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Tag Archive for Camp Grandma

Crafting Time at Camp Grandma’s

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Renee Spindle

It’s Summertime here at Camp Grandma and we’ve had a few crafty adventures over the past few weeks I thought I would share today. We’ve been painting, coloring, blowing up lots of balloons, squeezing in some swimming, and eating lots of popsicles and snow cones. It’s been hot and humid here recently, and we all know how popsicles can cool the soul!

The first thing I did to make Camp Grandma a little special this year was I made a box, and each week when the Grand-kiddies come over (they are with me on Thursday’s and Friday’s) there’s some sort of crafty surprise or something fun to-do in that box. This has been a fun way to start the day, as the kids look forward to finding out what’s in their special box.

The first week the box contained paper plates, balloons, big crafting sticks, and some duct tape. We used the contents that week to make and play Balloon Pong – which I had read about at Grandma’s Briefs. I will admit that the grand-kiddies had fun blowing up all the balloons, but they had even more fun ping-ponging the balloons around. They didn’t have a lot of success hitting the balloons to one another, so Evan made a contest of seeing how many times he could “pong” the balloon before it hit the ground.

The next week at Camp I had put balloons, colored paper, scissors, tape, and the pattern to make balloon feet. We were making balloon people. They were so cute. Madison really enjoyed telling me what she wanted me to draw on her balloon. Evan made his into a group of the Avengers, which I did not get a picture of. Boo on Grandma. This crafty project was discovered by yours truly at Grandma’s Ideas. The balloon crafts have been really fun, and just plain blowing up the balloons and using them like volleyballs around the house was a great activity too.

For two of our weeks together we have done some painting. We used tempera paints, sponges brushes, sponges, and I splurged on some thick watercolor paper for my little artists. This is really the first time I’ve had a chance to paint with Madison. She loved putting the colors on paper and painting with everyone’s favorite colors. Madison’s favorite color is pink, and she know mine is purple. She’s always telling anyone who will listen that her Grandma’s favorite color is purple. Evan had fun being a mixologist, and discovering what colors he needed to mix to make other colors. He had a lot of fun being the paint scientist.

I am blessed to be able to have some special time with my grand-kids each week right now. This time together creates memories that will last for a long, long time. As they start to get a little older and as they move on to do their own independent activities, it will be good to know that we’ve had this time with each other.

Have you spent time with your grand-kiddies recently? Did you get in any crafting time with them? I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to this summer.

3 comments Posted in Crafts

How’s Your Madditude?

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Renee Spindle

Maddy has attitude. That equals “Madditude”!

Photo Credit-Erica B. (Maddy’s Auntie)

2 years old + Mind of her own + Independent spirit + Solo flyer

I have recently coined a new phrase to start off the beginning of this year. My granddaughter Madison, is just about to turn 28 months old. She stays here at Camp Grandma two days a week. We have fun together blowing bubbles or getting creative with the play dough. She loves to go outside, and just dig in the dirt. Oh the life of a two- year old.

Madison is probably the most independent spirit that I have ever known. She definitely has a mind all her own, and loves to be a solo flyer doing things. And of course I have to watch her like a hawk since there’s so many intriguing things to look at or get into here.

So, now to explain my new phrase; you see when the little person in your house who is only 28 months does not get her way, or has to be emphatically told, NO, that’s when the “Madditude” bubbles to the surface. It mostly comes across in the form of a scream, or instantaneous crying, very loud crying.

So the next time your favorite toddler gets in trouble, and their “Madditiude”” bubbles to the surface, just picture Madison yelling, or crying, or standing in front of you with arms crossed glaring (I’ve been trying to capture a picture of this with no success yet). And if that favorite toddler is your grandchild you have to study them carefully because all their little mannerisms will remind you of your own kids at that age. Precious and priceless!!

2 comments Posted in Family, Grandkiddies

Loving my Grandma World

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Renee Spindle

A certain, special someone is celebrating her second birthday this week. Miss Madison is turning two, and is every bit of that two-year old. She’s head strong, feisty, sweet and loving. Madison spends two days a week with me at Camp Grandma, and we have fun-filled, exhausting days together. Her favorite things to play with right now are Playdough, and her dolls.

