A Few Firsts

 

So Somehow or another the latter part of this year has been kind of a whirlwind.  In September I got to experience a few "Firsts"  -  The alligator, not quite in the wild, but in a natural habitat on the U of L campus.  The cicadas had recently come out of their exoskeletons so I got to see one still in the "husk" - it had apparently no strength to come forth.  I got to see the resurrection ferns come to life after a rain storm on the live oaks.   I went there to spend some time with this little family walking under the live oaks just after they welcomed a little baby into the world.

 

I got to make cookies with the oldest two grandchildren for the first time.  We made that perfect cookie for preschoolers.  The peanut butter cookie.  Sal was in charge of the smish, smash smoosh.  The recipe was Katie's and it was a good one even after all that smishing and smashing and smooshing.

TW was more into the rolling than the smish, smash smoosh.  He rolled and dipped them in sugar for a nice crunchy top of the cookie

 Grandma's job was to measure out the size of the dough balls to be rolled and to keep the smishing and the smashing from going to far.

 Sal and TW played with boxes and balls a lot.  My role was to throw the balls into the box.

 Daddy played too.  I wasn't the only one welcoming a new baby.  TW loves with up close enthusiasm and Sal with gentle motherliness.

 And this is what the little guy looks like after his first bath and all smooshed up as only a baby can smoosh
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This is my first meeting with the little guy.  He is a sweet natured baby named Charles.  He was expected to be a girl.  Ultrasounds are not always right.and this little family got a surprise package.  They were prepared for this surprise though - they had a boys name picked out and not a girls name.  Somehow, they must have known who he would be.