TRASH--a card game

I have been spending quite a bit of time these last few months entertaining grandchildren.

I am always on the outlook for fun and easy games to play with multiple children of varying ages.

My daughter, Cara, introduced us to TRASH the other day, we spent the whole visit playing the game with her three children ages 3, 6 and 10.

We introduced the game to 5 of our other grand children this last weekend, and they enjoyed it as well. 

I will take the cards along when we go visiting with my parents in a few weeks, I think they will also enjoy the game.

Here are the rules.  See what you think.

TRASH

2-4 players

1 deck of playing cards

SKILLS: Players should be old enough to recognize numbers and have a desire to learn to count--

This game is great practice to learn these skills and wonderful fun if you already have them.

FIRST HAND:  Deal each player 10 cards, lay them out face down in a straight line 1-10.

 Place remaining cards, face down, in center of table.

WILD CARDS:   If a KING is drawn or turned up, it is a WILD CARD and can be used for any face down card as desired.  If the numbered card for the space that the wild card is occupying comes available, it can be traded out and the KING put into a different spot, or, if at the end of this hand's play, passed on.

TO PLAY:  Youngest player starts the play by choosing a card from the center pile.

If it is a card from 1-10, put it in the proper place and turn over the card from that place. 

If it is another number card between 1-10, put it in the proper place. 

 Play for that person continues until a face card or number card that cannot be used is turned up.

TO CONTINUE PLAY:  If a QUEEN or JACK is drawn or turned up, that players turn is ended and the card is placed in the center of the table, face up, starting the TRASH PILE. 

 If a number card is turned up that cannot be used, the card is passed on to the next player that can use the card, starting with the person directly to the left.

 If there isn't a player that can use the number card it is placed in the TRASH PILE. 

 The player to the left then draws and play continues as before.

TO WIN A HAND:  The first player to have all of their card slots, 1-10 face up, wins the hand.

Play can continue WITHOUT ANY PLAYERS DRAWING, until no further plays can be made.

SECOND HAND:  Players retain face down cards on the table and turn in all cards that were face up. Those players that turned over ALL of their cards receive one less card than the previous hand

 (If the last hand was 10, this one is 9 and so on on until just 1 card is dealt)

CONTINUING PLAY:  Deal each player the number of cards needed, face down, in a row.

First player to go out the last hand is first player for current hand.

GOAL OF THE GAME: To be eligible to go onto the next step

 (from 10 to 9 cards. etc.) all cards must be face up.  

At the end of the hand, any remaining face down cards remain on the table and are counted toward the number of cards needed for the next hand.

Only those players with ALL of their cards face up can receive one less card.

Players with ANY cards left FACE DOWN will stay on the same step as the last hand.

(Example:  for the first hand 2 cards remained face down, turn in the 8 face up cards and receive 8 new cards to place face down with the original 2 making 10 cards face down for the second hand,

 while those who had all 10 cards face up receive only 9 cards )

 The first player to successfully reach 1 card, face up, is the winner.

HAVE FUN

The Revolving Door

When my children started graduating from high school and attending college I realized that I had a revolving door on at least one of my bedrooms.

It seems as if one or more of my kids were always coming or going.

Sometimes they would stay home for a summer, a semester or just Christmas break before they were off to explore the world again.

It was fun to have them come home and see how much they had grown and matured. I enjoyed having a full house, watching the whole group interact and laugh together.

This summer reminds me of those times.

I seem to have a revolving door that grand children are walking through this summer.

First one set of grandchildren stayed while their parents went off to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary.

Then another set stayed while their parents were off to Europe on a business trip.

When my daughter returned from Europe she brought her two nieces with her and now they are with us for a few weeks.

While the girls are visiting from Europe we decided we needed to have a cousins camp and invited Ella and Logan to join us for some girl fun. More about that in a future post.

Lately my house feels a bit like an accordion, stretching and maneuvering to accommodate the crew that shows up to sleep or eat. I never know if we will be having 2 or 15.

