November 7, 2012

  • So Far, So Good...And Chewlee Surprises Herself

    TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

    Today turned out to be kind of interesting.  Over the last several years, we have broken a sandwich plate here, a soup bowl there, a plate or two...you know how it goes.  Here we are with the Holidays coming up and we are down to four plates, five sandwich plates and four bowls to our set.  Since the house is so small, we don't have a spare set (for 16 like I had in Port Charlotte along with all the accessories possible to have...sigh).  So we were discussing buying the open stock that Walmart used to carry (I always saw it when I was shopping).  I say *used to carry* because the Beast looked and didn't find it.  I suppose it was inevitable.  If you don't get it when you see it (and need it), it's gone or discontinued when you go to buy it.

    So he searched and found a set he liked and brought it home for MY opinion.    I know!  It surprised the hell out of me, too.  He had checked out the size of the soup bowls (deep enough and large enough) and the coffee cups (ditto) plus the pattern was really nice (Pfalzgraff?).  I approved when I saw it but he had only bought a set of 4 until he knew I approved of the pattern.  He considered just getting a few more plates but I wanted the sandwich plates, too, so he just bought another set.  The Princess took the old set (there were four complete settings plus a few extra soup bowls and cups) so I didn't have to worry about throwing out perfectly good dinnerware.  That always makes me feel awful.

    While we were emptying out the cabinets of the old dinnerware, we decided to change out the non-skid padding I had down.  I AM trying to just clean up the really good stuff I have because Walmart doesn't carry it and I don't like what the Beast bought.  So far, cleaning it in the dishwasher looks like it will work so that makes me happy.  When the Beast got home with the second set, he had also bought six placemats.  Those will probably only be used underneath Holiday dishes we usually have more than six people here for Holiday dinners and ones we have during the spring and summer are usually much more casual and often we use paper plates.    I am going to pick up a new tablecloth since the one we have on that table is plastic and is showing signs of wear.  I want both a plastic one and a good cloth one.  My circular table I gave away along with the tablecloths for it (except for one that Bratfink made me).  I was promised that I would get that table back when they replaced it so I kept the tablecloth that she made for it in my linen closet.

    This all happened AFTER Chewlee left.  Now I will relate how Chewlee surprised herself.  When she got here, she was sooooo happy.  She had not only gotten another happy face (3 in a row now) but she got to go into the Treasure box and pick a prize.  That was for reading her book.  Since today was library day for Chewlee's class, she picked out a book and wanted *us* to read it together.  I knew she really meant ME but I had a surprise for her.  WE read it together and she knew more words than she thought she did in the book.  I made her sound out the words I knew she either knew or should be able to figure out by sounding out the words.  I would point to different words I knew she DIDN'T know and we would sound them out together.  After we did it two or three times, I would point to the word and SHE would say it alone.  She also knew words that I would point to and she didn't even hesitate but said them right away.  I made a fuss over each word she recognized and said correctly.   I'm not sure how many she will retain but we will read it again tomorrow and we shall see.  I will point out different words without reading the story (kind of like a reading test) and then we will try reading it again.  I just know that when we got through with the story, she said to me, *I know a lot of words, don't I, Grandma?*  I hugged her and told her, *Yes, you do and that makes me so proud of you.*  She couldn't wipe the smile off her face for a while afterward. 

    The Beast and I just put away all the washed dishes from the new set.  Well, the ones from the first load.  It includes some glasses that I know he bought just for Chewlee to use.  They are plastic but not insulated and they are slim for a child's hands.  She saw them and just fell in love with them because she KNEW they were *hers*.  She immediately wanted to have a picnic and was disappointed they had to be washed first.  She had taken the labels off the bottom of the glasses and thought that was all they needed.    She will be looking for them tomorrow when she gets here, watch and see.

    I felt awful for the poor people that got hit by the *superstorm* Sandy and are in such dire straits from that.  I saw that they were getting hit with snow now.  I guess I should be grateful that it didn't hit them yesterday when it was so important to get out and vote.  They did manage to have a decent turnout, regardless of the circumstances although they will be counting votes for several days, I'm sure.   Bless their hearts and I am praying that FEMA or whatever incompetent bureau is supposedly working on helping them out gets their act together and actually does their job.  I am also sending up special prayers for those affected.  If you think of it, please remember them all in YOUR prayers.  Thank you so much.

    Love you all.  Hope you had a great Hump Day and a great day tomorrow.  Drive carefully and don't forget to tell those you love that you do.  Life is short.