Balancing things seems to run in our family. I knew our grandsons liked to build towers with blocks, but I had not remembered that daughter Lise stacked things in her favor created stacks. She was four years old when I caught her on film. Yes, it was film, and it was a long time ago.
When grandson David was nine, Cousin Lars provided the lift for the blocks.
Both grandsons (in striped shirts) and choir child Dan liked showing off the tower they built while we were having choir rehearsal. David was 12, and Nathaniel was 7.
Years passed. During long family dinners, David practiced stacking and balancing things. It was his choice to keep himself occupied, instead of acting like a brat at the table. I hadn’t realized it continued at college, but he showed me a photo or so to prove it. The latest involved the sugar bowl and spoon. I don’t particularly want to talk about the infestation of large black ants while we are still under siege. I had rinsed the spoon and left it on the counter, making sure the top was firmly seated on the crystal bowl. Too bad it wasn’t a crystal ball. I would have wished it to show us ant-free.
The next morning I walked in the kitchen and saw the spoon balanced on the pointy top of the sugar bowl. I looked at John, making coffee a few feet away, and I looked back at the spoon. I said, “David did this, didn’t he?”
Mehrling Muse 
It could have been the ants?
xxx Huge Hugs xxx
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Our ants are big, but thankfully, they aren’t big enough to lift a spoon five inches.
xxx Ant and Uncle hugs xxx
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Raising children is a balancing act in and of it’s self. Isn’t it wonderful you get a chance for an encore with the grands.
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We keep thinking the grandsons will not want to be with us. Their lives will get busy, and they’ll want to be elsewhere. Therefore, we are extremely grateful for every day we have with them. This afternoon David and I started working a jigsaw puzzle. I glanced at the counter and saw the silver spoon was again balanced on the sugar bowl. It falls down every once in a while, but he puts it back when no one is looking.
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I don’t think that will happen any time soon, they obviously love spending time with you all! We used to balance spoons on our noses and I am like David trying to balance things, like the cue ball on the edge of the pool table. I found a spot and I get it to stay there every time. Maybe it’s our love for puzzle solving that makes us do it, not sure!
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Cute story, Anne.
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Yeay, love your photos Anne 🙂
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Love that first picture. I miss film cameras. They’re tower building is impressive. Love the picture of the tall wooden blocks. We don’t have a cool balancing act like that, but at home (we’re on vacation) we have the ants. Ugh. We’ve been fighting them all summer…
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We usually have a few big ants, and they go away after a few days. Not so this year! Our kitchen counter is very dark, and the ants are hard to see. I leaned there, and suddenly an ant was crawling up my arm. Maybe yours will miss you enough to go away!
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Oh man, you have sneaky ants. Ha ha.
I hope you’re right-maybe when we get home they’ll be packed up and gone.
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Oops- apparently I can’t spell their today. Ha.
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Loved this story Anne! I also love balancing things eg on the table! The photos are lovely too
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Aha! Another person who loves to balance things! I’ll tell David he is in good company.
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This is a beautiful story. The building of the tower is amazing and placing the spoon on the sugar bowl in such a precise manner takes a light hand and patience to balance so precariously. It’s the same with family and relationships–such a beautiful balance to create memorable family experiences that will last for generations. i loved this! Dawn
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Thank you, Dawn. Our children talk about their good family memories, and we hope our grandsons will feel the same way. They have brought us great delight.
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Hahaha! This story is so cute. Isn’t it amazing the traits that are passed down through the generations?
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I hadn’t thought of that, Dor. There might be some traits that would be better ignored. *shudder*
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Some kids have a fascination with order. My granddaughter is one of them. Last time they visited, when they left I noticed that the wrapped candy was neatly sorted and arranged symmetrically and the magnetic pet paws were arranged in a row on the refrigerator. Wish I could hire her as a housekeeper but she’s 11 and there are laws.
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How amusing! David does that kind of thing, only it doesn’t translate to keeping his room neat.
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I loved the story and the photos, but I can’t balance for toffee – not even myself sometimes! Or at least, I seem to fall over more often these days. 🙂
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That’s funny! I laugh, but I’ve begun standing on one leg and then the other as part of my daily routine. Being able to balance is a definite asset in later years.
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oh how sweet!
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My balance is shot, back problems will take away that balance, I sure miss it too. Some people have a talent for knowing just how to balance something. I’ve seen some, balance rocks atop one another. I have to face it, I’m just a klutz.
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I think you’re a person with two feet on the ground.
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Your grandsons remind me of my sons….they still love to stop by their grandparents to visit. I grinned like crazy when I saw the spoon on the sugar bowl. Looks like something my youngest would have done (and still would do!)
Those are some very impressive stacks those kids have!
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I would love your sons. We nearly always had choir rehearsal at John’s sister’s house. Most of the toys were gone, but they kept a large set of blocks, which were very popular. The children of choir members always played very well together.
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M;y husband would relate to that. When he was a child, his dad was a member of the Kroese Quartet. He grew up playing with, vacationing with, going to a variety of churches with the kids of the other members of the quartet. To this day they have so much fun when they get together and remember those days. Only two of the Kroese Quartet singers are still alive. One of them is my dad-in-law.
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Your husband had a broad musical family! Those connections are priceless.
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What a wonderful photo story of how your (adorable) daughter, grandsons, and others enjoyed creating towers over the years.
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