My grandma used to say that when there is heart room there will be house room, and I know she was right.

I seem to have a revolving door at my house right now and it makes me a happy grandma.

The Great Out of Doors

Last week was a lot of hard work, but so much fun as I cooked, chatted and got to know the young women from church and their leaders as we camped and worked together. I had fun baking outside in the most amazing contraptions in order to offer brownies (from a cardboard box), a layered birthday cake (dutch oven), whole wheat bread and cinnamon swirl bread (plastic bin wonder oven). To me it is an adventure to go off the beaten path and try to be self sufficient when the norm is not available.

While I was away lounging in my hammock my sweet husband attacked the side porch. We have been using it for a long while as a workshop, the saw has been set up and the wood stacked for a quick place to prepare the next home improvement project. It has been wonderful, but slowly the sawdust was taking over, and what with the summer settling in, we needed to evict some critters who were becoming too comfortable and needed to be reminded that people live in houses and critters in the woods.

It was nice to come home and see the finished project, not to mention a place to put all of the camping gear while the washer goes through it's regiment to clean it all up again. My sweetheart and a yellow jacket had a stinging run-in while visiting on the porch, and the new refrigerator went kapoot and had to be dealt with (why do things break down just after the warranty runs out?)but all in all a great deal was accomplished outside last week.

The day I cam home from camp I had a house full of little ones waiting for me here at the house. They will be with us for two weeks and we are having fun teaching them the adventures of being outside at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

We have been pulling weeds, planting flowers, strolling down the lane, playing slip and slide, swinging and having picnics, to their amazement, all outside. Cries of "it is hot" have been met with a quick shower from the hose and a tall glass of lemonade. We are learning together that there are a lot of fun things to do outside on a warm summer day. Winter is spent inside doing homework, summer sun calls for fun outside by the pool.

I have hung up the hammock and stocked the freezer with popsicles, it is time for summer relaxing.

What do you do when the days are long and warm?

Competition

We are visiting my son and his family.

We sat down to play a game with all of the children.

We chose Phase 10, a counting type card game.

In our allotted time we were able to do four rounds with the 6+ of us playing

One child burst into tears as the round ended before her turn

One child boasted of having reached the phase before the round even started

One child struggled to complete the 1st phase after 4 rounds

We wrote down where we were so when we found time to continue later in the week we would know where to start.

Poor grandpa will start next time trying to reach Phase 1-- AGAIN

Mama Kendra had some wise counsel for her children as we played, she said:

Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. Sometimes we are the best, sometimes we aren't. That is how life is, so dry your eyes and try again.

I have learned that as long as we keep playing in the game of life we are winning. It is when we decide to call it quits that we lose.

I am at phase 4 when we start again, I hope I get a good hand this time.

Treasures

I have had visiting grandchildren almost every weekend this last month. Sometimes it is fun to stay at home and watch a movie and go with grandma and grandpa's everyday style. But, sometimes it is fun to mix it up and do something different.

We decided to do the something different lately. We ventured to the flea market with a few grandchildren to see what we could see.

The children were amazed with the treasures that were to be discovered there.

We told each child that the goal of the day was to find the best deal for $1.

We looked and looked at do-dads and thing-a-ma-bobs. We pointed out items that were popular when grandma and grandpa were children, things their parents used to like to play with and items that my grandparents might have used on a daily basis.

We found good things to eat and plenty of sights to see. Some of the granddaughters found necklaces, a grandson found a special book, some fast miniature cars and cast iron figures were among the choices. Grandma found some vintage hats and white day gloves and Grandpa found some comfortable socks.

When we lived in Delaware we were tight on money and chose to go to the flea market for weekend entertainment quite often. We would each have a dollar and look for the best deal of the day. My husband once got a whole box of combs, we came home with a box of juice glasses, we combined our dollars one day and got a floor lamp. My best dollar buy was a pewter teapot.

