When You're 5...

When you're 5...

You make a leash (out of pipe cleaners) and take your stuffed turtle for a walk...

And nobody notices.

Freedom! The joy of being 5!

Drive-In Movie Fun

I really had no idea that drive-in movies were still "a thing"! But they apparently are! 

They were very popular when I was a child. I still have memories of sitting in the back seat of our car watching "The Glen Miller Story" with my parents... My father loved music - and Glen Miller was a popular band leader he admired. 

The line I still remember from the movie was Glen Miller exclaiming: I need glasses to find my glasses!

Do families still do that today?!

Not exactly!

My granddaughter and a friend got comfortable outside on the HOOD of the car ... while her dad sat inside!

Obstacle Course

A number of years ago, I read an article about letting children play without constant parental supervision. If I remember correctly, someone built a playground in Britain where parents were not allowed in. The hope was that children would invent their own games and settle their own differences... 

It reminded me a bit of the playgrounds my own childhood!

I thought of that when I walked in on my grandchildren playing "obstacle course" in their basement playroom...

I didn't want to stifle their creativity - or get blamed for allowing them to do dangerous things!

It's a fine line to manoeuvre!

Blanket Forts

Some childhood games continue to be popular from generation to generation...

Like building "forts" out of blankets and chairs.

I remember my children loving it...

And now my grandchildren do too!

How Children Learn

Grandma, do you know what I want? I want a Barbie car. A purple car with four seats - for four Barbies.

I didn't know there was such a thing, I replied. Let's check if there's one on Amazon. 

I picked up my cell phone did a search. Sure enough, a purple Barbie car appeared. It had four seats.

I'll take a picture of this to remember, I told my granddaughter, clicking on two buttons to copy my screen.

How did you do that? she asked. 

If I press these buttons at the same time, I said, it takes a picture of the screen.

Can I try?

Sure, I replied and handed her my phone.

A few minutes later, I looked over..

Look what I did, she said. Don't erase them. I want to look at them again later.

I stared at the dozens of screen grabs she had done in just a few minutes!

That's how children learn: Willing to try something new, they go at it - FEARLESSLY, willing to make mistakes. Adults, especially older ones, born before smart phones were invented - would be FEARFUL, HESITANT - afraid something might break!

(Is there something in between...? Fearless ... but careful?!)

Construction Site Visit

There are a lot of construction sites in our neighborhood as smaller, older homes are being torn down and replaced with larger houses.

This one was a favorite “field trip” for our two-year-old grandson who was visiting.

The BOOM BOOM BOOM of the rock crusher could be heard blocks away! We talked about it for days!

Teaching Compassion

My daughter shared an “exercise in encouragement” that she had come across. A local kindergarten teacher had created a way for her students to encourage others - who might be feeling down…

Call a number and hear words of encouragement (from kindergarten children)!

What a great way to teach youngsters compassion for others!

Calling the number - and pressing all the recorded messages - left me wondering: Do we have to be taught - to be encouragers? Or is the ability to lift someone’s spirits with kind words a gift that some have, and others don’t?

Whether it’s natural or not, encouragement does have the power to make the world around us a happier place!

Play Spaces in Toronto

Visiting my granddaughter in Toronto, I've discovered that nowadays there are quite a few indoor play spaces where children can go to play...

On weekends, these spaces are booked for parties...

Parents, grandparents, or care-givers, of course, have to supervise the children they bring...

For the children, it's fun to play with new toys...

My granddaughter especially enjoyed grocery "shopping" and preparing pretend food...

Another time, she spent an afternoon at a place with trampolines and structures for climbing...

It was fun for her to mix it up...

And it was fun for me to sit back and watch!

Generations of Sentimental Favorites

Seven years after my father died, my mother moved to Ontario from British Columbia, bringing with her some "essentials" - and sentimental favorites... Among these were some of my elementary school report cards! I guess they reminded her that I had been young once - and so had she...

