Photos Copyright: Maggie May
My son, Sam, often gets a run of school maintenance work in the holidays when there are no children around, so this is when I have my granddaughters for a day or two to help him out.
Last week, when they were at school, I was sitting in the sun in really warm summery conditions. However, this week, just because they are on school holiday, it turned out to be freezing cold, similar to early March conditions. It is a shock to the system of a human being to have such a contrast of weather, so Goodness only knows what it will do to all the flora and fauna that my garden sustains. There were bees buzzing about last week.
So what can you do with seven and nine year old granddaughters in such arctic conditions?
Well, apart from caging them with the bunnies, that is!
Most of our plans were ruined because it was just too cold to go on picnics or anything in the great outdoors.
The girls asked me to give them *points* for any good deeds that they did and that would go towards a Harry Potter game that their dad would buy if they really earned enough.
So a chart was drawn up by Amber and they had a *point* for making their beds because they'd stayed the night before. In actuality this just meant shaking their duvets out, so that was money for old rope. I told them they could have 2 points each if they collected dead twigs and branches from the garden and put them in the recycling bin in the front. This was met with wild enthusiasm at first and then shivering and chattering of teeth as well as some complaining about the cold. However, the job did get done and the points went onto the chart.
After lunch, we got on the bus to the city centre and visited the M Shed along our Waterfront. This is a small Museum about the history of Bristol that seemed to keep them occupied for a good while and I enjoyed it too, though I would have liked to look at things and not rush from one thing to another quite so quickly.
Amber and Millie were quite kind to each other throughout their visit and then they asked for points as a reward. I did tell them that I expected them to behave kindly without having to earn points, but this didn't go down too well.
By the time their dad picked them up to go for a communal meal with his girlfriend and Jessie and Ozzie, they were full of all the things we'd done and the points they'd earned.
"Points?" He exclaimed, "What points?" Apparently, he knew nothing about it.
Well I think its a good idea of Amber's and she obviously has her brain screwed on right.
My daughter is coming late on Saturday with the grandsons for a few days, so it will be a full house again. Sandy has invited us all over for a roast meal on Easter Sunday, so that is a very kind gesture, isn't it?
Plenty to look forward to. Lets hope the weather improves.
25 comments:
We've had the same happen here, weather-wise. We've plunged from beautiful summer weather back into the sub-freezing temperatures overnight. So far, all early blooms are doing just fine.
Your granddaughters are very clever. It will serve them well. Enjoy your Easter, Maggie. :)
A very strange spring everywhere!
Hope your Easter is splendid.
Even though the weather did not cooperate, it seems you kept things sunny and moving in your adventures with the grandchildren. Enjoy your Easter with your family.
You get points for your Grandmothering. Our weather turned cold and wet, with hailed the grands' spring break this week. The kids will survive, hope your garden does too.
The change in the weather from last week is unbelievable!
What a great idea the points system was - pity their Dad didn't know anything about it. LOL
I'm glad you have plenty to look forward to. Such a shame about the weather isn't it?
It's still warm here in the Southeast U.S., just not as warm as yesterday. Our trees are in full leaf, and my beans have already sprung up in the garden. It's a bit early for all of that, so we could get nipped.
What smart granddaughters you have! Their system worked for them . . . and for you.
Funny. So the girls gave the impression that their dad knew about the point system when in fact he knew nothing about it. Wonder if they will be getting the Harry Potter game soon. Smart of them to come up with this system. You don't have any control over the weather, so it seems you all made the best of it. Like you, I had the hardest time with a drastic change in the weather here this week, 83 degrees one day and 50 the next day.
It is a pity about the weather but it often seem to be not so good during school holidays. Pleased that you are able to enjoy your granddaughters' company.
England seems to be about a week or two behind weather systems here in the US. I remember telling my mum a few weeks ago that it was over 80 farenheit here (!) and now it's freezing again. Mind you, even we haven't had snow. That would really stink.
Your Amber is a bright spark!
We've had snow here, well, on the mountains it has stuck and we had sleet and hail lower down. Can't rely on the weather at all.
Have a lovely Easter Maggie, delighted you're going out for lunch on Sunday, Sandy sounds nicer with each post!
I'll bet the granddaughters enjoyed being caged with the bunnies...
nice...sounds like you are in for a fun easter...and we have spring break this week coming and there are at least 2 days supposed to be under 50...what is up with that....
I woke up to a frosty morning, as the weather has turned cooler here as well. I could use your granddaughters' help this morning taking the blankets off my flowers, which I put on last night to protect them from the frost. They would probably find that a bit strange:) Sounds like they are pretty clever girls--hope Sam accepts all those points!
Have a Happy Easter, Maggie!
Your granddaughter has a marvelous intelligence!
I love the idea of the point system, and I hope the granddaughters have their Harry Potter game and enjoy playing with it.
As you look forward to your Grandsons tomorrow, I pray that all is well with you and Harry and that you have a very blessed Easter.
You both are in my nightly prayers...and I count it a blessing to call you my friends.
Happy Easter, Maggie.
Love to you from Jackie
Boy, I see this strange weather is affecting you on your side of the Big Pond too! We had two weeks of really nice, warm -very springy -weather and now, this week, it's turned a good bit colder. Next week though -guess what? They are calling for snow showers! How's that for a change of weather? (Not exactly one I like, that's for sure!)
I feel for you. We're having a snow blizzard today, so no sign of the warmth we had a few weeks ago.
Enjoy your time with the grandkids!
It does feel like winter again and I, for one, feel very cold. I'm happy to hear that your daughter and grandsons are coming. I hope you enjoy their company very much. Have a happy Easter. xox
Thanks for your comment. I was following your life while I was gone and feel great admiration for the way you and Harry are dealing with your physical problems. I'm having some trouble with the "improvements" which Blogger has introduced, but with a little research and some perseverance, I will be back where I started.
Happy Easter to your family.
That used to be the effort point and gold star system when I was growing up. I miss them to be honest! Hopefully the warm weather will come back soon. I'm off to Devon in a couple of days for a week and what ever the weather has to throw at me I'm determined to make the most of it. I loved the photos by the way. x
Smart girl you're granddaughter! I drew up a chart of all the housework jobs I hated when my son was about 12 or so and told him if he wanted money he could earn it! It worked well for both of us, he got money for things he wanted and I got out of jobs I didn't want to do! lol!
I've been busily crafting things for a wedding I'm off to next week so I've not been bothered by the change in the weather, actually it's better for me as it meant I didn't get tempted outside when I had things to do!
The "points" ruse made me laugh.
We have a freeze predicted, which will have me scrambling tomorrow to get things covered and protected.
I love the points system! How clever. I hope they do get their Harry Potter reward!
Me and my pal used to set ourselves homework through the summer holidays when we were your grandchildren's age and get our mothers to mark them and give us housepoints, on the condition that when we reached a certain amount they would buy us a prize. They didn't know what they were agreeing to at first, either!
Did they earn extra points for being stuffed in the cages with the rabbits? :-)
Lovely pictures, Maggie. It's true, the weather often spoils our enjoyment and it's not something we can rely on in this country.
CJ x
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