What are the things that you remember from your childhood that make you smile? And what kinds of memories are we making for those special young people in our lives? How important is the time we spend with those we love? Maybe it's because I am getting older but time spent with family seems more precious than ever these days.

Today I took a day off from working with the dogs - no grooming or other dog business. Usually granddaughter Chloe helps me with bathing and blow-drying bichons as well as doing her own thing (playing and watching tv and such). Today was a day totally dedicated to doing whatever she wanted to do. Luckily the things Chloe chose to do were things I also enjoyed.

We cooked - made mayonnaise, baked apples, and made a spicy beef soup. We ate homemade cookies made on a previous 'bake day' and drank tea. We painted pictures and made a pretty big mess with tempura paints as we created our colorful masterpiece. We read books and sang songs. Well, actually, I did the reading as Chloe keeps telling me very seriously that she "can't read yet - I'm just a 4 year old kid, Grandma!".

And we played cards. Ever played MEMORY? That's a game where all the cards are lined up and turned over and each person turns up 2 cards at a time, looking for pairs. It takes a good memory to play this game well. Oh my goodness....I got soooo trounced, game after game after game! So much for the poor little "I'm just a 4 year old kid" bit! I didn't stand a chance!

It was a great day. One I know that I will remember fondly (If my memory-ability holds up, that is).