A Fall Day

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4th of July

 

Today you chose your red shoes to go for a walk.

You scrambled ahead of me and out the door with those shoes.

You tested them out for a bit...

...and away you went.

The first thing you did when I put you in your swing, was buckled up.

When your eyes got heavy and the summer day started heating up we
headed inside to cool off.

So it only made sense for you to put your paper doll in the fridge to cool
off too.
Happy 4th of July lovebug!

Murphy

"No one appreciates the very genius of your conversation as the dog does."
- Christopher Morley

The Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

When your Aunt Carissa was little, my mother (your great grandma Moon) babysat for me, when she could.  The best sitter any child can have is their grandmother I was told.  At the time I didn't think a whole lot about it, I just knew my mother and father were the only people I truly trusted and knew they loved their grandchildren more than anything.  I always enjoyed listening to my mother tell me what Carissa did, or learned or where they went.  I wished she had an iphone back then, she would have captured those moments.

One day when I went to pick  Carissa up after work,  my mother told me about their time at the park.  I remember saying; "I wish I could take her to the park everyday."  I remember my mother smiling and patting me on the back and saying, "Don't worry honey, that's what grandmother's are for!".

Today, grandma Jeanne took you to a little park I took your mother and uncle Tyler to when they were little.  You were thrilled to have so much room to walk and try running.  We went down the twirly slide, we went down the regular slide and then we went down the twirly and regular slide again and again.  Each time you would turn to me and give me that angel smile/grin head back for the stairs to go again.

You did your silly laugh on the swing, clapped when I would catch the swing and gently push you, and you enjoyed looking at your tennis shoes when you held out your legs.

We counted white clover as you pulled off the flower heads and filled up my hands.  We had a picnic of broccoli, carrots and some yogurt uncle Tyler brought us,   Then it was time go home.

On our drive home, you nodded off to sleep and I knew then, how my mother must have felt.

My mother passed away when your mother was two, and I couldn't begin to explain how much I miss her, how much I miss my mother, how much I miss the grandmother she was.

Being With You

“The soul is healed by being with children.”  - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

In March this year, a recently implemented electronic health record system at the hospital where grandma Jeanne has worked for a number of years, changed the transcription volume to a point where the majority of the Transcription department was eliminated, grandma being among the elimination and losing our health insurance benefits; faced with reinventing myself as someone who was hireable at the age of 55.  I was fortunate to still have my part time job as a Physical Therapy Clinical Assistant at a local University but with no health insurance.  

'Doubt' and 'discouragement', seemed to be the underlaying words of my days along with moments of exhaustion in trying to maintain a positive outlook.  And then there was you, Lucy and Penn, my dear, sweet grandchildren that could turn my day around in a second.  For Lucy and Penn it was seeing their smiles, watching Lucy grow and seeing Penn's achievements in soccer,  baseball, boyscouts and school from pictures on facebook and instagram.  

For you, it was walking in your house Wednesday mornings to babysit, hearing you squeal with your open mouth grin,  humming songs with me and patting my back as we took walks, listening to you jabber, and snuggling on the couch for naps.  My soul was healed...

(Since, grandma Jeanne has found a new position with a company  with health benefits.)

..

Night, Night

You stand all by yourself now.

Hold your own sipper cup.

You read your books right side up now.

Enjoy playing peek-a-boo with the afghan Aunt Carissa crocheted you.

And even though your night, night toy plays soothing music, you still like grandma Jeanne rocking you to sleep.  Night, night my dear, sweet LillaMai. 

Easter / Treats

Today is Easter.  This morning  looks like a 'perfect' Easter Sunday; the sun is shining in full,  the air is filled with birds singing and I know at some time today one of your grandma's will have an Easter basket full of treats for you to dive into.   Grandma Jeanne brought over an Easter bag Friday night and you knew exactly what to do.  You emptied all the contents (clothes, Adirondack chair, and colorful bear) our of the bag, tossing them over your shoulder and then  snuggled on grandma's shoulder.

Happy Easter LillaMai. 

Bath Time

Today when grandma went to clean your face and hands after lunch, it became apparent I wasn't going to get all the sweet potatoes out between your fingers or your hair without a struggle.  When you sneezed and wiped your nose with your hand which proceed to your head and through your hair, this is when I decided; bath time!

You jabbered as I got you ready, and continued with squeals as I ran your bath water, but when I went to set you in, you would of thought I stuck you in a pot of boiling water.  This took grandma by surprise, because your mother and uncle Tyler LOVED bath time in the kitchen sink.  This was a time I would fill up the sink with warm water and child proof kitchen gadgets, lay a towel on the floor, put on my rain coat and let the party begin!

I quickly turned your attention to the small bottles of shampoo and baby wash along with measuring cups, and a nasal squirter.  A smile broke through your tears, followed by a giggle and soon we were both soaking wet.  For a moment I remembered your mother at your age, sitting in the sink drinking many measuring cups of bathwater, followed by "ahhhhhhs".