CoCO-pUFF and her Spoons!

Nonni loves her noodles or more simply put I love my grandchildren!  I'm continually in awe of their big personalities packed in those little bodies.  No laugh is more complete than the one incited by a one-of-a-kind robot or giggle boxes that have no off switches........      I adore those "winks" you get of who they are and what they think and why.  And then sometimes you just get gob-smacked by their words and they simply leave you in awe.

 CocoPuff creates spoon people.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Spoon people.  In fact, Mossy and I were admiring one of her latest when she began a story and yep, you guessed it....GOB-SMACKED!


Once upon a time a young girl (CocoPuff) was emptying the dishwasher for her mom (Laura).  This was NOT her favorite thing to do, but do it she must.  As she reached the point of placing the silverware into the drawer she was totally ready to QUIT!  Seriously, it was all just so very boring!  But then suddenly she saw the need, for you see she realized the spoons, the forks, and the knives needed to be home.  They were shiny and clean and wished to return to their silverware drawer or rather....their home.  As she placed each in their individual slots it was just not enough.  She began to hear their cry.   For you see, they were not where they belonged.  They were not with their entire family.  Why, they were foster spoons!  Lying beside the spoons, but separated from them were the foster forks, and then there were the foster knives.  This was wrong.  What was one without the other?  This just could not be!  The Cutlery Family had been divided and separated.  Coco stared down into that drawer at what was so very wrong.  No family should be divided and then the answer came.  That was it, for as her smile widened and grew, she saw what first she had not noticed.  The dividers were movable so remove them she did.   Coco quickly made short work of uniting the spoons, forks, and knives.  With the placement of the last spoon from the silverware tray she could actually hear their cheers as she pushed the drawer shut and reached for a pan.  Emptying that dishwasher?  It's never been the same since!

In her story, Coco saw and acknowledged a problem.  She had participated in helping with her family to raise funds for a camp for abused children.  At the age of 7 Coco is aware of a growing epidemic in our country.  She took what action she could and righted what was wrong.  Would you allow me a moment to challenge you as well as myself to do the same?  Every year over 3 million cases of child abuse are reported involving more than 6 million children.
In 2013 over 640,000 children spent time in foster care.    Folks, foster care is a broken system.  Ignoring these growing numbers will not negate the problem.  Ignorance is not an excuse.  If not us, who?  We must educate and participate in stopping abuse of the most innocent and work to rectify a system that even the most over-worked, under-paid, and  kind-hearted caseworker will tell you is broken.  Please would you take a moment and google childrensrights.org, childhelp.org, and rfkc.org.  The last site is an international camp for foster children.  It is phenomenal.  There could be a camp near you to volunteer in.

A child needs your help.






p.s.  I have joined the blog hoppers and have thoroughly enjoyed hopping about reading what they've had to say this month.  Check it out.  Hop right on at  http://thelavenderdrop.com

Mossy beat the monkeys.......

and the monkeys (aka nonni's noodles or my grandchildren) were not very happy about that!  Have you heard the wee chant:  You get what you get and you don't throw a fit?  We ALL were introduced to it this very morning.  The  morning seemed normal enough.  It dawned clear and beautiful and very clearly pronounced to us that it needed donuts, so a dozen of these special-made-to-order beauties were a must.  Excitement was palatable as we all poured milk and juice and prepared to devour each morsel of the carefully ordered donuts.    Only no one was watching the box.  No one saw a corner lifted and not one but two donuts disappear in the blink of an eye.  Me and my monkeys (yes, I know this is not grammatically correct and yes, whimsey is spelled wrong, but this is MY blog.  If I can't do my own thing here than where????).   Oh, how I digress.   Well, chalk up first rant of the day.  Okay, okay back to the sugar haul.   Shock.  We were all speechless.  Only there was not silence, but a cadence of some kind coming from below.  It was coming from Mossy as she shimmied up the table leg and it  became more and more clearer the closer she came.

You get what you get and you don't throw a fit.  You get what you get and you don't throw a fit.  You get what you get and you don't throw a fit.  

Now this might have been somewhat more effective if the little minx did not have sprinkles in her hair and pink icing on her nose!  I truly was not sure how this was going to play out.  Mutiny was in the air as each of my monkeys eyed each other as the culprit.  For you see, Mossy appears to me and as of yet no one else.  This can create a real pickle at times!  Suddenly, the tide turned and I was once again speechless.....for you see, the youngest began to hum the cadence.  The oldest began to chant the words.  You get what you get and you don't throw a fit!  Giggles filled the air and 10 donuts were quickly divided out by the 6 in attendance.  This actually included each donut cut into 4 which was a very good thing as more monkeys arrived as the morning proceeded.

How quickly the tide can turn!  No mention of Mossy was made that morning.  As I had followed her progress to the rafters above she gave me a wink and a nod and that's when I saw it!  A tire swing.  Only the tire was a beautifully iced-pink donut hung by a strip of brightly colored wool.  With the ability to only hook one leg through the center, Mossy swung to and fro upside down smiling and giggling as Mossy, Monkeys and Me chanted:

YOU GET WHAT YOU GET AND YOU DON'T THROW A FIT (muffled only slightly with the many mouths full of sugary delight)!!!

FYI: Mossy and Me have joined a blog hopping group and love to check out what this group of women have to share!  Check out Jamie's latest at  http://blogginginmybuick.blogspot.com/.../just-stop.html...