Grandparents to the Rescue

Many of you have probably heard of a "Gap Year" when seniors in high school take an additional year before going to college.  But have you heard of the dreaded "Gap Week"?  It's the week working parents dread as it is the week between the final day/week of camp and the first day of school.  This final week of August could have been rough for us since the kids did not have plans and Dan and I both had to work, but it turned out to be terrific since Grammy and Granddad came up from VA for the whole week!! Phew!

The kids loved having their grandparents take care of them and I'm pretty sure the feeling was mutual.  They certainly kept busy and had lots of fun.

They went to the new playground at the library in town and found the brick we donated during the fundraising process.

They also took the kids to their Popsicles on the Playground get together at their preschool and got to meet all their friends and teachers.

 Granddad created an amazing toy train track in the playroom and got both kids to fall back in love with Duplos (Finley had all but forgotten them since discovering Legos this summer) in the basement

 And my dad found a captive audience for this train photos.

The four of them also went to one of our favorite places, Drumlin Farm.  Finley hadn't been there since his two weeks of Drumlin camp earlier in the summer and my mom said he definitely took the reigns and led the way around.

 

 A hayride for all before heading home.

It was such a wonderful, reassuring feeling to be back at school, getting ready for my new class of kindergarteners, knowing that our kids were in such good hands.

One afternoon, I got home from school and we woke up the kids to hop on the commuter rail to meet Dan in the city.  I couldn't tell who was more pleased with the rail excursion - Finley or my dad!  We had a great ride into North Station and then walked to meet Dan on the Greenway.  Dagny and I rode the carousel which she has mentioned countless times since.

 

Then, we stopped to watch the fountains for a while before saying hi to the seals that swim in the big tank outside the aquarium.

 

We had dinner outside near the Greenway and the Harbor.

 A lady about town.

 Boys drawing airplanes and playing tic tac toe.

The next day, all six of us went to play mini golf at Kimball Farms and enjoyed fried food for dinner. 

An excellent way to celebrate the end of summer and the end to a very special week with my mom and dad.  We aren't lucky enough to live near either set of grandparents, but we are very blessed that all four of them go above and beyond whenever called upon :)