I have plenty of furniture such as dressers and end tables that came to us from the flea market. Most needed some cleanup and a fresh coat of paint or paint remover to make it into the house, but the labor of love added to the few dollars to purchase made them ours. The best luck for furniture was when I was looking for a dresser. We were late getting to the market and I was sure all of the best deals were gone for the day, but, I found a nice dresser that would do well and it was just $35--oh, and by the way, the bed goes with it!! I like the way it looks in my guest room.

One time I needed a table with some drawers for our bathroom. It was a cozy space in our tiny bathroom and our money was limited. I said a prayer and was off to see what I could find. It was $5, painted orange and at one time had a twin and a mirror, but the dressing table console with two drawers would be the perfect fit after a bit of paint was removed. Later it served as a night table in the bedroom, now it sports a white coat of paint and stands proud in my sewing room holding specialty threads and do-dads.

I enjoyed going to the Rodium with my parents and grandparents when I was young. It was a drive-in theater at night that served as a swap meet during daylight hours on the weekend. It is still in operation as a swap meet almost everyday in Southern California. When I get out west to visit, my Aunt Zella and I still enjoy a walk around the Rodium looking for the best deal of the day. With her I have picked up dinner napkins. table cloths, sterling silver, glass jars that have turned blue, dishes like grandma used to have, fabric, lace and buttons.

You have heard the saying that one man's trash is another man's treasure. Well I have found quite a few treasures over the years lurking under dirt, grime and some ugly paint. Now I am enjoying showing my grandchildren the joy of the search for the perfect item at the perfect price, a treasure in the rough.

Maybe in all of the searching, the best treasure to be found, is a memory that will last a lifetime.

Summer

Now that I am a Grandma I love to go visit my grandchildren in their own homes sometime over the summer to watch them enjoy a summer day. Summer vacation is when you get to have your kids to yourself to enjoy unencumbered hours without the worry of bedtime and homework. Eventually, as the days wear on, the children relax and you start to see who they really are.

During the summer my children would have time to make up plays, we would do crafts and find plenty of time to explore the treasures of the kitchen as well as quiet reading time. We enjoyed finding a few tomatoes in the garden or a peach off of the tree to add to the dinner menu. Some summers we would go explore museums or pitch a tent and camp. When we lived close enough to the beach we would make that a destination for the day or week.

Now that my children are grown and married I love watching how they bring their childhood adventures to life for their children. They are offering their children wonderful opportunities and hours of fun on a warm, stress free summer day.

As I visit Michael's home I enjoy listening to Kendra read novels to her children like Little Women or Little House on the Prairie. Shawna's house is filled with markers, glue and glitter. Cara always seems to have something delicious coming from her kitchen and a backyard filled with hungry children to eat it. Teri and her children invite us to come to the pool and enjoy a cool and watery moment with them. Kevan and Brooke snuggle their new baby, giggling and laughing together at her coos and goos. Brian and Cheri enjoy firing up the grill to make a delicious dinner to share.

Summer is the time to relax and slow down. It is the time to enjoy watching the grass and children grow. It is a wonderful time to read a book and cool off by the side of the pool. I hope you are able to take a few moments and enjoy a summer moment with someone you love.

Outlook

My husband and I are facing life changing decisions.

The truth is that there are a number of children who call me grandma, and I love it.

With that title comes change. Slow at first, then all of a sudden it is like a steaming train quickly chugging down the track.

The calendar is counting down birthdays that have double digit numbers that add together near the number 100, sometimes more than 100, and 100 is the magic number that says you get to stay home and be a full time grandparent instead of going to work every day.

We are finding that going to work every day is getting in the way of our life.

We are finding that going to work every day to earn money to keep us going is not necessarily the only way to keep money coming into the household at this point.

For years we have tried to save for our old age, and as we look in the mirror we are starting to notice that our old age might be showing up.

