Piggott's News

I felt honored to be asked to take care of 3 of my grandchildren while their parents were away for a 10 day trip to Peru. It will probably take me a month to recover from the 10 days, but I gained some new insights into myself and my kids from the experience. I've realized that after 54 years and 5 kids, I still have not learned enough patience. That's a little humbling. I had every opportunity to have mastered that Christ-like quality. I guess I better get after it.

Scott was with me for the first few days, and that was a big help. And since it was much harder to handle it all after he left, it made me very grateful that all my children have, or will have, a mommy and a daddy.

While Scott was there, he made a 'car ramp' for the kids. I think everywhere he goes, he makes at least one trip to the local Home Depot, and doesn't leave without leaving a bottle of gorilla glue behind. This car ramp makes me think of the old 'Pinewood Derby' set-up. Colby is so into all his matchbox cars...he know how many he has and what color they all are. He has about 26 or so. They bring him such happiness. How nice to have something so simple that can bring so much joy!

He even made a little gizmo that will hold all the cars in place until lifted, and then we have fun seeing which car will go the fastest and farthest.

This brings back fond memories I have of the teeter-totter my own maternal grandfather made for me and my siblings when we were little kids. None of the other neighborhood kids had anything like it, and it was usually a draw for other kids to come to our house to play.

While playing on it once, I flipped over the top and ended up biting a hole in my tongue that bled and bled. My mom took me to the doctor, and I remember being terrified that I'd have to get a shot.

I wish I still had that teeter-totter, lovingly made by my grandfather. I'm sure in all our moves while growing up that it got left behind. It would be a cherished heirloom now, in my opinion. Scott is hoping that Bryan does some fancy painting on the car ramp someday.

We took the kids to the Bounce-U, a room full of blow-up toys to jump and climb in and such. They loved it. Sienna liked the big boxing gloves. She also climbed all the way to the top of the spider cage. What a brave girl; it was way up there! We were there for 2 hours, finishing it off with pizza and soda, and Colby cried when it was time to go.

Sienna made a scooter out of her Leggo's. She eventually added rubber bands around her feet and the bottom of the scooter to hold her feet on. Pretty creative and imaginative.

While there, we celebrated all 3 kids' birthdays, and it was fun to see our tradition of the 'spanking machine' being carried on. This is where the birthday boy or girl crawls through everyone's legs while getting 'spanked' on the way through. Sienna turned 5, Colby turned 3, and Ashley turned 1.

In the end, both of their cars were broken when they got home, and I took one of their suitcases home with me (it was an accident!). So, I'm not sure if I'll be invited back to watch the kids again any time soon!