I've Been Experiencing Some Technical Difficulties...But I'm Back

Okay, after experiencing some serious technical difficulties, I've finally got my eBlogger page back up and running (thanks to my own personal Geek Squad guy, my hubby).  I don't know how I manage to get things so messed up when it comes to computer stuff, but I do.  I open up a once-familiar page and it suddenly looks different, and severe panic sets in.  The screen asks me questions that I don't know how to answer, and I answer them anyway, five different ways--which takes me to five different pages that ask me more questions I can't answer!  And before you know it, I don't know who I am anymore.  What's my username?  What's my password?  I thought I knew them, but suddenly I'm at a loss.  I have different ones for e-mail and Facebook, so when things got messed up with eBlogger down in Alabama, I thought I had different ones for that, too.  And the more I tried to remember what the heck they were, the more confused I got...

Long story short (although it's too long already), I was half-ready to just give up on this whole "String of Pearls" business--but my hero got everything all squared away, just in the nick of time.  Things are back to normal and I know what to do again--for the time being, anyway.  So now I can not only write a blog post, but add pictures as well.  Thank goodness!  Because when I was experiencing all those technical difficulties down in Alabama, I wasn't able to post photos of my darling little granddaughters!  And boy, did you guys miss out!  I felt bad for you, I really did.  You must have been experiencing some serious FOMO--because there was a whole lot of cuteness happening down there, every minute of every day.

We got back home last night, and I tell you, Papa and Grammy are missing those two little cutie pies!  I keep humming their favorite little songs, ("Old MacDonald," "Doe, a Deer," "Elmo's Song," "Elmo's Ducks," "Rubber Duckie," "Me and My Teddy Bear," "Goodnight, My Someone"...the hit list goes on and on).  I keep thinking of their soft, kissable cheeks, their heavenly-smelling heads, and their room-lighting smiles.  I miss playing "Peek-a-Boo" and "Patty Cake" with them.  And I especially miss lying on the floor on a big, fleecy blanket and having them crawl all over me...and show me where my eyes are with their chubby little pointer fingers (after they pull off my glasses, of course).  How special that was for my husband and me, to have ten whole days with them when they're at such a wonderful age (they turned one on June 2)--when everything is new and exciting and there's so much to learn.

Doesn't Papa look exceptionally happy in these pictures?  He was!  I didn't get any pictures with the girls on this trip, but I think my smile was just as big as his the whole time we were there.  Grandchildren make you very, very happy--I highly recommend them.  They make you forget all your troubles and cares (like computer glitches that you don't know how to fix), and they fill your life with sunshine.

One for Papa and One for Me!

Well, my husband and I are alone with our granddaughters today and tomorrow, because their mommy flew out to the Midwest for a wedding and their daddy had to go out of town for some work-related event. We are thoroughly enjoying our special time with Bonny and Kewpie, and all I can say is that first-time grandparenthood is especially wonderful when you're lucky enough to get twins! Papa and Grammy never have to get into tussles over whose turn it is to hold the baby; we each get one! There's no FOMO at all going on down here in Alabama (you'll have to read yesterday's post to get that reference).

My beloved late father-in-law was a well- known baby hog, and hardly gave my mother-in-law a chance to hold the twins' father (who was the first of 32 Pearl grandchildren) after he got his hands on him. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and my husband is just as baby crazy as his dad--so thank goodness we started out with two grandchildren right off the bat. I would have had severe FOMO if I'd had to wait my turn all the time. (We parents love to teach our kids to share their toys; but sometimes it's hard for us to share ours!)

When our granddaughters were tiny, we could each hold one and feed her a bottle. Now, we can each hold one on our lap and cuddle with her while we watch a "Baby Einstein" video. We each get to have one in our arms while we sing their pre-nap and pre-bedtime lullabies--and we each have a sweet little sleepy  head resting on our shoulder. Twins are absolutely perfect for a completely besotted set of grandparents.

We are having so much fun, and the care and feeding of these baby girls is moving along smoothly, like clockwork. I can't help but wonder, though...when our son is at work and our daughter-in-law is alone with the twins all day, HOW DOES SHE DO IT? She must be a ninja or something, with the ability to be in two places at once. The two-to-two ratio Papa and Grammy have here is not too tough. But how in the world can she do it when it's two-to-one?   I am in awe of  her, I truly am.