So many questions--have we saved enough??

Will we have activities to fill our days??

Do we have the mental and physical capacity to keep going to work??

The thoughts are exciting and frightening at the same time.

So many changes on the horizon to become debt free and self sufficient.

We have been reminded that sometimes you have to take a giant leap of faith in reaching a goal, that two little jumps just will not take you across a large chasm.

On the other side of the chasm I see 16 little ones waiting with open arms to receive more of our time.

A giant leap of faith. Need to get all of my ducks and dollars all in a row.

Keeping Up

I am lucky to be able to be in Indiana with a few of my grandchildren. Today is my first day in charge and I am glad the kids are good helpers.

Oops #1--Woke up late after a short night and almost missed the bus

Oops #2--Got lost taking Brody to preschool

Oops #3--Got lost picking Brody up from preschool

Oops #4--Let Brody take a book to bed when he laid down for his nap and he forgot to go to sleep

Oops #5--Dallin had fractions for homework and I knew he was doing the math wrong, but needed to go into the other room with a pencil and paper to work a simple problem to figure it out

Oops #6--After homework was finished started to breathe a sigh of relief for the afternoon to calm down when Dallin reminded me he had soccer practice this evening

All this and the parents have only been gone for 12 hours--I am doing great.

Not to worry:

• Dallin's alarm works and he is very responsible so we made the bus.
  
• I know my way around town better after a tour of the city on the way to and from preschool.
• I was awarded a few minutes of snuggle and rocking time with a 4 year old angel who was able to relax and take a little nap.
• Dallin's homework is complete and correct.
• Dinner is in the oven and we will be ready to go in an hour.

Disaster sidetracked--All is well

Labor Day

Labor Day in our household has been just that over the years--a day to labor.

For the last 8 years it was crunch time-get ready for pre school to start. Moving furniture, playground clean up, toy sanitizing, getting our selves ready for the invasion of twelve to twenty 3&4 year olds.

This year we went through the same work but for a different purpose. The pre school did not start at my house this year. All is quiet today in my home, no tears, squeals or jumping little feet.

The clean up was after a summer of visiting little grandchildren. We moved the bed out of my sewing room that served as a make shift bedroom. We washed sticky handprints off of the toys from a summer of entertainment. I put the lid back on the sand box and put the little pool away for the season.

All is quiet in my home today. I am at home for a change, no road trip needed this week, baby and mama are doing well. My house is still and tidy. My calendar is all of a sudden open after a very full year.

It was Labor Day a year ago that Shawna and her family arrived for the birth of her new baby. It has been quite the year. A year of babies. Sweet joy for this busy grandma.

Yes, my house is quiet and clean today. I will take a few days to put myself together and make a plan for all of the things I have not done this last year. I will keep the toys ready for when the little ones show up again. I will mix up some cookies to have ready. I will plan for the holidays.

Today my house is quiet. I will enjoy the stillness.

Soon little ones and their parents will come to visit. I will be prepared. I will enjoy.

Pre school started without me this year. I have a new job.

I am a full time grandma.

REWARDS

My grandson paid me a back door compliment the other day.

He told me "Grandma, I sure like you a whole lot better at your house!!"

His mother clarifies the statement meaning that he misses living close enough to come over more often. But as I thought about what he said, he was right,. I like to be the fun grandma.

I did the responsible thing when my kids were young. They ate their vegetables, were encouraged to finish their homework. Please and thank you were common reminders out of my mouth. Bedtime was a routine and a schedule for practicing was set. I did those tasks with my children so they would be healthy, happy and respectful.

Now I am the grandma. If the kids do not want to eat all of their vegetables at grandma's house it is still okay to have ice cream for dessert. If the bell tolls 9pm and we are still awake watching a movie or reading a book it is not panic time. That is my reward for surviving the teenage years with my own children.

