7QT: Family, Favorites, Film, and a Sad Farewell

These Takes this Friday are going to be QUICK, I mean it.  (I can do quick if I put my mind to it!) It's been a busy week and it's not over yet.

Take 1

I've gotten behind on updating my "Sewing with Grammy" series.  A few weeks ago, the girls finished up some simple sundresses for their American Girl dolls (the only "pattern" needed was a sheet of computer paper!); unfortunately, I didn't remember to take pictures of those.  But this past Monday, they started sewing together squares for a small patchwork quilt for their baby sister, who will be joining the family in February.  Each girl is responsible for a row of three squares.  The twins (10) used the sewing machine for theirs, but the younger two (8 and 6) started stitching their seams up by hand.  It's impressive to see what tiny, neat stitches they can do--they almost look like machine stitches.  It's slow-going for them, but it's satisfying and they enjoy it.

 Take 2

This was a big birthday week for the Pearls.  First, Junior (the oldest of son #4's four boys) turned six.  He is the most enthusiastic kid, a huge (I mean HUGE) fan of both sides of his family tree.  I try to make birthday cakes for all the grandkids each year and decorate them according to their wishes or current passions.  An animal lover, Junior requested a zebra for his cake.

Junior's mom, our daughter-in-law Ginger, told us the sweetest story via text: Junior was very excited about every aspect of his birthday celebration; talking in the car with her a few days beforehand about his cake, he told her what a great baker I am and then added, "She is actually like a CHEF!" (Current favorite grandchild?)

Take 3

A few days later, our little Hermanita (the youngest of son #3's four) turned two.  She is crazy (I mean CRAZY!) about a show called "Cocomelon," and even if she hadn't requested a JJ cake, that's what I would have assumed she wanted.

This little cutie-pie has taken to answering almost every question with "Papa Grammy's house."  Here's another sweet story relayed to us via text, this time by our daughter-in-law Preciosa: The other day Hermanita was licking a lollipop and her mom told her it looked delicious.  Then Preciosa asked her what flavor it was and Hermanita's reply was "Papa Grammy's house!" (Now the current favorite grandchild?  Sorry, Junior! But don't worry; it changes just about hourly, as it did for your dad and his brothers.)

Take 4

On the same day that we celebrated Hermanita's birthday, we visited Junior's school for a moving Veteran's Day Mass/assembly/brunch celebration. His Papa, a former Naval aviator, was Junior's special guest for the event.  My husband now has a "brick" on the wall and will be a part of the Veteran's Day display in the hallway of Junior's Catholic elementary school for as many years as he and his brothers are students there.

Take 5

This guy.

My favorite husband, dad, grandfather, former Naval aviator and airline pilot, and all-around human.  (He never has to worry about losing or sharing that spot, like his boys and their children.  It's a permanent status.)

Take 6

We really don't have favorites, I hope you realize that!  The big joke when our boys were growing up was that they were constantly vying for and earning the favorite spot.  But it was truly a five-way tie.  With the grandkids, we've currently got 17 (soon to be 19) favorites.  (This subject has come up now and then here at the blog over the years; here is one post, and here's another that you could check out, in case these takes are so quick that you need more reading to do. Sorry, you probably didn't know there would be homework when you came here--LOL!)

Take 7

Our youngest son was an Army officer for six years and is currently getting a graduate degree in fine arts.  He is learning all about film production--screenwriting, filming, editing, etc.  This has been a passion of his since he was a young boy, enthralled by the movie magic of Jurassic Park.  I mean, just to give you an idea of how far back this goes, for career day in 3rd grade he went as a movie director.

Son #5 started a blog a few years back to post movie reviews.  He hasn't had the time to update it in a while, and I just tried to click on it but it appears to have disappeared. (Son?  Where did your blog go?)  This boy of ours writes extraordinarily well (said his proud mom), especially when he's doing in-depth analysis on his favorite art form.

 

And on that note, I think this post is a wrap.

I had just typed this up and then headed over to Kelly's to read her post, and I saw that the 7QT link-up at This Ain't the Lyceum has been shut down.  7QT is a wrap, too.  It had a good run, just like blogging.   And I was too late; I didn't get around to doing a post last week and missed the boat on linking up that last time.  :( 

But even though hardly anyone reads or writes blogs anymore, I think I'll keep at it--if only to record family memories for posterity, before my mind starts to go!