Our Best Helpers

As our children get bigger it is harder to make them help us. My daughter called the other day and told me that her little boy is such a sweet little boy. He loves to help her. He loves to unstack the dishwasher. (Wouldn't that be a change.) He knows where everything goes and when he wants to put something a way that he can't reach, he yells up, up. He isn't even 2 yet. She said after he helped her, she praised him. "You are my best little helper." Then she announced that they needed to head for the car and go see grandma. He said nin up, nin up, which means clean up, clean up. Then he picked up all his toys. She headed to her room to get what she needed to leave and he followed her. Picked up the dirty clothes and put them in the basket. I hope she remembers these precious moments when he isn't so willing to help. I think the one thing she tried to tell me was that positive reinforcement works. Try it you will like it.

Can We Be So Lucky

I marvel at how much little kids imaginations can be so real. I was talking to my granddaughter on the phone today. She was telling me all about her fairy princess. They were jumping on the bed with her. They had strawberries and were throwing them. We hid under the table together to get away from the vacuum. She went on and on about these fairies about Tinkerbell and Tinkerbell in Peter Pan. She was laughing so hard at times you couldn't hear what she was saying. Then she went silent for about 5 minutes. I kept asking where she was, then she said, "Grandma I am going to call you all the time." I said, "you are." She said, "Yes because I love you very much". I couldn't help but be a little shocked, because it came out of no where. Its at moments like this that a Grandmother feels like her day is actually really worth being who she is, and being a part of her grand children's lives.

Copy Cats

I remember when we lived up north and I had three little girls. My oldest was only 2 and she didn't like dogs at all. They scared her to death. She had bad nightmares about them. We would reassure her all the time that she was OK and it was just a dream. There was a dog that lived next door so my husband would often yell out the door for the dog to be quiet. One day the dog barked incessantly so my husband once again opened the patio door and yelled "Shut Up You Dirty Beggar". Our two year old opened the door and yelled "Shut-Up You Dirty Beggar" in her little 2 year old voice. I was horrified. I didn't think someone so small could have possible immate that one. It goes to show you how much they listen. Shame on us.

Where Has Time Gone

You know that someday you will have children who grow and become mothers and fathers themselves. I am happy that that has happened to me because I enjoy my grandchildren, but sometimes I look around and wonder where did the time go. Things change before you are ready for them too. I remember when my first daughter got married and she was a little bit frustrated because she felt like the family didn't miss her. Trust me that was the farthest thing from the truth, we missed her more than we could express, but we didn't want her to feel like we were infringing on her and her new husbands territory, so we stayed out of her way. Trust me we tried to be there when we were needed and we would liked to have been there more, but certain things didn't permit that. Now time continues to go by and my daughter finds herself with a daughter that is almost 8 before she turns around she will be married and on her own. If I could express one thing to all of my children that would be love them. They are so precious and so fun to be with. Take the opportunity to love to watch them grow. Count everyday a true blessing. Because trust me it is.

My Son

I had the privilege of having 2 sons. I wish I could have had more but it wasn't in the works. One of my sons is in Russia right now. My sister happen to take some pictures at my 2nd daughters wedding which happened about 9 years ago. It is fun to look back and see how much my children have changed over the years. But I have to laugh when I see my second son in these pictures because he hasn't changed a bit. He just looks taller. As a matter of fact in the pictures he just looks like a miniature of who he is now. What a great sight to see him so little and yet the same when he is big. It is the same in his everyday life. He has always been the strong silent type even when he was little. You can count on him to listen alot but never pass any judgement or any information to another. An amazing quality. One I wish we could learn from.

Happy Days

I have heard lately that I concentrate a little to much on my grandchildren and not my children. It is just that being a grandmother is so fun. A lot of things I see in my grand children are the same things that my children use to do. I just can't remember that far back. But one of the highlights of my life in December was attending my oldest daughters wedding. I knew when she got married I would be pretty emotional, and that is because she was 32 before that great day came about. She got a fantastic young man who truly loves her and that is all a mother can ask for. She was my first and thus my training daughter. She trained me to be a mother. I wasn't perfect but I did the best I could. So I am just extremely grateful that through all of my children's patience I can rejoice in being a better grandmother than I was a mother.