I give my son and his wife all the credit in the world for handling what they do, day in and day out. And as a grandparent, I thank them for giving my husband and me two grandchildren at once, so neither of us would ever have to feel left out (and wind up sulking in "time out" because we couldn't figure out how to share nicely!).

All Blogged Down in Alabama

Papa and I are babysitting for the twins today, while their daddy is at work and their mommy is on her way out to the Midwest to attend the wedding of a college friend.  This is the first time in days that they've gone down for their morning nap and I haven't felt the need to catch a few Z's right along with them.  I'd been puttering about, and then suddenly I realized, hey, wait a minute: I can blog!  I can blog in the morning, just like I do when I'm at home! 

Not so fast, though.  I sat down eagerly at my laptop and went to my eBlogger page, but I was unable to open it up in the usual way (it had expired, and eBlogger wanted me to sign in again--but my password, which I haven't memorized yet, is pinned up on the bulletin board over my desk back at home!).  Somehow, though, I was able to finagle my way onto a page that looks as if it will allow me to write and publish a post.  Fingers crossed; otherwise, I may be forced to wait until I get back home on Sunday to resume blogging.

I suppose I'm becoming a bit of a broken record, using this blog as a forum to shamelessly brag about my twin granddaughters daily.  But I just can't help it.  They are such fascinating, funny little people, each with her own unique personality--and although they are identical twins with practically the same facial features, each has her own unique set of facial expressions and her own uniquely incredible smile.

They are at that age where what they want most in the world is whatever toy or book the other one is holding.  My middle son's lovely girlfriend recently told us that in her family, they have a phrase they use when something fun is happening and some family member who can't be there is bummed that he isn't sharing in it: FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).  Well, these little girls of ours have a tendency to get a severe case of FOMO when it comes to toys and books.  They tussle over the same must-have item until one of them loses her grip; but amazingly, neither one of them ever really cries about it.  (That's because, all FOMO aside, our granddaughters are perfect angels.  But you knew that already, of course.)

Papa and I decided to give them each a new toy, because as grandparents we have a green light to spoil them whenever we get the chance.  And to combat FOMO, we got them both the same thing: a little stuffed Sesame Street character called Murray.  (We wanted Elmo's, because to these little ones, that furry red monster is a real rock star; but alas, we couldn't find any!)

Okay, that's it for today from sunny Alabama, because I'm hearing some noises next door and I believe nap time is about to come to an end.  I'm going to try to publish this post, but if it doesn't work, I'll try not to fret about it too much.  My blog won't be down for long...and I doubt that there's all that much FOMO amongst my followers out there when it comes to this humble "String of Pearls."

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This...

My husband is absolutely besotted with his two wee granddaughters (as am I).  Like his father before him, he was born to be a father; and nothing touched me more than seeing him in that role, interacting with our five sons.  Like his father, he was also born to be a "Papa"; and now I am thoroughly enjoying watching him in this wonderful new role, interacting with those twin baby girls.

Last night, I posted a darling picture of Papa with Kewpie Doll, taken during our trip to the local pool.  So tonight, I thought I'd post one of him with Kewpie's counterpart, Bonny Babe, taken during our post-dinner outing to the small lake located on the Army post where our son works.

Okay, I said I'd post one picture, but I posted two.  I just couldn't decide which of these photos was more adorable.  It's the chubby little arm draped around Papa's shoulder that gets to me.  If there's such a thing as Heaven on earth, I believe it's when you're holding a beloved grandchild who has her arm resting this way on your shoulder.  If you asked my husband, I'm sure he'd agree with me.  (The only position that outranks this one on the heavenliness scale involves her head resting there as well.)

What a great time we had at the lake!  Our little beach babies toddled all over the sand and walked back and forth in waist-deep water, holding onto their parents' hands (each wearing nothing but a swim diaper--which has got to be the cutest get-up under the sun for a round-bellied one-year-old).

I'm so glad I was able to capture these endearing images for posterity.  Folks, let me tell you: it just doesn't get any better than this.

The Little Trooper

I have traditionally been a morning blogger, which you probably know if you're a frequent reader of "String of Pearls."  But for the past six days, my husband and I have been staying with our oldest son and his wife--and our one-year-old twin granddaughters.  And...how do I put this?  Mornings are what you might call BUSY around here!  There's so much to do between 5:30 or 6:00, when the little darlings first let it be known that they have had enough of their cribs, until they lay their heads down for their morning nap at 9:30.  It's during their nap time that I should blog, I guess; but I've been napping right along with them!

