My granddaughter is ten years old now, though in some ways she will always be my baby girl.
When she was three and her brother was one, I took care of them for about a year and a half when my daughter returned to her nursing position at the Janeway Children’s Hospital. This was just before Paul and I moved to Newtown.
During the routine of caring for them, I would jot down anything our little girl said that made me smile.
At three years old:
“Nanny, I’m ‘boring’!”
“Oh, you are, are you? How about we go for a walk then?”
“Can’t we do something ‘funner’?”
Padmé was the name of her first cat. While she stroked her head gently: “I love Padmé even when she scratches me.”
While we were making cookies: “You’re going to Lead Cove this weekend, are you?”
“Yes, Nanny, so you’re going to miss us for a while.”
Her baby brother fell, bumped his head and cried. When he finally calmed down, she looked at me sadly and said, “I don’t like when that happens to my brother. It makes me scared.” (How well she articulates her feelings at such a tender age.)
“Nanny, it’s raining. Can I go outdoors with my ‘amp-brella’?”
“Your mac and cheese is ready, sweetie.”
“How come you didn’t say ‘roni’, Nanny?”
“I don’t want to grow up, Nanny.”
“Everybody grows up, honey. Why don’t you want to grow up?”
“Because I want you to always babysit me.”
She and her brother were fighting over something. “I’m so disappointed in him!”
(And continuing to build her vocabulary:) “This is so frustrating!”
(In reply to something I said to her:) “Apparently!”
This one floored me: “Oh, Nanny, I don’t know what to do with my life!”
Feeding her baby like Mommy does 🙂
She was telling me that she saw a cowboy when she was out with her mommy.
“He had a real cowboy hat and cowboy boots!”
“Where did you see him?”
“At the booze store.”
“When I grow up, I’m going to get married.”
“And who are you going to marry?”
Matter-of-factly, she said, “My brother.”
Playing dress-up in Mommy’s wedding dress
Four years old:
Holding her brother’s face in her hands: “His eyes are so beautiful, I could cry!”
Talking about her bad dream from the night before: “My dreams are broken.”
“What did you dream about last night, Nanny?” (I think she’s the only person who ever asked me that!)
“Nanny, you’re so sweet.”
“Why am I sweet?”
“Because you do so many things for us.”
She was telling me about the dead, mangled shrew that her cat Ginger had brought home recently. “Nanny, you could see inside it. It looked like old wires, like inside my very old couch.”
I commented on the cut on her leg.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” she said fearfully. The next day she announced out of the blue: “I’m ready to talk about my ‘owie’ now.”
We were out for a walk around the block when she pointed at a little girl across the street. “That’s my friend!”
“What is her name?”
“I don’t know…”
She told me about one day when another relative came to babysit. “When I saw it wasn’t you, I screeched!”
“Why, sweetheart?”
“I wanted you, Nanny, because I love you so much. I’ll love you till the stars fall from the sky…but that will never happen, so I’ll always love you.”
*Only last three photos were taken by yours truly. All others taken by the children’s Mommy and Daddy.
What cute things did your children or grandchildren say?
Please share below!
When most adults spend quality time with youngsters, they usually think of what they can share with them and teach them about life and the world around them.
While I spent a sizable chunk of April taking care of my two grandchildren, I did plenty of that, but – surprise, surprise – I also learned a few things about myself.
1. My addiction to jigsaw puzzles is alive and well. I had thought my love for putting them together (and the harder the better) had faded over the years, but helping and then pretty much taking over our grandson’s Skylander collection of puzzles turned out to be fun and surprisingly absorbing.
google.ca
2. It is actually possible for me to like a Justin Bieber song without being fond of the Biebs himself. My granddaughter feels the same way, so I know it’s entirely acceptable.
3. I’ve taken a shine to the Wii Just Dance video games. Great uptempo music, effective aerobic exercise, having fun like a kid with the kids – what’s not to love? And who cares what I look like bopping around with them?
4. I always thought I didn’t like Brussels sprouts, but turns out I do! They can be delicious when you don’t boil the sh*t out of them (sorry, Mom). Five to ten minutes with a dash of salt: perfection. Thanks for the tip, granddaughter! Would you believe she was the one who wanted me to buy them?
5. Apparently and according to my granddaughter, I smile whenever I check my appearance in the mirror. I had no idea, and she finds it “creepy”.
6. I believe five bucks is too generous a gift from the tooth fairy. I don’t care if she is an Immortal Guardian.
7. I no longer think there is anything wrong with wearing your pyjamas around the house all day – my grandson totally encourages it. I still draw the line at wearing them out in public. That’s a trend I will never embrace.
8. According to this little fellow, the skin on my neck is very soft and “crinkly”, and he won’t let me forget it…well, I am his grandma, after all.
9. I adore having the opportunity to indulge them. And such fun to live in the moment with them! 10. I am profoundly grateful for having these little people in my life to love.
I’ve been following Elizabeth from Almost Spring nearly as long as I’ve been blogging. She writes eloquently as a woman blindsided when her husband leaves their marriage, and tells how her life is transforming from “We to Me.”
In her own words:
I am a 59-year-old woman surviving the pain of the collapse of my 37 year marriage that occurred suddenly through no choice of my own. I survived the first six months by living in today and enjoying the moments of a glorious summer.
…When that first summer ended, when the days became shorter, the mornings colder and I could see the winter approaching, I began to wonder how I would survive the darkness, the cold, the grey skies and the impending gloom of winter. Then I thought to myself – ‘why?’ It is almost spring… So too with my current life situation.”
I chose one of her posts from last month because it illustrates how far Elizabeth has come on her emotional journey. You might like to follow her too, if you’re in a similar situation. Click on the linkbelow to read about her, and don’t forget to mention Jennifer sent you.
Denise was born on a beautiful sunny day, just like today. She decided to show up three weeks before her due date of July 6th. Born at Carbonear Hospital, she was the smallest baby there at the time, weighing a dainty five pounds, seven ounces.
My life as a very young mother had begun!
Denise at Six Years Old
Denise was a happy child, but she was also softhearted, intelligent, and focused.
Bachelor of Nursing Graduate
She always worked hard to realize her goals.
Her Beautiful Family
Happy Birthday, Denise! I am so proud of you, and can’t imagine my life without you in it!
Love Mom ❤
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.
I pray I’m there for you for a long, long time, my precious boy! ❤
Rhonda deals with the loss of her beautiful daughter last spring by blogging about it. Heart-wrenching, powerful, and beautifully written, she tells how even those closest to us often keep depression hidden. Please ask for help if this is you.
On 4-11-13 I lost my beautiful, brilliant 23 year old daughter to suicide due to the illness that she kept from me and all others all her life, depression. This is the story of my travel down this road of horrendous pain and disbelief, and stories of her wonderfulness as a person
Due to an interruption in our internet service, this post didn’t go online yesterday as it should have on my son’s birthday. My apologies!
Christening Day
In the midst of a snowstorm back in the eighties, my boy decided to make his debut into the world. Because I couldn’t make it to Carbonear Hospital, Brian was delivered in the nearby cottage hospital, a high point for the staff there that day. He was a strapping nine pounds seven ounces, and I was thrilled to have a little boy, as I had a girl at home.
waiting for a piece of dough to play with from my batch of bread
As most little boys are growing up, my son was a bundle of energy who kept me on my toes, but he was also super-affectionate.
♥
How quickly the years have flown by! Here is Brian in his teens.
my handsome boyUniversity Grad with Two Degrees
Happy Birthday, Honey. You have enriched our lives beyond measure. ~ Love, Mom ♥
Jennifer's Journal 