Camp Grammie

 Welcome to Camp Grammie!
During the summer we invite kids to come and spend a few hours with us having fun in the pool with games and races followed by lunch. I caught this photo of Maddy and thought it was pretty amazing...or maybe SHE is just amazing. Look out, junior high! Here she comes!

 We had nine kiddos this time and they were all SO GOOD!! Listening to them laugh in the pool just makes me smile.

 Of course, we had to have a few silly contests. These crazy kids are total daredevils and I sometimes cringe at what they do.

 Abbey just turns the diving board into her gymnastics platform and away she goes!

 Any good contest needs judges, complete with scoring to hold up after each contestant. They took turns doing tricks and then being a judge. Such great kids and so kind to each other. I made sure the lowest score was only a "6", so nobody got their feelings hurt. Most scored them an 8 - 10. Once Jack said, "That was such an amazing trick, I wish I had a higher number than the "10"!!!"

 Lunch was mini pizzas (rave reviews), watermelon, pretzels and fruit snacks, followed by brownies and ice cream for dessert. Nobody leaves Grammie's house hungry!!!

A big hit of the day was the many games we played with about 175 ping pong balls. We had team games and individual games. I even managed to get them to do some math by writing numbers on each ball and they had to add up what they collected to see who had the highest score. This photo is titled, "Having a ball at Camp Grammie!"
What they all don't realize is that I have as much fun as they do at Camp Grammie. Thanks to al the parents that entrust me with their kids for a few hours.
Some days are simply meant for playing!

 

Sad Truth/My Truth

I grew up in a world where we were taught respect for our elders. I met some adults who, clearly, didn’t seem to deserve my respect, but I was still taught to give it, if only in my silence. I grew up in a world where teachers were respected. If I brought a note home from the teacher, my parents first words were, “What did you do?!” Now, the first thing parents say is, “What did that teacher do?” I grew up in a world where police officers were respected. They were heroes, just like firemen. If we saw one in the coffee shop, we stopped and said hello. They seemed so big and brave and we respected them and the badge they wore. Today, we spew hate behind the safety of our computer screens. We judge the actions of police officers in a few stories that go viral. We read the headline only and write the whole story from there. Using our cell phones and computers we easily edit any situation to make it seem the way we want it to be seen.

Today, every group, every race, every faction, asks for our respect. Usually, it is demanded. Often, neither side wants to be the first one to grant that respect. It’s a “I’ll like you if you like me.” mentality. Our political correctness has reached such absurd levels, that, in trying to be so fair, so unbiased, so equal, we have actually isolated some groups for the sake of others. Where is the correctness of that? I am a white (not black) heterosexual (not gay) woman (not man) who works (not on welfare), lives in a home I pay for (not homeless). I am poorer than some and richer than others. All this makes me, what? An oddball? I don’t fall into any of the “hot topic” stereotypes. I am asked to accept, even embrace, every single person and all their differences, or risk being called racist, homophobe, heartless, godless and more.

Stop telling me I have to accept you. Act in a way that deserves that I accept you. Stop telling me I have to listen to your words. Act in a way that your actions make me want to hear more of your words. Stop telling me that life is not fair and you are oppressed. Act in a way that makes your life and the lives of others better and, therefore, less oppressed. Stop telling me you have to fight, protest and spew more hate to get your agenda heard. Act in a way that your attitude, passion and goodness make me want to be around you.

We have lost our people-ness. We have lost our people. We have lost…

RIP Peanut

Hard, sad lessons are part of life, even if you are only eleven years old. Today, Maddy's little hamster passed away. He had been acting sick for the last few days. It was heart wrenching to watch him look like he was in pain, disoriented and suffering. The adults had many texts, quiet conversations and moments of, "My gosh, what do we do???" Maddy knew he was sick and she cried herself to sleep the last two nights. In the scope of life, it is easy for adults to pass this off and not get so upset. I mean, it was a hamster, not a cat or dog!! But, here's the thing. She loved that hamster and we love her! Her pain is our pain. As any parent knows, watching your child suffer is one of the worst things imaginable. You desperately want to take away their pain and often cannot. You feel helpless.

When her dad got home from work today, he confirmed that Peanut was gone and proceeded to take care of him. I found a beautiful box that I had no idea why I was saving, but today I knew why. It was the perfect size and shape for a tiny coffin for Peanut. Pa and Sean both agreed that the sooner we buried him, the better for Maddy's sake.

