Jiichan's Outing

We hadn't gotten into the car at Casey's school, and the two were talking about where we'd go today - they usually wait til they're strapped into their car seats and I'm pulling away from the school before they talk about where we're going....this time they thot Chuck-E-Cheese, then, no - McDonald's, then, no - the Science Factory, but that, too, was no....then they thot maybe Granny&Jiichan's basement - well, maybe, cuz they hadn't been there for a while - in the end, they said no to the basement...

Venice said she was hungry and asked where we were going for our treat, and I said I didn't have anything specific in mind, but we could go to Ben&Jerry's after wherever we went - they both thot McDonald's was the place to go, so I said ok....Casey said that it wouldn't be a regular Jiichan outing if we didn't have a treat...!

Then, Venice remembered that she needed to be home by 5:00, and I said I knew that and would be keeping track of our time....she then said that we could go to our favorite place for outdoors since it was such a nice day, and we could keep the other places for times when it was cold or rainy - Casey agreed - Venice asked if we could go to Skinner Butte Park and play, and then end up going to McDonald's for our treat afterwards - I said I didn't know if we'd have time to do that, that I was concerned that we wouldn't have time after Skinner Butte - Casey said why not go to McDonald's first, and then go to the park - Venice chimed in that we could go there, eat our ice cream, not play on the structure, and then go to the park, and that would give us enuff time for both....I suggested that if we did that, they could take their cones with them in the car, and we could drive to the park and eat ice cream at the park, thus saving time and giving them more time at the park - they both thot that was the greatest idea...! - on the way to McDonald's Casey said this was the best outing ever...!!!

At Skinner Butte they pretty much played by themselves while I watched - they play so well together, and there's a pretty even give and take between the two....at one point I didn't see them from where I was sitting, and waited thinking I'd see them come running around the play structure - they didn't, and it had been maybe 20 mins or so - maybe less, but I was anxious not seeing them, so it felt like that long....so, I went looking for them - I found them lazying in a big open mesh tube, just curled up in the bottom of it, drinking their root beers and talking - pretty cool, that...

The two of them are getting very athletic around all the structures - both climb without much fear, and sometimes it scares me where they climb - Casey is getting to the point where he's Venice's equal in where he climbs, getting more athletic....they both are like monkeys, and at times cause me to catch my breath - I try to stay close enuff so that I can scream if I think they're getting beyond their capabilities, but far enuff away that I don't stifle them in their explorations - I know, that probably scares hell out of the parents to hear this - sorry about that - I do love to see them carefree and unself-consciously enjoying themselves, and each other...

It was a very good day...!

Jiichan...