The only thing better than this two week trip with the two youngest grandkids is the kids themselves. They’re great! (But – did you expect me to say anything else about my grandkids?)
I got a nice Father’s Day phone call from the kid’s father – the usual niceties from son to father and back. However – most of the conversation was about his two youngest children and how they were doing with Grandpa and Grandma. I sensed a bit of separation anxiety on Dad’s part. It seems this was the first time Mom and Dad had been without their kids in 13 years.
Dad said something during the conversation – he said he was glad the kids were experiencing life “unplugged.”
Yeah – right!
We went to Taos Pueblo today. Taos Pueblo is the oldest continuously inhabited place in North America – over a thousand years old. A remarkable place, really. Dad – here is your “unplugged” daughter at the ancient place. She is standing in front of a bread oven – and earthen device used to bake bread for hundreds of years.
Yeah – I’m old, but Taos Pueblo is really old. The Tiwa language is an oral one, so there are no written
records, but it is believed the village and some of the buildings are around one thousand years old. Made of adobe (mud and straw), the buildings are renewed each year with fresh coatings of mud. Yes – some members of the tribe still live in the 
ancient buildings, but if they do, they must do without electricity or indoor plumbing. Most tribal members live in more conventional housing on the reservation. I suspect most of them buy their bread at the supermarket too – but bread ovens do come in handy to make the flat bread sold to tourists.
The kids had another chance to be “unplugged.” We went horse-back riding for an hour and a half the
other day. Angel Fire is surrounded by national forest land, and it was great ride through the woods. The 11 year old climbed up on John Henry just like 
she's been riding for years. Likewise for the 13 year old as he clambered aboard Blazer. I was truly impressed with the confidence both kids displayed as they tried
something new. Our excellent guide (a senior at the University of Arkansas) brought
us to a nice little mountain pond, where we enjoyed a nice break.
Ever had a picnic at 10,500 feet? Neither had the kids, so we rode up on the lift that normally takes skiers to the summit. Grandma (otherwise known as The Mystery Guest Blogger) packed a great lunch of finger food. However, we didn’t want the kids to be totally “unplugged”, so we gave them a small walkie-talkie to carry with them while they explored the nearby woods at the mountain summit. We didn’t really need them though – the kids
didn’t wander more than earshot away. And yes – the views can be spectacular at the top. The mountains seen in the distance are in Colorado, and the water is Eagle Nest Lake.
Unplugged? Looking out over the Rio Grande at the Taos Gorge makes you want to plug the kids into a harness. Of course, the 13 year old boy had to spit over the side of the bridge to see how long it would take to hit bottom, but he was never able to see it hit.
The trip is coming to a close. We still have a visit to Los Alamos coming up, and I have other activities
to write about, but we’ll save that for later. We’ll put the kids on an airplane early Thursday, then make the long two day trek back to South Texas.
I wonder what we’ll miss most – the kids or New Mexico.
kids - "“unplugged" ?
Nah! they'll never be “unplugged", but the opposite - especially when your kids get "plug-in" with grand-parents, because they "has been there, done that", and from the inexperience with the first born child, they will be more careful, more love to give to their grand-kids. I know, because I am yearning for one, two, or a whole bunch... for now, I am just jealous with you two - Doug & MGB :)
Posted by: Sam | June 21, 2008 at 09:55 AM