Tradition!!!!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! It was a school day per usual...Elijah learned about even and odd numbers and the continents' names and Esther read two more Dick and Jane stories and then listened to some more Robert Lewis Stevenson poems. Joy worked on her math lesson and Abigail finally got to start sewing on the machine the doll jeans jumper. After lunch, Woody and I both worked on preparing ingredients for our Ham and Barley Soup. I got it simmering just as Kathy and Isaac came over ready to head to the shoe store for Isaac's first pair of little high top shoes...as he seems to be closer and closer to walking. He was so cute when he stood up on them for the first time at the shoe store. He sort of danced a little jig...bouncing up and down. Hope that he was happy with them rather just wanting to get them off his feet! He has been wearing a little tennis shoe so these aren't the first shoes to be put on his feet which helps with him getting used to them. Going to Clayton's Shoe Store in Tullahoma for the grandchildren's first pair of walking shoes has become a tradition. This is the eighth grandchild that Florence has fitted shoes for...a tradition that started 19 years ago when Erin was around one. The soup simmered while I was gone and a little after I got back from our shoe excursion we added in the last of the ingredients. During its final cooking time, Woody went on his daily walk. Nathan came over this afternoon and asked Woody to babysit tonight, so he is now next door taking care of the grandchildren so Kathy and Nathan can have a Valentine date. The weather must be changing as I am very achy today.