NATCHEZ — Alice Holmes admitted that she spoils her grandchildren, so it’s no surprise that they’re spending their time at grandma’s house with a new above-ground swimming pool.

When The Dart landed on Holmes’ Jackson Street house Thursday, her four grandchildren — Tykeria Holmes, ShaCorria Holmes, LaCorey Holmes and Devontre Holmes — were taking a swim and enjoying the cool water on a warm summer afternoon.

“Yes indeed — every time they come,” Holmes said, confirming that she does spoil them. “I miss them so much. They’ve been spoiled since they were crawling on the floor.”

While the grandchildren have lived in Natchez most of their lives, they moved to Atlanta last November after their mother, Katrina Holmes, got a nursing job in the city. Since then, the family has visited Natchez several times. Corey Holmes, Alice Holmes’ son and father to the four children, said he always likes to visit his relatives whenever he can.

“I like to check on my mom, and her mom is still here,” Corey Holmes said. “The best part for them is to get spoiled (visiting Alice Holmes). She buys them anything.”

But ShaCorria Holmes, 11, said Grandma isn’t the only one who spoils the children.

“You spoil me,” she jokingly accused her father of doing.

And Dad admitted she was correct.

“Yeah, I spoil her — all of them,” Corey Holmes said.

The pool was 8-year-old Devontre Holmes’ idea, and Katrina Holmes said her son wanted it ever since the family came to visit Alice Holmes for the Fourth of July.

“We’ve had it since Tuesday,” Katrina Holmes said. “My little boy wanted it so bad, and we saw it on the sales paper, so they went to Walmart and got it.”

Devontre Holmes said his reason for wanting a pool was simple.

“It was hot — too hot, so we went and bought the pool,” Devontre Holmes said. “We put a little water in the first day and filled it almost all the way up the second day.”

Since then, Devontre Holmes said he has been able to swim, relax and go under water in the pool. It’s now become a big reason he enjoys visiting his grandmother, he said.

“I like to visit,” Devontre Holmes said. “I can go to the park and get in my pool, I can play with my toys, and I can walk with my dog.”

ShaCorria Holmes said there are both advantages to being in Atlanta and being in Natchez.

“In Natchez, it’s nice to come down and visit family,” Holmes said. “In Atlanta, I like to go to the Skate Zone (skating rink) on Saturday, go swimming on Tuesday and go bowling on Wednesday.”

In addition to her family in Atlanta, Alice Holmes also has her father and sister in California, another sister in Houston and a niece and cousin in Las Vegas. She singled out Las Vegas as a favorite vacation destination.

“Everyone is all spread out in different states,” Alice Holmes said. “I like to visit Las Vegas. It’s so pretty at night.”

Corey Holmes even tried to get his mother to move to Atlanta with them. But even though she enjoys traveling, Alice Holmes insisted that she has no plans to leave Natchez.

“I’m not moving out there,” Alice Holmes said. “It’s too fast. I love Natchez and have been here all my life. If I go somewhere to visit, I’m coming back.”