Summer Fun Part One:

This summer Ella, Zoe and I went on a lot of mini-trips

to visit Grama in Buffalo.  On one of those get-aways

we drove around town and took photos of the girls posing

by the Buffaloes were painted by a variety of local artists.

They liked the scene of the town of Buffalo painted on

this one, and when they noticed he had a 'you-know-what'

they were quite fascinated .....

The flying fish was really neat and beautiful colors.

It also had a you-know-what.

The girls named this one Fancy Nancy, though I think

her pinkness had more to do with breast cancer awareness.  

She wore flowers and jewelry, had long eyelashes,

lipstick, and painted toenails.

She even had on a halter-top with hot pants ....

.... but she did not have a you-know-what.  That observation

then led to quite the conversation about HOW the Buffaloes

were made and if 'it' was just not added to the girl Buffalo

or if it was how it was removed.  Really.

We also visited Grampa's 'place at the cemetary' to see

the big rock that will be engraved with 'McLain'.  My mom

found it in the woods behind their house and it was delivered

shortly before we saw it this first time.  It looks really neat and I

know my Dad would have really liked the style and simplicity

of it.  The girls also left Grampa some drawings they made

for him and decorated the area with special stones they found,

feathers, twigs and ribbons.

On on of our other trips to Buffalo the girls thought Grama

needed her own pet Betta Fish.  They talked her into getting

one, helped her pick him out and get him set up at home.

They also helped name him -- Arthur Lynden McLain.

He's named after all the men in our family;  'Arthur' for Tom,

'Lynden' after Grampa, Uncle Luke (his middle name) and

Connor (his middle name), and 'McLain' for our last name of

course, but it's also Jack's middle name.  Whew.  A lot of

thought that went into all of that!

Elise helped too and the three of them had fun making their

own fish faces so Arthur would feel like he was part of the

family.

And of course they wanted Grama to join in too so Arthur

knew who she was .....

We think she secretly was really thrilled : )

When Elise and Grama left to pick up lunch, we decided

to get silly with Arthur and took a bunch of photos of him

getting to know his new home.

Zoe and Ella first pretended he was going to BE lunch.

Arthur didn't think that one was funny.

So they gave him a banana instead .....

They let him watch some t.v. too .....

.... and introduced him to a photo of Grampa.  They got

him dressed up for that one with Grama's straw hat .....

They did find out Arthur was pretty good at Checkers,

he really understands the concept of strategizing .....

But twister was a little trickier for a fellow with fins and

a tail .....

He did enjoy the piano and listening to the girls sing ....

....  and when he was shown where the toilet was, the only

two who were giggling were the ones who could NOT

be flushed down it .....

The girls really thought it was important Arthur knew

where Grama slept -- they think she should move him in

her bedroom at night so he doesn't get lonely (and I'm sure

that was her first thought too).

Arthur really, really seemed to enjoy being read to .....

He wasn't too impressed with being primped though .....

..... but he did like the sparkly jewelry Zoe and Ella used

to decorate his bowl with .....

The tour wrapped up with a quick email check before

Grama and Elise came home with lunch.  Arthur

seemed very relieved fish sticks were not on the menu : )