While Mommy and Daddy Were Away...

     After I got home from New Hampshire I marathoned through the final two days of school. Elementary children on the last two days of school are what I would call "controlled chaos". The staff made it a fun end to a productive year. Three days after that, Claire and Daniel traveled to Iceland for a long awaited vacation and we cared for our three grandchildren at our house for eight days. I do not recall being that exhausted at the end of each day in a very long time. (With the exception of chasing Hugo for the week in NH) Children have a lot of energy! I planned things I thought they would like to do without going out in the car much. We have a nice place in the country and, in my opinion, that's the best imaginative playground a child can have. In one paragraph, here's what the week included:
     Afternoons in the kiddie pool, evenings in the shade on the swing, walks through the field, bubbles, dolls and trucks, rock collecting, Play-Doh, drawing, quiet time movies, running through the sprinkler and squirting Pop and everything in sight with squirters, rides in the lawnmower cart, watching the hay get cut and bailed, hauling toys out to the water and back in again, popsicles, dandelions and band-aids, playing billiards without the sticks, coasting down the hill in Cozy Coupe and wagon, digging for worms and finding 'Wormy', counting pennies, books at bedtime and in between, hot dogs and Jello, many, many potty breaks, climbing up to the tree fort, blowing bubbles, walking Henri, a couple of trips to the grocery store, the Troutville Town Park and two trips to the doctor and pharmacy. (Matthew had pneumonia. We'll include naps, medicine, and cuddles here.) An overnight play date for two of the three children at their cousins', blanket forts, a long forgotten bin of stuffed animals found in the basement, Thomas the Train, Legos, toy cars, and plastic animals. What fun! Whew!