Big Monkey/Little Monkey

Grace was finally back at the house!! We usually have her on Monday nights, but last Monday Taylor had to work until 2:00am so we didn't. We had both really been missing her, so Mike texted Taylor on Thursday evening and told her he was going to kidnap her if we didn't see her soon. She sent me a text right after that and asked if we wanted her on Friday night. Of course I said yes!! Taylor had a shift meeting at 3:00 on Friday, so when school was out, I met her at the police department to get Grace. After a quick trip to our new Neighborhood Market, we were in for the evening. She asked about her papa and her Uncle T on the way home. I think she was ready to see all of us, too!

As soon as we got home and put the groceries away she was asking to watch "mommy mommy". She has become a big fan of "Mamma Mia". (She comes by that honestly enough, her mother and I both love it.) I put in the movie and she crawled up in the recliner and watched for quite a while when I was on the computer. I haven't seen her sit that still in a long time. When I finished on the computer I went in and sat with her. She was even trying to sing along with some of the songs! She also got down and danced with them during part of it. She is so much fun to watch!

She was probably asleep by 8:00. We sat in the recliner and I watched Monk and then pretty much slept through Psych before I got up and took us to bed. We were back up about 8:00 this morning. After she helped Papa eat his breakfast, they came into the living room where I was on the computer. Mike was planning to read his newspaper, but as you can see in the following picture, Grace had other plans for him. I just had to get a picture!



As the day progressed, we watched "Mamma Mia" yet again. At about 11:00, I guess, I took Grace in to wake up her Uncle T! She sat up in the bed with him for a little while until he decided to go ahead and get up. He laid back down on the couch until the movie was over. By that time the temperature was warmer outside than inside so we headed out. Grace played on the deck and I hung her swing back up. She stayed in it longer today than she has the whole time we have had it. She played on her little four wheeler while Tanner was splitting wood and Mike was cleaning the fireplace area up. She had a blast running around in the yard enjoying the sunshine and the freedom.

After Tanner got ready to go to work, he came around to the back of the house to find us. The next thing I knew he was climbing the pecan tree in the back yard! I don't know if I have ever seen him climb a tree before, but if I have it was a long time ago. I had to have some pictures. Grace didn't quite know what to think.

When he decided it was time to get down, he also decided that he should have thought about how he was going to get down before he ever got up!

Here he is testing that branch on the right to see if he can swing from it. He did end up swinging from it to get down. All branches and bones are still intact!

He really wanted Grace to have an experience in the tree as well. She was not at all sure she wanted to be up in that tree, at this point anyway!

However, when he said he would get up there with her it was a different story! He climbed back up and I handed her up to him. He got her onto that branch without any trouble.

She seemed to really enjoy being there with him, not at all scared of being so high up. Hence the post title, Big Monkey/Little Monkey!!

After we got them out of the tree, Tanner started chasing Grace around the yard. She was giggling so hard she kept falling down. It was fun to see them having so much fun together. What a great uncle!!

When he left to go to work, I managed to get her back into the house. It was getting a little chilly and her nose was running. We went inside to have an apple. As we were finishing our apple, she asked for "mommy mommy" again. I put it back into the DVD player and started it up again. She played around a few minutes then climbed up in my lap with her paci. I know she was tired, she had not had a nap all day. She was almost asleep when her mom and dad came to pick her up. Taylor was hoping she would go strong a little while longer and then crash early. I don't know if that is what happened or not. I do know that I was as tired as Grace was, if not more so! I wouldn't trade the time we have with her for anything in the world, though! Thank you Taylor and Gene for letting her come and stay with us as often as you do!!! Thank you, God, for blessing us with such a wonderful granddaughter!

Please keep Kelly, Scott and little Harper in your prayers!