DAY 9: Sandbox and Swimming – A Child’s Perfect Day
We got up early this morning and drove to Grampa’s brother’s house. He lives there with his wife, two of their adult children, and their son-in-law. Their home is at the top of a mountain and they can look down on the town. The views on all sides of their property are amazing!
We spent the entire day there and his sweet and funny wife, Wanda, fed us breakfast, lunch AND dinner. Breakfast was bagels and donut holes (much to Mason’s delight) and coffee. Lunch was hot dogs with all kinds of mixin’s for ‘em. Wanda made herself a chili slaw dog (hot dog with chili and coleslaw). I remembered I’d had one of those in North Carolina years ago and loved it so I made myself one as well. Okay, okay, that was my SECOND hot dog. I’d already eaten one the boring, old fashioned way, with ketchup and mustard.
While we chatted, Max and Mason had a grand time playing in their sandbox. I’m pretty sure we’ll be finding sand in all of Mason’s orifices for many days to come. They also rolled down the hill behind the house many, many times. Made me itch just watching them but they were having SO much fun! Mason kept skinning his knees and elbows. He was on the move all day long. He acquired several new Band-Aids to add to the ones he already had on from boo boo’s acquired on recent days of this trip.
After lunch, Richard took Max and Mason swimming. David, who is Tom and Wanda’s adult son…so I guess he’s Richard’s cousin…swam, too. Max jumped off a diving board for the very first time today! I got a great picture of it. I’ll try to post it tomorrow. David was there to “catch” him. He was so good with both the boys.
They all swam so long that Mason was exhausted when they finished. But, he still cried and cried when it was time to get out of the pool. After I put his clothes on, he almost immediately fell asleep. I laid him on their sofa and he slept for about two hours. I went to their front porch to call the kids back home because I could not only keep an eye on Mason through the screen door, but I could also watch a tractor pulling some gizmo that was bailing hay in the lot next door. I got SUCH a kick out of watching that machine work! It goes and goes, sucking up hay like a big vacuum and then, after several minutes, the tractor stopps and the gizmo poops out a round bale of hay in the back. Mason and Max got to watch, too, after Mason woke up.
Anyway, dinner was shaved roast beef sandwiches, sopped with gravy and nestled in hogie rolls. Pretty delicious. I think I could feel it all going straight to my arteries. Mmmm…. Now THAT is down-home country cookin’!
We had such a wonderful day that there were tears when we had to say goodbye.
We topped off a perfect day by stopping at Dairy Queen on the way home. I’m pretty sure that Strawberry “CheeseQuake” Blizzard is already settled on my hips. Rita and I keep reminding each other, “We’re on vacation!!!”