I still have a few of my children's report cards tucked away in a file somewhere, but I couldn't find them when I looked a few minutes ago... I know I also have art and memorable notes they wrote to me some time in the past. These too remind me of the youngsters they once were...

Now I'm beginning to collect the next generation of sentimental favorites: A few pieces of art work my granddaughter made in daycare.

My personal favorite is this "high five" of her hand and... some bubbles(?)

This "mixed media" of shiny paint and streamers with glued plastic ranks up there, too.

I've always loved bright colors... They always cheer me up!

Three Years Ago Today...

Three years ago today (a Saturday) a major shift happened in our lives!

Terry and I became grandparents!

Here is our granddaughter, the first time Terry and I met her, three years ago...

A year later, (two years ago) so much had changed!

The following year, (last year) brought even more changes...

It has been a thrilling journey... watching her grow...

Every age and stage has been wonderful to watch.

This year... she's more grown up...

She and her parents visited on Easter weekend. Now she explains what she is doing and expresses what she wants...

Here she is, "playing cards" with her uncle...

And here she is shuffling around in her father's old slippers...

She's so much fun - and we had such a good time together! In fact, before their visit, I had been feeling lethargic...

(Is this the new norm? Is this old age? I had been wondering...)

But being with her energized me! Hanging out with an almost-three-year old must be the tonic my body needed!

Appreciating... Children's Playgrounds

I remember once taking our children to the Toronto Zoo, when they were young. After we had paid the admission fee to see the animals, they didn't want to leave the zoo's playground!

This year, we re-discovered the joy of playgrounds as we accompanied our two-year-old granddaughter to various ones...

This neighborhood playground near our house was enjoyable...

I remember bringing my own children here to play!

There is a large playground near her home in Toronto.

We were there several times this year, too.

Every time we go, she confidently tries new things.
 

Brockville has lovely playground - at Hardy Park.

She enjoyed it, too.

Unlike the others I've mentioned, this one is built on a rubber base instead of sand. That's a nice feature, too!

Fun in the Park

Whenever we go to Toronto, we spend time outdoors - walking or playing in a park.

It's fun to watch a two-year-old gain confidence on play structures...

... play in the sand...

... and have fun on the swings and slides (just as I remember doing as a child!)

Some games are simply timeless!

Another game that never gets old is "hide and seek"...

Except in this case, it was called, "Where's Grandma?!"

Truth be told, Grandma enjoyed being found, as well!

How Old is "Vintage"?

In my life of endless sorting.. (!) I came across these toys I had totally forgotten about...

The pinball game dates back to my childhood... I don't remember if it was given to me or to my brother, but the two of us often played it together...

I'm sure we also played it with my childhood friend, Jean, who lives across the country, but reads my blog... I wonder if she remembers it as well!

(It still works!)

The doll was made by my father's sister, my Aunt Elsie, for my daughter, so it's not that old. But it reminds me of an era when most dolls were hand-made.

The kaleidoscope was made by my mother - and it still works, too!

Would these be considered "vintage" toys?! (My own children's toys - Fisher Price toys I bought at garage sales when my kids were young - have been referred to as "vintage" by some!)

Then there's the blue dog which has a zippered pouch in the back - to store pajamas in. I got it as a Christmas gift when I was 10 or 11. It's been washed dozens of times and still has no tears.

(My cousin Rose-Marie was given an identical pink one... I wonder if she still has hers!)

Indoor Children's Playground

My granddaughter often spends time in an indoor neighborhood playground.

Geared to pre-school age children, it has a lot of  toys...

... and play structures...

Even chairs on the floor...

... where parents - and grandparents - can have a comfortable child's eye view.

Even at age one, Ivy sensed her limits, ...

... in choosing games.

Even with her daddy's encouragement to try going down the slide, sitting...

... she was only comfortable going down on her stomach, feet first!

There was an eating area as well as other facilities - like a dance studio, for older children.

Some parents with young children were waiting for an older sibling to return from dance class.

This place must be a lifesaver for parents on rainy days - and in the winter...

Some days - the owner told me - there is a line-up out the door!