That brought back memories of my childhood, when Creamsicles were one of my favourite treats. The other frozen treat high on my list was Fudgesickles.

Then, as I continued around the store, pecan pie appeared. When I was in high school (I know, that’s a bit old for Grandpa Richard’s Kids, but it is related!) mom used to buy me pecan pies to try and help me gain weight. Nobody else was allowed a slice. Just me.

Have you had a childhood flashback, of either yourself or your children, while shopping for groceries? Share it in the comment section.

They live in the country and she is always wanting a container to put her new “pet” into. Sometimes it is a frog or toad. Other times a mole or similar, or maybe a baby bird.

The other day she came across a potential pet that she decided not to try and keep. A 2 foot snake. (see photo)

The interesting thing is where she found the snake.

Under her bed, on the second floor of the house.

That evening, she did not want to go to bed. I just happened to be visiting, so I offered to go up with her. Well, the next thing I knew, I woke up (still on top of her bed) and stumbled downstairs to find out it was 3 am and my grand daughter was asleep on the smaller living room couch. Her uncle was asleep on the other couch.

I really bugged her in the morning about abandoning grandpa to fend for himself! She offered no defense.

And the snake? It was released back in to the wild, hopefully never to bother with a human house again.

(but if you remember Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, there was an incident with a snake, and it suggested that snakes travel in mated pairs!!! So where is this one’s mate?)

My granddaughter’s family is in the process of moving to an old farm house. Jasmine really likes the outdoors and we have been exploring her new “yard”. This weekend’s discovery was tadpoles. She has not encountered them before and was very curious. Like many children, she wanted to capture some in a cup.

I am a bit sad that I cannot go out there each day so we can go watch the tadpoles grow and transform. Jasmine has been taught that she cannot go away from the house alone. We will go down to the creek next weekend together and see what has happened.

My grandson is actually getting close to 3, and his mom says that he is starting to form sentences. What an awesome time of life. I sure wish I was closer to him right now.

Here is a simple, yet fantastic example.

The other day while sitting in the parking lot at Superstore, Brendan turns to his mom and says “Mommy the sun touched my face!”. It was a sunny day and he was feeling the warmth through the car window.

[p.s. I would love to hear similar stories from other grandparents, or even parents! Leave them in the comment box that appears when you click on Comment above this, just under the article title (or just below this article if you are on a single article page)

Thanks]

Then a friend emailed me and shared how her and her children were playing some game on the Wii. She explained to them about a time long ago without electronic games. (horror!!) Instead, she related to them, we played games like kick the can.

How many of you remember that one?

For me, it was the early 60’s, near Grantham and Scott in St. Catharines. Specifically on Melba Road, which was a nice quiet side street.

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There would usually be at least a dozen of us playing, probably as young as 7 or 8 and as old as 14 or 15. Some of the parents would be on lawn chairs in their front yards watching. It was a simpler time.

Still do not know what kick the can is?

It was similar to hide-and-seek. Put an empty can (at least a large tomato juice can, or similar) in the middle of the street. One person is chosen to be “it”, and must cover their eyes and count to 50 or some number. Everyone else hides. (always set rules about where you can hide, especially noting if Widow Smith’s place is off limits!) Then the person who is “it” must find the rest of us, without getting too far from the can. If you were hiding and the person who was “it” got too far from the can, you could run for the can, kicking it. Then “it” had to retrieve the can, put it back, and count while everyone hid again.

Now, usually the ones who had already been caught made a commotion when they saw you start to run, and “it” would also start running for the can. If “it” kicked it first, you lose! Guess what happened sometimes? Collisions!!!

No blasting aliens on a 42″ TV serving as a game screen. Instead, we would mash each other at a full run, both flying off to land on nice smooth pavement (ya, right, tell all my scars that one).

So what is a Webkinz? A virtual pet!!! What in the world?

Webkinz plush pets are sold in retail stores across the country and online. They also come in a number of different styles. The plush animals that are popular with most kids include lions, panda bears, snakes, turtles, frogs, cats, and dogs, but those are not your only options. These plush animals are cute, cuddly, and great for any stuffed animal collection.

As nice as a cute and cuddly plush animal is, you may be wondering why the average selling price is around $15. After all, that can seem a little bit high for a stuffed animal. What you need to know is that Webkins pets are more than just traditional stuffed, plush toys. You also get a secret code. As previously stated, the plush animals and virtual pets are one in the same. Attached to the tag of the plush animals is a secret code.

Once again, as neat as a secret code sounds, you may be curious as to what your child can do with it. Your child can use this secret code to access the Webkinz website, which is located at Webkinz.com. There, they will be able to adopt a virtual pet, which will be an online version of their new plush friend. Right away, your child will be able to name their animal, but that isn’t all that they can do. In fact, that is just where the fun begins.

When you or your child registers the secret code online and finishes the adoption process, a small amount of KinzCash is awarded. This is the name for virtual cash. Right away, the money can be used to buy a few items for the newly adopted pet, including furniture. Also, right away, you will be able to see that more money is needed. Here is where the real fun begins. If you are a parent, you will love what the Webkinz brand and it virtual world can do for your child.

Since more money is needed to care for your child’s virtual pet, they will need to earn it. As a reminder, virtual cash is used; therefore, you do not have to pay extra for your child to play this online game. Instead, your child will earn their own virtual KinzCash. They can do so by answering quiz questions, playing arcade games, as well as doing a few other activities on the website. The games that your child will play and the questions that they will answer are all fun, educational, and they help to promote logical thinking.

As previously stated, your child will be able to buy fun accessories for their adopted pets online through the use of KinzCash that they earn. This may give you comfort in knowing that no extra money is needed to be spent right away, unlike many of the other popular electronic toys and games today. With that said, it is important to know that the Webkinz secret code that your child gets from their plush animal will only last for a year. After that year has passed, a new Webkins pet with a new secret code will need to be purchased.

Check out the following eBay Auctions of Webkinz Items

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US $8.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Monday Sep-06-2010 9:29:36 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $3.25 (3 Bids) End Date: Monday Sep-06-2010 9:30:35 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $13.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Sep-06-2010 9:30:54 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $6.99 End Date: Monday Sep-06-2010 9:32:27 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $6.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $9.99 End Date: Monday Sep-06-2010 9:32:29 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $9.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $3.25 End Date: Monday Sep-06-2010 9:36:39 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $3.25 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $11.19 End Date: Monday Sep-06-2010 9:36:51 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $11.19 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $1.90 End Date: Monday Sep-06-2010 9:36:51 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $1.90 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $13.51 (7 Bids) End Date: Monday Sep-06-2010 9:37:47 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $7.49 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Sep-06-2010 9:38:32 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

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