Household Area 51: Where the Lost Socks and Missing Halloween Candy Live

My Dad is great Dad & Grandpa.  He fearlessly watches our two girls once a week when he stays with us on his Honey Hawking route from South Bend, Indiana to Chicago, Illinois.  He feeds them dinner (often an entire container of grape tomatoes...is that a normal side dish?) and bathes them and plays them harmonica before they drift off  about nine o'clock (too late for this mamas taste, but I'm not on duty so GO FOR IT G-PA!!!). 

He really loves his time with the girls and they love him.  (NOTE:  They also adore John's folks Baba & Papa too, lest anyone feel disparaged...and Portia is inviting Baba to come to her school as her special guest when she is the SUPERSTAR...so these two little girls are blessed & covered in love.) BUT.

BUT.  While my Dad is fearless and complaint free when it comes to managing two little wild girls, he isn't perfect.  We share the same chromosomes, so you know it is true.  He can be a little clueless in some little safety areas and we tease the heck out of him for it.  Hey, he is willing and free and full of love for all of us, what is  a nail among family.  Yeah.  He brought an old fashioned nail to share with the girls.  And monogrammed rings for them made out of nails.  

Another time they brought out his (sheathed, but STILL, People!) Crocodile Dundee knife from his overnight bag.  Accessible and dangerous.  YIKES.

And he bought them rope-burn-heaven-rough-scratchy-old-fashioned-sisal jump ropes. They were long enough for toddlers to get into serious trouble with . (Never mind the other normal little kid jump ropes he bought them before;  they strung toys up with those and thus they disappeared into "I think they are somewhere in the basement, have you looked?"). 

You know that  Area 51 every family with children has where the loud toys and odd socks would be found.  Along with the rest of every kid's Halloween Candy Mom and Dad DIDNOTEAT.  Seriously.  Household Area 51.



So here is the jack o'lantern I Tom Sawyered* G-Pa into carving with the Littles for Halloween.  While I went out with my hubby on a date instead.  

*("Oh Boy, carving this pumpkin would be great fun with the girls. Gee, do YOU wanna have this much fun with the girls, Dad?") 

He even roasted the pumpkin seeds for us!   And do you see where he put it? 


Yeah... that is a lit candle inside a jack o'lantern sitting on the arm of my COUCH. 





I was a little verklempt about it.  I asked him why it wasn't OUTSIDE where normal people put their pumpkins when they are on fire.  He said he and the girls weren't quite ready for it to go outside yet.  And he though John & I might get a better view when we got home with it there.  On fire.  On the arm of the couch.  

So in love,  jesting, sugar overload and Halloween festivity, Our family wishes yours a Happy and SAFE Halloween!
P.s. I actually forgot a lot of these examples and had to call my Dad to ask him what safety issues we make fun of him for.  AND he was actually amused!  I love you Dad!