Letters from Caroline

Kevin is picking up Caroline from Grandma and Grandpa as I write. I'm excited for her to come home so I can hear all about her week in person. Grandma did keep me current in e-mails though. Here are Caroline's letters from Grandma this year.

DAY 1

Hi Mommy, Daddy, and Charlotte!
I am so sorry to hear that you are sick! I have had a great day and so far...my tummy is fine.
I was so tired after the wedding that I slept from 6:30 pm to 6:00 am. After a bath and waffle for breakfast, we had a fun trip to Tyler reading lots of books and coloring, too.
Grandma and I have been playing all day. We've played with lots of little dolls and such and I even played by myself part of the time. I have so much more imagination than I did last year and I like making up stories for the CareBears and Strawberry Shortcake and her friends; the little doll house is lots of fun to pretend with, too.

In the late afternoon, Grandma and I broke in the new pool and turtle came up to the patio area and ate banana that I put out for him. He's a BIG eater and it made me laugh.

We had hotdogs and french fries for supper (that probably sounds yucky to you today) and ice cream cones for dessert. Now I've had my bath and I'm watching Jungle Junction with Grandpa, the Mickeys, Tiger, and cold-blanket.

I hope you feel better and I will write to you tomorrow and tell you about our trip to the zoo and picnic. We also plan to visit with Great Grandma and Grandpa tomorrow and show them our pictures of the wedding.

I miss you and I'm being a very good girl so far:)

Love,
Caroline




DAY 2

Hi Mommy, Daddy, and Charlotte,

Dear Daddy...thanks for taking me to the wedding. Dear Mommy... I love you Mommy. I had so much fun with you with Grandma and Grandpa, and listen to Charlotte.

Today I went to the zoo with Grandma while Grandpa went to work and to the hospital with Great-grandma Betty to visit Great-aunt Beth. We saw rhinos and meercats and giraffes and elephants and penguins and fish. I ate my snack (Teddy Grahams) while the giraffes ate their hay. We fed the fish and some really big koi.

After we left the zoo, we picked up pictures of the wedding at Walgreens and met Great-grandma and Great-grandpa at Chick-fil-a for lunch. I told them all about the zoo and the wedding while we ate our sandwiches. After lunch, we went to the grocery store for fruit, vegetables, and Skittles! I helped Grandma "thump" watermelons to find one that sounded very ripe:)

I helped Grandma cut up watermelon and strawberries when we got home and we ate some to make sure they were good...and it was YUMMY!

Then Grandma and I played with the doll house and played Cootie. I learned to read the numbers and game pieces Mommy had written on the game lid. It was so hot, that Grandma and I went swimming again. When Grandpa got home, I squirted his bare feet to cool him off, too. Then I asked Grandma if I could take a bath to warm back up. I've had lots of fun playing in water most of the afternoon.

I played Cootie with Grandpa and taught him the game rules. Now I am watching a Clifford video while Grandma checks e-mails and starts dinner. We're having soft chicken tacos and strawberries and watermelon:)

We are having so much fun, but we sure hope you are all feeling well again? I am being good and obeying Grandma and Grandpa, too.

Until tomorrow...

Love,
Caroline






DAY 3

Hi Mommy, Daddy, and Charlotte,

Grandma and I have had a busy and fun stay-at-home day! After breakfast on the patio, we fed the turtles and hummingbirds and watched Handy Manny. Then Grandma got down Mommy's Barbies, McDonalds, and car. I've had so much fun playing Chick-fil-a (not McDonalds) and wedding (since I've just experienced a wedding), and mixing up Barbie with my guys and the other little figures and dolls. Mickey and Barbie got married today and then stopped off for chicken sandwiches and fries!!

I helped Grandma wash Red Rabbit, too. It was fun and we both go so wet we had to change clothes.

I helped Grandma bake cut-out cookies with sprinkles to take to Great-aunt Beth at the hospital tomorrow. It was fun to lick all the batter and icing spoons! We kept plenty of cookies for ourselves to eat, also.

I made a neat project out of fun foam that Grandma got at Hobby Lobby for me. It has my picture (and Charlotte's and Jenna's) in it...but that's all I can tell you because it will be a surprise for you.

A thunderstorm came in today and knocked out the electricity, but Grandma and Grandpa and I sat out on the porch where there was light and played stringing beads and making jewelry to wear. The storm made it too cool to swim, though.

