The Grandkids (Great-kids)

We are "breaking spring" as Mr. Squires the math teacher would say. Three whole days at Grandma and Pawpaw's house! Every good vacation starts with a good breakfast, yes? This is breakfast at Grandma's kitchen. Rhegan isn't fond of dressing for breakfast. Parker isn't fond of posing for pictures when there is a cracker with his name on it. And Clayton, being the older brother, did his best to make this family picture happen! So starts vacation!

What would you give to look at these beautiful blue eyes for three days, morning, noon and night? I gave up sleeping in on Saturday in favor of cartoons.

Parker is afraid of nothing. His 2032 trips up and down the stairs gave us pause, but it would not be in anyone's best interest to get in his way. This kid plays hard and sleeps hard, literally. While Clayton went bowling with his friend Garrett, I took Rhegan & Parker to McDonald's playland. Except, Parker fell asleep in the car on the 12 minute drive. So I laid him on top of a table in the McDonald's playland, and there I sat with him, watching Rhegan play, for 45 minutes, with 113 other laughing screaming "breaking spring" kids and their moms, while Parker snored. I think he really enjoyed his trip to McDonald's playland, don't you?

Princess Rhegan loves to talk (wonder where she gets that? Did I tell ya about the time she introduced me to someone as her talky talky gram gram?). So we talk talk talk talk talk, and talk some more. She can talk her way into and out of almost anything. Except going to the potty right before bedtime. It wasn't pretty. The next morning, she came skipping into my room and made the following announcement: "Grandma! An angel came to me during the night and told me that if I wake up happy and I'm sorry for being a bad girl last night, then Grandma will take me shopping!" Do you think a trip to Wal-Mart was in order?!

Parker learned many new things while visiting us, playing the piano being one of his favs. I happen to like his playing very much, and encourage lots of practice, because then (and only then) do you really know where he is! If you lose track of Parker for one minute, it is probably because he is turning over the bowl of cat food into the water bowl. But let's give credit where credit is due. He came to me jabbering and pointing in the general direction of the mishap, so at least he reported his own crime. But when grandma responded with "Parker! That's a no-no!" his feelings were hurt so much that he ran through the house wailing and buried his head into the couch and shed 12 real tears. Ouch, grandma.

In a nutshell, here's what you can do in three days with your Great-kids:

1. Meet Papaw for lunch at Chicago's Pizza Buffet, and invite your neighbor Lynn and her grandson Garrett.

2. Go duck-pin bowling.

3. McDonald's Playland - you can play or sleep, it's totally up to you.

4. Go to the movies and buy a large bucket of popcorn for $7. Monsters vs. Aliens is the newest cartoon flick now playing (why DO they always release something on Breaking Spring week?) Only once, did Rhegan whisper to me "I want to go now" but that was during an alien space ship chase scene. I calmly replied "We can't go until Ginormica saves the planet!" and that was that.

5. Color Easter eggs. Egg salad anyone?

6. Buy battery operated bubble-making machines from Cracker Barrel and pop them with your nose.

7. Culvers - for butter burgers and frozen yogurt. Don't forget to ring the bell for good service on your way out. Be sure it's on your way OUT, so the staff does not have an opportunity to yell at you for continuing to ring the bell.

8. Buy a multi-colored pack of plastic sunglasses, one for every outfit.

A little retrospect: On Thursday afternoon at work, one of the attorneys stopped by my office with a research project. "I can't" I said. "I'm taking off work tomorrow to play Grandma." He thought that was great and asked me how old the kids were. "18 months, 4, and 9." To which he replied: "You are so screwed!" LOL Kevin & I really had a good time! You don't get memories like this without making it happen! I wouldn't take back one beautiful mess, one poopy diaper, or trade one sloppy kiss for anything in this world. Now, we do, however, want to thank Andrea & Shawn for giving us Sunday to recuperate!

Grandma: Goodnight Grandkids -- I mean, Great-kids!

Clayton: Goodnight Grandma -- I mean Great-ma!