A Hard Day Keeping Grandchildren

Here's the text I sent my daughter on Monday about 5 p.m.


You will need to find a new grandmother for these kids.  Connor had a fit about going to speech, so I forgot Kennedy's diaper bag.  While we were waiting, she kicked off her diaper.  It was too wet to put it back on her, but before I could deal with that, she grabs her bottom and starts yelling "poo poo!"  I swooped her up and ran down the hall in horror of what was about to hit my legs, shoes, or the floor.  They asked us not to come back.  I said, "No problem."

Actual photo not available

And yes, I left it at that until she called me on her way home.  I raised 3 children and taught kindergarten through 8 grade for 22 years; so one would think that taking care of 3 adorable grandchildren would be a piece of cake.  And usually it is, but Monday was one of those terrible, horrible, very bad, no good days.

Actually, the morning started out fine.  The 6 year old, Connor, was at a STEM camp at the local university.  At 2 p.m. I had to pick him up. I had been given directions, but the baby (22 months old) went to sleep during the drive, so I had to carry her into the building.  Of course the class was on the 3rd floor.  I did take the elevator, but when I got off, a lady was also going to pick up her child, so I just followed her.  Little did I know that she had no idea where to go.  We walked the entire third floor before we came to the correct room.  So I got some exercise carrying a 20+ pound sleeping child.

Connor goes to a speech class 2 days a week at 4:15.  Every year we have had at least one "adventure" involving that.  You must understand that everyday he screams "I'm not going to stupid speech".  But because I always answer him with, "Your mother would never make you do something stupid.  Speech is a very smart and cool thing for you to do."  Today he screamed, "I'm not going to stupid speech, smart speech or any kind of speech."  So I grabbed him by the ankles and drug him until he was laughing and decided he would rather walk.  He has a huge crush on the young college student who is his teacher.  He was actually afraid that he might have to enter the room being drug by his grammy. I'm being playful, but they do fear that I just might be that outrageous.  I told him that would not make a very good impression on the beautiful young lady whom he had expressed his desire to marry when he turns 16.

Anyway, getting things for the toddler totally escaped me.  Thank goodness  I remembered her.  So of course there would be a diaper issue while we were sitting in the waiting room.  I did make it to bathroom with her.  She sat there for a long time with no results.  Then I quietly carried her through the waiting room and to the car. (It was a  fabrication that they asked us not to return. Though I wish they had.) There we sat until her brother's lesson was over and his lovely teacher walked him to the vehicle. He had a smile that engulfed his entire face as he informed me that his speech teacher is not married and does not have a boyfriend.

Sketch of fantasy family

We made it home without anymore issues; diapered the toddler and walked to the park.  While they played, I sent their mother the text.  She very lovingly picked up dinner on her way home for me, Grampa and her family. And tomorrow is a new day.

Easter with the Grands

Wow, it is so much harder to try to get the perfect picture with 4 children.  I took 65 pictures and 7 videos.  One has to have a very broad definition of a good picture.  All 4 children will never look at the camera at the same time.  That's just impossible.  But we have fun trying.

And throw 2 ducklings into the mix.

Let's try Mom, Dad, three children and 2 ducklings.

Caroline and her parents

Now let's try something really hard;getting all 4 grandchildren in one picture. 

Linda, my neighbor, planted rye grass so it was perfect for the Easter Egg Hunt.  Even a couple of friends joined in the hunt.

March 19, 2001 Grammy and Survivor

Today is my first grandchild's 10th birthday. It is also my 10th year as a breast cancer survivor.
Ten years and eight months earlier, my daughter gave me a gift to open and it was a bib that said I(heart) Grandmother. That was a sweet way to find out. Then she asked, "What do you want the baby to call you?" My first reaction was "Charlotte will be fine." It's tough to become a grandmother at 46. That just doesn't seem anywhere near my grandmothers' ages. The frown on her face told me to try again. I came up with "Grammy" for no particular reason, I didn't call either of my grandmothers that. So with the 2 grandsons, my chosen name has gone through the normal speech development pattern from Mammy, Bammy, Gammy to finally Grammy. Though Connor at 4 is still saying Gammy.
The doctor scheduled the baby's delivery for March 19th. Bridget was admitted and labor was induced. As it all too often happens, when baby's arrival is scheduled for the convenience, the baby went into distress and a C-Section was "necessary."
Well, my first round of chemo was also scheduled for 3 pm that afternoon. So by 2 pm I was anxiously waiting for my first grandson's arrival before I had to depart for chemo. I got to see my bald, ghostly white grandson about 2:30 and then went off to have drug induced baldness for myself. We joke that I shaved my head that night, so Chase wouldn't feel funny being the only person in the family without hair.
It is a wonderful day 10 years later that we both celebrate life and do it with a full head of hair!

Being a Grandmother changes everything!

Last week my sister, Debbie bought 2 lionhead bunnies for me as a birthday present. Actually, I was giving them to my 2 grandsons. But they will be kept at my house, which is one house from them. 30 years ago Debbie brought a cute little bunny for my daughter, Bridget's 5th birthday and the furry present was sent back with her. I was teaching and had 3 children and no time for such a pet. But being a grandmother changes everything. Everyone who is a grandparent can tell you this, but to understand, I had to experience it. Grandson Chase rode with me Monday afternoon to met Debbie with the bunnies. All the way to Ruston Chase played some electronic game, so we had very little interaction. I hate those things! But on the way home the bunnies were the center of attention and we each held one all the way back. Chase claimed the brownish red one and the black and white one was to be Connor's.
When it came to selecting a name, I wanted to have a little input; since the newest chickens are named Little ACE after Andrew Connor Edwards and the other named Big Foot, because Chase noticed that as a little chick, it's feet were at least twice as big as the others. Well, though I ordered hens, Big Foot turned out to be a rooster and Little Ace was indeed a hen. Chase has so happy and Connor would not acknowledge that Little Ace was a hen even when she began laying an egg everyday. She is always referred to as a he. Once Connor did ask, "When is Little Ace going to turn into a boy?" It has been quite a source of humiliation for the 4 year old. Girl pets are so not cool.
Anyway back to naming the bunnies. By the way they are both female, hopefully, so I can feel confident that 2 is the limit. Debbie tried to influence the naming by reminding me that it was Presidents' Day so maybe the bunnies could be named after President's wives. Perhaps Martha Washington or Dolly Madison would be good names. Well I loved it. I immediately relayed this suggestion to the grandsons. Got no response from Chase. Connor replied, "I'll name mine George Washington." His little bunny will forever be referred to with masculine pronouns only.
If I were their mother, I would have set the record straight that these were girl bunnies and must have girl names. I would have given all my reasons for wanting 2 girl bunnies, but these are the GRANDSONS. Whatever they say is the way it is. Particularly the very emphatic, and yes, adorable 4 year old. But honestly, if I were their mother, history has shown there would be no bunny pets.

First Things First--Defining My Menagerie

Well, see how Webster would define menagerie. It said, "Collection of animals exhibited in cages." I will use the terms animals, exhibited and cages sometimes literally and sometimes metaphorically.
I have many "animals" in my life: a husband, adult children, grandchildren, extended family, the C.P. School Board, an 83 year old house, my weight, 2 Schnauzers, 1 cat, 3 hens, 1 rooster, 2 bunnies, and leather purses that I make. I'm in the process of getting 2 Nigerian Dwarf kids. I'm sure this is not a complete list of all the "animals" in my life, but it's a start.
Most of the animals are not in actually cages, but are in my life-head, heart-whatever.
Blogging will be the form of exhibition.