Unusual ping-pong

Saturday, October 6:  Three kiddos today. We had french toast and bacon, some fruit, easy to make, easy to clean-up, and then we were on to FUN stuff ... like ping-pong. I don't have a ping-pong table, but I have loved the game since my college days. I USED to be the champion ping-pong player at my sophomore dorm ... many moons ago.

My little house doesn't really accomodate a regulation ping-pong table very well. I suppose it could be done, covered with a nice table cloth, and used for multiple purposes; but I didn't think of THAT at the time I purchased funiture for my place six years ago now. So ... we make DO with what is HERE, and voila!

 Granted, the table is too small! AND the net is goofy too. But the paddles are authentic, and the ping-pong balls come in all kinds of varieties now--did you know you can get a ping-pong ball that looks like a basketball? a soccer ball? We have a small variety in a bin next to my piano. It only takes a minute to set up our net, and then we can PLAY! 

Last week was the first time Matthew attempted ping-pong here. It takes a little adjusting to the table size, so we practiced last week just getting a "feel" for it, volleying back and forth--mostly just hitting the ball everywhere in the house and missing the table altogether. Kaity is especially good at whacking the ball to kingdom come ...

 But THIS week, Matthew caught the hang of it quite well ... enough to where he beat me 21-18! LAST week, the only game we actually counted points, I won 21-11. Kaity and I don't keep track of points, because she can't get it into her dear little head that the ball actually has to hit the TABLE top before it bounces off into infinity before it can count as a point. She's a tough little cookie ...

Emma was here with us too. She was busy with computer stuff, and then she retreated to my room for some quietness of her own. Matt, Kaity and I played chutes and ladders on the game/puzzle board that I have. We played several games of it and had such fun.

THEN it was Bible story time. We studied the story of David bringing the Ark to Jerusalem. We had the BEST time too. It's such an interesting story. The kiddos colored in sketches of the Ark as I told the story. There were so many great questions. What a wonderful opportunity to tell of the greatness of God, His faithfulness to REVEAL Himself to Israel (and to us!), and the foretelling of Christ's sacrifice for sin.

We don't usually watch a movie together, because Kaity is usually not interested in the movies the older kids would enjoy. But I wanted Emma to see "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" movie (Netflix), so I popped a bunch of popcorn, got the front room dark and ready for the movie, told Kaity she did NOT have to watch it (I set up some art stuff for her in the other room), and we actually watched the movie. Emma was very interested in the story. Matt was kind of, but then he went off and spent some time with Kaity--who, by the way, did a very good job of entertaining herself and not interrupting the movie. I was super proud of her and told her so! The three of us had such a nice time together. My heart was SO FULL of blessings ... being a grandma is quite a gift.