A New Year

Because our Johnson grandchildren have always lived near us, they haven't slept over at our house like the other grandkids. After family activities the Johnsons go home to their own beds. I have been very much aware of this as it was the same situation with our five girls being raised about 3 miles away from my parents. I think our kids felt left out when their cousins got to eat and sleep at Grandma's and Grandpa's house. Anyway, they all stayed overnight with us on the 30th and two of them stayed New Year's Eve as well. They spent quite a lot of time figuring out and playing a game on the PS3. The main activity was ice skating at Central Park. It brought back a lot of memories since I grew up kitty-corner from the rink. I started skating at age three. Jayse wore some skates that were mine about 50 years ago. The ones that fit Ashley belonged to Marvin, my foster Indian brother. The double-runner skates for Brynlee were some that we purchased when our girls were little. Riley had to rent skates because he needed a men's size '11.' Ice skating was basically a new experience for them. Riley went skating when he was 4 or 5 and got a concussion and hadn't been back. He was very cautious. He is so tall and thin, he'd have a long way to fall and no padding to cushion him. Each of the kids had his or her own style and form. They all had fun but Jayse did have a fall that resulted in a red goose egg on his forehead. He told me he fell so hard he thinks he dented the ice.

We rented and watched a movie. I made an apple pie for the occasion. I tried to make fireworks on the crust besides 'Happy New Year' but it didn't turn out very well. For the first time in years, Reed and I actually stayed up for the new year to arrive. Riley must have thought we were real duds though, because we were reading with one eye and watching a dumb video with the other. Brynlee went to bed around 10.

Happy 2010!