Weekend without "the kids"

A couple weeks ago the older three kids got to go to "Cousin Camp," a tradition Grandma and Grandpa Moffat have started with the grandkids who are 4 years old and up. They spend a couple days/nights doing all kinds of fun things (Enchanted Forest amusement park, hike, pool time), mixed with some Bible teaching/lessons. This year the theme was "Super-servants"--all about serving others. They had t-shirts and everything. The kids had a blast making wonderful memories with their cousins and grandparents. Grant, however, wasn't old enough yet to go, and he was NOT happy about it. Grandma had a little bag of goodies for him when we went to drop the kids off on Friday morning, and that helped a lot with the good-bye, but he really missed his siblings when they were gone. He kept asking, "When are we going to get the kids?" "Can we go get the kids NOW?" "When are the kids coming home?"

He and I had a good time at OMSI that morning, doing whatever he wanted to do, but that first afternoon when we got home was very, very sad. I saved a Playmobile set we bought using Grant's birthday money from Great Grandpa and Grandma just so he would have something new to distract him that weekend. It worked! We putting it all together, and played until Greg got home. Then we went out to dinner at Red Robin that night, just the three of us. It was strange, but nice, sitting in a regular size booth! It really is crazy how easy and relaxed it feels to just have one kid with you when you're used to four.

On Saturday morning we took him with us to the community clean-up day at the school we meet in for church. Grant raked bark dust and worked alongside us and others (actually, mostly alongside his buddy, Aidan, who is Joel's age and very sweet and patient with his little Grant-shadow), and then later that afternoon Grant helped us wash the cars.

Sunday morning was another rough one, as he was ready to no longer be an only child. We went to church, and he had fun at the picnic afterward. The bounce house and slide made for fun times.
Grant was one very happy little guy, though, when his siblings came home Sunday afternoon.