Summer, for small people

 The kids have been having a classic, magic kid summer, and it's a tonic to my heart to observe it.

It's a tonic I've needed, as this past week in Rochester has had a soberness to it. On July 16, the kids had been able to join Leah & Matthew and their kids, and my uncle at the home where my maternal grandparents have been living. My grandfather, Ben Cornell, had been poorly for some time. We sang to him and talked to him and let him know we were here, though he wasn't conscious. We talked gently to Grandma. That afternoon, back at my Dad's house, I had one of those fluttery, heartsore afternoons rummaging through a box of my mom's old things, trying on her rings, seeing her handwriting. It was good for me, but tiring, inside. I was glad to have a box of my old dolls and toys to set before the kids.

The next morning, July 17, Leah called to let me know that Grandpa had died in the night. We arranged a lunch at my uncle's house and I got off the phone and decided we needed to get outside. So, we spent the morning at Lollypop Farm, a wonderful local animal shelter with pets and barn animals to see.

They nearly doubled over laughing when they saw this guy. 

All afternoon, while the adults talked and comforted one another, the little cousins ran wild over the lawn and played hilarious games of their own invention. As many times as I've found it extra difficult to deal with something hard because of the kids, so many times have I found my heart lightened and my hands blessed with good things to do.

We spent a couple of nights at Leah's house in the South Wedge.

Bed time was... slightly more complicated, I'll grant. But the kids had twice the laughs. 

 Jon pulled into Leah & Matthew's driveway late Thursday night, to my great singing relief! He'd been gone almost a week, for my second solo-parenting week of the summer. Phew!

We'd planned to go to Seabreeze, the local amusement park (right on the shore of Lake Ontario!), before we knew we were going to lose Grandpa. And it was decided that Grandpa would just love for his great grandkids to go ahead and smile anyway. Leah made three adults to four kids; an excellent ratio!

Behold, the summer enjoyment of children:

 Three adults meant we could split up any way we liked. Little kids and big kids, kids and two adults, and sometimes, Adele and one chaperon (the shortest among us and thus qualified to ride the fewest rides) and everyone else.

 Don't pity her excessively. She got almost as many rides on the kiddy cars as she could have wished, as a result of her little height.

 The kiddy rides are perfectly positioned in the middle of the park, all together (and right near the bathrooms!!). This meant that Jon and I, Leah and I and Jon and Leah could go running off several times to ride rollercoasters while the kids gleefully took yet another turn and another on their favorite kiddo rides.

I loved when all four of them could fit in one cart. 

Scarlet O'Hara? Anyone?

 Adele probably had six rides on the classic Seabreeze Carousel, which turns 135 this year! (125 in 2004).

 I loved walking around the inside, looking at the vintage pictures of Seabreeze history (many of which can be seen here). Did you know it's the 4th oldest operating amusement park in the nation? I didn't!

The Wurlitzer is still crashing away in 3/4 time.

 She doesn't care when it opened; she was just thrilled it went "round and round AND up and down!!"

A coaster Jon & I rode, Ontario behind. 

If you don't like pictures of tiny kids on tiny rides, probably this hasn't been the post for you.

 Cousin Abby and Miles resumed their fast friendship immediately, and Abby did a lot to make Miles more brave and open-minded, from trying foods to enjoying the Bear Tracks Coaster much more when he rode next to her!

Miles and Abby, grinning, front row. 

I used to pity my parents that they had to spent so much time watching us do things. I just had no idea how much they were enjoying just watching, how much they may sometimes have needed to hear kids laugh.

I'm just so grateful.