Monday, March 8, 2021

Grandsons time

After not having seen the three boys here for a while we had 4 days in a row. Sarah felt until we had at least the first vaccine shot it was better not to meet. Of course she is right.

With the right precaution things were looking up. 

We are enjoying blue sky and sun. Last Wednesday it was even warm enough to sit out on the back patio to enjoy our coffees. It might even have been the day we played our card game outside. But then it just got so beastly cold!


Thursday we were "on duty". Sarah had to work early and Wade needs to leave usually soon after 7:15am. Well, we were there. When we arrived the children were watching some TV. 


Caleb showed off proudly his missing tooth space. And one more is wiggly. 



They are definitely outdoor children. Soon they were dressed and outside, climbing trees and setting up obstacle courses. They just don't mind the cold. Brrrrrr.


A cut-up apple as after breakfast snack. Stella is hoping that somebody will drop something.


At 9 am we all bring Caleb to the school bus stop and after that we drive the twins to their school. We have to go back to our house. Things to do but at 2 pm we pick up the twins again. A little play in the backyard and then they are happily taking a nap - of course after Papa reads a book to them. Sarah is back just before the school bus drops Caleb off after 4 pm. We can say 'good bye' and the children are all so loving.

Friday was Sarah's day off and the twins don't have school that day. She asked Papa whether he wanted to meet them at a park. Oh yes. He always likes that. They met at Deep Run Park. Henrico has many great parks. But the new Deep Run Pump Track is really something to see. James told me later that the boys first said that they were scared. Of course they tried it and got quickly better. I took these photos from James' videos.




I am sure you want to see the action! I am getting better and was able to put James' 5 clips together into one VIDEO     (1:58)

James said that it was freezing cold. When they all came to our house it was time for something warm to drink. And lunch. And playing with the train tracks, of which we have plenty.


Once in a while Caleb likes some one-to-one time - or time without his brothers even though he loves them dearly. It is very understandable. On Saturday James and I picked him up around 11 or so to take to our house for the night. Sarah had given us info about a kite event at Crump Park close to us. Simple kites were given out free. It came with crayons to decorate. There were tables. Everything nicely spaced out. It took Caleb about three and a half minutes because he wanted to let it fly. He actually was quite successful doing it. There were a few others and we watched as somebody else's took off towards the power lines. 



When we were at our house he asked to decorate it some more and then he and Papa walked in the neighborhood to a place hoping that he could fly it some more. But there was not much wind any more. They had a nice time though.

When they arrived back I was in front of the house cleaning out and trimming the two hydrangea bushes. I should have taken before pictures! I had promised James that I would do it. Caleb eagerly helped James to clean away all that I had cleaned out. They put all on the tarp and dragged it into the woods. After that I had to find more things for him. He loves the clippers of course so I let him clip off the cascading things from the planters, four of them. We were told last year that they would overwinter and I thought we would try but they look rather dead. Time will tell. Caleb could not do anything wrong and it looks much better AND he was happy doing it.



After lunch Caleb and I did some baking (about which I report in another blog) and of course had to taste whether it was any good. 


Before Christmas I bought a magnetic dart game but only recently I was able to ask Sarah whether she deemed it safe enough. Of course he spied soon where I had hung it in the loft. He and Papa played a lot. Caleb even added some of the points together. A good math learning tool.



He was all excited when he found that the darts would stay on his belt buckle. 


At the park Caleb had also wanted to see the Meadow Farm animals quickly and found a plastic slinky. It did not really work. So James found our last original slinky (we use on bird feeder poles as squirrel deterrent) and Caleb played a lot with it on the steps. Got so excited when he could make it do something. 

Sunday morning the sun was shining a little warmer in the back yard. There on the only step the slinky liked it even a little better.


At 10:30 am it was time to give him up again. These four days were a nice dose of grandsons! And next week we are getting to see our oldest. Yeah! He has spring break and we are getting to meet William and Helen half way. Stay tuned!

If you read this, feel free to leave a comment. I would be happy to read it!

2 comments:

Happy Room Diana said...

How wonderful that you were able to spend time with your grandsons. My granddaughters have returned to school and have to have a Covid test three times this first week, then twice a week at home from then on, but at least they are happy to be back with their friends.

Kim S. said...

What a great time with your grandsons. I know you have missed that. I think that that bike run looks like a lot of fun. And very similar to where I first learned to ride. I couldn't manage a flat run, but finally "got it" on a hilly, wavy surface! Well done, boys!