A Family Play Week-end

April 21-23, 2023                                                            Most Recent Posts:
Greenfield Mountain Farm                                           April in Virginia
Afton, Virginia                                                Kayaking the Beautiful Ichtucknee

Now that Celia is in 1st Grade it’s no longer easy to just take a long week-end and come down to see Nana.  This time it was doubly hard.  Celia did have Friday off so Carrie took it off and Colin skipped pre school.  Usually they would come down on Friday and go back on Monday but of course Celia had to go to school on Monday and Carrie is starting a new job that day as well so she couldn’t take it off.  But they made the 4 hour trip anyway for the short visit and arrived on Friday early afternoon.  They are so good to their Nana.

When I went to write this post, I find that I didn’t take as many pictures as I usually do and must remind myself to look at the ones I do take that same day.

I see that I have no pictures of the room itself in which they were playing and it is a darling room.  It is the one Carrie had as a child and now Celia sleeps in her alcove bed.  There is a trundle bed under for Colin once he is old enough to sleep with someone else and actually sleep.

In the picture above I have pulled out the trundle bed and Celia is on it watching me crawl under the bed.  Colin thought that was great fun.  Especially the part about using the flashlight lantern.

While they were here we went to the Rockfish Community Center playground where they always want to do the teeter totter but Colin isn’t heavy enough so it requires Carrie’s help.

There are two “play houses”, a kids’ picnic table and a water table as well as the climbing structures.  For whatever reason, they decided they wanted the water table, sans water, to be inside the playground area and not on the grass.  Pretty sure it was Colin’s idea since he loves to move things around.  Keeps them busy for a while.

It’s a struggle but eventually they work it out.  So funny!!

Of course there were hikes at the farm.

It rained much of the day on Saturday which was the only full day they were here so I played many many games of Slap Jack with Colin and Old Maid with Celia.  Thank goodness Carrie used my camera to take this picture.  Colin definitely loves to win and wants to play over and over and …..

Food was always on the agenda but no Papa to cook a big farm breakfast.  Perhaps next time Carrie and I will get together and see if we can do it.  It’s the home made biscuits I’m not sure we can replicate.  He had the knack…..light and fluffy and break in half beautifully for the butter and jam.

We were able to get outside several times to play some bball.   Dribbling contests were the most successful.  Carrie of course won hands down having played basketball in school.

Our hoop has been mounted on the shed since she and her father played in the barnyard and the net has been gone for a long time.  But I bought a new red, white and blue one which Carrie was tall enough to attach.  So we’re all set.

“Hoooooop there it is!”

Unfortunately a regulation height hoop is nearly impossible for little ones so I hope to get a lower hoop put up before they return.  Not sure how to do that exactly without putting it right under the taller one but then we wouldn’t be able to use the taller one.   I’ll ask Shannon, maybe he can figure it out.

For now Colin nearly got himself stuck behind an extra farm gate trying to get bricks.  He got in but couldn’t get out with the bricks in his hands.  Mommy to the rescue.

Celia watches as he creates a stool for them.  Back and forth for enough bricks. 

The dribbling contest worked better for them.

Inside Colin created a something or other using every duplo block in the bag.  He was quite proud of his creation and everyone took a picture once it was finished..

The chalk board is always a favorite.  I write their names with hearts to them that they see when they first come and we play tick-tack-toe on it and now Celia can write as well.

Is it the same girl in these two pictures???

Too soon it was time for them to head back.  Colin really loved the hearing protectors I wear when riding the lawn tractor to mow the grass.  He wanted to take them with him.  Sorry buddy!

It’s wonderful that there is a Bruster’s ice cream store about an hour and a half from the farm on their way home.  Makes a great stop.  Wish I could have gone too.  None of them had JMC.  I haven’t influenced them enough I guess.

My three favorite people in the world!!

I’ll see them in about 3 weeks again for Celia’s 7th birthday party and then not until September for Colin’s 5th birthday.  So glad they came.