Grand-mothering 101

All Grandmothers have to earn our "Grandmother Credits" at some point.
The story you will read happened 10 years ago.

At the time, my intent was to create a memory for my grand children...that was my goal.

But then, we never know exactly what will trigger a lifelong memory, but now I know,

we pulled it off.

AND

I got a credit towards Grand mothering!!

Megan and Jacob are both in college now.

So here is the story~

Grand-mothering 101

Can you believe I, alone, took off to vacation with the 12 and 9 year old grandchildren?
Just the thought is enough to trigger red flags for everyone,

but we really got the 'go ahead' from everyone.

From the start, it looked like a disaster~ we packed the back of the old Ford Explorer totally full of stuff and then drove off with the lift-back door still up....
Looking in the rear view mirror, I knew the back window looked real big. Needing gas, lucky time to stop, as had not gotten on the Interstate yet. Coudn't believe my eyes...Checked to see what had fallen ...whew... the beach chairs, umbrella, crab nets, bikes, buggy board were still there.

Looking at the situation, I commented the obvious,
"Oh my, I think we need adult supervision."

The rest of the trip was an adventure.
At first sight, the kids loved the islands ~
Chincoteague Island and Asseteague Island are located on the Atlantic Ocean and Eastern Shore of Virginia.

The Eastern Shore is a living travel poster of marsh lands at that point, home to beautiful array of ducks and a real working lighthouse...and the only structure on Asseteague Island.

The islands are also famous for the "Wild Horses of Chincoteague."
They were thrilled and so was I, the grandmother.

Each morning, off to the beach. Positioning beach chair and umbrella at the edge of incoming tide, close to the adventuresome kids, I sat slumped in beach chair ...ahhhhhhhh recovery time. The water seemed ordered just for us...

big incoming waves which crashed right on shore...to my delight... They were tall waves ...some 6 feet high and giving them a great ride...pushing them right up on the beach, many times right to my chair ~ They had a ball.

Late afternoons, we rode bikes all over the islands. We stopped to watch ducks, deer and the wild horses. We rode up to the lighthouse and explored all around.

I remember we had no dietary rules... cinnabuns and sundaes for breakfast each day.

Otherwise we undertook our share of local seafood otherwise. (plus a few pizzas). To end each day, after dinner, we played carpet golf.

No one ...absolutely no one, had a better time.

On the day to return home...We got up early to go crabbing ...We caught a few to prove ourselves and sadly left our beautiful, fun filled week behind.

I was so proud of us. We did it~ but did it trigger a memory for them too? Those kids are in college now...and still talk about our trip to the Eastern Shore.
I earned a grandmother credit that week.

iJune