A Merry Outing

Yesterday was Wednesday, a nothing-special school day. Normally the kids would have come home for their normal schoolnight routine, but this particular Wednesday Uncle Jeff and his fiancee Seresa decided to spend some quality fun time with Alex, 11, and Fiona, 7.

They picked the kids up from school in the afternoon and headed to Star Castle, the rollerskating rink. On this nothing-special school day, the rink was uncharacteristically empty, and they had the whole place to themselves. Summer days and weekends generally see long lines of kids here, especially as it is a favorite 'fun' destination for summer day-camps.

The uncrowded rink was perfect for the newbie skaters, as they had previously been a bit intimidated by the speed and size of older skaters, and they skated for quite some time--Alex gaining skill and speed and Fiona happily toughing it out, despite her repeated falls. They also had a fun game of laser tag at Star Castle.

For dinner, they ate at the Asian Buffet, meeting up with Grammy and Gramps, and then they all went out to see the new movie, "The Tooth Fairy", in a likewise empty theatre. The kids had a FABULOUS time and came home far too late for a school night, completely sated and spoiled!

Their special evening triggers memories of a couple of stories for me... I'm thinking of Annie, when Daddy Warbucks rented an entire theatre so they could watch a movie entirely by themselves. Actually, I always think of that story when I'm 'lucky' enough to catch an empty theatre for a movie. It feels special and like we've definitely gotten our money's worth!

This time, the kids were dancing and performing for the family before the show, since they had the theatre all to themselves. How fun and relaxed!

Another story that comes to mind is my granny's special memories of her own fun outings with her older half-sister Gaynelle. Aunt Gaynelle was a young woman who had married fairly well and actually owned a car. She lived in the nearby town of Kingstree, and she made a point of regularly coming to pick up her younger half-sisters, Ginnie and Kat, from Greeleyville on Saturdays to take them out to a movie and to get ice cream. I was always fascinated by Granny's story and warm memories. She was recalling events from the very early 1930's, and I wonder if she saw any silent films, as that was the period of transition to 'talkie' films.

I am thrilled that my kids have been blessed to have such a merry outing with their fun uncle and his fiancee. Those memories will last a lifetime, as Granny's own memories attest to.

I am also inspired regarding my own young niece and nephew. Given that we have similarly aged children, we've created different memories with my sister Stephenie's children, Elizabeth and Nicholas, which mostly involve playing with cousins at sleepovers and birthday parties, but I am feeling now that I would like to make an effort to have a fun date with them--something distinctive to make them feel special and loved. The value of a single fun and memorable day for a child is priceless, and I am so glad that Jeff and Reese made the special effort.