Gramma’s Grandparent camp pics!
Category Archives: At the park
Grandparent Camp 2022
All photos and captions are from Gramma Jean!
We officially have a new blue park!
Today was the official Grand Reopening! There were more people and kids there then I’ve seen in total since we’ve lived here! But it was a picnic so they had hot dogs, chips, and cookies! We couldn’t stay too long since we had dinner plans. But the kids and I did make an appearance and they got to see some friends!
A preview of the new park!
The park/playground across the street has been closed for renovations since the end of August. They took the construction fences down today so of course Katie ran over immediately!
She went down the little slide first.
The big curly slide can only be accessed via climbing up these ropes! It took some gentle cajoling to get her to do it. Then it took some more to get her to actually go down the slide.
But eventually she did!
Esrey Park
Outer Point in the background where Owen had kayaked.
Owen and his Nerf guns.
We were headed to the park to meet a friend of Owen’s so he had to bring enough guns.
Being silly…
And then more normal…
After school PTA playdate
It was a gorgeous day so I took the kids to the PTA after school playdate at Owen’s school playground. It’s always disappointing to see how few people show up for these things—I think there were like 10 kids there when we got there (for a district-wide event that’s nothing). That said, it was terribly mosquito-y so we didn’t stay long, but the kids had fun with a parachute!
Katie’s birthday adventure with GJ!
Remember last year when Gramma took Katie out on a birthday adventure? Well, she loved it so much they decided to do it again! But this year, Katie was really nice and invited her brother along, too, since she knew he’d have fun, too. Awwwww, what a sweet Katie bug.
They went to the city park and had a picnic lunch, skipped stones, and played in the river; then went mini golfing and to another playground; and finished off with ice cream from Dairy Queen and a quick treat from Dollar General! They had a great day!
My little tree climber.
She is SO not like her brother was at that age…
Birthday cake pop!
We met friends at the park for a few hours and they surprised Katie with a birthday cake pop!
I didn’t need red lips for this.
When you are going out biking with the family again and are planning a subtle, understated lip color and your daughter comes in and wants to pick it… Awww man. The things we do for our kids.
How they roll at the playground.
Katie really loves her new scooter and we went in half on one for Owen after he tried his friend’s scooter and liked it.
Why not wear a mask?
Surprise cupcakes!
We were at a local park with friends and there was a birthday party there. When it was over they came over and offered us their leftover cupcakes! It worked out perfectly as there were six kids and two adults and we got eight cupcakes! They also gave us Jello cups, spoons, plates, napkins, and wipes!
She has another hole in her head!
Look what happened mere minutes after arriving at the pool today?! Tooth #2!
She had a tiny freak out but not nearly as bad as before. We also had a momentary panic when I was putting her tooth in a Ziploc bag and it magically disappeared. But we found it and all was well and she was back playing within 10 minutes.
Look who we ran into at the park!
They were just getting done with morning camp and we were just arriving to go to the playground!
Katie loves the pole.
They still like the baby swings. The only rule is that they have to get in and out of it themselves because I am too old to be picking them up, putting them in, and trying to wrangle them out.
Last day of playgrounds with Papa and Grannie
Who knew she has gotten this good?! We are impressed!
Day 2 of playgrounds with Grannie and Papa
Playgrounds with Grannie and Papa!
Grannie decided it would be fun to have a mini adventure with the kids and take them to a bunch of the local parks and playgrounds that we haven’t been to. So they made a list of all the parks then drew numbers to decide where to go! The kids LOVED it!!
Two climbing monkeys!
I’m proud of both of them. He would never have climbed that high before last year. And at Katie’s age? No way. Yet there they both are!
We met friends for a play date and the playground was wet from overnight rain so Katie was running around drying things off (I planned ahead and had towels in the car). Owen went to the top of a two-story slide and said “It’s dry up here” as he started down…before I could warn him to look at the bottom of the slide. The next thing you saw was his legs and a huge gush of water spraying out of the slide. Maybe next time he’ll learn! He didn’t let his wet butt stop him from playing, though!
A brief playground stop.
Katie and Gramma Jean’s Big Birthday Adventure
I told Gramma that for Katie’s birthday, instead of giving her stuff, to take her on an adventure. So she did.
In Gramma’s words:
For Katie’s 5th birthday this year, we went on an adventure! (Yes, in Grayling.) We played at three parks, went wading in the river (along some of the racers practicing), went to the grocery store for picnic lunch supplies [where Katie could pick anything she wanted—she got a Lunchable, strawberry yogurt covered pretzels, strawberries, cashews, and chocolate milk], threw stones in the river for a half hour, went for a 3-mile bike ride (yes, I fell), and had an ice cream cone at Wimpy’s. We were gone 7 hours and mom and dad were starting to worry! What great fun we had! Happy birthday Katie Bug!
Gramma says Katie could have pedaled for hours!
Gramma says: I am so glad Katie didn’t fall. We were too close to each other and her back wheel caught my front wheel.
AuSable River Festival Kids Day
We specifically came up to Grayling Monday night we we could take the kids to the kids fest day since they had so much fun last year! Unfortunately, this year they didn’t have the canoeing with the pro, which is what we had really hoped to do again. 🙁 So this was as close as we got—and Owen refused to stick his head in so I did instead.
Family photo booth!
A sight I’m going to love…
This is the playground that’s just a few minutes from our house.
A neighbor’s dog…and a neighbor.
A neighbor’s dog…
And a neighbor.
We ran into friends at the school playground!
This is the kind of stuff I’m really going to miss… We went to the school playground (like I promised Katie we would) and friends of ours were there!!
Owen pretending he was on a spaceship. 🙂
I’m going to miss running into friends at the playground!
We hadn’t been to the library playground in forever so we went today. We were the only ones there for quite some time and then two ladies showed up with two small kids. I didn’t pay much attention to them but Katie was playing with them and then I heard the boy call her Katie. In a tone like he knew her. And it turns out he did! It was the kids of an old neighbor (who is also a first grade teacher) who were there with their sitter (their aunt) and a friend.
This is the stuff I am really going to miss.
They wanted to run so off they went!
Katie was ahead the whole time but then stopped for some reason so he passed her and “won.” 🙂
Katie’s reward for good behavior
We stopped at a tiny playground after my dentist appointment…
Swinging for two
She finally went across after two months!
We have been trying to coach her over the top for two months now… She will get to the top and just stay there, then claim she’s too scared. Today she finally did it!! And then did it again and again like it was nothing!
She figured this out on her own.
Our friends bring this little car to the playground and mostly it goes unused. But today Katie realized they could do this. 🙂