A Summer Day With Nana and Papa

I just realized it has been almost two weeks since I have written a blog.  It isn't that time stands still, it's just that history repeats itself, and I have already written about most of the topics in previous blogs. I see the same birds, I make the same food and although I am getting older my world remains very similar year to year.

Speaking of history repeating itself, we usually have our grandchildren for the day some time during the summer.  With school starting in less than two weeks, we thought today would be a good day.  About 8:30 this morning all five of them arrived.  We have a granddaughter who will be 16 in two months, a grandson who will be 15 in two days, a grandson who is 12, a grandson who is 8 and our youngest grandson who is 6.  A lot of different ages and a variety of personalities.

I tried to get a picture of all of them together but it reminded me of wack-a-mole.  I never got them gathered in one place all day long. 

Here is how Melissa spent most of her day.  She watched TV,  she had her ipod in one hand and her iphone in the other and she drank her large bottle of Starbuck coffee drink.  She is the only girl and playing hide and seek and running through the woods wasn't her thing.  I am just honored she wanted to come spend the day again. 

The two oldest grandsons, Dylan and Sam, played outside with the younger boys.  They did come in for a while to play an electronic game.  It was pretty hot outside and they came in to cool off.

The two youngest grandsons Jack and Ewan wanted to do a project.  So after lunch Papa took them out to the workshop, but first I spoiled them all.  I had a short order kitchen going for a while.  I made fried potatoes for Melissa, dumplings for Sam, a ham and cheese sandwich on a homemade hamburger bun for Dylan, hotdogs and a cinnamon roll for Jack and chicken soup for Ewan.  I said they all are unique personalities and obviously like different foods.

I wasn't sure what the project plan was but I followed them out to the garage with the camera.  They were making something interesting.

With safety glasses on they began sawing wood.

Jack didn't like the screeching of the table saw so he found ear protection.

Ewan learning about the drill press.

Jack drilling his board.

The "project" is being assembled.

After using the nailer, the projects came together.  This is what they each made.  It is a Candy Dispenser.  We had to make a little trip to the store to buy some M & M's to see if it worked.  Jack wanted regular M & M's for his Dispenser while Ewan wanted peanut butter ones for his. 

Hopefully they don't get too sugared up tonight, but they were both proud of their project with Papa.

Before it was time to go home, Ewan had one more thing to do.  He counted eight squirrels in the yard and was determined to eliminate a few.

I spotted  this serious hunter with a shovel on the trail camera.

The trick is to be sneaky.

Alas, the squirrels won again. 

After a very nice day, it is again quiet in our house.   Who knows how many years we will be able to make this happen.  Soon the older kids will be off to college and starting their own lives, but for now we will appreciate days like this.