Time with Grandkids in Pennsylvania
Ten years ago our oldest son was married. This year, instead of preparing for a wedding, I prepared to spend some time with their children so they could take an anniversary trip together. While not as much work as a long-distance wedding, the anticipation of a wonderful memory-making trip was just as great.
Once I arrived, the first order of business was to show me some of the changes that had taken place since my last visit, which also included letting off some excess energy. Then we watched general conference and made final trip and Easter preparations.
I'm not sure if that's Pikachu or an Easter bunny, but I do know the cute face holding it greeted me Easter morning. You read about the rest of that day's activities here.
Notice the game of Monopoly in the background. I tried getting a picture of Wyatt's face when he put me out of the game when I landed on his three houses on Boardwalk, but it was too fuzzy. He was pretty excited and his attitude toward the game reminded me of his grandpa. I wonder who would win if the two of them were playing together!
I arrived on a beautiful spring day, with trees just beginning to bud.
A couple of days later, I woke up to falling snow! Fortunately, it was the last day of Spring Break (how ironic) so we didn't have to worry about school, and by mid-afternoon it had all melted.
Springtime is really quite miraculous, and not something I get to experience in our tropical paradise.
Oh, the joys of bus schedules, rain or shine, cold or hot!
Did you know they have phone apps that tell you how close the bus is to your stop? Of course, they don't always work (for example if you have a substitute bus), but when they do it's kind of cool. It brought back memories of doing breakfast dishes so I could see the bus go up the street, and know how long it would take to get to our sons' stop on the return down the street.
We got in the car to go to karate, church and the grocery store. Other than that, it was nice sticking around home.
It was fun to remember routines we had 20-30 years ago. Sleepy mornings and quick breakfasts before school.
Sunday afternoon (and any afternoon!) Lego building.
Lots of activities - inside and out.
Friday Family Movie Night (with a second one on Saturday because grandmas can change the rules if they feel like it)
Can't forget the chores!
This one reminded me of a chore I had many years ago - filling water bottles for rabbits.
Some of them more enjoyable than others.
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| Coliseum, Arch of Titus, Gelato, Sistine Chapel, Catacombs |
The weather was warmer in Italy than in Pennsylvania (but it was warmer still in Florida) which meant that Megan's wish to have her favorite flowering tree wait to bud until she got home come to fruition.
Once they were home I learned about a few more family traditions and routines, including the Whitaker Star (and updated family cheer) and visiting Longwood Gardens.
One of the highlights of their trip was a cooking class in Rome. I'm glad I was still there when they taught their boys how to make cavatelli. It's quite fascinating, and I'm looking forward to making it again someday myself. Here's the recipe.
Good-bye until next time (which is only a few months away)! Thanks for some wonderful memories.
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