We arrived safely in Ontario after a 16-hour trip from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It’s amazing what one can observe from spending a week with the grandchildren. Here are my observations:
1. Once they’re “uncorked” at 4:00 a.m. to get an early start, there’s no putting the stopper back in before 10:00 p.m.
2. It’s wise to carry large zip-lock bags in the van in case someone gets carsick.
3. Five videos make 16 hours on the road fly by faster. (Video players in the van must have been invented by grandparents who traveled with grandchildren.)
4. No matter how many hours you’ve been at the beach, it’s always sad to leave.
5. Hair washed in ocean water doesn’t comb well.
6. Boogie boards are fun to ride in on the waves, but if you don’t get up in time, you skin your knees on the ocean floor.
7. It’s fun to be buried by your grandchildren under a pile of sand. Giggling and wiggling one’s toes creates cracks in the sand and they have to keep repairing the pile.
8. Sand sticks much better when you’re wearing sun block lotion.
9. With the amount of sand that’s brought home every day in the van, it’s surprising there’s any left by the ocean.
10. Mini-golfing with two six-year-olds is not like real golfing.
11. Taking grandchildren shopping is like taking a fox on a tour of a chicken house.
12. If you take a few artful bites out of a slice of bologna, you can make it look like a happy face.
13. Riding a scooter down the sidewalk is also fun for grandmothers.
14. Visiting an aquarium where there are live sharks, jellyfish, stingrays, and hundreds of other kinds of sea animals is truly amazing, except for the one who gets sick upon seeing fish.
15. If someone can’t go out for ice cream cones and wants you to bring one back, it’s not really a good idea on a very hot day.
16. You can plan a surprise birthday party for a seven-year-old with the help of four cousins without anyone snitching.
17. Playing the game of jacks with grandkids is seriously competitive and hilariously funny.
18. You can find license plates from 30 different states and two Canadian provinces while driving.
19. No matter how many books you read at bedtime, it’s never enough.
20. A great bedtime game is, “Ask Oma a Hundred Questions.” “How many brothers and sisters do you have?” “How did you meet Opa?” “What’s it like to be old?” “Where did you go on your honeymoon?” (This can also be reversed and you can ask them about their fears, hopes, boyfriends, etc.)
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