SuperHero

It is a family vacation when the kids and grandkids come home to visit Donna, Diane & John.  It has also become Holly’s vacation.  When I leave the garage, Helen is ready and waiting in the car; Holly is lagging in the backyard watching Donna’s porch in hopes that Kendra will come outside.  When we return home, Holly bolts out the door and heads outside as quick as she can again, in hopes that Kendra will come outside.  From what Diane has said, the same is occuring in her home.  Kendra is peaking outside to see if Holly is outside, waiting and wishing, generally ending in a mad dash outside when she sees we are home!

The stars lined up the other night and both parties had opportunity to play.  Kendra and Ivy asked if they could come in the yard to play, and we go through the ‘if it’s ok with your grandma’ routine to make it official.  It always is.  The night was perfect for some backyard playtime, so much so that the girls said no when asked if they wanted to come home for dessert.  The girls played ‘Find It’  with Holly, objective being for her to find her ball after they have hid it somewhere in the yard.  Holly has learned the game well.   She knows now that she will be led to the little pen, told to sit, have her eyes covered and after a few moments be released to go find her soccer ball.  I have to admit that I am as impressed as the girls  with Holly’s ability to find her ball.  It’s apparent she is using her nose to smell it out.  She will run past a well hid ball, stop in her tracks to turn and sniff, sniff, sniff until finding the ball.  Holly gets pumped up when she finds it, holding her head high, doing a victory lap around the yard then bringing it to me.

The girls changed the game to ‘superhero’.   This meant using the pink towel (used to wipe the dog spit off the soccer ball) as a magic cape.  Kendra calls Holly.  She comes without hesitation.  Tells her to sit, she does.  Tells her to stay, and she does – calmly and patiently for the entire 2 minutes that Kendra took to tie the towel to her collar.  Superhero’s cape fell off eventually then Ivy had the idea to use the towel as a magic carpet.  She lays the towel on the ground, calls Holly.  She comes.  Tells her to sit on the carpet.  Holly sits but is not entirely on the towel.  Ivy tells her to get up and scoot over a little more – and she does.  I watch this and think about the 2 years, week after week,  of Rally classes I have taken Holly too –  working with her to follow my commands.  All I would have had to do was bring either one of these two young girls with me to class and have them train her on Rally commands!  I’m betting she would perform flawlessly!

The weather has been warm, muggy and the air quality poor due to the wildfire smoke from Canada.  We still manage to take a trip to the cabin and with that comes a pontoon ride.  Holly and Rainie are put to sleep by the lull of the pontoon. Keltie is up watching and catching the cool breeze as we go.  The routines of summer never get old.  Holly takes each day as it comes – each day is a brand new day with familiar events and friends,  all while enjoying the feeling that the fun will last forever.  And when winter comes,  she falls into her familiar pattern of enjoying each day and feels the joy of playing in snow and being ok with the endless feel of winter.   It’s a gift she has!  Find it!