I remember in the evenings we would play hide-n-go seek until after dark. We played dodge ball and football in the street after school as well as an occasional game of baseball or woofle ball. We rode bikes, went to each other's houses, and ran through sprinklers and all the fun things of youth.
But one thing we never did, at least at our house, was draw with chalk all over the sidewalks. We could do it at other houses, but not at ours! My father, who is a wonderful father and grandfater, is Dutch and a meticulous gardener. He always had our yard looking great. He would even plant rye grass so we could have green grass in the Winter! He just always liked things to look neat and tidy. So, he did not like the sidewalks covered in chalk, it was just one of those things that bothered him; sort of like finger nails on the chalk board. He was a wonderful father and let us get away with lots of things he just didn't want chalk all over the sidewalk.
So of course, it was much to my dismay and surprise, when I returned from the Divine Mercy Novena on Easter Sunday that I would arrive to this:
And this:
And this:
And this:
And this:
There was not one stretch of sidewalk in front of the house that was not covered with writing, drawings, hop scotches and the likes. Two of the culprits were still in the act! The funniest thing is that the father that raised me, aka "Papa" was sitting in the front yard with the fathers of these children and watched it happen! He had no problem with them doing this it at all! What happened in the few years (ha ha) since my youth that has brought about this change? Maybe it is called becoming a Grandparent twelve times, soon to be thirteen, that mellowed him.
And this:
And this:
There was not one stretch of sidewalk in front of the house that was not covered with writing, drawings, hop scotches and the likes. Two of the culprits were still in the act! The funniest thing is that the father that raised me, aka "Papa" was sitting in the front yard with the fathers of these children and watched it happen! He had no problem with them doing this it at all! What happened in the few years (ha ha) since my youth that has brought about this change? Maybe it is called becoming a Grandparent twelve times, soon to be thirteen, that mellowed him.I will say that he had my nephew wash the sidewalk off the next morning, so all was new again!
3 comments:
I know what I'm doing the next time I go over his house. It's funny how we all relax a little with age and it's a good thing.
I was wondering how long he would let that chalk last. I also remember the consequences of leaving bikes, skateboards, skates and jump ropes out. Not a good thing. We should test that next time we're all over :)
Your next topic should be sleeping in on Saturday. He really is the best of the best but there was some Dutch code we were all subject too. It must diminish with years. It taught us well.
...and don't forget the sunflower seeds. No sunflower seed shells anywhere to be found in our yard. Now, he even allows sunflower seeds! When he went to my daughter's softball game, he bought us all a pack. ????? I guess after all our pleas as children he has finally given in. But...there are still no sunflower seed shells in the yard! Your nephew is learning the Dutch code!
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