We love having the grandchildren around at any time, but
it's a special treat when we get to have some for a full WEEK!
Yes, we had Bri and Hunter up from Georgia, and part of the
time we had all five grandchildren together. So I'm going to
make up for my long drought from blogging. There are tons of
pics and many brief videos, so buckle up and share our fun!
Bri and Hunter enjoy a new game: Rivers, Roads, and Rails.
Of course, when I say new, I mean I got it at a yard sale in the
last 20 years. Great fun, and a cooperative endeavor the way
we played it.
Bri and Hunter can never wait to get on the oversized
tire swing. If you're prone to dizziness, don't watch!
Since they were last here, I've acquired two hammocks
(from a kind lady at the dump😁). This one-- the one
that spins-- is the favorite. Once again, if you're prone
to dizziness . . .
Bri and Hunter hop, skip, and jump among the maze
of wisteria "snakes" I cut last week. What a workout.
But no casualties!
We don't have facilities for Bri to do her full gymnastics
routines. But she improvises quite nicely on what we have.
Hang on, everybody!
With her temporary red hair, she looks like an
upside-down flying banshee. She amazes us on the trapeze.
Hunter and I brought out "Word Pirates," another
of his favorite games. His favorite part is blocking
ME from getting to "Treasure Island."
On Tuesday of last week, we had all five kids from
mid-day till evening. About 4:00, they started brainstorming
for a Kirby-Talbert talent show, which was then presented
at 7:00, right after a delicious "make-your-own-taco" dinner.
Time and space don't permit me to share videos of
all the acts, but they included piano pieces by Bri and
Claire, several comic skits, Bri's gymnastics routine,
Ryan reading from his story (we have collaborated):
"Ryan's Ghost," some sit-down stand-up jokes from Hunter,
and an original harmonica piece by Ryan.
Here's just a brief sampling.
I just have to share this skit, "The Invisible Bench,"
with Hunter, Bri, and Claire. It's a classic.
Here's Ryan's harmonica act, totally original.
Let's skip ahead to the grand curtain call.
I'm delighted that at ages 8, 10, 10, 12, and 12, all
the grandchildren now love one of MY favorite games:
four-square. Judy and I joined them this day and later
in the week and had a ball. They're quite good. And
sometimes they are merciful!
Short waiting lines are a plus.
Here's a little of the friendly competition.
Indoors, with seven of us, we did a variety of activities
in an assortment of groupings. Bri and Grandma are
playing Yahtzee, Junior, which is low-key and fun.
Bri and I also played regular Yahtzee six times that week.
It's fun to play with a 12 year-old who not only understands
the rules, but has crafty strategies . . . and can add her own score!
The kids have discovered multiple versions of solitaire
on the computer. Everybody needed a break from the
large-group activities once in a while. Ryan is a whiz!
Hunter has a long-standing love of Hot Wheels, and
our assortment of cars and tracks is different from his own.
He can make anything into a story, such as
"Hot Wheels meet the Giant Snakes."
(Have you noticed a prevailing snake theme around my house?)
In the following two short clips, Hunter guides
the daring race cars into the very mouths of the
deadly vipers. Let's see who wins.
I'll give you a hint: Hunter wasn't going to let the snakes win.
UH-OH! Can we say "Viper Revenge"?!
The rest of the week, it was just me, Judy, Bri, and Hunter.
We took one afternoon to hit a couple of favorite thrift
shops in Sanford. I stopped them by this historic locomotive
in a downtown park.
That night, Hunter grilled us some hot dogs, and boy,
were they good!
I had one hot dog in a bun, but then I showed the kids
how to make a Frito Dog. I learned this the first year
Six Flags Over Georgia was open. My brother Buddy
(Ellis) told me about this treat from the Casa de Frites.
It was right next to the Casa Loco (crazy house) in the 60s.
I had suspected that both Bri and Claire are now tall
enough to ride Judy's Motobecane 10-speed racing bike.
WOW!! My and Judy's bikes date back to 1975-76 and
still get the job done.
The Talbert duo also loved playing croquet with me
and Judy. Over the course of a dozen or more matches
over several days, our skills improved markedly.
The kids are now well-versed in some of the finer
points of the game, such as "sending" a ball, what a
"dead" ball is, and optional playing with a "rover"
(also known as poison).
It didn't take Kitty long at all to get acclimated to
new housemates. He soon came to them of his own
volition and looked forward to their TLC. They could
virtually put him to sleep with their caresses.
I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read my book,
"Mystery at the Loyd Homeplace", to Bri and Hunter.
They were a great audience, and soaked up every word
of both the mystery and our intriguing Loyd family history.
Here are some of the crucial props, including a
photo of the mystery house (still in existence) and
a Civil War era letter (fictitious, but tantalizing).
And most of all, the treasure chest containing the
Loyd treasure. (Based on an actual family legend).
"Does Wal-mart take Confederate money?"
They were especially enthralled that there really is
a Loyd family Bible that dates to the 1800s. It has
now been passed on to me, and I am honored to be
its keeper. For now . . .
Believe it or not, we were all the way to Friday before
we had an opportunity for a get-wet day. We took them
to the fairly new splash pad in Carthage, and it was the
perfect day. Hot, but not too hot.
Here, the kids are waiting for the giant tub to douse them.
Ah, the anticipation!
Now the wait is over! Was it cold?
Even in a water park, the kids got in a little workout.
It just seemed natural to stop at Highlander's Farm's
ice cream stand on the way home. As we relaxed
and "chilled", I felt like we were somewhere up on
a Blue Ridge byway. Nice, very nice!
Of course we were glad when Amanda returned at the
conclusion of the week. We just weren't glad when
they all had to depart. But we'll have many more years
of memories to make and cherish. And what a great
motivation to eat right, get enough sleep, and stay healthy!
Because when the grandkids are around, we'd better be
on our toes and ready for action!
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