Babysitting, Day Two

Friday we headed south to spend the whole day at the Heritage Village at the Dakota County Fairgrounds.  Fall weather was perfectly sunny and crisp.  This weekend was the Harvest Moon Festival, probably formerly known as the Halloween Festival.  We took older granddaughter last year and knew the fun would last as long as we did.  Each open building in the village hosted an activity staffed by women, men, and children volunteers dressed in period costumes.  Favorites were dipping candles, twisting rope, walking on stilts, rolling hoops with sticks, peeling apples, riding on the farm wagon, picking corn, shelling corn, grinding corn, making corn husk dolls, making a lollipop ghost, gluing pumpkin hangers, wearing hats made of newspaper, sitting in the barber chairs, escaping from jail, sawing logs, pushing and riding on the school merry-go-round, writing on individual chalk boards, grinding coffee, watching the checker games, eating the food, etc.  Obviously, they wanted to do everything, and whatever they did became the new favorite.  New friends were made everywhere.  Grounds had plenty of open space for running and chasing leaves.  Home for dinner, more dominoes, more reading, and welcome bed. 

Babysitting, Day One

Since today is Saturday, it's time to blog about Thursday. Daughter and husband left the house at 6:00 in a taxi headed for the airport. These city folk should appreciate how simple getting to the airport is with a taxi option. The granddaughters, their grandfather, and I left the house at 9:30 for the Mall of America, specifically the American Girl Doll Store. Our departure sounds simple if you don't think about what happens for an hour before loading up in the car for a day away from home. Traffic was so light that we arrived five minutes before stores opened, but Mall was toasty cozy with exercise walkers. Waiting. Waiting. Doors opened at the AGD store, and we were greeted by a perky first-day trainee informing us that the entire mall would be in a total lockdown drill in five minutes. Our choices were to stay out in the mall area with two already impatient girls or join the employees. Of course we wanted to join them in the back rooms where secret doll adventures might be revealed and all the horses resided. No contest. Sure 'nuff, the lockdown alarm sounded right on time and we were ushered through the mysterious bowels of the store.  Who can say they've done that?  After the established signal, we resumed shopping with marked catalogs in hand.  Check, check, check, one desired item after another.  Done.  Credit card.  Lunch with the use of an extra table for all the bags and packages.  Shuffle to the car and disguise purchases with blanket brought along just for that purpose.  Next stop would be a venture into the almost unknown. 

We had tickets for the 2:00pm Dr. Seuss production at the Children's Theatre.  Last winter Pawpaw and I were chaperones for a first grade field trip to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts next door, but we rode in a yellow school bus during a mild blizzard, and the whole route was a blur.  Besides, this time we were coming from the Mall, not the school.  My iPhone served as GPS, minus construction, minus appropriate signage, minus stalled delivery truck in right lane, minus two impatient grandchildren, minus elevated interchange with no escape.  Allowing extra time really paid off for this little jaunt, and we were still able to go through favorite museum exhibits at the Institute.  Thankfully, but with a mix of pride and chagrin, we took older granddaughter's advice for turns and exits, listening to her reassuring "I've been here lots of times."  Seuss and 500 Hats tickled our funny bones but not enough to make us buy one of those hats from the hawkers in the lobby as we left. 

The ride home went so smoothly that both girls fell asleep and stayed asleep when we stopped at a grocery store to pick up a couple of necessary items like milk and ice cream.  Dinner, dominoes, reading, bed time routine, and first day of this babysitting joy job was done.

Worn Out

No, not the grandparents, just the granddaughters, so far. Wednesday we had lunch at school for two periods and ate subs and veggies with the first and apple crisp dessert with the second. Soon after our school visit we went to the nearest movie theater to see The Social Network. Funny that we learned how Facebook evolved from The Facebook but the film title made no such alteration. Even if you have never heard of Facebook, this movie has much to recommend it, and I recommend it, too. Relationships star, not Facebook itself.

Later we returned to school to pick up granddaughters. As soon as daughter arrived home from work, we all headed to our favorite Thai restaurant for our favorite menu items. Without knowing the name of mine, I can say that is #56 and has scallops, shrimp, and multiple veggies swimming in a spicy coconut sauce. Smooth and satisfying. I know to order it without heat because it will have plenty anyway. Sometimes I have the Tiger beer, but this time I opted for wine. I almost purred during the drive home.

Alarm Clocks

My favorite two alarm clocks came to our room early this morning to wake us.  What a sweet way to start our day with those little voices!

Keeping it short

Experience has taught me that blogging directly from the iPhone works best if I stop before exceeding the allotted space of the posting window. Should be easy enough. If I need more space, then I must carefully edit as I go or send to drafts for later.

Suitcases are packed with plenty of room available for returning with the contents of the box I mailed to MN while on my previous trip. Daughter wisely heeded my warning not to open the box for fear of dirty laundry explosion. Granddaughters readily accepted explanation that I was making room for new purchases. Box remains tightly sealed until I arrive!

Cold happening

Thought it might happen, hoped it wouldn't happen, but it did happen.  My body's resistance finally succumbed to the illness of cold symptoms that raged through our tour group.  Cough, sneeze, drip. 

Fake Blog

This post is only an attempt to keep my blog site active.  I'll get back to real blogging soon.  Maybe.