Grandson Packs His Bag & A Little Yarn

Before our recent trip to Portland, Zach, our 5 year-old grandson, had talked about staying overnight with us.  Would it happen?  Here he is, bag packed by himself, shopping bag filled with crayons.

The first visit was on a weekend; the second, a school day.  We delivered him to kindergarten--with the 30 other kids.  Sunnyside, such a 1930s name, is a block away from his home, newly reformulated as an environmental school. 

Afterschool we met up with his mother and sister Zoe (note the green rain boots)  at the "Sunnyside Indoor Play Space and Swap Shop" in a nearby Methodist church.

This comfortable setting-- rooms for all ages of children, arts and crafts, and a stage-- meets a need especially acute in rainy Portland.  It was developed over the past summer by 90 families and is open to families outside the neighborhood.  A co-op, it has a small monthly fee, and every family member takes on a job to keep the space running well.

Once I sat down to knit, this young woman came over to for advice on her purl stitch. A member-mom has been teaching beginning knitting; there's donated yarn and needles in one of the rooms.  My daughter surprised me by picking it up again!

Even without the wetness issue, I cannot imagine a community that would not enjoy something similar.  It would have been wonderful when our children were young.  These kinds of community-developed were going on in Baltimore in the 1970s though only among at-home moms.

There's a mix of working mothers plus mothers and fathers who work at home--many in the tech industry--even nannies.  All enjoy the generous hours-- Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.  Here's the darling website, with more details, to share with someone you know in Portland.

Comments

[donna]

I always wonder why the churches don't do more of this. So many sit empty except for Sundays and choir practice....

My youngest went to a great church preschool at our local community church - great way for the church to make some money and a great use of the facility. It would be nice to see more churches contribute this way to their communities....

[sharry]

I was a young mother in Portland in 1962. Something like that would have been a dream come true. My friends were all in college. It would have been wonderful to find other moms and do some swapping.

[Kay Dennison]

When I was a young mom, we had a really great morning coffee group where we shared crafts and recipes while the kids had a great time. In summer we met at the picnic shelter of a local park.

Your grands are adrable, Naomi!

[M.E.]

wonderful post! hmm....this post needs a huge audience. what a swell idea to have a shop & swap shop for everyone. i agree that this is perfect for a church.

thanks, naomi.....