Gramma Camp Week 19 – Wednesday

I awoke to a couple cm of snow. 

The girls woke, and I made them scrambled eggs (leftover from the hilarious Choux disaster at Gramma Camp – Week 19 Tuesday). Teeth done, they retired to the couch to read (Isabelle) or draw (Josephine).

Isabelle is up to page 472 of her 789-page book, which she began on Sunday.

School was tricky. Both girls had substitute teachers. Isabelle, for a week now.  Jos had two substitutes, and the French sub didn't speak French.  They basically assigned the work and said go to it. The teachers divvy up their hour into two classes. At one point, the teacher came online and said, "Whoops, you should have begun art 10 minutes ago." It wasn't their best day, but we got through it.

 I closed myself up in the bedroom and wrapped Josephine's presents. She is 13 on Dec. 9th. Her party is all planned. They will all watch the same movie while on Google Meet and all order pizza. Kids are so adaptable. 

As lunch warms up, they are playing paddle ball in the kitchen. Outside it is pouring snow. Cinnamon thought he spotted a frog. 

We counted 7 deer. As I looked out the backyard, I realized Maggie the doe was there. She's the one who has had a dislocated ankle since 2011. Grampa went walkies. I took photos, then grabbed the videocamera. (The video is below.)

They all turned to look at him, and came walking towards him, the Deer Whisperer. 

Sunset was lovely.

We did a Facetime meeting with Momma and Papa for Josephine's 13th birthday. I'd phoned Momma, and planned for a 6 p.m. cake and presents. Dec. 9 is her day, but we won't see her, so here we are! We thought we'd do it Wednesday, since we can have cake for dessert Thursday, before they go home Friday.

It's traditional, starting with my grandmother, to give a present to the non-birthday child! Here she is, she gave me a doll in her kitchen on Cottingham Ave. in Toronto.

Isabelle was given some non-birthday Lego. 

Momma and Papa on Facetime! 

Grampa brought home some flowers, too. I put a yellow rose on each student's desk.

In the late afternoon, a buck came through. He was on the trailcam Nov. 9th. Here he was on Wednesday. buck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

These are the deer in the backyard. I counted 7, including Maggie the doe! deer Dec.2 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Gramma Camp – Week 19 Tuesday

Monday, after breakfast, the girls settled in to read and draw. I asked if they'd done their teeth. Nope. Virtual school begins at 9:00. I asked if they wanted to do their teeth now, or wait until 8:30. They chose to wait. No worries.

Tuesday

I asked, again, and they chose 8:30. 

Grampa and I were working on his PSA test, on the phone with a Life Labs manager (twice – more on this another day). The time slipped by. By 8:48,  noticing the time, I said they best hustle to log in. They rushed downstairs to do teeth. ("Or Momma will rip my head off!") Wednesday, it'll be done right after brekkie. They agreed. The school bus was about to leave.

Grampa:  "Are you girls OK getting down the hall on your own?"

  "Good one, Grampa!"

All was well. Grampa went off to his foot clinic. I worked out, then visited the trailcams. 

The frog pond is rather damp. 

On the way back from the pond, I noticed a paper wasp nest!

Back up at the house, the bullfrog I've been looking for in the goldfish pond, arose in the mild temperatures. I wanted to pop him in the pond. I thought we were done for the year, but it has been warmish. I've put 4+2+2+2 frogs back in the pond, plus 2 more Nov. 21st. One more today, the bullfrog. That makes 13 frogs I've moved. It's good exercise! They are so dark in the cold.

Here is Geraldine, who met her demise in a horrid year of freeze/thaw in the goldfish pond. I felt awful. 

She was enormous. She was amazing. She was 460 gm. [Bullfrog weigh-in – a challenge]

We used to catch frogs in the pond at the cottage. This is my brother. We don't communicate much. He lives in Campbell River, B.C.

OK, back to business. Izzy had a Girl Guide meeting, so dinner was quick. We were to make Choux. You fill them with whipped cream, or ice cream after. That's the theory.

We read the details in advance. We watched the How-To video. Prepared the kitchen in advance. Measured out all the ingredients in little bowls (the way the TV chefs do). Izzy and I were ahead of the others in the virtual meeting. I'm glad we watched the video.

Isn't she a hoot?! We love them.

We piped them out, and they all just flattened. I think it was the flour. It was supposed to be white, but apparently their mémère uses whole wheat flour in her recipes, so it should be fine, Isabelle assured me. 

We laughed so hard. It didn't look that difficult!

It was a wonderful moment with her. We had a good time. 

While we worked, Jos and Grampa and Cinnamon watched Border Security, Jos played with the cats, and then they rested.

We were too tired to build a fire, so I put on the little room heater. What a day!

Gramma Camp – Week 19

JB went to town for supplies for the week. He found some pigeons!

I went to our village to grab some supplies, it was slow going. I wasn't in a hurry. The snowplow was doing the cross sections on each street, the truck in front of me was turning right (but couldn't), then the school bus came along. It pays to be patient, and retired.

Grampa has a new coat.

In the yard, our doe and twins. [If you'd like to see the video.]

Here we go, again! Caitlin brought the girls on Saturday. We had some fun. Lasagna and salad for dinner. Cookies for dessert.

We visited, watched TV, and had a good time. We're having the girls for the week. I used the camera timer, as per Isabelle's request!

A sharp corner around the brick in the basement, an elbow bo-bo. She was fine! "It was my own fault!"

Later, Jos and I played Skip-Bo, then there was much cat-mushies!

The girls played a game Sunday. Jos had a book Izzy was reading next: Keeper Of The Lost Cities Legacy. Jos hid the book, a 'really stupid cliff hanger,' until Izzy gave up.  In plain sight, in the bookshelf. I suggested that'd be a good place to look. It was behind another book... As I write this, 24 hours later, Izzy is up to page 233 of 789! (This morning, she's on page 300!)

If a certain someone finds grampa's lost calculator, she wants Skittles. (Of all the things I've lost...)

Monday

Google Meet begins again!  All went well. 

There is always time to mush cats, though.

Monday, in the pouring rain, I timed Isabelle on her twice round the house run. (60 sec., as it was wet and slippy). She's a trooper! It's the wrong camera setting, it didn't focus, but it is evidence.

I tried to make an appointment for a haircut. The first available time was Jan. 9th. I trimmed the back and sides myself.

Next, it was a movie we'd taped: Kong: Skull Island. It was a full day! 

It rained all day, 21 mm. More is on the way. The system is going counter clockwise.