Looking back in time

Tuesday's Grand Connection Thought
by Mary May Larmoyeux


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Have you ever felt like you went back in time as you watched your grandkids? That happened to me last week when I was with our three-year-old grandson and his big sister.

Our little grandson was having lots of fun with his "bow and arrow"—that is, shooting a rubber band from a plastic coat hanger. As I watched him I remembered his daddy being a cowboy in our backyard long ago; his gun was a stick.

Then, as our grandson took a small shovel and began to dig a hole in his backyard, big sis gathered the patio chairs together and turned them upside down. She was making a fort. I remembered the forts I made as a child under overgrown bushes, and the tree house that Pops' and my sons built long ago.

I'm reminded of something that Gloria Gaither and Shirley Dobson wrote in their book Let's Make a Memory: "We have this moment to hold in our hand, and to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand. Yesterday's gone and tomorrow may never come, but we have this moment today!"

How do you savor those special moments with your grandchildren? As you watch your legacy, do they ever remind you of your children?

Have a great week!
Mary
Mary May Larmoyeux
www.marymaywrites.com


Article © 2011 Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.

Photo © Melissa Patton / Dreamstime.com

Playhouses and Forts

Friday's Grand Connection Fun
by Mary May Larmoyeux

I just love playhouses and forts. What about you? Do they bring back any special memories?

My Dad and brother built a wonderful kid-sized log cabin when I was a child. My memory bank was filled with leisurely times in the "perfect cabin"—one built with neatly cut and stacked logs. Well, that picture came crashing down a few years ago when I saw a picture of our fort. Many of the logs didn't even line up. In reality, that didn't matter to a little girl in her make-believe world. It was perfect to me.

Our children used to make forts out of sheet-covered chairs, and they also built a tree house using boards and who knows what. Part of it still remains in our backyard today.

It's funny to think that I had absolutely no problem with the kids climbing high into the trees years ago, hanging on for dear life as they made their tree house. It's a lot harder for me to imagine letting our grandkids do this, but in a few years they just might repeat their fathers' legacy.

On another note, I saw a picture of the cutest "eco-friendly playhouse" in the August 2009 issue of Family Fun. It's not only a recyclable playhouse for toddlers, but also an art canvas for their older brothers and sisters.

And when I googled "make a playhouse," I discovered some directions for a playhouse made of pine (4 feet long by 3 feet wide and 4.5 feet tall). I just printed out the instructions because it looks like a great project for Pops to make. Wonder what he'll think?

Finally, for long-distance grands, we could order a recyclable playhouse and have it mailed directly to their home. Or, we could mail or e-mail directions for a pine playhouse.

Have a great weekend,
Mary
www.marymaywrites.com

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© 2009 by Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.
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