Today was beautiful after yesterday's downpour! And not only was the weather beautiful, with clear, sunny skies and perfect temperatures, the whole day was beautiful, in that I spent fun time with my Houston grandchildren.
"Come here, I want to teach you a game," I called to 7-year-old Anne-Marie and Maddie, 5, who had been playing hide-and-seek for some time. They ran to me expectantly. I had them stand facing me while I gave them instructions on playing "Mother, May I."
"Maddie, you may take three baby steps," I said, to which she remembered to say, "Mother, May I?" After her sister had taken a couple of giant steps, it was Maddie's turn again. This time I told her to take two scissor steps, which she eagerly did, crossing her feet as I had taught her. "You forgot to say, 'Mother, May I!" I exclaimed. She slapped her forehead, laughed and went back to the starting line.
This happened over and over as the girls happily stepped off the assigned instructions, only to laugh in surprise and run back after they forgot to say, "Mother, May I." It was fascinating to see the joy they got out of a simple game from yesteryear, but the novel steps I thought up (rabbit hops, chicken steps and spider walks) and the concentration it took to remember to ask permission kept them engaged. They wanted to play again, but their daddy came out with a picnic basket and an invitation to the park that we could not refuse.
"Mimi, do you want to go into the forest with me?" Anne-Marie asked after we had eaten our lunch. She was referring to a walking trail through the woods at the edge of the playground. I agreed, and she led me down the path she had taken before in the cool shadow of overhanging trees. After wending our way through a couple of turns in the trail, we came upon a creek. My granddaughter said the path led along the creek and would come out at the opening we had seen at the other side of the park.
We decided to go back the way we had come, though, because the creek was roaring and had washed away much of the trail beside it. Anne-Marie still had energy to play on the swings and playground equipment, but I took a rest to play with baby Isaac in the shade.
He was really warming up to me, now that we had been here a couple of days. I fed him his breakfast with a spoon today, a departure from his innovative father's method of having him suck baby food through a straw! It was so cute to see him open his little mouth like a fish as he waited expectantly for each bite. Then tonight at supper his mommy gave him mashed potatoes with sweet potatoes, and he ate like there was no tomorrow! Maybe he is ready for more table food now that he has turned seven months!
Howard had declined to go on the walking trail earlier, but Maddie had wanted to go. After I told him about the creek, he wanted to take the wallk. I called for Maddie, who was playing on the slide with some other children. "Pa Pa wants to go walking with you now," I told her.
"No, thanks," the independent little red-head said, "I changed my mind!" and went off to join her "friends," leaving us to laugh at her determined little ways. Their father reigned them in with the promise of snow balls on the way home, a sweet ending to a great day. I'm sure I'll reflect on it often when we have gone back home.
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