When I was growing up, it was a time of great freedom. I remember being outside all day long. I rode my bike all over town. I played in open fields, climbed trees, went exploring, tested my limits and my courage. I never did anything too dangerous (at least by the standards of the 1950s and 60s) but there were a few things I was really glad my mother never found out about!!
"Summertime" was heaven on earth from age eight to age 16.
Today, it is somewhat different for kids. Not nearly as much freedom, which is a shame in a lot of ways. Many parents both work and arrangements must be made for their children to be watched over, entertained, fed, and kept safe. It's a different world. Even so, I'm pretty sure the kids still feel that "Summertime" is heaven on earth!!
Each summer since M-t-G started school, Ratchlet and TA searched the Internet and asked their friends for a variety of day camps for fun things to provide M-t-G with a great summer. She has been to a bunch of different camps for things like swimming, Girl Scouts, singing, and horseback riding. Of course, some have been more successful than others, but there has been no true failure....until this week.
This first week of summer was supposed to be horse camp this year. Just for variety they chose a different camp than they had used before. It had good reviews and they expected it would be fine as had the others (she's been to 2 other horse camps in the last 4 years). It wasn't, not at all!
I won't go into detail about the camp's problems, let me just say the first thing Maddie said when her Dad picked her up after the first day was "I'm angry, I'm hungry, and I'm NOT going back!!" Pretty clear it was not a good experience. In fact, just about everything that could be wrong WAS wrong. So, of course, Ratchlet and TA did not send her back!
Which is where I come in! It was impossible to make arrangements for a different camp at the last minute, so the obvious choice was an impromptu session of the Camp of Grammy! For three days M-t-G and Grammy had fun together. There was already one week of Grammy Camp planned for August, so I didn't want to duplicate anything I had planned for that time. Nevertheless, I think what I came up with was reasonably successful.
I picked M-t-G up from her Mom's office at 11:00 each day and then we went off to find lunch and on to our adventures.
Tuesday we went to the Austin Zoo. As zoos go, Austin's is pretty small, but it is unique in one way. It is a rescue zoo! All of the animals have been rescued after being abandoned, or neglected, or mistreated from other places. That's a pretty cool thing. They have a bunch of monkeys, many birds (including peacocks). a few large cats (lions and tigers and leopards etc), a bear, some reptiles and amphibians, and goats and llamas and deer. Maddie loved the petting zoo and she got up close and personal with some deer!
It was fun, but it was kind of hot and I forgot sun block! Luckily neither one of us got sun burned.
Wednesday, I decided we needed an inside activity, so we went to the Library (always a hit) and then had movie time at my house, complete with popcorn and soda! Also successful! We watched one of my favorite films "Father Goose" with Cary Grant and Leslie Caron. It's a delightful film and M-t-G is a new fan!
Thursday it was miniature golf and ice cream!
We were pretty evenly matched. I beat her on the front 9 and she beat me on the back 9. She even got a hole in one!! Going on a weekday was great. There were other people there but not so many that we were rushed.
So it was a fun 3 days and I hope a good start to a great "Summertime"
What a great week--for both of you! My kids love the Austin Zoo.
ReplyDeleteNice that you got to spend time with your granddaughter and all looked like fun activities. Cary Grant is a favorite of mine as well, especially in Arsenic and Old Lace.
ReplyDeleteGood job Grammy! Thx for the pix yu sent. Adorable as ever, she is! i love mini-golf - so does her cousin M. I think it is a family trait. lol. Bowling planned for August? I remember bowling with her the last time the 3 of them came to Phx. That's one thing I miss not being able to do with my arm trussed up. LS
ReplyDeleteOn Monday I start my job as keeper of the granddaughters. It is only every other week for two days. They are a joy. My only problem is finding enough things to keep them busy. As they get older, that becomes more difficult.
ReplyDeleteI loved summer vacations as a kid. We lived on a lake from age 5, first just in the summers, and then the parents sold the cottage and built a year-round home there when I was 11. I put on a swim suit when I got up in the morning, and wore it all day. We swam, shot hoops, boated, and generally had a great time. There were 100 acres of woods behind us owned by a friendly local farmer. We were allowed to play in the woods as long as we weren't destructive. We had an old cast iron dinner bell on a post with which Mom or Dad called us home. After supper, we could be out until the security lights came on, then we had to be in our own yard. Such fun and now great memories!!
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