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Grandchildren add spice to life

My husband and I kept three grandchildren for two nights during the holidays. It was quite a change from being just the two of us with a relaxed lifestyle.

Their stay reminded us of the mental and physical energy required in raising children.

The two brothers, ages eight and seven, kept themselves pretty well occupied, playing ping pong, watching TV, playing computer games, and shooting basketballs.

Their four-year-old sister was another matter. I pushed her on the swing, gave her a wagon ride, and enjoyed a tea party with her.

That evening, she said to my husband, "Grandpa, will you chase me?"

Of course, my gracious husband couldn't resist her request. He played with her for a while. Then, as he wore down, he found a way to distract her into another activity.

A 9 p.m. I was feeling weary, but the little girl wasn't the least bit tired. She stripped down to her panties, climbed on the coffee table, and began to demonstrate exercises she had learned at pre-school.

"Can you do this, Grandma?" she asked, as she swung her arms in all directions. "See, I am making air."

Pretty soon she had me involved, and when we finally stopped, I suddenly realized I wasn't tired. It took another hour to settle down for the night.

Those grandchildren added a lot of spice to our life, but after another full day of activity, it was good to be able to send them home and settle down once more to a simpler life.

— ROWENA PLETT

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