Family Gathering 2019
It is true.
Anything that is FUN can also be UN-FUN.
That is just the way things are. That is why Henry’s heart is heavy. His balloon popped just as he was ready to put the finishing touches on his unusual animal.
I am reminded why we have moms. Moms are given the gift of “explaining”. They can explain why things happen even when a child sobs and cries out “why, why, why?”
Grandmothers can soothe the souls of little people also because they have had lifetimes of practice and because the older Grandmothers grow, the more tenderhearted they become.
Just like their grandchildren.
Henry got over it.
The infrequent POP became a minor annoyance. He just kept pumping air into skinny balloons, tying the ends and twisting, twisting, twisting. Balloon animals which were recognizable in the beginning soon morphed into the unrecognizable.
Some eyes and ears were glued to the TV and the demonstrations by Mr. Twister. As the video advanced, Mr. Twister’s creations became more difficult. He was the fastest twister anyone had ever seen and he seemed confident that his balloons would not pop in his face.
I’ll bet Mr. Twister twists balloons in his sleep.
Did you know that the balloon activity lasted a long time?
This child or that child would get up from the sofa and take a walk in frustration only to return in a few minutes to try again or add to his or her creation. That said, it wasn’t hard . . . it was easy. Even a four-year-old (Tucker) could use the hand-held pumps to blow up balloons and over several hours of creative fun, almost 200 balloons were pumped and twisted.
It helped that I had bought a MR. TWISTER DVD and thrifted a Balloonology book. Mr. Twister was “incredible” according to the” resident twisters” and his demonstration of a million animals and “things” went on forever. Wow was all the kids could say when they watched him work.
“Look at Mr. Twister twist !”
Henry had so many things in his brain
that his brain was overflowing.
He had to shove a whole lot of balloon things into his brain this day. Then he had to open his brain tabs and pull the ideas out of his imagination folder. His creation is trying to explain all of that.
Kids and grown-ups alike loved the activity. I felt redeemed. When I told Grandpa that I had bought 200 balloons he couldn’t withhold a gasp. He said that the whole world would never use 200 balloons.
I said “we’ll see”.
6 left. Just 6.
SNAKES !
( For those of you who plan to try this activity, I bought everything from Amazon.com. I bought balloons in packages of 100, 2 hand-held pumps which were easily used by a four-year-old and the Mr. Twister DVD. I thrifted the Balloonology book at Savers and provided Sharpies for creations which needed words or eyes or mouths. )