It would be impossible to top last year’s treasure hunt with my niece and nephew, so I didn’t even bother trying. Unfortunately, I should have had another plan in store, because a couple of hours without a schedule makes for a chaotic series of scrambles when trying to keep a pair of six-year-olds occupied. Still, just being around the twins has its fun moments, and kids are often easily entertained when Uncle Al is at his wit’s end.
We began with a walk around the yard, which held onto its fall foliage but was a far cry from the summer sumptuousness of just a few weeks before. Time is measured in the steps of children.
The day held a few surprises, such as these bags of silly treats, hanging in the branches of a brilliant coral bark maple.
This year’s treasure was a pair of nonsensical objects that, thank you Jesus, kept the twins busy for a few precious minutes: Silly Putty and Squirmles. Throwback toys to my own childhood, they still somehow work their magic all these years later, even if they were greeted with skeptical eyes at first.
We also checked the original fairy traps we’d set last year, because my backyard is a veritable breeding ground for fairies.
Back inside, we had cider and mozzarella sticks. (I was told children eat such things.) They played with their putty and squirmles, but weren’t at all interested in assembling the felt turkeys I’d bought at the last minute. Oh well, best laid plans. We’ll do a holiday get-together next, or maybe a winter weekend before the years fly by.
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