So Many Ideas, So Little Time

I haven't seen GrandBoy in almost three months, so I'll be traveling down to Atlanta in ten days to spend a week reconnecting. Since I last saw him, I've added Pinterest to my social media skills and have a board just for GrandMary Goodies. This is where I stick all the fabulous, fun, creative ideas other folks have dreamed up that I think Liam would enjoy.  The problem is, there are way more pins on the GrandMary Goodies board that I will ever be able to put to use.

At the risk of over-planning, over-thinking, and over-scheduling ways for us to spend our play time, I'm culling through my board pins to choose just a handful of things that will make us giggle, give us some exercise, get our hands dirty, or all of the above. So, let's see. Where to start?

Do we cook up slime, galaxy playdough, or a variety of recipes for disaster? I see some real possibilities there. Bet I could find lots of fun stuff in this free, downloadable Summer Fun book, with activities suitable for toddlers. But are the activities suitable for GrandMarys?

I'm not afraid of a little (or a lot) of water, and neither is GrandBoy, so perhaps we move the fun outside. Maybe rig up this water spray made out of a 2-litre plastic bottle. Or stock up on balloons for a little water balloon action. We both love-love-love sidewalk chalk, so maybe one or two games using the chalk will be fun. Or a messy outdoor art project. Note to self: use the water spray to clean up after the messy art project.

Of course, there are always old fashioned activities, like catching lightning bugs, collecting rocks/leaves/sticks on a nature walk, throwing/catching/chasing a ball around the yard, and eating popsicles on the front steps. We'll need time to dance around a while and whizz cars and trucks down the hallway. Whatever we do must revolve around mealtimes and naptimes - for both of us.

Whatever happens, we'll have fun. Whether we make things that fizz and glow, or spray water, or spin around, we'll have fun. And we'll really deserve our meals and naps after all that!

Staying Cool, Kid-Style

Children can find plenty of ways to stay cool in the summertime heat if adults will just get out of their way. All that’s needed is a water source, something cold to drink, and maybe knowing where your mama keeps her change purse.

As hard as it is for me to admit, I had an air-conditionless existence until I was maybe 6 or 7 years old. That’s right. When I was very young, a Southern summer childhood was at the mercy of an electric fan and the sheer benevolence of an adult willing to plug the thing in, turn it on, and let it blow on you. Yeah, a whole line of iffy situations. Seems we got the use of the fan at naptime, after we had a bellyful of Campbell’s vegetable soup, a tomato sandwich, and Hi-C orange drink, just as added nap-insurance. Beyond that, a little kid had to fight for fan frontage time.

Fortunately, mamas liked their kids to play outside - whatever the temperature - so if we got permission (and sometimes if we didn’t), we could turn on the outdoor spigot and play in the hose. As long as you didn’t get knocked in the teeth with the metal nozzle or get water sprayed straight up your nose, a good time could be had by all. Holding the hose straight up made an instant shower. Coiling it up, then then letting it go, caused all sorts of unpredictable sprays, twists, and turns. Oooh, the water snake!

Eventually, we graduated to a super-deluxe backyard pool. By super-deluxe, I mean a sparkling aqua-colored plastic sheet draped over a 2-foot high white fence-type thing. The bottom had a diamond design of black, blue, and white. It took forever to fill  the thing up, but I’m telling you, nothing Esther Williams ever had was a fine as our beautiful blue pool. It seemed huge at the time; I’m sure it would be laughable now. But water and kids and sun can co-mingle for long time, and we were very happy little campers. I don’t remember Mother watching us – she was inside doing whatever mothers do. Yes. Pure child endangerment/neglect. Thank God.

Still, there’s more to staying cool than water-immersion. That’s where Kool-Aid and Fizzies came in. Seems like they were always in plentiful supply – a little goes a long way for a kid – so we’d sit in a swing or on the picnic table and have our treat. Anyway, those purple and orange Kool-Aid moustaches washed off after a few minutes in our sparkling backyard pool.

Sometimes, though, in late afternoon/early evening we’d hear that glorious sound – the bells or music of the Hunky Man (that’s what we called the truck that came around with popsicles, push-ups, and nutty-buddies). Chaos ensued, as some of us   waved him down, while others ran inside to plead for enough dimes to cover the charge for our confections. The perfect way for a kid to stay cool on a summer afternoon.

So think back on how you liked to cool off in the summer when you were little, and share that with the little ones in your life. Even if you have a real, in-the-ground Esther Williams swimming pool, break out the garden hose or sprinkler sometime. Just don’t let the nozzle hit you in the teeth. And remember to wash off your purple Kool-Aid moustache.