I’d had about 10 minutes to sit down when the live wire and her mom arrived for a visit. I’d been saving boxes of toys and things for her as I’d been cleaning out the stuff in the attic. You can see some of it in the foreground.
She was fascinated with the Viewmaster. It had mostly nature films and it was amazing how many of the animals, etc she could name at 6. She was less thrilled with the cartoon films, like Mickey Mouse.
(Her mom took all these photos.)
So the treadmill is starting to empty out.
One of the things in the boxes was a bug collecting jar (on step in next photo). She insisted we come out with her and watch her look for bugs. She found some ants, 2 spiders, and not much else. So we went around by the Small garden and she went in to look for bugs. She found a lot of the jumping worms. She really liked those, as they “danced” when she touched them.
She had a great time trying to find out which of the 3 she kept (and named Squiggly, Wiggly, and Mickey) was longest. Then she took them on “trips” the last of which was crawling on me.
This is the worm exploring the “cave” (my sweater cuff).
The tickle fest
I still had a bucket of gourds on the back porch so she went through them to select what she wanted and her mom took the rest for the kindergarten class (she’s in 1st grade). She also took one of the watermelons that are still on the back porch.
Just as we finished this, it started to really rain so we went back inside. I keep a box of origami paper with instruction book on the dining room table for when she comes. So we started messing around with that.
She wanted cats this time, so I got new fridge art and she took the old art home.
Somehow the conversation came around to the fact she can read and had been reading Go, Dog, Go. That was one of my favorite books to read to my son, and I think one I might have read as a child as the copywrite is 1961. I’m pretty sure it’s one we had as children. I had a copy I had just put out for her, along with many others of that type, and I got it out.
She read 23 pages of it! This was quite a change because I had always read to her when she came, usually the popup books she loved. I am so proud of her! Her mom said she’d never read so long before.
Her mom and I tried to have a conversation throughout the visit about their new house (actually built in 1890) and all the things she wants to do for it. As with many old houses they found lots of odd things, like a 4’ square of living room floor that had been cut away, joists and all.
The house has the original old plaster and it needs work. She’s thinking she wants to try to learn to do it and repair it, in the spirit of retaining the character of this nice old house on the main street of their town.
But like all good things, the visit came to an end. We loaded the car up in the rain, and then they headed home. I always so enjoy the visits with her and her mom. There had not been one since July due to the closing on the house and moving. Her mom is hoping for a couple in December.
What a lovely post @goldenoakfarm, such a special time with your granddaughter. She's adorable, I love that age, they are still so curious about things, especially nature and living things like worms. My grands always have something live in a jar, they enjoy catching salamanders, my kids did also when they were young. Lightening bugs are always fun to capture and we get a lot of them in the summer.
So glad you enjoyed the visit, sweet memories to fall back on when, sadly they go home.
Good luck to your son and daughter-in-law with the house restoration.
I think I failed to mention she is my surrogate grandchild. Her mom is my friend and I met them I think when the live wire was 2. Chances are good I will never have actual grandchildren so I enjoy the live wire every minute I can. :))
Ok now I get it, blood doesn't matter much to me, it's the love I see, she is in your heart. That's all that matters.
Hugs to all.
💚💚💚💚
Sorry for not getting back. I think you did tell me a while ago that she was not your biological daughter, but who cares, the love you two share is obvious. I have several bins with games and projects ready to go here on the farm also. When the little ones come that the first thing they ask for "Grammy, can we get the toy boxes out" so cute.
I honestly think you had more fun than her, and she seemed to have a tremendous time!!!!! Viewmasters, bug collecting? Fascinating stuff. Love the photos of you, you look so happy and relaxed.
Exhausted, had just finished the tarps. But she’s so smart and her imagination is staggering!