FIRST REAL TRIP WITH GRANDKIDS! 6/11-16/2012

The following 4 blog entries chronicle the adventures of our first step into taking grandchildren on a trip with us.  (Reading them as this one being the first and scrolling down in order you will go from earliest to last.) We have had the little ones, over the years, come to our trailer in whatever campground we are in for a sleepover, never far from home, never traveling.  But this is the first attempt at what we hope will be many grandchild adventures into the world of traveling the roads of America in our RV.
Superman and Bananas are our first on such a trip.  We had them for 5 nights and 6 days.  Two nights were spent at Snowflower Thousand Trails Preserve and 3 nights at Lake of the Springs Thousand Trails Preserve.  It was fun and we now look with confidence that we can do it again!

SNOWFLOWER 6/11-13/2012

We picked up Superman and Bananas at their home in the Bay Area and headed up I-80 towards Reno.  On the way our Turbo Booster Exhaust Hose blew off three times.  This is a situation that we suffered through up in Canada and were able to repair ourselves.  This time too, but it took a couple tries to get it right.  Also on the way, we stopped for groceries and "needed" candy for both kids.  We also stopped for fuel in Colfax and turned our rig into a contortionist artist as we maneuvered our rig into a non big rig friendly gas station.  Here are the happy candy recipients!

After several hours on the road, we reached our planned destination.  We marveled at how content and happy the kids were on the long drive.  But, nevertheless, they were excited to finally be at our campground close to Emigrant Gap.!

The kids helped in the trailer parking and set up and then, Superman with map in hand began his exploring of the campground...... starting with a rock conveniently behind our trailer.  Cliff.... remind you of Lassen National Park?

Bananas joined us on our exploration.

Over the next couple days we found a campsite playground where Lady Bananas showed us her monkey bar skills er, I mean crossed the moat into safety in the nearby castle...

...and Sir Superman beat the swing set to death.  I think it was a mid evil dragon and he was a conquering.

On another explore we found the lodge and while Bananas and Grandma played pool....

....Grandpa and Superman learned how to play foosball.

A hike or two later, we explored the lake shoreline and found a dead fish!  Seemed exciting to the kids!

We also found a gathering place for a bunch of very active butterflies

The swimming pool was inactive at the time as it was in need of repairs, but the lake provided a needed place to frolic.

 

Grandma even got in on the act!

 

Meals were a fun time to reinforce table manners ala Grandpa and discuss what we had done through the day and plan for the next set of events.  Grandma sure is a great cook!!

 

Each night Grandma read to the kids from "Ghost on Popcorn Hill". it took the whole week to finish.

 

The 3 days and 2 nights at Snowflower Thousand Trails Preserve passed quickly and then it was time for a move to Lake of the Springs TT.

BUBBLES! 6/11-16/2012

Few accomplishments in life are as memorable as learning to tie your own shoes and your first solo two wheeler ride.  But mastering blowing a bubble gum bubble without using your fingers ranks right up there pretty high.  Superman, while on our camping trip did just that.
His first one almost caused us to crash our rig!!  While driving up I-80 there was this sudden scream from the back seat and a yell of "I did it!!!"  Startling poor grandpa into panic attack and slamming on the brakes.  Superman received a quick lesson on not to make sudden loud noises while Grandpa is driving then after Grandpa calmed down, received the deserved praise for reaching a milestone in his growing up years.
Needless to say, that bubble did not get photographed.
But Superman's grand second one did a few days later!

Then on the last day with us, as we drove Superman and Bananas back home, Grandpa heard a muffled, subdued, unyelling noise from the back seat. (He does learn!) After Grandma saw what it was, a calm, slow braking took place and while on the side of the road we calmly, but with required praise and admiration documented Superman's largest to date bubble.

He since, we are told, has accomplished far greater feats in the bubble blowing department.  Remember Superman, "NO FINGERS!"

LAKE OF THE SPRINGS 6/13-16/2012

On Wednesday, 6/13. we hitched up and moved about 60 miles from Snowflower TT to Lake of the Springs TT.  There were lots more activities for the kids here.  Among those activities was story time with Grandpa.  Killer Hill, Pink Pooferated Ping-Pong Ball, Bozo, Bozo and Coco, Big Chief, Three Braves and the Bear, The Fish Hook, and several others were shared.

Another main stay of these next 3 nights and 4 days was spending their money.  Superman and Bananas were each given some spending cash for the trip and riding their bikes to the market on the preserve was a regular activity.

As we did with our own kids as we traveled, we did with these two grandkids.  As they conformed to our rules and expectations and increased in responsibility, so to did their freedoms to explore and do activities expand.  Good times.  Good growth.

LAKE OF THE SPRINGS ACTIVITIES 6/13-16/2012

During our 3 1/2 day stay at Lake of the Springs Thousand Trails Preserve, other activities also occupied our time.  But as we watched and participated with our grandchildren, Wayne couldn't help wondering if his parents were there watching too.  This preserve was where they, a few years before they retired, bought into the Thousand Trails system with the hopes of traveling full time and taking their grandkids on trips with them as they had done for Wayne's brother and him when they were young.  But ill health and early death prevented that.   Wayne inherited this membership and the love for traveling and now is living his parent's dream.  We hope they see what we are doing and derive some sense of joy from our using their contribution to our retirement.
So we were involved in playground time.....

....bike riding....

...paddle boat racing....

...and placing third out of 8 boats, winning Bananas a Tootsie Pop...

... relaxing and discussing fishing with new made friends....

...canoeing...

...learning how to swim...

...actually swimming...

...ganging up on Superman...

...making friends, water balloon wars and sprinkler playing (That's Superman on the far left)...

...feeding the deer that were regular visitors in our campsite....

...and our nightly movie, game and story time.

It ended too soon, but two worn out grandparents were done when it was done.  Saturday we drove the kids' home, spent Father's Day with Superman, Bananas, Oranges and The Hulk and their parents and then Monday morning with the kids and our son, Jared.  Those two nights of the weekend we spent at a local Camp Wal-Mart and then Monday afternoon headed north to find a place to rest up and catch up before heading further north for more adventures with more grandchildren; Captain America, Peaches and Brody.

LEFTOVERS FROM A SLEEPOVER 6/10/2012

As we cleaned up from a grandkids sleepover we found a childishly put away toy that we felt was reminiscent of a movie we had seen years ago.  Two dolls tell the toy story of Grandma's toy drawer.  It must have been a hard few days for this ol' cowboy!.