Tag: grandchildren

A Lesson in Compassion

Published on by J. Kelland Perry35 Comments

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One of the most valuable lessons we can teach our children is kindness and compassion for all living things, no matter how big or small.

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This topic is on my mind because I was disturbed to read this morning of yet another local case of animal cruelty. How does a person exist, and sleep at night, who can commit such cruel acts against an innocent and defenseless animal?

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I find it difficult to believe a child raised to respect and empathise with the feelings of all creatures can grow up into someone who can treat an animal with cruelty. My dad, in particular, taught us how to care for all living things. We grew up with pets, as many do, but it was more than that. He taught by example. He not only loved that little spider that he picked up and brought outdoors, he wished it well.

I wish every small child could experience that kind of lesson.

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Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar. ~ Bradley Miller

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Our task must be to widen our circle of compassion, to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. ~ Albert Einstein

 

It is widely believed that empathy training for children can prevent violence, against animals and human beings. What are you doing to teach children compassion?

“…even when I can’t see you anymore”

Published on by J. Kelland Perry21 Comments

 

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I’m away from home this week, lending a hand with my daughter’s children while their regular sitter is on vacation. This morning while I was waiting for the kindergarten school bus with my six-year-old grandson, we had this conversation:

“J, why are you so cute?”

He smiled a little smile and said, “That’s what my mom always asks me.”

“Are you going to love Nanny even when she’s an old, old granny?”

He looked at me. “Yes. And I’ll love you even when you go away forever and I can’t see you anymore.”

With those words, I felt an abrupt squeeze around my heart. I think it broke a little.

I realized, since he and his sister had already lost one grandparent, this was a part of life he now expected.

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I pray I’m there for you for a long, long time, my precious boy! ❤

It Has Its Perks

Published on by J. Kelland Perry26 Comments

Okay, the kids are in bed fast asleep!

This is going to be a quick post this evening, as I’ve been pretty busy and don’t expect to be up many more hours myself. I am now on Nanny duty for a week, staying at my daughter’s house while she and my son-in-law are away enjoying a vacation.

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donating her hair

No big deal, you are probably thinking. But hang on a second, besides being responsible for a seven year-old girl and a five year-old boy, there is Ginger the cat and Nico the golden doodle dog. In addition, Poppy won’t be showing up to help out until Saturday.

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dog eating the cat food again

Ginger is a breeze, and adorable with her new “lion cut”, but Nico is another story. Daily walks, poop-scooping, and simply managing an unbelievably lively and big one year-old pup may be the most challenging part of the deal.

Ah, but it is only for a short time. And it certainly has its rewards. Our girl has always been our angel, being the first grandchild and all. And then there’s our little man. After I read him a bedtime story and tucked him in for the night, I said, “I love you.” Sleepily, he said, “I love you too, Nanny.”

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the tooth fairy has been busy

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

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first birthday

A Welcome Weekend

Published on by J. Kelland Perry6 Comments

This Friday, my husband and I are going to town to spend a few days caring for our two little grandchildren. Allowing L and J’s hardworking parents to go off on a private weekend and enjoy some time by themselves has become a little tradition for us, a tradition we happily and gratefully accept.

We look forward to taking them on a couple of outings, one of which will be to buy a Christmas present for a needy child and putting it under the Happy Tree at the mall. Some visits with family, a Santa Claus Parade, and the obligatory games and bedtime stories will ensure lots of fun-filled moments for the children and grandparents alike.

This weekend couldn’t come at a better time for me. Spending time with my sweet little ones is just the diversion I need right now, a breath of fresh air that will help me regroup, regain focus, and get back to my normal life. There’s this novel I started writing last month that I had no other choice but to put aside due to my recent loss, but it is back on the agenda this week, I am pleased to say.

Here are just a few photos I selected from fun times we had with L and J, over the past year.

Four more sleeps, kids! Your Nanny and Poppy can’t wait. 🙂

The Youngest Man In My Life

Published on by J. Kelland Perry10 Comments


Meet the little fellow who happens to own a giant chunk of my heart.  At just four years of age, “J” is the youngest person in my family, and in my life.

In many ways, my grandson J is your typical little boy. He likes to do the things his dad does, which includes everything from working on the car..

…to collecting Star Wars figurines!  And like most little boys, J loves to get up close and personal with wiggly, wriggly things.

Usually our little man doesn’t mind getting his picture taken…


..but not always. 🙂

When I go to visit my little grandson, at first he is usually very shy, and his first instinct is to hide behind his mother’s legs. Then out of the blue, he suddenly runs toward me, barreling into my waist with the sweetest, strongest hug! What makes a four-year-old boy do that?

He makes me think that I must be a pretty good grandma, and that he knows I adore him. But I bet he hasn’t any idea just how much. ♥

Travel Theme: Oceans

Published on by J. Kelland Perry11 Comments

June 8th was World Oceans Day. World Oceans Day has been unofficially celebrated on June 8th since 1992 when Canada proposed the idea at the Earth Summit in Rio, and was officially recognised by the United Nations in 2008. The official website is worldoceansday.org.

Here is my contribution to a weekly travel theme challenge created by wheresmybackpack.wordpress.com.  Because I live by the Atlantic Ocean here in Canada, I thought I would share some pics from last year when my daughter and her family visited, and had fun on our sandy seashores.

“looking for treasures”
“I found a starfish, Nanny!”

“Look what I found…a baby crab!”


“dancing with the waves”

For the Young, & the Young at Heart: Disney’s Magic Kingdom – a Pictorial

Published on by J. Kelland Perry9 Comments

Here are some scenes from Disney World last week, during our vacation in Florida with my daughter and her family.  I apologize for the less-than-perfect quality of some of the photos, as I was quite caught up in all the fun myself.  Lack of photography skills aside, I hope I managed, in some small way, to capture the essence of  “The Magic Kingdom”.

And this was only what I managed to photograph.  We enjoyed other attractions, depending on the level of courage;  only the men did Splash Mountain and Space Mountain, and Paul and I did the Haunted Mansion.  The Barnstormer was scarier than I thought it would be, and the kids were frightened by Snow White’s Scary Adventure. I thought there should have been a warning for the littler ones.

So long, Disney.  Perhaps we’ll be back if we have any more grandchildren.  😉