Hi! Winnie Griggs here.
Lacy Williams’ post last week about Summer Fun brought to mind a tradition I started with my own kids when they were still quite young. I have four children and I worked a day job so they grew up in day care. Early on I wanted to find a fun way to connect with them on an individual basis, and thus the idea of a ‘special day’ was born. Every summer I would take a day of vacation from work for each child and allow the child whose day it was to set the itinerary for the day. The only rules were that it couldn’t involve a drive of more than 30 miles and it couldn’t be too expensive (the definition of too expensive was discretionary though).
The kids loved it and as the years passed grew somewhat competitive over who among them could come up with the most ‘fun’ list of activities. When they were very young the list included things like parks, amusement parks, ice cream stands and swimming. Later it expanded to include putt-putt golf, arcades and the riverfront. And during their teenage years, movies and shopping made up a large chunk of the allotted time.
I have lots of cherished memories of the times we spent together on those ‘special days’. And even today - my kids now range in age from 27 to 31 - we allocate a special day to get together each summer.
So what about you - are there any special memories you have of one on one time you spent either with your own parents or with your children?
AND, in honor of this being the release month for my book The Bride Next Door, I’m going to give away a copy to one person who leave a comment on this post today.
After years of wandering, Daisy Johnson hopes to settle in Turnabout, Texas, open a restaurant, perhaps find a husband. Of course, she'd envisioned a man who actually likes her. Not someone who offers a marriage of convenience to avoid scandal.
Turnabout is just a temporary stop for newspaper reporter Everett Fulton. Thanks to one pesky connecting door and a local gossip, he's suddenly married, but his dreams of leaving haven't changed. What Daisy wants - home, family, tenderness - he can't provide. Yet big-city plans are starting to pale beside small-town warmth...
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During the school year my husband will surprise each of the kids once and take them out of school. Take them to a movie or lunch. It's their special 'dad' outing.
ReplyDeleteMy dad used to take me out to breakfast, just me and him and nobody else. Those memories are still special to me. :-)
ReplyDeleteMy mom is an RN and during the summer she'd take Thursday of each week and we'd go to a movie or the zoo, then afterward we'd do lunch. It was a great memory.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was little, my grandparents invited each of us grandkids over for a special weekend of our own. We got to sleep in, pick what we wanted to eat, and play games or color with grandma. I treasure those memories.
ReplyDeleteIn my teen years, my parents took each of us on a short vacation with them. During my trip, I remember realizing that my parents were people too, LOL!
Winnie, you have created such great memories. Your new book sounds fantastic. Congratulations!
Winnie, what a great idea! I take my kids one on one to eat or movie or a hike.
ReplyDeleteSherri and Naomi - Dad memories are special too. While my hubby didn't do a special outing with the kids, they all have fond memories of riding on the tractor with daddy and going fishing in the pond with im - both activities Mom was not very fond of :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I was young, once a year my aunt would take me downtown on the city bus. It was my day. I remember seeing Peter Pan in the theator! Then, we'd go to where my uncle worked (the railroad) and he'd take us home.
ReplyDeleteMy son's an only so every day is a one on one day. He needs more one on one with dad LOL
When Dad was alive before he had his stroke each summer we had holidays just after christmas and we would go to Mums home town Horsham and then to my cousins. We would always do a day trip somewhere. I can remember going to Halls Gap which is in the Grampians (Mountains) we were going to a few places mum and dad had been to camps. It was just after new year and some yahoos had changed some of the signs so they pointed the wrong way and we kinda got misplaced! It was fun cos we finally found the places and it was a fun time. I remember we had ice cream also.
ReplyDeleteafter I was 8 things changed but I know mum would let us cook cookies with her and those were special memories.
Winnie some of my best memories of dad are when I got to ride the tractor with him. the old type where you stand on the side running board. Also riding with him with his horse Tango. I think it was just having one on one time with him.
ReplyDeleteLeann, what a special woman your mother must have been.
ReplyDeleteChristine how cool that your grandparents gave you not a special day but a special weekend!
Jenny - LOL getting lost can be lots of fun as well cause you can discover unexpected treasures. I remember some of those type road trips as well.
ReplyDeleteNot with my kids, but with my granddaughter. Since she was small, we have gone out to lunch for her birthday, followed by a trip to the bookstore to buy a book.
ReplyDeleteWinnie, Did you know that Sarah Edwards, Jonathan Edwards' mother (he was a famous preacher pre-Revolution) gave each of her children 1 exclusive hour a week.
ReplyDeleteAND SHE HAD TWENTY CHILDREN!!!!