GRANDMA CAMP 2020

At this point in my life, the most important job I have is GRANDMA CAMP...!!

But Grandma Camp 2020 will be vastly different than previous years -- because so many wonderful activities are not available to us.

No plays...no children's theaters....no kid's camps....no Putnam museum events....no movie theaters...no Niabi Zoo....no crowded events...no tie-dying in the park with 200 other people...no Chicago trip to Legoland...or the Brookfield Zoo...

We LOVED the $1 movie mornings at the AMC theaters...but NOT this year...

The Figge Art Museum was one of our regular haunts...

Their kids' activities schedule was great...but not this year...

I always knew how lucky we were to live in this area, with so many different events and activities available to us.  But, with no vaccine, this summer is gonna be very difficult for our usual venues. They are going to "pre-schedule" visits...and you need to reserve a space weeks in advance....not really how this Grandma rolls...

So,  I AM GRATEFUL we did those things when we did them. But this year, I'm gonna put a different spin on Grandma Camp.  I'll focus on the things we CAN do...and there are plenty of those.

SWIMMING will be our #1, GO-TO activity. Lilly and Warren are both good swimmers, and when they're in the water, you cannot wipe the smile off their faces. The YMCA pool is already open -- and my niece has invited us to visit their pool...so I'm definitely gonna put a weekly swim event in the rotation.

A new element will be DAY TRIPS. When I was talking about my meet-up with Rhonda in LaSalle, Illinois last week -- both kids said, "Can I go on a road trip?" And, of course, the answer is YES...

HEY -- WE EVEN HAVE A BRAND NEW, RELIABLE, COMFORTABLE CAR...

So, starting tomorrow, I'm going to incorporate a weekly "ROAD TRIP" into our Grandma Camp Activities.

Lilly and Warren are going to look at a map....(yes, an old fashioned PAPER map -- there will be a re-folding lesson)....to do some research about all the WONDERFUL towns within a 90-minute radius of Princeton, Iowa.

They'll discover Iowa: Dubuque, Iowa City, Maquoketa (has caves), Cedar Rapids, Muscatine (there's a button museum).....

And Illinois: LaSalle (I've already booked the mule-drawn I and M Canal boat ride)....Rochelle has a train-viewing platform....Starved Rock State Park has a magnificent lodge made out of logs. And we could just sit next to the 1930's 10' tall fireplace and read a book. (we could go on a hike...but I'm gonna try to sell the reading activity.).

Hey -- if this day-trippin works out -- we might even venture up into Wisconsin....so, brace yourself, Deanna!!

These two kids have been together 24-7 for the last four months...and this has caused some...well, turmoil. So tomorrow -- it's Lilly's turn for some one-on-one Grandma time. She and I will be taking our FIRST ROAD TRIP of the summer...Warren is already planning his road trip for next week.

I'll keep you posted!!

And, hey -- Lilly is 11 years old, and Warren is 7. THIS could be the Grandma Camp them remember when they are old and gray...