Opposite Day

 Introduction:  My children LOVE a CD we've gotten from the library called Marvelous Day by some guy named Steve.  There is a song called "Opposite Day" that we play over and over again.  Thus this post is called Opposite Day.

We are visiting Grandma and Grandpa in Spokane this week--a belated Spring break and an early summer vacation.  We have some seriously happy children. 

 

You see, visiting Grandma and Grandpa's house is the opposite of their regular life at home in many respects.  At Grandma's house there is no school work and no chores, but that's just the beginning of the differences.

There are really cool toys at Grandma's house.  Topping the list is the golf cart they drive around at break-neck speeds, threatening to drive themselves right off the mountain.  I know I would never allow this at home, but at Grandma's house it seems like a great idea and I cheerfully wave to them as they careen around the corners.

We let the kids do sleep-overs with cousins at Grandma's house.  We almost never, and only for extremely rare occasions, have any kind of sleep-over at home.

I rarely allow, much less encourage the kids to play video games at home.  However, here I feel it turns the hearts of the children to their fathers--since the kids play on the very same gaming systems their fathers did.

Grandma's house is a food paradise for children.  There is a cupboard with crackers and goldfish, eggo waffles in the freezer, and best of all-- the tub of Red Vine licorice available morning and night.  A child grabbing a handful is smiled on whether it be 7:00 AM or 11:00 PM.
Smiled on by Grandma that is.  Not so much by me.
Clark ate a bowl of ice cream yesterday morning and as I began to question him he cut me off saying, "Mom, it's Grandma's house!"
Point for Clark.

At home Bethany loves to play with friends, but because of other responsibilities she can only get friend time in smaller doses. An hour or two here and there.  But up here she can play with cousins for not only hours on end, but for DAYS on end.

We have a lot of pets at home and so if Clark mentions a desire for any more we try to quell his enthusiasm.  But he knows that any wildlife found in Spokane is free for the taking home.  

After all, he found it at Grandma's house.

 This picture has nothing to do with this next opposite, but it's a picture of Abe and Abe does something up here in Spokane that is very opposite from his normal behavior at home.  

He cooks.

Food.

He heats up actual food for people to eat.  

I don't.

He does.

It's a beautiful thing. 

At home I'm pretty well aware of each of my children's locations because I know what they should be doing and I'm on them.  But here I'm so busy visiting with my fabulous sister-in-laws that I'm not really sure where my people are half the time.  To my wonderful mother-in-law I will just say that I really do take better care of my children at home.

I don't really play with my kids very much at home.  You know the kind of play where I get down on the floor and build something or play a game with them.  It is a great shame to me.  I think I used to much more with the older kids but I'm not doing such a good job of it these days.  But Grandma and Grandpa are so patient and involved, they will take the time to play with the grandchildren.  Grandpa spent no less than 30 minutes working on a Lincoln Log cabin.

Grandma may think checkers are boring, but she finds each grandchild fascinating and wants to get to know each one.  

I'm telling you, she is a good woman and I feel so blessed to benefit from her example.