Getting to know one's grandkids better is such a blessing. Got to spend last Christmas with Hazel and Lucy, and now Thanksgiving with Hayden and Raygen.

Raygen is almost 17 months. She says "hi", over and over. And "MaaaMa!", over and over. It's the first word out of her mouth when she wakes up each morning and after each nap. She may not want to be laid down, but the instant she hits the sheets, she's quiet and out like a light. She also says "I luv you" when you say goodnight or goodbye (as she snuggles her head on dad's shoulder), "please" and "thank you." She duplicates her brother's mannerisms, and says "Whoa!" with his inflected tone. She LOVES to "play" and would hang out in Hayden's tent with him indefinitely. She reminds me of the cutie "Boo" in Monsters Inc., the way she laughs and zips here and there. And is known as "Booges."

Hayden is precious and five years old. I was worrying about my leaves underneath the snowstorm and he said we should leave right then and he'd help me. (He means it.) He likes to play building castles with me, watch movies, color, play Christmas computer games such as http://resources.kaboose.com/games/santa-flibriks.html, play Disney dominoes and ask me what we're going to do next. During the course of all of the above, he says the funniest things. Such as:

Jewel has a potato scrubber that looks like a potato and had "real" (looking) eyes. After using it T-day, Hayden noticed that the eyes were gone. He said, "Mom probably took them off. She hates eyeballs. She wants to take mine out (stated very matter-of-factly)."

Jewel was tired after the T-day festivities (which were a tiny speck short of perfect - it's so much fun to cook with her) and was staring into space. Hayden said, "Mom looks like she's dead." Long pause. "She IS dead. We'll have to put her in the attic." Me, after the eyeball comment I'm thinking horror movies and blanch. He notes my reaction and explains, "Like the toys in Toy Story 3."

Jewel uses the stools up-side-down at night to block off the dog that stays downstairs. (He actually could shove them aside rather easily - they're a "reminder" to behave.) Hayden and I were moving them back to the bar to eat breakfast and he says, "These stools are old." I say, "They're not much older than you. Are you old?" "No!" (Appalled.)

Hayden started singing, "Santa Claus is coming to town...," and stopped to ask me if I knew that song. I sang, "He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake, he knows if you've been bad or good..." and he said, "How does he know if you've been good?" I sang, "He's keeping a list, he's checking it twice...." Pause, and then he says, worriedly, "I'm afraid I'm going to be on that list!"