Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

The View from Wendy's World: Everything I needed to know.....

I spent a long weekend plus a

couple of extra days with grandkids.

It occurred to me that we

educate them on many fronts

and somewhere along the way

they forget things they just

know as kids. Ive included here

some things kids know that we

as adults have forgotten.

Adaptability.

Ruby: Pretend Im the

princess in this castle.

Jay: And Im an alien.

Chris: And were all poor.

Ruby: And so I come and

clean up for you.

Me: But youre a princess.

Pincesses dont have to clean

up.

Ruby: But Im a poor

princess. Didnt you hear Chris?

Duh

Some things just are what

they seem.

Jay: And then you see a big

huge egg on the island.

Me (Knowing I shouldnt

have interjected but unable to

keep my mouth shut): And what

was it?

Jay: A big huge egg.

Duh.

Your friends can do their

own thing and still be your

friends.

Ruby: Im going out with my

friends.

Chris: And Im going to help

Jay kill the monsters.

Ruby: And then you all came

to my house for dinner.

Jay: Okay.

Ruby: And then we watched

a movie.

Chris: Weve got to kill more

creatures first, then well come

back.

And even when Jays robot

accidentally shot Rubys

teapot, she forgave him and he

returned later to save her from

alien life forms.

Finding the right answer

doesnt have to be a big

ordeal.

Jay: How much is infinity

plus infinity?

Me (Not wanting to admit

that theres something I dont

know): Ummm

Jay: Two-finity!

Duh.

Friends are always willing

to wait for you.

Ruby (In the midst of a rather

complicated game in which

Polly Pocket and some evil

character with a name I cant

pronounce are preparing to

board a boat made of a picnic

basket): I have to get a drink,

guys. Pause!

And they did.

Play as long as theyll let

you.

We were driving down a path

on the go-cart, one kid strapped

in the passenger seat and one

rather awkwardly strapped in

my lap so that I could (wisely)

be the one to operate the gas and

brake in case our driver sent us

reeling up a ditch bank.

When it happened, I corrected

and we proceeded but then I

realized the problem - Jay, who

had played as only a seven year

old boy can play, was literally

falling asleep at the wheel. He

soon found a huge mud hole to

drive through and the refreshing

spray woke him up so he could

play some more.

I wasnt the only one who

learned something. My granddaughter

- the only girl in the

mix - loves the ride the go-cart

but wasnt certain about getting

muddy on purpose. She later

confided in me that she thought

it was fun and cant wait to do it

again.

Me neither.