Extreme Grandparenting

Some grandparents spend a few hours with their grandchildren; some a whole day.  Jim and I just spent most of four days and all of four nights with our three grandchildren (ages 2, 4, and 6) while their parents had a vacation.  It was intense!

 As a bonus, we also saw our other three grandchildren (ages 10, 14, and 16) about an hour's drive away. We saw the 10 year old pitch two great innings in his Little League game--before the downpour hit and we ran for the cars. Our 16 year old granddaughter bonded with the little one by braiding her hair beautifully. The 14 year old patiently played video games with his little cousins.

What a joy to be with the little ones for those several days--and what a joy to celebrate bedtime with a glass of wine each night.   We were so thankful to make it without any incidents of any consequence.

That is if you don't count my trying to pass off the fish sticks for dinner that I thought were chicken nuggets.  The two year old was not convinced as she hollered "I don't like these nuggets" and refused to eat them.

Or when we discovered that the McDonald's ice cream machine was broken and WaWa didn't have ice cream and by the time we got to DQ, it was dark and raining and the kids had to sit outside under the table not at the table.

  Or when we pulled off I 476 near their home, one child hollered to turn to the right and the other to the left and both were insistent that Grandpa was going to get lost.  Or the maddening tendency of the lovely roads along the Main Line near Philadelphia to change names every half mile.

Or when the two year old was left with her mother's 30 year old doll that I had cleaned up and bewigged--two minutes at most--and when I came back, she had facial tatoos (fortunately, water soluble!).

But then there were the hugs and snuggles and Bible stories and prayers and questions and books and puzzles and songs and playgrounds and soccer and the train diner--and lots of love all around.

My arms felt empty today and the house is so quiet.  I'm glad to be home again but I am so thankful we could be a part of their lives for a few days.