Well, Grandpa just finished a game of Connect Four with me, so now I will take a long warm bath and watch a show with Grandpa before I head off for bed.

I have been very, very good for Grandma and Grandpa, so don't worry. We really hope you are all feeling much better!

Until tomorrow...

Love,
Caroline






DAY 4

Hi Mommy, Daddy, and Charlotte,

It has been a very rainy day here today! Grandma and I did our outings, but we got soaked and came home for a hot bath and tumbled our clothes in the drier before we had lunch.

First we went to visit Great-grandpa Max and Grandpa at church. I learned that they work at the church to help God. It was fun meeting all the people and I was not too shy. We got to have "second breakfast" with the workers! Pancakes and sausage! I also had a donut with sprinkles!

Then we went to visit Great-grandma Betty and saw some pictures of Mommy and Grandpa when they were little like me! I liked the picture of Mommy in the snow wearing a pink hoodie. I also enjoyed winding up music boxes, now that I'm old enough to do them myself.

In a downpour we went to the hospital to visit Great-aunt Beth. It was fun riding the elevator and I pushed the buttons! We gave her the cookies and a card I made for her and she showed me the boo boo on her leg.

The rest of the day Grandma and Grandpa and I have played make-believe with the train set, dollhouse, and Barbie. Now Grandpa and I are playing hide-and-seek until our corny dogs and fruit salad are ready for supper.

I liked my e-mail from Charlotte and giggled at the pictures of her finger painting because she had paint on her tummy and face. I also really giggled at the picture of her with all my beads!!

I am being very good and having fun. I hope you are having fun, too!

Love,
Caroline




DAY 5

Hi Mommy, Daddy, and Charlotte,

What a rainy day! The weatherman said we got 8 inches of rain overnight and it rained all day, too!

Grandma and I braved the rain and went to story-time at the library. It was worth it! We went early enough to read some books and then played with puzzles until the librarian began the program. We sang songs and read rhyming big books about the ABC's. After we left the library it was lunch time and the rain had let up so we went to Chick-fil-a (our favorite) and I got a fold-up fire engine to play with.

Next we went to Wal-mart to brouse. We played for 30 minutes or so pushing buttons on all the talking toys. I especially liked the singing, bouncing Handy Manny tool set. Grandma and I found a great DVD (Veggie Tales) in the $5 bin:) I enjoyed watching it this afternoon with Grandpa! Grandma and I had a tea party for snack...I got to have juice and a strawberry, and a cookie on an antique cup and saucer that was my Great-great-grandma Maggie's!

Grandma got down more of Mommy's Barbie furniture and I had fun with that this afternoon. We took a break from Barbie to make hamburger pizza from scratch. Mmmm! It was really good.

Now I'm ready for bed and the sun is out!! Go figure. Maybe the weather will clear so I can go "fishing" and have a little boat ride tomorrow. I've been looking forward to it all week!

I have been a good girl today and I miss you all (but I haven't been homesick!). I am glad to get an e-mail from Charlotte. We will have a lot of fun Saturday afternoon playing together again!

Until tomorrow...

Love,
Caroline







DAY 6

Hi Mommy, Daddy, and Charlotte,

Well, the weatherman was wrong so we had a wonderful morning at the Lake Tyler: it was breezy, warm, and mostly cloudy. I loved riding in Great-grandpa Max's boat! We went really fast, too! I caught lots of brim with Grandpa (I reeled them in) and we kept 5 big ones that Grandma fried up for lunch. Nummy! We stayed out about 2 hours! When we got back to the boat dock, I helped the men land the boat. Then I swam at the boat launch for about another 45 minutes or so. I loved it! I went swimming in my clothes! It was so warm and Grandma allowed me to go out to where it was about 2 feet deep and I floated on my back with my life jacket on. FUN!!

After lunch, I played in the pool for another 2 hours (in shade). I'm fairly prune-y now:) I'm watching a video with Grandpa and then I will play playdough, color, and play with Barbie one more time and eat up the left-over pizza and corny dogs before it's time for my bath and bedtime story.

I've had a great visit this week and have been a super little houseguest for Grandma and Grandpa. I think they will really miss me, but I'm ready to come home tomorrow and tell you all about it in person!

See you in Buffalo at the Dairy Queen @ 11:00. We'll have lunch:)

Love,
Caroline