Back to school

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"Equal and Opposite Reactions"
                By Patti Liszkay
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Back to school

...Continued from yesterday:
     The following day was the first day of the new school year, always rather a bitter sweet day for all parents - and any grandparents who happen to be lucky enough to be around - and sometimes for younger siblings, too, who have to stay behind for the time, as did our younger grand daughter, who none the less did manage to get in one farewell game of Uno with her big sister before it was time to leave for school.

      Happily, the school is close by so we could all walk together,

...and join the other parents who were there to give their children a good-bye hug,

​...follow them to their classrooms,

...watch them hang up their backpacks outside, as they do here in Southern California where they say it never rains,

​...then hang around for a little while with the other parents, all trying to make the moment last a little longer,

...before heading off to start their own days.

   Her big sister back in school, we tried to keep our younger grand daughter from getting lonely or bored. She taught me how to play Battleship,

​...and Uno.

    We went to an ingenious play space called Adventureplex,

...that offers a variety of wonderful mini-environments in which young children can play and interact,

...including a massive climbing structure.

     Later that afternoon we decided to make a pizza as a surprise snack for big sister for when she arrived home from school.

...which her big sister appreciated coming home to after a hard first day of school,

​...and which the girls enjoyed while they played another round of Uno.

    That evening after the girls' jiu jitsu class we went out to California pizza kitchen for a celebratory back-to-school dinner.

...where I had The Shanghai Power Bowl made with shrimp, rice and vegetables, the most interesting of which was the watermelon radish: this is a radish that looks like tiny slices of watermelon. It was quite a tasty dish.

    For the next few days, after walking our older grand daughter to school each day,

    Tom and I would endeavor to keep our younger grand daughter busy with various activities and occupations, ​such as helping with the shopping,

...and the shopping list,

(reminding Grandpa to buy corn on the cob so she and her sister could help peel it for dinner)

...having friends over to do crafts,

​...and make pizza,

...playing with Pinky Poo.

...and walking to school at the end of the day to pick up her sister.

    Finally Friday afternoon rolled around, every Friday being PTA ice-cream social day.

     On our way home from school,

...the girls found some treasures in the trash.

     That evening we drove to downtown Manhattan Beach,

​...from where we walked down to the beach.

     We grabbed dinner at a little pizza place near the beach called the Manhattan Pizzeria,

​...where the décor was laid back,

...but the New York-style pie excellent,

​...as was the salad.

    After dinner we walked around the town for a little while, then called it a day.