Last week Madison had a moment with me that I will always cherish. We have a little routine together in the morning after breakfast. We get dressed, brush our teeth, and then I fix Madison’s hair. On this particular morning I had Maddy sitting up on my bathroom counter. We had to get her hair wet just a bit to get it put up into a little, tiny pony tail. Once we got her hair all situated, I was just about to lift her back to the floor, and I got this huge unexpected hug, and an “I lub you Gwamma”. Oh my goodness, I had to pick my melted heart up off of the floor, and gave her a big squeeze back right away. I told her, “ I love you too, Maddy”. This is one of those sweet, loving, ever-so-short grandma moments that stays in your memory bank for a long, long time. The fact that the “I lub you” was not prompted by anyone else made her saying it to me all the sweeter. I lifted Madison back onto the floor, and she ran off to play, as if nothing had happened. As far a she was concerned, it was just another normal morning. But for this Gwamma, it was a special morning filled with love.

When is the last time you had a “Gwamma” moment?

This post linked to the GRAND Social

One comment Posted in Grandkiddies

Have you used a Playdough Launcher?

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Renee Spindle

It’s that Camp Grandma time of the week for me. Evan’s summer vacation days are numbered and he will be back in school in about 3 short little weeks. Where oh where does the time go?

Today my little camper did not really want to partake in any of the activities I was suggesting for him. We painted some markers for the garden and we’ll finish those up tomorrow. He really wasn’t interested in anything else except what time we were going swimming.

I was working on organizing my sewing and crafts shelves, and Evan got out the PlayDough. About 15 minutes after he got started in the kitchen I went to see what he was up to. It was a little too quiet for these Grandma ears. I walked into this.

Evan had taken each of the colors he has, I think there must be seven or eight, and rolled it into a big ball. They looked like dumplings! Then he got out the plastic basket, and the soup ladle.

This is a very serious sport people!

According to the PlayDough Launcher aficionado, you take the ball of PlayDough, put in on the spoon, and launch it to the other end of the room to find out how far it will go. Oh and if it goes under any furniture it doesn’t count.

A simple but entertaining way to spend the morning, and so creative to boot. I was cracking up when he made this serious face for the picture. And for those of you out there who have boys, it’s just a “boy thing”. Build something and see how it works! The next time you’re bored and looking for something fun to do just get out your PlayDough.

No comments Posted in Around the House, Family

Aggression Cookies

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Renee Spindle

This recipe makes the yummiest little oatmeal cookies. I had forgotten how much I like them, and how fun they are to make. I got this recipe from my Mom many moons ago, and I’m not sure what the original origin of the cookies is. I’m sure my Mom can help me out with that information. For my baking session today, I had my helper with me from Camp Grandma. My grandson, Evan of course. These cookies are made to be mixed by hand. You mix by hand to get rid of your stress and take out all of your “aggressions” on the cookies! Here we go with the recipe.

Ingredients:

1c. brown sugar
2 sticks margarine, softened
1 tsp. baking soda
2c. quick oatmeal
1c. flour

Directions:

That’s all of the ingredients, just a 5 item recipe. This is my kind of cookie. Now, measure and place all ingredients in a large bowl. Get ready, get set, go and mix up all of the ingredients with your hands. Take out your aggressions, and stress, until formed into a big glob of dough, with all of the dry ingredients mixed in.

Spoon dough by teaspoonfuls or with your favorite cookie dough scoop onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees on ungreased cookie sheets for 8-10 minutes. These cookies bake fairly quickly so watch them carefully while they are in the oven. Cool and enjoy with a chilled glass of cold milk. This recipe makes 2-3 dozen cookies.

This is a wonderful recipe for a beginning baker. A great recipe to get your kids into the kitchen for the first time. As you can see by the pictures Evan had lots of fun mixing and mushing the ingredients together. And the bonus was when he was done mixing there was no spoon to lick off, just his hands. Of course I had to take over getting the dough onto the cookie sheets to bake while Evan “cleaned” his hands off. A wonderful afternoon of learning and making messes here in the kitchen at Camp Grandma.