I've never been much of a napper.  When my own babies were napping--we're going back a couple of years now--I usually used the free time to get things done around the house. Or to read a couple of articles in Good Housekeeping (diet tips for ridding oneself of post-partum tummy fat, perhaps).  Or to sit with a sleeve of Oreos and a cup of coffee and watch some mindless television.  But I'm a grammy now, you see.  And I'm finding out that old grammies don't have as much energy as young mommies.  Grammies take naps.  Not just when the babies take their morning naps, but when they take their afternoon ones, too.  So if this grammy is going to blog down here in AL, I believe she's going to blog at night!

Anyway, I'm all tuckered out and headed to bed (yes, that's all I do now is sleep); but I thought before I turn in for the night I ought to at least do a quick post.  Last night, I asked you to pray for my Kewpie Doll, who was going in for an MRI today.  Well, she was a little trooper through the whole ordeal.  All she could have today was apple juice up until 9:00 a.m., and then she had to fast until after she recovered from being anesthetized for her 1:00 procedure.  Luckily, they gave her something to calm her down so that my daughter-in-law didn't have to be put through the agony of hearing her cry as they took her away to do the MRI.  When the two of them returned from the hospital, my little sweetie was a little unsteady on her feet, swaying and wobbling a bit as she toddled about; but otherwise you'd never know there'd been anything out of the ordinary about her day.

After dinner, Papa and I went over to the pool with the girls and their mommy and daddy, and I got this great shot of Papa and Kewpie together.

Look at that precious, happy face.  (My husband's is quite precious and happy-looking, I'll admit; but I mean my granddaughter's.)  Would you ever guess she'd had such a tough day?  Thanks for the prayers.  They worked! 

A Prayer Request for My Little Angel

Tonight, I'm sending out a prayer request for my little angel, Kewpie Doll (one of my one-year-old twin granddaughters).  Tomorrow, she is having an MRI to determine whether or not the large strawberry birthmark she has on her head is presenting any problems that would necessitate its removal.  Obviously, she is going to have to be sedated for the MRI.  This means that the poor little sweetie can have only clear liquids past midnight tonight, so tomorrow she is going to have to go without any solid food until after her procedure at 1:00 p.m.  It will probably be a rough morning for her mommy, who will have to try to figure out how to keep her from eating while her sister has her breakfast and snack.  And I know from experience that the entire ordeal will take as much out of Mommy as it does out of Kewpie.  There is nothing worse as a parent than seeing your baby go through something scary or painful, and wishing you could be the one going through it instead.  I'm so glad that my husband and I can be here to help out, and to babysit for Bonny Babe while my daughter-in-law takes Kewpie to the hospital.

I will be thinking of mother and child all day tomorrow, and I won't be able to relax until they are both back home and the whole thing is over!  And I plan to ask the Blessed Mother to watch over the two of them and help them through it.

There is nothing more beautiful to witness than the love of a mother for her child, is there?  And images of the Blessed Mother and Her Son are especially moving.  I love this painting of the Blessed Mother and the Baby Jesus.  It's a rather famous painting titled "Madonnina" ("The Little Mother") by Roberto Ferruzzi.  It was not originally intended to be a religious painting.  Ferruzzi used an 11-year-old girl he saw on the street, and the little brother she was carrying in her arms, as his models.  But when it was first publicly exhibited in Venice in 1897, the painting was received by the public as a beautiful image of the Virgin Mary holding her Infant Son. Soon it became known as "The Madonna of the Streets," and Italian immigrants brought copies of it with them when they came to this country.  It is the most renowned of Ferruzzi's works.

My Kewpie and her twin Bonny remind me very much of the sweet baby in this painting when they are asleep.  Their faces are positively angelic.  I pray that the Blessed Mother will keep my little angel safe in Her loving arms all day long tomorrow, especially when she has to be separated from her mommy for the MRI.   Please pray for her, too.

Bet You Can't Do THIS!

Here's the latest from down here in sunny--make that hot and humid--Alabama: look at what my twin granddaughters can do!  They're multi-talented!  (And apparently made of rubber!)

Bonny Babe can do it.

Kewpie Doll can do it, too.

I can only do what they're doing figuratively speaking (and unfortunately, I probably put my foot in my mouth way too often).  But these two are the most limber little people I've ever seen.

Broccoli and green beans are yucky-poo right now, as far as these babies are concerned...but it looks like they think those edible piggy-toes of theirs are mighty tasty!