Spring Break

As a kid I always loved spring break and the chance to stay home and play all day. As a grownup I'd like to find the person who invented spring break and send my children to stay with him for the week! The kids seemed to have fun, although personally I was disappointed at the lack of sunshine and warm weather. I had lots of fun things planned, like trips to the zoo and playgrounds. But the weather didn't cooperate, so we ended up at places like Burger King and Chuck E. Cheese.

The highlight of the week was a trip to Columbus to see their grandparents. Trips to see my parents are good but always stressful. Their house is not child-proof - it doesn't need to be - which makes it tougher when we come up. I have 2 active curious boys and my 3 year old likes to explore things. He is constantly getting in trouble with his grandfather. But they have the best basement ever, according to my kids. They have lots of toys down there, plus a mini trampoline and even a swing! What a kid paradise!

My highlight of the visit was seeing my grandma on Thursday. She is 94 and doing fairly well for being as old as she is. She loved seeing her great-grandchildren of course, especially Rose who is named after her. Rose's first name is Evelyn, just like grandma. So we hung out in grandma's little apartment (she has her own place in a nursing home/assisted-living place). It's a small place so the potential for destruction is just immense. The kids were trying hard to be good, but had lots of energy. We got Burger King and ate with grandma in her room then my parents took the kids to the playground.

I was able to spend over an hour with my grandma having an uninterrupted conversation. Do you even know how long it's been since I was able to do that?? Well at least 9.5 years. I so enjoyed my time with her, hearing about her childhood. Her parents were very strict with her; she knew that if she did something wrong, her dad would cut a switch off the cherry tree and she would get it! So she raised her boys strictly too. They were Methodist and went to church every Sunday. And back then there was no Children's Church or anything so the boys had to sit with their parents and behave. She said she brought along a book or 2 and some paper to draw on, but the boys just learned to sit still and be good. They lived on a farm so they grew up having to work hard. My dad always loved working outside with his dad; he still likes working outside actually. But after high school, my dad left home, spent a couple years at a community college then married my mom. 2 weeks after they were married, he left for Vietnam. He got home the same day Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. I was born the next August.

Boy I kinda digressed there didn't I? Where was I? Oh yeah. My conversation with my grandma. Her younger son (my uncle) was around 6 years younger than my dad. He stayed close to home after he finished school and didn't get married until he was older (28 or so). He and my aunt still live there actually.

So it was a fascinating afternoon. I am so glad I got to spend time with my grandma. That doesn't happen too often since we live 3.5 hours away.

When the kids got back from the playground, we loaded up and headed back to my parents house. The kids got to play while I loaded the van and we were off. And 3 hours, 3 potty stops, and 37 fights between siblings later, we arrived back home. Phew!