Coastie Mama Logs: Letters from Grandy Camp 2012 (Part I)

As you may have heard, my boys spent the week in Pennsylvania at their Poppa and Marmie's house for what we like to call "Grandy Camp." As usual, my parents jam-packed the boys' days with lots and lots of fun activities. (In other words, pray for me this week as I deal with the post-Grandy Camp letdown!) And each night, I'd receive a little report in my email inbox. Compiled for you to enjoy, here are letters from my sons, as interpreted by Marmie. Photos by Marmie too (yay for no heads being cut off!)

Day 1
Dear Mommy and Daddy,

Jude and I are having a great time here in Pennsylvania. Today we jumped and jumped and jumped on the trampoline. I picked cherry tomatoes for supper (only the orange ones). Jayden came to play Play-Doh with me while Jude took a three hour nap. We made Play-Doh pies and cookies and spaghetti with meatballs.

While we played, Marmie asked me what I learned in Bible School and I told her, "I shout to God when I am sick, but my friends don't! I trust God and I sing." Then we told Jayden about our fun day at Knoebel's and I told her,"The Phoenix has the biggest mountain I have ever seen!" I call Jayden "Girlfriend" just like you call Julia. Jude and I ate ALL our lunch (cheesy scrambled eggs, carrot coins, raisins, and peanut butter toast) and most of our supper (marinated chicken, mac and cheese, and string beans). I really liked playing in the water and with the diggers. Jude and I both drove the 4-wheeler ... I am not scared anymore, Mom! After Jude's nap, we both got haircuts at Poppa's barber. We got lollipops for being so good.

After supper, we all went to Everett's fun park and played for almost an hour.

We went home for tubbies and fell asleep within seconds after Poppa read us a book! I don't know what we have planned for tomorrow, but after Marmie closed the door and said, "I love you, Jack." I said, "I love you too, Marmie!" I think Marmie had a big smile on her face when she left! I'll write more tomorrow...

I love you!
-Jack

Day 2

Dear Daddy and Mommy,

Today started out with Poppa having to climb up on the roof to fix a leak that dripped on Marmie and Poppa's new bedroom floor. Good thing we all slept in until 8:00 because that meant we could watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while Poppa used the ladder and fixed the leak. Of course Jude kept asking, "Where Poppa go?" over and over so he and Marmie watched him from the yard as he crawled around with his special fix-it spray. When he was done, we all got ready to go fishing at Mr. Bill's pond since it was a cloudy day. We fished for two hours and caught about ten fish, mostly bass and a few sunnies.

But the big excitement of the day was what we caught on the rod we were not watching! Poppa and Marmie had the grown-up poles and when they would hook a fish, we took turns reeling them in. Just as Marmie caught a sunny, she heard the small rod that Poppa had baited and stuck in a pipe to hold it upright. The line was squealing and the bobber was nowhere to be seen. We had hooked the biggest catfish I have ever seen!!! It was almost 2 feet long and very fat.

Second biggest fish of the day!

It took Poppa about twenty minutes to wear it out so he could bring it closer to the shore to grab its jaw and take a picture. But just as he reached out for it, the fish snapped the line and took off, never to be seen!!! Within minutes afterward, Jude stepped too close to the edge of the pond and his boot filled up with water, but we took off his soggy sock and he was content to hobble around with one boot and eat "'nacks".

I think my favorite part was getting to pee on the pee-pee rock that just so happened to be close to the pond. Jude and I watered it several times while we were there! Jude took a nap from 1:00 to 4:00 again, so Poppa and I watched the railroad crew trim trees around Ralph's house. The tree chopper was so noisy, we don't know how Jude ever slept!

Poppa and I decided to get out the sprinkler and put it under the trampoline like last year.

Marmie made a video of my tricks. Later, Ralph brought Alaina and Cooper to jump with me when the trampoline was dry. We had a great time, she made another video. Play-Doh was next when Jude woke up. Jayden joined us for spaghetti and tossed salad for dinner. We both won a cookie for eating so big!! The Lewisburg playground was our special activity for the night and we decided to feed the ducks. Marmie forgot her camera... but she said we looked like the Pied-Piper carrying the Rice Krispie bag along the path and the whole flock of ducks quacking behind us! It was so much fun!!!

A stop a the Freez ended the evening. I had strawberry ice cream and Jude had cotton candy. Of course Marmie always has to give tubbies and then it was bedtime. Jude was so tired , he couldn't wait to go to "his room" and I didn't even complain when we ran out of time for the truck book.

Jude has been pooping on the potty and was dry last night. Hope you are getting a lot accomplished while Jude and I are here... I told Marmie we would stay with her 5 days and then go back to Maryland!

Love and kisses,

-Jack

Day 3
Mommy and Daddy,

Jack and I really liked Reptileland! We slept 12 hours Tuesday night so we had lots of energy to burn! After blueberry pancakes we took off and got there in time for their special presentation about dinosaurs. Jack touched the big snake and the little alligator.

Ok, so we did get a few typical Marmie shots ... even the alligator got his head cut off here.

I did not... Then we watched the zookeepers feed the big big tortoises bowls of grass. I really liked the butterflies too. It happened to be a day when the trainers had a training session with Rocky the alligator. That was cool! It was frozen rat treat day for them! Yuck!

We got to pick out a souvenir...I picked a dinosaur grabber and Jack picked two frogs he can take in the tub. We even got to watch the poisonous frogs get their bug lunch! Jack's favorite part was the dinosaur exhibit. The animated dinosaurs look just like the ones from Jurassic Park! They make noises and move and one of them squirts water at you! They even have a nest of eggs that are hatching and you hear the babies crying.

Jude was not a fan of T-Rex!

We got home in time for lunch and then I slept for three hours. Jack jumped on the trampoline with the sprinkler under it . He picked cherry tomatoes with Jayden and played with the Batman cave and on the hammock.

This is what happens when Poppa changes Jude.

We went to the Little League Parade tonight.

We ate at the food stands and Uncle Micah and Mr. Luke joined us for the parade. But it rained and rained.... we tried to keep dry, but it was no use. After a while the rain stopped and since we were already wet, we decided to stay and got sooooooooo much loot!

I liked my balloon the best! Jack liked the brownie bites! We left the parade at 8:30, even though it was not over and Marmie and Poppa put dry clothes on us to go home.