Reptiles, Crustaceans, and Violet

 

This week I had the pleasure of spending three days with our six year old granddaughter. I brought her to my house early each morning and took her back to meet her mom each afternoon. I knew in advance that we would spend these days together so I planned activities and meals that I thought she would enjoy.Violet was a good sport and humored me and my plans but it was obvious she had her own ideas, which turned out to be a delight.

Violet knows where all of our craft supplies are kept and she had the dining room table covered in paper, colored pencils, markers, scissors, and tape before I had even had breakfast out. She drew tiny little shrimp, lobsters, ladybugs, and crabs. She cut them out with scissors. She drew larger versions of them. She taped them onto paper. She left them outside Steve's office door to surprise him. She put them in paper boxes that she made into little dioramas, and she painted them on rocks. She also painted one special rock with a red crab on it for her mother. This was wrapped up in a box with a red bow. For three days Violet drew lobsters, shrimp, crabs, and lizards. 

I put the "clothespin people" project I planned away for another day. We weren't going to need it. 

Aside from crafting, we played outside and walked through the hayed field up to the tree swing. Violet found a golf ball and asked if she could play golf. Steve found a club and she whacked the ball for a little bit. We picked blueberries, which she ate, we ran errands, and we went to the pool for two afternoons. She swims like a little fish and I could barely keep up. Needless to say, I was dead tired each night and I slept very well.

We had conversations while we crafted. One such conversation went like this:

Me: What shall we have for lunch?

Violet: Well, I don't eat animals, not even chickens.

Me: So what do you like?

Violet: I like steak, vegetables, and fruit.

Me: OK. You can get good nutrition that way. What do you have for lunch at your GanGan's house?

Violet: Hot dogs. I love hot dogs.

 

Violet: I do NOT like Malachi

Me: Is he a boy in your class? Why don't you like him?

Violet: Yes, he takes my hair scrunchie.

Me: Usually when a boy does that or teases you, it means he likes you.

Violet: (wide eyed in disbelief) 

Me: Yes. Boys will look for any kind of attention from you if they like you. Even bad attention.

Violet: (is left speechless. She needs to think about this for a while.)