 Every time I hear the Charlie Puth song "Only One Call Away", I think of my husband. In the song, Charlie sings:

I'm only one call away
I'll be there to save the day
Superman got nothing on me
I'm only one call away

Well, that's our Pa in a nutshell. He rescues all of us on a regular basis, both big and small. Here he is digging a grave, making sure it is deep enough and placing a block on top so no animal can dig it up. Maddy's girlfriends heard about the hamster and came over for the "service", complete with flowers in hand! Such a sweet gesture. Maddy learned another lesson today. Girlfriends get you through a lot of things that happen in life. Maddy couldn't speak, so she asked me to say a few words. I hope I said the right ones. We thanked God for the joy he brought Maddy and that he was no longer suffering. We shed tears and we hugged each other.

Marley even showed up for the funeral. He may have only been looking for lettuce, but I want to believe he was holding vigil for one of his own animal brothers! Now here's a pet! This tortoise will live to be over 100 years old and will surely outlive us all.
No need for his funeral. He can show up at mine!!
RIP, Peanut

The Mystery

Throughout the school year, I help the kids with their homework most afternoons. It can be a trying time. There is a lot of it. Everybody needs help at once. They all talk at once. Maddy's math is just about beyond my helping abilities and I make Pa step in and work on it with her. Don't even ask what I think of this "common core" way of teaching! They use terms I have not heard and they seem to meander down the math road rather than the direct approach we used as kids.
Sometimes, however, especially with writing and language, they get an assignment that I love. Recently, Jack had to write a mystery, We discussed possible story lines for days. We talked about writing a good mystery by making it appear that one person did the stealing when it was actually another person who did it. His teacher loves lots of description so you really can see the room, know what the characters look like, etc. Jack settled on a story about a skateboard being stolen. It was a good story for a 9 year old boy with a plot twist. The title was "The Case of the Stolen Skateboard". When he brought home the story, written perfectly, it was in a folder with the title and this photo on the outside, I couldn't help but smile.
Jack, this photo should be titled, "The Boy that Stole His Grammie's Heart". This kid makes me laugh every day. He says things that are wise beyond his years. He makes me think.
You have my heart, Jack.
Please keep it forever!

Our Gymnast

When you're in the kitchen preparing dinner and you hear, "Help! Help!" I didn't expect to find #3 twisted up in a bar stool! She has jumped with both feet (pun intended) into gymnastics and is always trying something, most of which makes me cringe! She can flip, jump, and do moves that I fear will injure her tiny, little body. Our gymnast is fearless and head strong. Add a dose of perfectionism and you get our Abs!
Look out world!!

Old/New Friends

 Running a race is a perfect excuse for travel. Last weekend, I ran the San Luis Obispo half marathon. Our high school friend, Michael, has lived up in Los Osos for a long time and we got to stay at his house and visit while we were there for the race. How do I describe Michael? He has this crusty, foul mouthed exterior with a heart of gold. He loves to grouse about life and all it's trials and challenges. He is one person I hold on a very small list that I could call, in the middle of the night, and say, "I need help!" He would ask where I was and be on his way. He is a loyal, true friend and has been for more decades than I care to count. We tease him that we have stood by him through a couple of wives and countless girlfriends, which brings me to the lovely lady in his life, Nicki. We had met her only briefly once before, but this weekend we had a chance to really get to know her. She is a gem! Smart, funny, kind and yet, takes no nonsense. She is perfect for Michael. She tends to see the good in most things and tries to help him see it too.

 We were fed like royalty while there, with Nicki and Michael preparing two amazing dinners for us. Saturday they made sure I was "carbo-loaded" for my race the next day and then Sunday, they barbequed steaks that were perfection. Sitting at home, sharing a meal with friends is far better than going to a restaurant. We laughed and talked and drank and ate the night away. I will cherish these memories for a long time.

Yes, we are older. Who knows if we are wiser, but we are smart enough to know the value of lasting friendship and love. Time goes by, sometimes too much time, but when we are together, we pick up where we left off.
What a blessing!

Mr. VIP

When you walk into your office and find this!! I laugh every time I look at this photo. Trying to find the right caption:
"What?! I'm working here!!"
"My feet don't stink!"
"I'm busy. What do you want?!"
"Can't a guy relax once in awhile??"
Love you, Jack!!