Grandmama Camp & Cheese Island

Grandmama Camp had a successful Day 1...complete with French Toast Breakfast, morning baseball game, sandbox, swings, Cheese Island(will explain later), planted sunflowers & zinnia in the garden, and most importantly...Aunt LaLa (Anna Laura) brought prizes of whoopee cushions and "Flarp".

Yes folks, body function noises always rate high on the list of any little boy and my grandsons are no exception. Emma Grace needed some instruction in the nuances of the "body function extravaganza" but to her credit was an extremely quick study. Flarp is a new product to me but extremely effective in imitating sounds heard only after eating bad mexican food. If I have laughed louder or harder in the last week, I don't remember it. In fact neighbors up the road could hear us laughing outside in our back yard.

Today was Anna Laura's 26th birthday and she just HAD to come home and see her mama even though her Birthday dinner is officially planned for Thursday evening. Having Anna Laura was definitely a great decision after everyone thought PaPaw & I were crazy for having a 3rd child when we already had 1 boy & 1 girl. God knew we weren't complete without her. Our whole family adores Anna Laura because she brings so much joy & laughter to all of us!

Now back to Cheese Island...What is it?? Growing up did you ever have a special clubhouse, fort, hide-out, tent, or secret place only you and invited guests could occupy?? Therein lies the purpose of Cheese Island. Located in the woods, next to a creek, between our barnyard and house, complete with rescued yard items suitable for a homeless shelter, sits Cheese Island...randomly named for the snack food snitched from Grandmama's pantry to fortify the troops. One afternoon, I asked the name of their hide-out. Desperately searching for an answer, one grandchild pulled "Cheese Island" out of their buttocks after having furtively glanced at the food of choice being served up on an old nasty log. From that day forward, Cheese Island has represented long ago times, far away as well as not so far away places, and make believe worlds full of Princesses, Kings, Crocodile wrestlers, frog catchers, crawdad hunters, Space travelers, Jedi Knights, Star Wars, Cops, bad guys, good guys/gals, and survivors tested by the toughest challenges nature can provide. To the untrained eye, Cheese Island may look like an eyesore of mud, old logs, warped yard furniture, and assorted items rescued from Papaw's "junk"; but in reality, any Grandmama worth her salt, recognizes Cheese Island for a true masterpiece of architectural genius.
Cheese Island will live on in the childhood memories of 5 precious children long after the wood has rotted and the area reclaimed by nature. For now, this Grandmama will sit in the wings and watch the drama played out on the stage known as "Cheese Island".

Grandmama Camp Day 2...Stay Tuned