On the same Friday evening of the Olympics Opening Ceremony, Princess E & Princess J arrived for Grams Camp. We had hoped for lots of outdoor activities including trips to some of the local parks and water playgrounds. But, with the heat index in the 107 degree range, we opted for mostly indoor activities. The girls are still too small for many of the activities you would expect to have in a "camp" atmosphere. Grandad and I agree that the important thing for now is to spend time with them and get them used to visiting us without their parents.
To avoid the heat, we got creative. We rocked, we rode horsey, we watched movies, and we danced.
We tried to get a nap in every afternoon. Sometimes more successfully than others. This is Grandad trying to nap in his recliner. Yes, those are my shoes. Grandad doesn't usually wear sequins on his flip-flops.
And, here's what happened when I napped briefly (emphasis on briefly) on the sofa.
Both of the girls are really good sleepers. They both slept about 12 hours every night. Not so much in the daytime though. Princess E is 3 years old now and she rarely takes naps. Princess J is 15 months old and she really needs a nap, but doesn't sleep for very long in the daytime. I could sometimes get her to sleep by putting her in her car seat and taking a drive, but even then she doesn't stay asleep very long. We finally settled for watching a movie while "resting" in the living room. As you can see, some "rested" better than others. In fact, Minnie spent almost the entire four days doing exactly this.
There was plenty of time for water play. Our neighbor graciously let us swim in her in-ground pool. The girls loved it and neither of them is afraid of the water. Princess E's swimming lessons have really paid off. She paddled around the pool quite a bit. We also invested in a good sized wading pool for the yard. The girls really enjoyed that and played in it every day.
On Tuesday morning Grandad went to work, so the Princesses and I just hung out. We decided to spend some time blowing bubbles in the back yard before it got too hot. Even Minnie enjoyed a little outdoor time.
So that's pretty much what we did at Grams Camp this summer. I'm hoping as the Princesses get older, we'll be able to do a wider variety of camp activities.
While we were doing all that, Mom and Dad enjoyed a little beach time at South Padre. They came back looking more relaxed and a little more tan.
We loved having the Princesses visit for Grams Camp. We can't wait to see them again. They'll be here for a wedding on September 1st.
The next day after they left, I wore my pajamas all day long and took an uninterrupted nap. Uninterrupted naps are way overrated.
