Each year, Grandma Cathie and Grampa Dave head south to their trailer in El Centro, California for some bone-soothing heat and soul-lifting sunshine. We miss them terribly, and there’s lot of talk about when they’ll get back, when will we see them, can we mail them a letter, where did they go, how come they’ve been gone so long.
And then they come back!
We saw them last week, and they came bearing gifts. Hawk loved the heavy equipment book Grampa brought him from his own professional mechanic’s collection. It’s not a kids’ book at all, which is perhaps why Hawk loves it so much. It has heaps of photographs of machines that I have no clue about, and pages and pages of writing about them, which he loves to be read.
Esmé loved the science book they brought her, and dug right in on one of the word searches. It’s filled with fascinating information, such as why flamingos are pink, and how to make crystals. Right up her alley.
Best of all, Cathie crafted two explorer vests while they were down south. They’ve got secret map pockets, zippers, clips, velcro, and pockets galore! She embroidered the backs with bugs (of course), and made each one just a little different, although similar enough that they match.
The kids wore them to our weekly homeschool park day last week, along with bug boxes, magnifying glasses, compasses, scissors, pens and notebooks. They put them to good use, and if Cathie wanted to, she could have an entire side-business in explorer vests, based on the interest from the other families.
But even better than the vests? Having Grampa Dave and Grandma Cathie back home. At least until after our fall apple orchard visit with them, when they start packing up to head south again.
Who knows … we’re hoping to do an epic road trip with the kids this winter, so perhaps we’ll aim to find them in El Centro. For now, it’s just nice to have them back.
