Somehow Hayden and I had a little conversation before leaving for the nursing home about Mimi and that she couldn't remember things. I told him she had Alzheimer's and it just takes away her memory so she could remember how to get in and out of cars. That was why we needed to visit her at the nursing home now. He seemed to understand and it was just sweet to watch him explain to Mimi about sharks.
Papa joined us and it was great fun. The residents and staff at the nursing home love having kids come. Hayden let me introduce him to the ladies and men's table where he shared some of his shark knowledge with them. Bailey grabbed Papa's finger and had him take her for a peek at the physical therapy room. Afterward, Claude took the kids and Andie and me to Subway for a bite to eat. Then it was time to head back to Sadieville for quiet time.
Tuesday would be departure day for the Marx family. But we wanted to have one more outing. Evan's Orchard (they raise all kinds of varieties of apples that you can pick or purchase in their store) has a fall festival each year. They have tons of activities for kids. These can even be enjoyed during the day. So off to Evan's Orchard for a playtime before heading back to LaGrange.
Now, located in the center near the back portion of the playground is a 2-story slide. There are actually 2 shorter slide that come off the 1st level. Andie and Bailey grabbed a burlap sack and headed to the top and Hayden and I waited to take a picture. The top left slide is Andie with Bailey on her lap. Then Hayden and I headed up the slide and Andie took a picture. It was great fun. Hayden was addicted. He asked me later how many times we went down the slide. I told him I didn't know but I was sure it was at least 20 times. After a long while of climbing 2 flights of stairs and getting myself settled at the top and my purse beside me then adding Hayden on my lap and bumping down this plastic tubing that the slide is made of, I looked at Hayden and said, "I don't think I'll need to do my treadmill after all this exercise sliding." After several more times down the slide I tried to suggest to Hayden that we might want to try something else. Those intelligent little eyes with that little brain working 90 mph looked at me and in a most sincere manner said, "I don't want you to have to walk your treadmill Ma so we'll go downt he slide some more." There is NO arguing with that logic. In fact, I would have to admit that I laid the groundwork for the reasoning. After many more trips down this slide, Hayden and I once again made it to the 2nd set of stairs going to the top and with the most huge grin he could make and then a hug of my arm and hand he said, "This is the most fun I've had all year!" Well worth the price of admission.
One little boy was walking in front of us one time. He was a little round, not fat, just made huggable. His right shoe was untied and the long strings were almost stepped on by several people including himself. As we approached the 2nd flight of stairs I said to him, "You might want to tie that shoe so you don't trip." He just stood there and looked at that shoe. Then he looked up at me again. I said, "Do you know how to tie your shoes?" He shook his head 'no'. I sat down on the steps and had him bring his foot up to my level and I tied that shoe in a double knot. He was one happy little guy. When we got in line at the top he was behind us. He looked up at me again and grinned and said, "What is your name?" I said, "Sandi." Then he thought for a while and said, "How old are you?" I said, "I'm 59 years old." Suddenly him and all his classmates looked at me and went, "Whooaaa!!" I got a huge chuckle out of it.
During all this sliding Bailey was keeping Andie quite busy in her own right. She played for the longest time on the tires ehy have buried in the ground part way in a maze type set up. Then, at some point, she noticed a hill right by it. From the top of the slide Hayden and I looked down to find Bailey at the top of this hill and Andie looking up from the bottom. Then Andie got one of the ropes and tried to teach Bailey about using your arms and the rope to pull yourself up the hill and then let yourself down. That Bailey does like to climb up, over and around things.
Later that afternoon we turned and saw a kid with one of the kid size tractors tied to one of the ropes at the top of the hill getting ready to try and come down. His mom heard other moms calling him and she rad and got the tractor off the hill and the little boy.
We headed to the little patio area to get a hot dog for Hayden & Bailey and take a quick break. There were lots of bees to contend with. They had a display shed between the apple orchard and the playground to see how bees live. I'm sure the bees were coming from there and were to help pollinate the apples. But they are a nuisance when you are eating.
The other nuisance was this enormous dog. He was a beautiful dog. Bailey had her hot dog in the bun trying to eat them together. The hot dog fell out of the bun to the ground, the dog grabbed it, Hayden yelled at the dog, Bailey kept on eating the bun like nothing was amiss. Then this nice elderly lady came over and told us what bad dogs these new ones were. It turns out she must be Miss Evans. She offered to get Bailey another hot dog but we declined. She had a little chat with us about the old dog that was originally there and must have passed away not long ago.
After eating, Andie took Hayden into the gift shop to check it out. Bailey and I stayed outside so she could finish her chips!! Then we looked at the goats, and the rabbits, and ended up at what is to be the ticket booth for the playground. Miss Bailey pretended to be the ticket lady.
Andie was able to get Bailey to stand in it and walk while Andie pushed the wheel.
Then Hayden pushed Bailey in his wheel for a bit. Then Hayden got in the wheel with Bailey and walked while Bailey tried to sit up as he rolled them along.
I wish I lived closer !!!! What total fun !!!!
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