The Party's Over

     

     The weekend whizzed right by. We had the grandgirls for an overnight, something that doesn’t happen too often since they live an hour and a half away.

          I used to worry that there’d be a bit of separation anxiety, but Mom brought them, said a quick hello to us, sat for a bit, and then goodbye to them. Easy.

     

     After lunch, we went through farm land and suburbia to the next town where there’s a small zoo. Since they’d already had a fairly patience-testing car ride, we needed something nearby. I think this zoo began as a hobby and grew from there. They used to have a giraffe, but now it runs mostly to foxes, deer, and porcupines. No elephants or rhinos, but they did have a tapir, several bison, black bears, and an ocelot-sort of cat. Plenty for two seven-year-olds.

          It was all about Halloween – decorations everywhere and kids who wore costumes got a free bag of animal food. The day was perfect, leaves floated down around us, and kids could run from one enclosure to another. Just the right size.

         

          Evening bedtime reading was a sad awakening for me when I took out our copy ofThe Borrowers and struggled through the first few pages. The story takes place in Victorian times, and the objects that play such a big role in the plot – hatpins, shoe buttons, matchboxes, pocket watches – have no meaning for kids of today.      

         Never mind the wordy writing or that it begins with the cautionary tale of the cousin who falls prey to a cat. I gave up and instead read the first chapter of the Baby-Sitters Club book they’d brought.

   

       This issue began with the wedding of a blended family. Lola explained to me that someone or other had been divorced. Not quite Wind in the Willows. Ah well.

         

While at the zoo, we also bought a large stuffy of a sloth and another of a white unicorn to add to their collection (I noticed on Sunday how pleased their dad was when we delivered them back).

The next morning, included Fisher Price little people that my daughter used to play with, and a showing of Pets on Netflix (parts were a little scary for one twin, so she found other things to do) We went to a local stand in town for two little pumpkins and then to a favorite breakfast and produce spot for cider doughnuts.

          All-in-all, a successful visit but as well-behaved as these girls are and as great as they are at entertaining themselves, I’m looking forward to some sloth time of my own on the couch today.