I recently had the pleasure of watching my grandchildren for a day. Time with a 2-1/2 year old, 6 year old and 11 year old always brings a few laughs and simple pleasures.
The simple days, when at six years of age it is a tragedy when your younger sister won’t share her goldfish crackers. Really? She only has a couple dozen out of an entire bag, not like there aren’t more to put into a separate bowl for him. The world is once again at peace, all thanks to a few crackers shaped like fish.
Why is it at 2-1/2 years of age you are capable of stripping all clothing off a doll more than a dozen times a day, but can never get them back on. Of course once the doll is naked it must be dressed, but Grandma must do that. The doll is dressed, life is good, until thirty minutes later when that doll is once again, for some unknown reason, naked. And the hours pass by….
Planning for my future residence, Corbin (age 6) “It would be neat if you had a really big house with a space ship on top.”
Why, I ask, would I want a house with a space ship on the top of it. The answer, according to Corbin, is simple. “Because it would be cool!”
Okay, so there you go. My retirement home floor plans are being laid out now.
When you don’t know how to respond to certain announcements, such as Austin (age 11), “Gunther is dead.”
Austin has autism, so comprehension is sometimes difficult, and he had just been dropped off after spending the weekend at his dad’s house, so with the same seriousness in which he expressed this loss I asked “who is Gunther?”
I received a very straight-faced, serious answer, “He is a Zombie.”
Sorry, I had nothing after that. I guess the death of a zombie, or the creation of a zombie due to death, has a greater impact on some than it does on me.
Prior to the kids coming over and knowing I would have just Corbin and Alexandria for lunch I checked with my daughter to see what the best food choices would be and planned accordingly. I had purchased the family size Velveeta Shells and Cheese, and let’s face it, as a general rule Mac & Cheese is a kid favorite. Apparently sometimes this is not the case.
As he sits down to eat Corbin looks at the food and says “I don’t like macaroni and cheese.”
I responded that yes he does, his mother told me he eats it all the time.
Corbin — “Not today, I’m six and sometimes we don’t like things.”
Imagine that! I thought six year olds were always logical and cooperative. Guess I got that wrong.
Blowing bubbles, that wonderful outside activity that all children love to do. The problem is Alexandria (2-1/2) simply doesn’t understand that it would be preferable if I moved the wand away from my body before she attempted to blow the bubbles right back at me. Of course that is a toss-up with the other option of letting her hold the wand herself and trying to convince her that if she didn’t put her mouth on the wand to blow, she wouldn’t get the icky tasting soap on her tongue. The results aren’t in on whether more bubble soap made it into the air as bubbles or if more ended up on our bodies due to Alex’s still to be perfected bubble-blowing technique.
Then there is the issue of cleanliness. When I informed Corbin that he is supposed to flush and wash his hands after using the bathroom he said “you know, I washed my hands yesterday.”
Good to know, can we do it today as well please. Of course this goes along with the request he wash his hands and him turning them back and forth saying “they aren’t dirty.”
Girls in that regard are so much easier. I can say “Alex your face is dirty, let’s wash it.” and she comes and stands beside me waiting to get cleaned up.
A day with children is always entertaining, enlightening, and just plain fun. Blocks, cars, trains, slides, bubbles, a messed up floor filled with toys. Cracker crumbs, candy, spilled water, and more. As the day wears on electronic pads filled with games are great for keeping children from killing each other off and/or driving an adult insane.
--- LIFE IS A MELTING POT --- Grace Grogan...Writer, Photographer 