The social director

Adell and Emma

For the past two-and-a-half months I've taken on a new career.
I've been working kind of as a volunteer social director, planning activities and fun for a senior citizen and four underage children.
It's been a challenge and I'm happy to say my stint appears to be over — at least for now.
My dad, who required a lunch option and/or a Scrabble game and maybe a drive up the canyon, has moved in and moved on with his wife in the Legacy Retirement Center. His needs were simple albeit time-consuming.
The children — two of my son's and two of my daughter's — required a little more in the way of entertainment and maintenance.

Hannah

My son and his wife went to Washington D.C. via Orlando, Florida (can't get that close to Harry Potter World and not visit!) for five days. They had asked me to watch Emma, their 5-year-old and Erica, their  18-month-old and, in a moment of weakness, I said OK.
My youngest daughter had a baby so I threw in her two so she could recover. Adell is also 5 and Hannah is 2.
It made for a merry mob as we trucked around finding fun.
We hit Kangaroo Zoo which worked great because no one could easily escape and everything there is pretty soft when it comes to hard landings.
We fed "Chocolate" the horse who lives across the street. He quickly learned to recognize that little girls on his fence meant apples and carrots were being offered.
We visited Aunt Kristy who has a playroom stocked with all the toys her four kids have amassed over the last decade.

Erica

We went to Storytime at the library and I only lost one child for a little while.
We  crossed busy roads without incident and we had picnics without injury.
We dug for buried treasure in the sandbox and shopped at Wal-Mart for diapers and Party Animals.
We watched a few cartoons and the endless "Thumbelina" DVD endlessly.
Most of the time it was just me and them. Marc was at work and happy to be there.
We built forts and did puzzles and colored and read stories and put on a concert. We did it all.
It's been wild and wonderful and exhausting.
I'm so glad their mothers have them most of the time.