The wooded lot of our previous home in North Arlington was not “kid friendly,” as Realtors say. The house was perched precariously on steeply sloped ground, with no level space except for a small patch by the county pumping station – our dog’s bathroom.
So what to do for outdoor play when my grandkids came to visit? In the fall, we got really good at finding acorns. Since there was only one oak tree out back, we had to be Sherlock Holmes to find those acorns. OK, so we didn’t exactly need magnifying glasses, but it DID take some searching.
We also collected pinecones and got the sticky fingers to prove it. Have you tried getting pine resin offthe fingers of an antsy child? That was not one of Grandma’s favorite games.
But by FAR the most popular game was one I invented called Crash-O. When the first grandkid got sure-footed enough to negotiate our downhill-sloping driveway, the fun began. Luckily, we had two baby strollers – one real and another toy.
The essence of the game involved each of us loading a doll in our carriages and standing at the top of the driveway. When we were both armed and ready, instead of saying, “Gentlemen, start your engines,” I’d intone, “Ready, set, go!”
At “Go,” each of us released our carriages to see whose careened to the bottom of the driveway and crashed first. The winner would yell “Crash-O” victoriously – the louder the better.
Sometimes, we’d have a tournament, or “best out of three,” especially when I didn’t win. It became a family attraction allowing other members to watch, refreshments in hand. I’ve heard money changed hands occasionally, but that rumor is unsubstantiated.
The game continued for years, and was usually the first request at the door when she came to visit. It finally stopped when her mother and I began to wonder, “What happens if she puts her baby brother in one of the strollers?” It never happened, but I’m sure she thought about it more than once.
I’m glad Child Protective Services didn’t extend their long arm of the law to the doll population, or this Old School type would be penning this column from “the pen.”
As that little girl heads off to college next fall, she doesn’t remember Crash-O and it’s just as well. I understand baby strollers are in short supply there and the drop from those dorm windows is very steep!
Reach columnist Carol McEwen at carolwrites4fun@gmail.com.
