Virginia stayed. Sam, in the green shirt, is at the back of a group listening to the guide. He has his Williamsburg pass on the back of his hat, a creative place to show he's paid!

 At Jamestown Sam and I enjoyed exploring the front of the largest of three ships that brought the first colonists to America. They have done a really good job of recreating these ships, and making them hands-on for children and adults to explore and ask questions.

 At the Jamestown fort, Sam is wearing a man's linen shirt, which even though Sam is getting much taller, was still too big. He said it was pretty comfortable though.

We got to do a bit of dancing in Williamsburg, 15th century style. It was fun dancing with my older grandsons. They are experienced dancers with the period balls they attend each year. An older gentleman accompanied us on a flute-type instrument that was beautiful.


And one more photo of Sam trying out the water buckets, and feeling what it would have been like to haul water from the well in Jamestown. He said it was heavy though the buckets didn't have any water in them. A good lesson.... 
I don't have any photos of Samuel holding his youngest sister Bronwyn, but you'll just have to take my word that he did a lot of that. Whenever he can get his hands on her, he loves to hold her and keep her entertained.