The Grandma Adventure

I had a grandma adventure this past week and I want to share it.
First I'm 51 so I'm old enough to know better, but still young enough to do it. Trite but true.
I agreed to have a major sleepover. First though, I invited Katie and Ellie to spend the night Friday. Ellie ended up going with Rod, grandpa, to Boondocks with Terra, Josh and othes. She had a blast.
Katie played with Caleb and I played with Corbin. Saturday I took Ellie and Katie to Clearfield Aquatic Center. I am self-conscious about my body especially in a swimsuit because there is flabby areas. Of course, I realized about 15 minutes at the pool, I'm not that bad. It could be worse.
Saturday night Corbin, Caleb and Ben came to spend a few days. Actually Ben spent a few days, the other two spent the week. Rod is home now taking care of Corbin and Caleb while I work. I remember one night I was so tired I couldn't even undress myself. I just sat in the recliner. Of course that was the night Corbin woke up with a temperature. Don't know why, but he did. I was up half the night rocking him to sleep.
Friday I absolutely insisted I simply had to shower and put make up on. I did not know there were dinosaur shows on Channel 7. I have not watched PBS in the morning in years. The show lasted long enough for me to get a shower and make up on.
But back to the Grandma adventure.
Sunday was church. The three tykes wanted to sit as close to the front of the chapel as possible because Rod, alias Papa, is the bishop of our congregation or in LDS terms, the ward. He sits on the stand behind the pulpit to keep an eye on the masses. The boys did well going to class for a moment. Actually Caleb was fine. Corbin and Ben insisted on hanging out with Papa.
Home for a nap. Then Ben was off to a birthday party at his Grandma Kathy's house. Caleb and Corbin played with the toys for awhile after dinner.
Then bedtime. It took a while for the munchkins to not play and go to sleep, but they did.
Monday was the day sat aside to go to the Aquarium in Salt Lake City, but first I had to return some stuff from Jen's wedding. We got lost due to construction. We finally found the spot. Then I went to the mall to return some shoes and realized I did not have the receipts. So we tried to find a McDonald's. Not in Sandy, Utah. There is no McD's close to the mall, but we found one five miles away. Had lunch and then to the aquarium. I could have spent all day watching the penquins. The boys loved the very large fish.
Home again we ran because Caleb had a T-ball game scheduled, but it was canceled due to the weather. The weather this week canceled a lot of stuff. I did not take the boys swimming because I was too cold. It rained, snowed, hailed or blew like crazy.
Tuesday I took the boys and my dog, Jade, for a walk. How does one do that on 2000 West? Well, you put Corbin in a stroller. Then attach the boys to backpacks that come with "tails" aka, leashes. You hold the leashes and very carefully cross the street, heading to the neighborhood with no cars so they can explore the great outdoors. Normally it takes me 10 minutes to walk around the U, but with the three it takes about 30 minutes as we stop and examine every bug, rock, pine cone and stick along the way. I hope their moms cherish their boys' treasures. We put them in boxes when we got home.
Then after lunch we went to Dinosaur Park. The biggest mistake I made was going to the second floor where the robot dinosaurs are. Corbin lost it. It took an hour of walking around the park for him to realize the dinosaurs were not real. We then went to my niece's graduation barbeque. At home I fed the boys a treat of applesauce and graham crackers and then we played before bath time and bed.
Wednesday we got up and went for a walk again. And then played in the backyard and had a picnic. The weather was crappy. Nap time came, but no storm, so Caleb had a T-ball game. His shirt goes to his ankles. Rod and Ben tried to show Caleb what he needed to do at the game. Rod is spending this Saturday playing ball with Caleb in the backyard. Ben tumbled at the park and cut his lip. We had steak, which looked big when I got it out of the freezer but wasn't. Along with baked potatoes, salad and fruit.
Caleb loves fruit. Chad and Megan joined us and Ben went home. I was sad. Ben makes me laugh a lot.
Thursday we went grocery shopping after we went to the library for reading time. Caleb loves fruit and vegetables. I spent close to $80 on produce. He loves cabbage sliced with raisin. He loves melons, all kinds. And let's talk berries.
We made bread that night to go with the taco soup Megan made us earlier in the week.
Corbin loves rolls with strawberry cream cheese. He also loves chicken noodle soup. I remember when Caleb was a picky eater. Now he eats really well.
Thursday night Caleb woke up in the middle of the night because he had a bad dream and came into my room. I forgot how little ones like to sleep horizontal in a big bed.
Friday morning I heard him tell his stuffed doll Bo, "Don't worry, we won't be stuck with grandma forever. Mommy and Daddy come home tomorrow."
I didn't know if I should smile because he misses his mom and dad or cry because he was tired of grandma. I knelt down, gave him a hug and told him we would get everything ready for him to take home.
Friday I did the boys' wash. I washed their clothes, stuffed animals, pillow (Caleb must have had a nose bleed during the night. He said he didn't.), towels (Corbin packs hand towels around for security) and blankets. We went for a walk. And we played. We even watched Cars. It was the first movie we watched all week. I tried really hard not to turn the TV on or allow the computer to be used a babysitter. I wanted to spend time with the boys because I know every minute counts.
I guess that is where 51, old enough to know, comes in.
We went to Katie and Julie birthday party, two of my sweet granddaughters. Katie is 6 now and Julie is 1. Caleb picked out Snow White dolls for both of htem.
Corbin was ready to go to sleep when we got in the car at 8:30 p.m. I tried to keep the boys on a schedule of sorts all week because I know it makes it easier when they are not with their parents. So we sang songs on the way home. Caleb and Corbin love "Going on a Bear Hunt."
Then we bathed them, tucked them in bed and gave them kisses. Both woke up before I left for work. I really, really miss them.
Sometime today their parents will be home and I hope they know what treasures they have. I hope when they get impatient with Caleb's questions and Corbin's picky eating moments they take a minute, take a deep breath, kneel down, look into those little guys' eyes and hug them. They do grow up and move out.