Roots in Ripon
Chuck Roots
17 April 2017
It has been a while since I
wrote about my grandkids. They are growing like weeds and bring more joy and
happiness to my wife and me every day. Having spent many years in the military
moving from base to base around the world, we are very aware that many families
do not enjoy the blessing of having grandchildren close by.
For us, nine-year-old Alyssa
lives three miles away, and nine-year-old Brooklyne and five-year-old Colson
live twenty-five miles away. We couldn’t be happier being so close and so
involved in their lives.
Thursday Isaura was doing
her weekly stint of taking care of Brook and Colson. She usually does this on
Fridays, looking after Colson during the day (he begins school this fall), and
then picking up his sister from school in the afternoon. As for Alyssa, either
Isaura or I pick her up Monday-Thursday since she attends school less than two
miles from our home.
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| Author Chuck Roots |
As expected the kids were
wound up pretty tight since they were spending the night at Meema and
Granddaddy’s! Thursday evening, we watched a Veggie Tales DVD about Easter,
then it was off to bed. They love to sleep in the loft (a.k.a., my Man Cave).
The girls share the blow-up mattress, and Colson gets the hide-a-bed. As I
often do, I read to them. I chose “Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims,” one of
the Rush Revere Series written about American history by Rush Limbaugh. I read
two chapters before they all finally drifted off to dreamland.
I’m up early on Fridays to join my golfing
buddies for a round at Spring Creek, so when I came home later in the morning I
found Meema elbow-deep in making Portuguese Sweet Bread with the kids. This is
a custom she brought with her from the old country, and is passing it along to
our progeny. If you haven’t tasted this bread, you’ve missed out. Part of the
Easter tradition is to bake the bread by placing a whole egg (representing
life) on top of the bread dough and then baking it in the oven. The kids were
having great fun kneading the dough with flour and sticky dough all over the
kitchen counter and floor. But the end result is certainly worth it.
On Friday evening, we went to the Good Friday
service at the Ripon Free Methodist Church with the kids in tow. We visited with
folks outside following the service, allowing the young ones to run around on
the grass for a while before hauling everyone home. Once safely ensconced in
our house, I made popcorn for everyone. I do it the old-fashioned way by
popping the kernels on the stove. Then we settled down to watch the beginning
of the movie series entitled, “Anne of Green Gables.” All three kids loved it
and didn’t want it to end. As we put them to bed, I once again read to them
from Rush Revere, and they were out cold before I finished one chapter!
Saturday morning, we roused the kids in time to
make it to the Easter Egg Hunt in Escalon. It was fun watching the dozens of
children racing around the playground looking for eggs in the grass. On the
drive back home, I asked the kids which they wanted me to make for brunch:
waffles or pancakes? In unison from the back seat came, “Pancakes, please!”
Admittedly, I am a purist when it comes to baking, which means I cook from
scratch, having learned to do so from my grandmother.
Now, normally the kids would help me make the
batter for the pancakes along with cooking the bacon, but this day they were
more interested in continuing to watch Anne of Green Gables. If you haven’t
ever watched this series, I recommend it, especially for your grandkids. It is
entertaining, plus it re-enforces values that have seemingly been lost in out
American culture. The topic of forgiveness is a strong theme throughout, along
with courtesy, manners, respect, friendship, perseverance, and many other
virtues and values not emphasized in today’s Hollywood fare. And if it is
portrayed, it is usually mocked.
After consuming lots of pancakes, it was time to
break out the packages of egg dye for the kids to have fun coloring the dozen
or more eggs Meema had boiled for them. We had lots of giggles and laughs
creating eggs of different colors, and adding glitter to some, and stickers to
others. But what a mess! I still have glitter on my forearms!
All of this reminded me of what the Bible says
about grandchildren. In Genesis 31:55, it says, “Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his
daughters and blessed them.” Later on, Solomon would write this about
grandchildren: “Children’s children are a
crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.” Ah! How
true!
Isaura and I have been so very blessed by God
with our two precious daughters, their stalwart husbands, and our delightful
grandchildren.
Now, this all makes me wonder if at the Marriage
Supper of the Lamb in Heaven, Jesus will also be serving pancakes!
(Yes, Chuck; pancakes will be served! Editor)
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