Sleepover
21/07/13 07:43
We know that our celebration vacation is drawing to a close. Yesterday we took Rachel and Michael to the airport and they flew home. Susan’s sister and husband headed home on the train. We have just one day left before we head for home tomorrow.
So last night was a good night for Isaac and Allison to go out for dinner and a movie and we got to have Elliot at our camper for a sleepover with Grandma and Papa Ted. Grandma had lots of toys and games and she had made blue play dough for rolling and cutting out shapes with cookie cutters. The campground has a swimming pool and a hay ride behind a tractor and a special track for riding bikes and pedal toys where Elliot could ride his strider very fast. There was a special supper with macaroni and cheese and fresh peaches.
I got to read some of the classic stories that our children enjoyed like “Green Eggs and Ham.” “I do not like them, Sam-I-Am!”; The Monster at the End of this Book (surprise, it is Grover! And he is so embarrassed!”; and one of my all-time favorite books. “Go Dogs Go!” That book has everything! A bit of romance, “Do you like my hat?” A chase scene. A boat. A train. And a surprise ending! I won’t spoil it for you, but there is something very special at the top of the tree at the end of the book.
I really like the feeling of having our whole family together. But I enjoy the people in our family in couples and one-on-one. A sleepover in the camper is a perfect way to continue to develop our relationship with our grandson. We’ve been around his family long enough to know the nighttime routine and to have a sense of the way his folks go things. And we chose the particular model of camper that we have because it has plenty of room for grandchildren.
And the adventure also gave Elliot a chance to ride in Papa Ted’s BIG truck, which was pretty cool.
I’ve probably grown out of it, or perhaps our kids have grown out of it, but I am no longer able to impress them with everyday things. With our grandson, it is a different matter. There are all kinds of things that I do that really impress him. He loves my boats and my truck and he loves the camper. Of course he will learn, as all children do, that there are lots of things that Grandpa cannot do. There are things that get broken that Grandpa can’t fix. Grandpa makes mistakes and forgets things that he should be remembering.
But the role of grandpa is one that comes easily and fits naturally.
Our camper is about two (and probably more) tasks. One is about going. It has wheels and tires and a hitch and equipment that is designed to be towed. When we are hitched to the truck we can go down the highway at 65 mph, climb up and over mountain passes and see interesting things. This camper is new to us, but we will have towed it over 5,000 miles this summer by the time we get home from this trip. We bought the camper for traveling and we intend to travel with it as much as possible over the next ten years or so.
But the camper is also about staying. It is a home away from home where we get to sleep in the same bed every night and have some of the comforts of home. Actually this camper is filled with comforts. It has a furnace and an air conditioner and a complete kitchen. We have a shower and a full bathroom. It is in this role of staying that it shines with our grandson. He is a pretty good traveler and at 2½ years he has more experience with traveling than many of his peers. He has traveled by airplane, by train and by boat. But his parents know that big trips are much easier for him and them if they travel by a fast means such as an airplane. When they come to visit us, they take the airlines and make the trip in about a half of a day. The three-day road trip in a car is for a different phase of his life. So for him, the camper is a place to stay.
And it is exactly why we chose this camper. The camper has a bunkroom, with four bunks – perfect for grandparents. It is a lot of fun for a grandson. He has his own cupboard, with his toys and a place for his clothes. The bed is right on the floor, so he can get in and out by himself. He is eager to try a top bunk, but that will happen later, when he is older.
He woke this morning without fear and started to describe the things he was seeing out of the window. We are parked in a grove of very tall trees, with lots of ferns and other undergrowth. But he can see the end of the truck out of his window and another camper parked across the way. Now he has joined me at the table and Grandma is getting him some Cheerios and milk. We have been visiting fruit stands, so we have blueberries and peaches and apples and raspberries and strawberries, so he’ll have his choice of fruit as well.
All too soon it will be time for us to take him back to his own home and parents. The camper’s owners have two modes as well. We have enjoyed the days of staying. While on the west coast we have been in only two campgrounds and have not moved the camper every day. Tomorrow we’ll switch from staying to going. We’ve got about 1,350 miles to drive before we are home and back in our office on Thursday. Breaking those miles up into three days means that no one day has too many miles and we will get to see lots of things along our way.
We’ll all be ready for the next adventure and hope that is comes before too long.
I got to read some of the classic stories that our children enjoyed like “Green Eggs and Ham.” “I do not like them, Sam-I-Am!”; The Monster at the End of this Book (surprise, it is Grover! And he is so embarrassed!”; and one of my all-time favorite books. “Go Dogs Go!” That book has everything! A bit of romance, “Do you like my hat?” A chase scene. A boat. A train. And a surprise ending! I won’t spoil it for you, but there is something very special at the top of the tree at the end of the book.
I really like the feeling of having our whole family together. But I enjoy the people in our family in couples and one-on-one. A sleepover in the camper is a perfect way to continue to develop our relationship with our grandson. We’ve been around his family long enough to know the nighttime routine and to have a sense of the way his folks go things. And we chose the particular model of camper that we have because it has plenty of room for grandchildren.
And the adventure also gave Elliot a chance to ride in Papa Ted’s BIG truck, which was pretty cool.
I’ve probably grown out of it, or perhaps our kids have grown out of it, but I am no longer able to impress them with everyday things. With our grandson, it is a different matter. There are all kinds of things that I do that really impress him. He loves my boats and my truck and he loves the camper. Of course he will learn, as all children do, that there are lots of things that Grandpa cannot do. There are things that get broken that Grandpa can’t fix. Grandpa makes mistakes and forgets things that he should be remembering.
But the role of grandpa is one that comes easily and fits naturally.
Our camper is about two (and probably more) tasks. One is about going. It has wheels and tires and a hitch and equipment that is designed to be towed. When we are hitched to the truck we can go down the highway at 65 mph, climb up and over mountain passes and see interesting things. This camper is new to us, but we will have towed it over 5,000 miles this summer by the time we get home from this trip. We bought the camper for traveling and we intend to travel with it as much as possible over the next ten years or so.
But the camper is also about staying. It is a home away from home where we get to sleep in the same bed every night and have some of the comforts of home. Actually this camper is filled with comforts. It has a furnace and an air conditioner and a complete kitchen. We have a shower and a full bathroom. It is in this role of staying that it shines with our grandson. He is a pretty good traveler and at 2½ years he has more experience with traveling than many of his peers. He has traveled by airplane, by train and by boat. But his parents know that big trips are much easier for him and them if they travel by a fast means such as an airplane. When they come to visit us, they take the airlines and make the trip in about a half of a day. The three-day road trip in a car is for a different phase of his life. So for him, the camper is a place to stay.
He woke this morning without fear and started to describe the things he was seeing out of the window. We are parked in a grove of very tall trees, with lots of ferns and other undergrowth. But he can see the end of the truck out of his window and another camper parked across the way. Now he has joined me at the table and Grandma is getting him some Cheerios and milk. We have been visiting fruit stands, so we have blueberries and peaches and apples and raspberries and strawberries, so he’ll have his choice of fruit as well.
All too soon it will be time for us to take him back to his own home and parents. The camper’s owners have two modes as well. We have enjoyed the days of staying. While on the west coast we have been in only two campgrounds and have not moved the camper every day. Tomorrow we’ll switch from staying to going. We’ve got about 1,350 miles to drive before we are home and back in our office on Thursday. Breaking those miles up into three days means that no one day has too many miles and we will get to see lots of things along our way.
We’ll all be ready for the next adventure and hope that is comes before too long.