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Grandsitting again! |
Hub and I are in Vermont,
one of the most beautiful places on the planet. I have not seen every place on earth,
or most places, but this state is magnificent. There are a lot of other spectacular
locations, and someday I hope to see many of them.
Meanwhile I am happy with
Vermont.
We are not on a sightseeing
vacation, however. We are on a mission - grandsitting our two-year-old
granddaughter. Mom is out of town. Dad is around but working, so Grandma and Grandpa
pitch in.
The first three days sped
by. A few hours at daycare and playtime, quickly moving from one toy to another,
filled the hours. Two-year-olds have miniscule attention spans.
The weather has been
gorgeous - cool at night and warm, as high as 80 degrees during the day - so playtime
in the backyard and around the neighborhood consumed additional time.
Friday we toured Ben &
Jerry’s ice cream factory. Arriving about 9:00 a.m., Sydney immediately
demanded chocolate chip ice cream, her favorite. The concession stand was not
open yet, but our cute, demanding little girl managed to get the ice cream
parlor crew to give her a dish of her favorite flavor, devouring it instantly.
She also finished a cup of pumpkin spice ice cream, the flavor freebie of the
day.
Before heading home we
stopped at a cheese shop and chocolate store, then a playground and café for
lunch. Of course Sydney was not hungry after spending the morning consuming ice
cream, cheese, popcorn, yogurt and chocolate – all store free samples.
Saturday the four of us –
Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, and Sydney - piled into the car and headed to the Harvest
Festival at Shelburne Farms, which turned out to be a toddler’s delight. There
was a maze constructed of hay bales. A wagon ride pulled by two strong black
and white horses. Animals to pet. Live music and entertainment. Tables of
hands-on activities designed for toddlers. And food prepared on sight, most
sourced with ingredients raised and grown on the farm. Unfortunately none of
the food was giveaways.
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Tractors hold a special allure for kids of all ages. |
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Baby pools filled with corn for the kids to play with - a sandbox minus the sand! |
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One of the interesting exhibits at the farm. I failed the quiz. Guess I missed this science class. |
Arriving home following the
festivities, the two-year-old and Grandpa immediately went down for naps. I engaged
in quiet pursuits, checking emails and the news online. Dad, a member of the
younger, stronger, more vigorous generation, went out for a bike ride.
Baby has fun.
Dad follows his routine.
Grandma and Grandpa start
out full of energy and enthusiasm, but as the days wind down become more tired,
move slower, and retire earlier each night.
Grandpa leaves Monday,
returning to actual paid job kind of work.
I remain officially on duty
until Thursday night.
Only 127 hours to go.
Pumpkin ice cream? That's inspired!
ReplyDeleteThat hair on little one is adorable. There are lots of ways to have family fun in VT, especially in the autumn with all the festivals--apples, pumpkins, cider... Enjoy the grandma time.
ReplyDeleteThere's a reason why grandmas and grandpas get to give back the little ones eventually: we wear out way faster. She sure is a cutie, and she's lucky to have you around and in her life. Love the pictures! :-)
ReplyDelete