Ten Things of Thankful: Summer Fun with Grandchildren

 

A small frog rests inside a child's cupped hands

It's only the end of July. When I was a child, July was the middle month of summer, but my grandchildren start school on August 12th, so (even though the temperatures are by no means autumn-like) the end of July signals waning summer fun. While the grandchildren have been out of school, I've tried to pack in activities and experiences to broaden their horizons and introduce them to fun that doesn't involve little (or big!) screens. Some activities involved all of the grandchildren at once. Other times, I would take an individual grandchild on an outing catered to his or her interests. Each grandchild had a chance to stay overnight at our house then we went on an adventure together the next day. Friday night we completed the final sleepover, or rather, all of the grandchildren have now had a turn. They are already asking about "next time." 

I'm thankful:

1. for summer library programs. My grandchildren have flown drones, built "houses" out of toothpicks and Dots candy, made kites, and yes, heard stories, all at the library this summer. The first words out of their mouths when I show up at their house now is almost always, "Are you taking me to the library?"

2. for parks. While playgrounds are fun, my favorite park to take the kids to doesn't have a man-made playground. It does have a seasonal creek, lots of trees, wildlife galore (including the frog in the photo at the top of this post), easy trails, and picnic tables. The grandchildren love to chase lizards, hold frogs, listen to the various birds, run through the trees, and play in the creek when it is flowing.

3. for the zoo. With a big enough family, it's often just as expensive to go for one visit as it is to get a membership that gives you unlimited admission for a year. With a membership, we can go for a short amount of time and don't feel obligated to see everything every visit. 

4. for hiking trails. When the grandchildren are visiting and John gets home from work, one or more of them usually ask, "Can we go on a hike?" They love to get outside on the trails. They look for lizards and rocks, or as they say, "crystals." 

5. for youngest granddaughter. She is sweet, talkative, and affectionate. If I ever have to correct her, she will say, "I was just kidding!" She is a very enthusiastic crafter, especially if the project involves scissors. We started the sleepovers with her, back in April right before her 3rd birthday. Her outing was as much for me as it was for her, as I took her to Disneyland while she was still two and didn't require a ticket. 

6. for second youngest granddaughter. She is sensitive, fairly quiet, and eager to help. She loves dressing up.  Her outing was to an outdoor theater "Faery Hunt" in a park. 

7. for youngest grandson. While of course he is free to pick any career he wants to, he is a natural-born engineer. I've never met a child who is more inquisitive about how things work. When he rode a carousel for the first time, he was busy thinking about how the ride was designed. When the horses stopped, he hopped down and looked under the platform, delighted to spot the wheels that he figured must have been there. For his outing, we took him to Griffith Park in Los Angeles, where he flew a kite, visited a train museum, and saw a Tesla coil at the observatory.

8. for oldest grandson. He is an intelligent boy with boundless energy. He's also attuned to the feelings of others. For his outing, we went fishing. He caught two!

9. for second-oldest granddaughter. She is responsible and a hard worker. She has many interests, one of which is capybaras, so for her outing, we visited the Santa Barbara Zoo. 

10. For oldest granddaughter. She is growing up so fast and like many girls her age loves spending time on her phone. Horses have always been an even bigger love of hers, though, so for her outing, we went horseback riding. 

And though I'm already at 10, I'll add in that I'm thankful for John. He's a terrific grandpa, and he's accompanied us on some of our outings. The grandchildren love spending time with him.

Are you still in the midst of summer, or does school start soon where you are? What are you thankful for this week? Be sure to check out the other posts, and feel free to join us!

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