L to R: Painting the backdrop; the cast on-stage for “Jumanji – The Play” complete with two neighborhood “lions”; at the pool on a hot day!
A Visit To Nana’s and Granddaddy’s
If you’re wondering what happened to me lately, it’s summer! Which means the annual visit of our three exceptionally intelligent and charming grandchildren — Wesley, 10; Vivian, 6; and Maggie, 3. We made the rounds from Virginia to Tennessee to South Carolina and picked up everybody last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Tomorrow, we repeat this historic route in reverse to deliver everyone back home, safe and sound.
The Best-laid Plans, etc
Have you ever had a really great idea in your head — say, the ideal family vacation together? Well, Debbie and I had all sorts of things planned for the kids. We built a “stage” in our backyard for singing, dancing, and dramatic performances by our uber-talented grandkids. Debbie, who is an artist, had visions of Wesley, Vivian, and Maggie painting the backdrop for our outdoor amphitheatre. Well, that lasted about 20-minutes in the blazing Virginia sun. Did I tell you that today is the hottest day of this year so far?
We were also going to the stables at Chatham Hall to feed apples and carrots to the horses. But, there were no horses. All the horses were in the pasture because it is so hot here! So we still have 5 pounds of apples cut in fourths, and a bag of carrots languishing in the fridge.
The pool was a hit, however. Ten bucks and you can entertain three kids for hours. Which is good, because they were here Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday (that’s today). Lots of hours. Lots of apple juice. Lots of Eggo waffles. Lots of fruit snacks, which are not fruit at all but some kind of rolled up plastic sheeting that could be used to waterproof basements.
And, then there were the endless assurances, “That’s okay, Nana, my momma let’s me do it!” This line is useful for all types of occasions — jumping on the bed, eating sugar out of the sugar bowl, and staying up to watch David Letterman. Of course, we’re having none of it, which provokes the occasional, “When are we going home?” question.
Time Together
But, all in all, we had a lot of fun. Kids grow up fast. Hopefully, more summers at Nana’s will come and go before they’re too old, or too cool, to want to spend time with us.
Church demands a lot of time and energy. Make sure you spend time with your family. The ministry will wait, growing up won’t.
ChuckWarnock.com 
