‘Staycation’ with the grandkids

As many of you know Dale and I love being with our grandchildren. We interact with the two living in La Grande nearly every day. This is an envious thing for a grandparent to have such a privilege and we enjoy almost every minute of it.

When our daughter and her husband left for a vacation this month, Dale and I embarked on a staycation with the girls ages 4 and 6. They know the routine and have toys and games they enjoy while with us. But, when we are talking the responsibility for 24/7 for 10 days, three meals plus two snacks a day plus the regular household chores, it is amazing how exciting it is when an 8 p.n. bedtime comes around.

Wanting the girls to have a good time during this staycation we kept busy. There was more than we could work into our schedule considering how many activities there are with parks and recreation, the swimming pool and Think Link plus the extra onetime events that occur here every week.

Going to a real live circus in La Grande is pretty special. This wasn’t the biggest, but it was here with lions and tigers and elephants and glittering costumes and daring feats of bravery. We went to the afternoon show where the highlight for the girls was riding an elephant named Jeanie. They didn’t get much of a response when they reported to their parents that night that they had ridden an elephant. But the next night the first thing their mother said was, “A real elephant?’’

The Union stock show was good for a day’s entertainment. Following the parade we went to see our favorite goats and the other animals and then had a bite to eat. Dale and I had hamburgers with the works while the 4-year-old had a corndog. The 6-year-old, a vegetarian by choice (really challenging for meal planning), usually orders a cheeseburger without the meat.  This time there was no cheese so she had a mustard and catsup sandwich and was perfectly happy. I enjoyed every bite of my burger and later wondered which one of us really had the healthiest meal.

Farmers market was not quite as lively as usual due to the heavy downpour, but we still managed to buy greens for salads and eat a cinnamon roll to give us enough energy to get to the library for some books and movies.

We did the usual things like working in the garden, baking banana bread and picnicking in the park and then something magical began to happen. I began to think in terms of heffalumps in the basement and fairies hiding throughout the house. Hot dogs and pb&j never tasted better. I became more relaxed about picking up toys and looked forward to reading my book after 8 instead of watching TV. I noticed that people smiled as Dale and I sat working a puzzle with the girls in the children’s library or when we walked down the street singing.

What I am saying about staycations is that you can keep busy and have fun in La Grande with children, but it takes a lot of work and it can cost more money than you may realize. By the end of the planned staycation adults can feel worn out and ready for a real vacation or feel cheated because they didn’t do something special for themselves. I hope that parents are able to do some of the activities I mentioned with their children on a regular basis.

And I hope that the parents who work hard all day to provide for their children can have time for themselves as a couple to relax and get renewed, even if it is just for a short while. The best gift for parents is to give them time for themselves and be off duty even for a few hours. If you are a relative, neighbor or friend of someone with small children, offer them an opportunity to get away or for a mom to do something as simple as taking an uninterrupted shower.

We have had a great time with the granddaughters and they have really been good, but as soon as our kids get home I’m ready for a vacation! Spend time with some little ones. Enjoy!

Ginny Mammen is a La Grande resident.