Holiday Cheer

When I was a young mother I had a poem posted on my wall. It said:

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow,
But, babies grow up, we've learned to our sorrow.
So, quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

Does that same thought process work with grandbabies?? Lately I have felt like a college student. I have spent the weekdays with my daughter in Charlotte helping take care of her and her household. On Friday afternoon or Saturday morning I would drive the 3 hours home. I would do the laundry, eat some food, visit with my "boyfriend" then head back to Charlotte again on Sunday night or Monday morning.

My daughter is finally feeling a little bit better--not 100% yet, but good enough that I stayed home this week. I look around my house and am overwhelmed by the mountain of work to do. I realized after looking in the laundry room and finding the Christmas wreaths sitting there that I have been gone since Christmas--January 8th is when Cara and her honey were leaving for a long awaited trip and I assumed leadership of the 2 munchkins. I have either had her children at my house, her house, or my foot up in the air for 4 months now--hence Christmas decos that still need attention. If I leave them out maybe I can get a jump start on this years holiday joy.

I think it is time to find that poem again and post it on the front door as a warning to all who enter. Grandbabies seem to grow up faster than my own sweet little ones did and when I am given the opportunity to rock and love them, I know to take it.

In the meantime, I've got a jump start on this next years holiday cheer!!

Denim--Like a Jean

Today we are celebrating Denim Jeffrey Tate's first birthday. He is Teri and Jeff's son, born last spring after a rough pregnancy. Teri was in and out of the hospital. She was so sick and the doctors never were able to figure out what the problem was--maybe heavy metal poisoning?? How and why we do not know, but baby and mother are both fine now.

In fact, Denim is so fine he is in the 90th percentile for height, but less than the 50th percentile for weight. That may be due to the fact that the little guy has been walking for over 4 months. Sometimes it is hard to remember that he is just a baby only just having his first birthday. He babbles and talks, retrieves items he is asked to bring and overall acts like he is having his second birthday.

When the older children were asked about their new baby before he was born, Cooper kept insisting that his name be called DJ (when I asked why, Cooper told me it was after a character in the Cars Movie). Cooper was so insistent that you will notice Denim's initials are DJ.

Denim is such a happy little guy. One of his favorite things to do is dance on the table after Sunday dinner. He smiles and laughs and never seems to get upset.

My mom says that I walked at about 7 months as well--maybe he takes after me!!

A TRIP WORTH TAKING

Yesterday I drove from Cary to Charlotte.

After a few trips down I-85 fighting the traffic for over 3 hours we knew we needed to find a new way to go if we were to ever visit our daughter and her family again after they moved.

Now we take the scenic route--down the road less traveled. There are a few stop signs, and for a stretch, just one lane in each direction, but boy, the sights are wonderful. The pace is slower, yet the outcome is less than a 3 hour drive. Win/Win

As we go along there are beautiful homes that we pass in Rockingham and Monroe. Large gorgeous homes that make you think of what life was like when these now sleepy towns were wide awake.

I grew up in a house that was 100 years old. It had 6 bedrooms and 3 baths as well as 12 layers of wallpaper that needed to be stripped off. There were the 4 kids with mom and dad and lots of fun memories that lived in that house. It was located in the sleepy town of Yucaipa, California. There were 4 stop signs up the boulevard. It was a wonderful place to grow up.

I guess part of the draw to drive down the road less traveled is the opportunity to think and remember what life was like when I was young.

Yet....

I truly enjoy living my life today. I love the wonderful town I live in. I love the twists and turns my life has taken, some have been difficult road blocks to get around, but still--LIFE is GOOD. I think the opportunity to be a wife, mother and grandmother as well as the daughter and sister I always was has stretched and enriched me.

I like taking the road less traveled with it's slow pace and breath taking views. Some would think it boring, I find it inspiring. The best part of the drive is the sweet smiles, excited laughter and hugs from the grand kids.

I have discovered that no matter whether the drive is 7 miles or 12 hours--

Grandchildren are a destination worth driving toward.