Enchanting Grandparents part 2

Once a month Xander gets to go to Grandma Thompson's house (my Mom).  In June Xander struggled wanting to go because his preschool was having a lunch at the park that day and he heard there would be face painting.  I told Xander to that Grandma had some face paints and she was really good at it.  Way better then the people at the park and if he asked nicely, she might paint his face.  

I guess he asked really, really nice........and my Mom is crazy good!  

My Mom did make up for years at a children's play. As a kid I remember strange teenager parading in my house in the summer months getting their face casted and then my mom making Masks, pointy ears, big noses, large chins and other extras for the actors.  She could make a 10 year old look 80 and a 4 year old look like a lion - clearly.

 My Mom and Dad meet doing theater in collage. She was the beautiful leads and he was the tech genius backstage.  So before I was born, they dreamed of having a traveling entertaining family.  An american Von Trap family if you will.  My Dad wrote a play and they were building marionette in a back room of our house. We even had our front room turned in to a stage much of my younger years with a curtain separating it from the rest of the house. I remember my brother sleeping on the stage for many years as his room.  I can only imagine only having a curtain separating you from the rest of the house might have made getting sent to your room all day with just bread and water harder then if you had walls......but I digress.  Sadly the reality of having 6 kids in 8 years seem to suck this dream dry and they sold their marionettes when I was 12.  

  My Mom said Xander held still for an hour.  He was serious about getting his face painted and about playing the part of the lion.  He wanted my Mom to sow him up a lion costume right then and there.  If he kept nagging her the whole time I bet she would have done it, but as it was by the time lunch was over, Xander was onto new things.  His little 1 yr old cousin came over and he was worried about scaring him so Xander had his face washed off.  I was sad to have missed it in person, but these pics are great.  

It must be so enchanting to have a grandma like Grandma Thompson.  I know it was to have her as a Mom.  Love you Mom and thanks for everything!