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.

We were in bed and asleep in a few minutes. Tomorrow I think we are headed to the little beach (Halfway Dam).

I have been dry for all my naps and all night! I tell Poppa and Marmie when I need to peepee and poopy too! I am sooooo big!

Love,

-Jude

Let's hear it for the girls!

My little guys are away at Grandy Camp all week and Jon spent the last few days in Virginia.  Which meant the Little Miss and I had the first half of the week all to ourselves!



I just looked at the calendar and can confirm, she is indeed turning 1 in about 6 weeks.  Noooo, say it ain't so!  Because in my mind she is still very much my itty-bitty baby.  It certainly helps that she's not walking yet and nope, not even crawling.  I've been known to birth some late-bloomers and I'm quite pleased with my mad skills in that area. 

Whoa, take it down a notch Yaya.

Especially this week.  I've been doing a lot of cleaning while my boys are gone.  And since Julia is the only other person home, and she can't really move around much, I can do really cool things like let the bucket of mop water sit out until I feel like putting it away.  Or let the box of baking soda on the coffee table.  Or the dusting spray on the counter.  And NOBODY touches it! I'm tellin' ya, I'm living the dream this week!



She's not completely immobile though.  Recently our Lia has perfected the "rearword motion scoot."  It only works on hard floors.  But she'll sit up straight with legs outstretched, plant her hands in front of her and push back.  And that's how she gets around.  It's also how she ends up in the oddest positions.  Like under the chair.  And twice now I've heard her crying and finally found her folded over, stuck under my bed.  She couldn't sit up because her head banged the top, and she couldn't scoot forward because, well she just doesn't know how.  Better figure that one out soon little lady!

Between the two of us it has been a relaxing week though.  Work is very busy right now with the semester starting Monday.  So basically I've been using my 2/3-free time to do work and clean.  Forget cooking.  Jon asked what was for dinner tonight and I said I didn't know, I have the week off!  Fortunately, my daughter and I are easy to please.  Chipotle suits us just fine!  Okay, so we didn't go there every day this week ... sometimes we brought it home to enjoy. 



What can I say?  Girlfriend loves her beans and rice!

She also loves her one-on-one time with Mama.  I don't know if it's because I'm more focused on her this week or what, but both Jon and I are starting to realize ... our girl is a tad crazy!

 


She's kinda into this shrill squealing phase.  And she's also still doing that spitting/raspberry thing.  Now that she's mastered clapping she likes to do it all the time.  Apparently it's her way of saying "yes" or "That makes me happy!" or "Good idea Mom!" or "Hey, I see you walking towards me like you're going to pick me up!" or "More beans and rice please!"  Who needs to learn real words when you can just clap?



Well, unless you're not happy, not pleased with mom, don't want any more food and are upset that someone walked right on by you without reaching your way.  In which cases you'll need something else.  Oh, she's got that one down too.  Enter: The Boo Boo Lip.

Man, she's good.  And she knows it.

She's doing the Jude-face.

She's had a lot of reasons to bust that one out this week.  Because even though it's nice to have mom all to yourself, sometimes it's nice to have someone else around to pay attention to you when mom's too busy. 



But all and all we are doing just fine.  Enjoying our clean house.  Eating whatever we feel like whenever we feel like it.  Hanging out at home in just our diapers.  And maybe even catching up on re-runs of The Pioneer Woman.  Oh no, Grandy Camp is definitely not just for the kids! 

Pennsylvania in the summer

We made a trip up to Pennsylvania this weekend.  We finally had an opportunity to stay with Jon's parents, which we haven't done in a while.  And I just love a relaxing weekend at my in-law's house in the mountains.  Thanks to Julia, I got to watch the fog lift out of the valley every morning during our visit.  It was lovely, but the extra sleep would have been helpful for all we wanted to accomplish during our short stay. 

She loves PA too!

Now that both Jon's sisters live in PA it's easy for us all to get together when we're in town.  And that's precisely what we did, for a dandy summer barbecue, some swimming, and a bonfire with s'mores.




But the real reason we made the drive was for Jon's dad's company picnic at ... you guessed it, Knoebels!  Is anyone tired of hearing about our trips to Knoebels yet?  Okay, good.  Because I have a few pictures to share.

Everytime I go to Knoebels I try to see it through the eyes of someone who has never been there ... so, how 'bout this unpaved, slightly inclined parking lot with a beautiful mountain backdrop?

To say we had fun would be an understatement. There's just so much going on at this place of wonder and joy!

Nonnie was brave and volunteered to chaperone the first ride of the day.
 

  I think she started to regret that choice somewhere between the first and second full circle...

And so many people to share all that "fun, food and fantasy" with!  My family joined us, along with a few mutual friends.

Someone I know was bound to win this race ... since I know everyone playing.

 
I even got a few minutes with my friend Megan, which is saying a lot since we're now trying to manage 7 children between the two of us. 

Photo by Meg.

Photo of "Photo by Meg."

I've said this before, but one of the advantages of having kids is that you have an excuse to ride the kiddie rides with them. 

Sorry for the blown-out lighting.  I was putting a baby to sleep and forgot to change the mode before passing off the camera.

Jack is starting to enjoy more rides that Jude can't go on.  But the sweet thing didn't seem bothered a bit.  He was just happy when it was finally his turn.

Someone's daddy was taking the shuttle slide a little too seriously! Aspiring Olympic toboggan-ee?

Jack continues to impress me with his courage.

That's him in the front seat with Daddy!

He's not the only one having fun!

  I thought the Kiddie Coaster would be the epitome of his bravery. But he surprised us all with his interest in the "logs."

So we let him try it out ...



... and he loved it.

Watching for Jack.

This one got a gold medal for "cheerful disposition despite lack of naps!"

Oh heavens I love her!

Lucky for Jack, there was no shortage of riding partners.



Okay, so Jack's not the only one who loves the flume.  Prepare to be inundated...

News alert: You can now pay a quarter to spray riders with water!!

This is Jack's happy face.

But apparently even the Flume got old too quickly. And so the culminating event of the evening had to be when Jack rode the Phoenix. Jon claims he took him over to it "just to see" if he was tall enough to ride. He was, but just barely. Next thing I know they're both missing and last seen in line. Apparently Jack turned to Poppie and said, "You're riding with me, Buddy!" By the time I got up there he was just boarding the cart. He was excited and I was nervous. Really nervous. I think I was 7 when I first rode the Phoenix, and it was pretty scary. I mean, I'm 28 and have rode that thing about a hundred times and it still gives me butterflies. So to watch my baby get pulled up that loooonnnng slow hill? Killer. I think I held my breath for 2 minutes and 10 seconds. At that point, he pulled back in, completely safe and just a little excited that he conquered "the huge mountain!" No pictures, since I was in line myself and because he would have been flying by too fast. But for those of you who have never done Knoebels (*gasp*, do you really exist?) you can get an idea of Jack's point of view here.

Don't worry Kozmo, we'll be back.  I'm sure of it.

  Of course, before we knew it the sun was setting and a cool mountain breeze was settling in around the park.  We didn't get to accomplish all we wanted to, but we also had some very tired kiddos on our hands.  After a trip on the ferris wheel with ALL our kids (even Julia, who I had in a death grip so no pictures of that either).  We headed to off to that fancy parking lot, packed up and headed out.  The kids fell asleep in the car within seconds.  Which was good, because they definitely needed their rest.  Jack and Jude have a very full week coming up ... at Grandy Camp!

Oh yes, stay posted, more to come!