Top o' the Mornin' Mr. O'Bama

Just catching up on today's news, and I see President O'Bama paid a visit to dear old Ireland today!  Even managed to down a pint of Guinness!  So, in honour of his visit, I thought I'd share a few (pre-election) photos I had stashed away...

O'Bama Baby Aidan

Like a lot of people around the world, I too got swept up with 'Obama fever' and got a little creative with the fabric paints!  I thought it would be fun to paint shirts for Aidan and Emmet, (OK...all the 'nanas' got one too!) with a little touch of Ireland to boot,  hence the O'Bama and the shamrocks!  Who knew the man himself would turn out to have Irish ancestors! 

My daughter Erin, my Irish mother Bridie, my sister 'Nana Carol' and O'Bama Babies-Aidan and Emmet

The election of Obama was a historic time, not just for America, but for the rest of the world.  People's spirits were lifted, and their hearts filled with much needed hope for the future.  While the shirts were all for fun, I also wanted the boys to have something to look back on for that time in their lives...to say 'we were there' (sort of!)  It was a time to dare to hope for a brighter future for our children and grandchildren.  That it is possible.  I still believe it is.  So, Cead Mile Faite, Mr. O'Bama...a hundred thousand welcomes!  Hope the Craic was good, and the Guinness warm!

Papa Play Pennies! (aka Nana Roll It!)

I have to admit it.  I started it.  It was a day when the weather kept us indoors and I thought I'd go mad if I had to endure, yet again, the video of Mario the garbage truck man throwing one more bag of garbage into the garbage truck!
So I took the coin jar down from the shelf.  Grabbed a couple of big spoons.  Sat my darling, garbage truck obsessed grandson and myself down on the floor, and scattered a handful of coins across the floor.  A new 'game' was born!
Coins were snatched up and flung across the floor to the utter delight of one little boy.  For further excitement I began to roll the coins across the floor to see how far they would travel.  This too was a hit!  We called it the 'Nana Roll It' game. 

Playing Pennies!

As luck would have it, Papa came home early from work, and was utterly delighted to take over the game from Nana.  It has become a ritual now while at Nana and Papa's house.  Apparently Papa is way more fun to play with.  Papa excels at hitting the wall with the coins, bouncing them in the air, and best of all, getting the occasional coin to roll over and fall down the heat vent!
The game now has a new name...Papa Play Pennies!  The down side to this game is the 'pick up and put back in the jar' game (for which my canning jar magnet now has a new career!)  The up side to this game is the joy, delight and peals of laughter from one happy little boy (O.K...one Nana and Papa, too!)
And there's an extra bonus.  Aidan now knows the difference between a penny, a nickle, a dime, and a quarter!