The adventures didn’t do as well today. We went to a recycled tire playground in Patapsco Park. The spider eating a butterfly and then encasing it in silk was way cool. The rest of the trip was a dud. An invitation to swim usually is greeted with great enthusiasm and a prompt change into swim clothes. Today neither child was interested. The movie, “Pete’s Dragon” was successful, even if Granddad was grumpy about the increased cost of theater tickets. Much of the day was spent on silliness, including this video — the second video I ever made and the first I successfully posted on the web.

We also made secret messages for Nanna. Here’s how to make your own secret messages. Buy pens with Frixion ink. Buy one set for each child. While Nanna is cooking, have the kids “sneak” Nanna’s hair dryer downstairs. After the message is complete, use the hair dryer to make the ink invisible. Let the children proudly present Nanna with blank sheets of paper and ask her to put them in the freezer. When Nanna serves ice cream after dinner, she will find the papers and be amazed to see the secret message revealed.