We had a visit from grandson, N, the other day. Since COVID, N and his sister, E, do virtual school and his Dad works from home. His Mom is a stay-at-home mother. They live about 15 minutes from us, comprising our pandemic "bubble."
N will be turning 9 soon. He is a lonely little boy, as are many other little boys in these plague ridden times. When he comes to visit he expects us to play, so we play.
Yesterday, we played pirates. We all loaded up with "loot" from inside the house and grabbed our weapons, weapons being Viking swords, and a sun bleached plastic baseball bat. There's even a plastic shillelagh from one of Tom's old Halloween costumes (Ogre). We have excellent pirate weapons.
Then we each claimed our pirate kingdoms in various parts of the yard. The fun involved raids, theft, the absolute glee of pillaging the other's loot.
I am the worst pirate, I'm afraid. I AM crafty and ruthless; however, I have a hard time running or even moving fast since my knee injury. I'm about 95% recovered, but I doubt it will ever be better than that. Still, I'm happy to be able to move. I'm happy to pretend I'm a 9 year-old pirate. And, dontcha know, I can pillage with the best of them! Arrgh!
Yes, it is difficult for the children when they cannot play with friends. My 5-year-old grandson will visit and he always pleads, "Can you play with me, Grandma?" Of course! I am using my old Hotwheel car racing skills and learning Monster Truck ramp building! So glad I saved all the old toys that my boys used!
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to hear you saved those old toys, too! Nice.
DeleteAvast ye mateys. Stow all that plunder until the next time that 9 year old pirate finds his way to your waters. It sounds like a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteIt was fun. But I tire more easily than he and his Grandpa do.
DeleteYou are a champion!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda!
DeleteSo far so good, but now show us the loot.
ReplyDeleteThere was SO much loot. It ranged from a Harry Potter tote bag stuffed with stuffed animals, to a small flashlight, a plastic bag filled with seed packets, balls of various sizes, pool and bathtub toys, a candle snuffer, a snow globe, small hand spinner, a painted birdhouse, and the like. It was very good loot. N wanted to grab my cell phone, but even a Pirate Grandma has to draw the line somewhere.
DeleteYou are such a good pirate grandma, a true role model of good fun and pillaging. Arrgh!
ReplyDeleteLife is good.
DeleteI want to come play in your yard, Colette. sounded like such fun.
ReplyDeleteIt was great fun. Grandchildren are a joy.
DeleteSounds like jolly good fun. Long may it last.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, please.
DeleteThank goodness your livelihood doesn't depend on REAL pillaging! Kudos to you for spending this time with your grandkids. My grandmother would never have dreamed of playing pirates with us. She was way too dignified for that!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I would prefer not playing pirates. But for the last 10 months we are the only playmates he has. So we do what we must. We also play hide-and-go-seek, and tag.
DeleteThere's always room for a new pillaging game. Mine, still in the development stage, is called Trump Ahoy! The lead character is given four years to start wars with other galleons, rob his shipmates blind, force others to walk the plank, desecrate a tropical paradise and violate anyone handsomer than he is (in effect: the rest of the Caribbean). I've had had several of the vilest businessmen I know test-play the game under scrutiny; one guy from the Eastern Seaboard was going great guns but became consumed in a fit of pique and kicked over the board. Instant disqualification. He's gone off in a huff (always his favourite mode of transportation) and is designing his own game, Fraud and Bankruptcy.
ReplyDeleteNice!
DeleteSome vicious looking weapons there. I'm glad none of the pirates had to use them to intimidate their victims!
ReplyDeleteWe did, indeed! There was much swordplay.
DeleteIndeed that is an Excellent cache of Pirate Weapons, Aaaargh! If I had some wee Pirates pillaging perhaps my downsizing would be going better...
ReplyDeleteThey would happily take your loot and run withit.
DeleteIn Florida, it is good to be a Buccaneer this year.
ReplyDeleteOh gee, I hadn't thought of that. Too funny.
DeleteSo sad for little ones...I facetime and teach mine daily...haven't seen little boys in FLorida-almost two years...will be moving there soon...trip was schedule early on in Covid...had to cancel...haven't seen grands here in person since August when we could see outside...isolation is ok for the elderly but those kids...I also teacher others on Facetime, and they all seem to have a difficult time. They are keeping Nana safe..;.prayers
ReplyDeleteMy heart aches for you and all the grandparents who can't see their grandchildren. We have a little great granddaughter we haven't seen in a year.
DeleteP.S. This has been so so so difficult as I usually go to grandsons four times a year at least...and see those here weekly...I moved here to home school three years ago...time to go be with others now...Tears flow, but I know what we are doing is helping...prayers
ReplyDeleteIt's good that your grandkids are in your bubble. My ex was telling me that he and his wife just meet briefly, masked and outdoors, with their young grandkids. It sounds hard.
ReplyDelete